Summary

Modern Indian History Class 31

Revision of Mahatma Gandhi's ideology and stateless society and village republics (Previous class) (05:06 PM)

Please refer handouts for the below three topics (Already uploaded in Your portal)
Gandhiji's idea of Trusteeship (05:23 PM)
Gandhiji's idea of Arbitration (05:28 PM)
Gandhiji's idea on Universal disarmament (05:35 PM)

Pilot projects of Mahatma Gandhi (05:40 PM)

Champaran satyagraha 1917
First Passive resistance and First Civil disobedience
Mahatma Gandhi violated an order to leave Champaran.
The grievance was the teen Kathia system of Indigo cultivation.
MG instead courted arrest.
Finally, the British set up an Inquiry committee that led to the Champaran agricultural act of 1918. Which led to the decline of the Teenkathia system.
Ahmedabad mill strike 1918
First Hunger strike
In Favour of workers whose plague bonus was discontinued.
MG demanded a 35% increase in wages.
Finally, an arbitration board was set up and wages increased by 27.5%
This also led to the foundation of the Working Class movement in Ahmedabad and the setting up Textile labour association in 1920.

Kheda satyagara 1918 (06:00 PM )

First Non Cooperation
MG asked peasants to withhold Land revenue payments as they were entitled to low land revenue in case of crop failure.
But the government was still demanding full land revenue.
Result: The government asked only those to pay who could pay(Because truthfulness of satyagraha)

Rowlatt satyagraha 1919 (06:08 PM )

Solely led by MG and not by INC.
Against the Rowlatt acts( Past by ILC in February 1919)
GOI 1919 in December replaced ILC by Central legislative assembly and council of states.
For MG it was a breach of the promise of self-government of Montagu's statement of 1917 and the soon-to-come Montford reforms of 1919.
As via these acts, the British wanted to continue having emergency-like powers of defence of India act 1915 which was only for periods of war.
Justice SAT Rowlatt proposed two Rowlatt bills.
MG actions= Gave call for All India mass strike.
Therefore first Mass strike and the first All India movement.
The call was for a Nonviolent strike.
But MG's arrest led to widespread violence, especially in Punjab.
Leading to Lieutenant governor O Dwyre applying Marshall law in Punjab which barred the gathering of people.
13 April 1919-Jallianwala Bagh massacre by General Dyer where 379 were killed without warning.
After this MG withdrew from the movement because overwhelmed by violence.
Result: MG realized that he needed control over INC for a controlled mass movement and that Indians need training in Nonviolent satyagraha.
Higher participation in urban areas by workers but low participation in rural areas.
Importance =Beginning of mass politics.

khilafat (1920-24) and NCM (1920-24) (06:55 PM)

Reasons
The harsh treaty of Sevres 1920 with the Ottoman empire was a Breach of promise for Indian Muslims.
Jallianwala Bagh 1919.
Dissatisfaction with GOI 1919.
Pent-up anger against war inflation and Spanish flu.
Actions
Khilafat committee 1919 setup by the Ali brothers ( Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali)
They wanted to use Religion to generate Anti British sentiments.
Demanded that the dignity of khalifa be maintained by giving him suitable territory plus religious Muslim places to be under khalifa plus Arabs not to be under Non-Muslims.
They requested MG to take leadership(Had recently led Rowlatt satyagraha 1919) plus Hindu Muslim unity due to the Lucknow pact 1916.
In 1920 Khilafat committee launched NCM by giving a call for a boycott of titles, civil services, and the Army plus a No tax campaign.
MG saw an opportunity for Hindu-Muslim unity and therefore convinced INC to also launch NCM.
MG convinced leaders like CR das who were more inclined towards council work to oppose the British( GOI 1919 allowed adjournment motions)
Also recent failures of the Home rule league, Rowlatt 1919.
Special Calcutta session ( September 1920)
INC decided to launch NCM with the goal of:
Undo Punjab wrongs plus undo khilafat wrongs plus give swaraj.
Noncooperation for one year and if swaraj is not achieved in one year then a Civil disobedience movement(MG promised Swaraj in one year)
Decided that in the first phase of NCM:
Boycott titles and honours, Councils, Educational institutions, and Courts.
Boycott British goods.
Concentrate on Constructive works like panchayats, and use khadi. Picketing of liquor shops.
Anti-untouchability campaigns for caste unity, promote Hindu-Muslim unity.

Nagpur session 1920 (07:22 PM)

Extremists and Moderates both had felt and moderates attracted to the Nonviolence of MG an extremist to the passive resistance of MG and therefore accepted the leadership of MG.
INC made an organization of the masses by keeping the fees of 4 annas to become a member of INC, INC to use Hindia as far as possible.
Provincial congress committees on linguistic lines are to be set up.
Congress's working committee set up movement committees even if leaders are arrested.
INC goal = Swaraj via peaceful means as against constitutional means.
The second phase of Civil disobedience includes No tax campaign, Resignation from Government services.
Events:
Gandhi-Reading talks(Arbitration) failed because Viceroy Reading wanted MG to criticize parts of the speech by the Ali brothers which supported violence.
Therefore MG defeated the Divide and rule tactics of the British.
Visit of the prince of whales: Nov 1921 led to:
Nationwide strikes by workers and demonstrations.
However violence against Parsis, Christians, and landlords who supported visits.
MG decided- No CDM at the All India level and CDM only in Bardoli via No tax campaign( MG always wanted controlled movement)
Chauri Chaura- Held 22 policemen burnt alive after police repression of protestors.
MG decided to withdraw NCM and suspended CDM.
Also, the Bardoli resolution passed which said CW is a must for the next movement.
Result
Negatives:
Revolutionaries joined enthusiastically, hugely disappointed by the withdrawal.
Low participation by the Middle class regarding the boycott of the Institutions.
Low capitalist participation.
Anti-untouchability was a priority only for MG and not other leaders.
Khadi was expensive and did not have enough National educational institutions.
Communal violence due to increased religiosity and high role ulemas in mobilizing Muslims.
Example: Mappilla revolt 1921 in Malabar and Hindu Muslim Riots from 1922-24 in different parts.
Therefore Hindu Muslim unity was temporary.
The movement turned violent.
The Khilafat movement ended when the people of Turkey ended the rule of khalifa to set up a secular republic in 1924.
Positives:
Strong worker participation, Example: Strikes in Assam led by JM Sengupta in Assam Tea garden, Railways, steamer services
Examples: Strikes by workers @ prince of whales visit, November 1921
Even Revolutionaries joined NCM.
Hindu Muslim unity until 1922, except in Malabar.
Strong peasant participation and peasant movements like the Awadh Kisan sabha movement in 1920 and the Eka movement in 1921 merged into NCM /INM.
Tribals participated, Examples In Andhra violated forest laws.
Strong Lower caste participation and first-time Untouchability began as part of the mainstream and INC agenda.
First-time New regions participated, for Example, Sindh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, South India, and UP.
Akali movement 1920-25 merged into NCM leading to Hindu-Muslim Sikh unity and the rise of Nationalism in Punjab.
Strong regional leadership developed, for example, Bose, Nehru, and Patel.
Economic boycott had great success, with a 50% decrease in imports of British goods.
Council, Boycott great success as very low voter participation in the 1920 election to CLA
Anti Liquor campaign great success. It also led to the participation of women.
CR Das left legal practices, which was a great inspiration.
MG started Tilak swaraj Fund after the death of Tilak in August 1920 and it was oversubscribed.

The Topic for the next class: Akali movement 1920