Theme 12 Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement
Mahatma Gandhi was the most influential and revered of all the leaders who participated in the freedom struggle
of India.
A Leader Announces Himself
Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915, after 20 years from South Africa.
Historian Chandran Devanesan has rightly remarked that “South Africa was the making of the Mahatma”.
It was in South Africa that Mahatma Gandhi
-adopted his technique of non violent protest or Satyagraha,
-promoted harmony between religions, and
-alerted upper caste Indians for their discriminatory treatment of low castes and women.
Difference in India that Gandhi left in 1893 and the India Gandhi returned to in 1915
The India that Mahatma Gandhi came back to in 1915 was different from the one that he had left in 1893.
Although still a colony of the British; it was far more active in the political sense.
The Indian National Congress now had branches in most major cities and towns.
Through the Swadeshi movement of 1905-07 it had greatly broadened its appeal among the middle classes.
That movement had thrown up some towering leaders -among them Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Maharashtra,
Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal, and Lala Lajpat Rai of Punjab known as “Lal, Bal and Pal”.
While these leaders advocated militant opposition to colonial rule, there was a group of “moderates” who
Preferred a more gradual and persuasive approach. Among these moderates was Goplala Krishna Gokhale
as well as Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Importance of the speech of BHU
Gandhi’s first major public appearance was at the opening of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) In
February 1916.
It was merely a statement of fact that Indian nationalism was an elite phenomena, a creation of lawyers,
doctors and landlords.
Gandhiji charged the Indian elite with a lack of concern for the laboring poor
Gandhiji chose to remind those present, of the peasants and workers who constituted a majority of the
Indian population, yet were unrepresented in the audience.
The first public announcement of Gandhiji’s own desire was to make Indian nationalism more properly
representative of the Indian people as a whole.
First campaign of Mahatma Gandhi
At the annual congress ,held in Lucknow in December 1916, Mahatma Gandhi was approached by a
peasant form Champaran and he told Mahatma Gandhi about the harsh treatment the peasants received by
the British. In 1917, Mahatma Gandhi organized a Satyagraha in Champaran (Bihar) seeking the security
of tenure as well as the freedom to grow crops as per their wish.
Sujith.K,HSST History GVHSS Kayyoor,Kasargod .
1
, Campaigns launched by Gandhiji in his home state
Gandhiji was involved in two campaigns in his home state of Gujarat.
Firstly, he participated in the Ahmadabad textile mill strike of February-March 1918, demanding better
working conditions for the textile mill workers.
Secondly, he joined the peasants in Kheda Satyagraha who demanded remission of taxes from the state
following the failure of their harvest. It was in Kheda that Mahatma Gandhi initiate the first Satyagraha
revolution.
Rowlatt Act
The Rowlatt Act was passed by the British government in India in March 1919.
This act authorized the government to imprison, without trial any person suspected of terrorism.
Gandhiji called for a country wide agitation against the Rowlatt Act.
On April 6th a hartal was declared by Gandhiji.The protests against the Rowlatt Act grew progressively
intense reaching a climax in Amritsar in April 1919, when a British Brigadier ordered his troops to open
fire on a nationalist meeting.
More than 400 people were killed in what is known as the Jalliawala Bagh massacre.
It was the Rowlatt Act that made Gandhiji a truly national leader.
Encouraged by its success, Gandhiji called for a campaign of Non-cooperation with the British rule.
Non cooperation movement
Factors leading to the Non-cooperation Movement
The First World War (1914-18) and laws introduced by the British
Censorship of the Press
Introduction of Rowlatt Act (1919) which permitted detention without trial
Campaign against Rowlatt Act
Gandhiji detained while proceeding to Punjab
Prominent local congressmen arrested
Jalliawala Bagh massacre
Success of Rowlatt satyagraha and Gandhiji’s call for Non cooperation Movement
Gandhi decided to couple the khilafat issue with the Non-Cooperation .He wanted to bring Hindus and Muslims
collectively to end colonial rule. During non cooperation movement
Students stopped going to schools and colleges run by the British government.
Lawyers refused to attend the court.
The working class went on strike in many towns and cities.
Hill tribes in Northern Andhra violated the forest laws.
Farmers in Awadh refused to pay taxes.
Sujith.K,HSST History GVHSS Kayyoor,Kasargod .
2
Mahatma Gandhi was the most influential and revered of all the leaders who participated in the freedom struggle
of India.
A Leader Announces Himself
Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915, after 20 years from South Africa.
Historian Chandran Devanesan has rightly remarked that “South Africa was the making of the Mahatma”.
It was in South Africa that Mahatma Gandhi
-adopted his technique of non violent protest or Satyagraha,
-promoted harmony between religions, and
-alerted upper caste Indians for their discriminatory treatment of low castes and women.
Difference in India that Gandhi left in 1893 and the India Gandhi returned to in 1915
The India that Mahatma Gandhi came back to in 1915 was different from the one that he had left in 1893.
Although still a colony of the British; it was far more active in the political sense.
The Indian National Congress now had branches in most major cities and towns.
Through the Swadeshi movement of 1905-07 it had greatly broadened its appeal among the middle classes.
That movement had thrown up some towering leaders -among them Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Maharashtra,
Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal, and Lala Lajpat Rai of Punjab known as “Lal, Bal and Pal”.
While these leaders advocated militant opposition to colonial rule, there was a group of “moderates” who
Preferred a more gradual and persuasive approach. Among these moderates was Goplala Krishna Gokhale
as well as Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Importance of the speech of BHU
Gandhi’s first major public appearance was at the opening of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) In
February 1916.
It was merely a statement of fact that Indian nationalism was an elite phenomena, a creation of lawyers,
doctors and landlords.
Gandhiji charged the Indian elite with a lack of concern for the laboring poor
Gandhiji chose to remind those present, of the peasants and workers who constituted a majority of the
Indian population, yet were unrepresented in the audience.
The first public announcement of Gandhiji’s own desire was to make Indian nationalism more properly
representative of the Indian people as a whole.
First campaign of Mahatma Gandhi
At the annual congress ,held in Lucknow in December 1916, Mahatma Gandhi was approached by a
peasant form Champaran and he told Mahatma Gandhi about the harsh treatment the peasants received by
the British. In 1917, Mahatma Gandhi organized a Satyagraha in Champaran (Bihar) seeking the security
of tenure as well as the freedom to grow crops as per their wish.
Sujith.K,HSST History GVHSS Kayyoor,Kasargod .
1
, Campaigns launched by Gandhiji in his home state
Gandhiji was involved in two campaigns in his home state of Gujarat.
Firstly, he participated in the Ahmadabad textile mill strike of February-March 1918, demanding better
working conditions for the textile mill workers.
Secondly, he joined the peasants in Kheda Satyagraha who demanded remission of taxes from the state
following the failure of their harvest. It was in Kheda that Mahatma Gandhi initiate the first Satyagraha
revolution.
Rowlatt Act
The Rowlatt Act was passed by the British government in India in March 1919.
This act authorized the government to imprison, without trial any person suspected of terrorism.
Gandhiji called for a country wide agitation against the Rowlatt Act.
On April 6th a hartal was declared by Gandhiji.The protests against the Rowlatt Act grew progressively
intense reaching a climax in Amritsar in April 1919, when a British Brigadier ordered his troops to open
fire on a nationalist meeting.
More than 400 people were killed in what is known as the Jalliawala Bagh massacre.
It was the Rowlatt Act that made Gandhiji a truly national leader.
Encouraged by its success, Gandhiji called for a campaign of Non-cooperation with the British rule.
Non cooperation movement
Factors leading to the Non-cooperation Movement
The First World War (1914-18) and laws introduced by the British
Censorship of the Press
Introduction of Rowlatt Act (1919) which permitted detention without trial
Campaign against Rowlatt Act
Gandhiji detained while proceeding to Punjab
Prominent local congressmen arrested
Jalliawala Bagh massacre
Success of Rowlatt satyagraha and Gandhiji’s call for Non cooperation Movement
Gandhi decided to couple the khilafat issue with the Non-Cooperation .He wanted to bring Hindus and Muslims
collectively to end colonial rule. During non cooperation movement
Students stopped going to schools and colleges run by the British government.
Lawyers refused to attend the court.
The working class went on strike in many towns and cities.
Hill tribes in Northern Andhra violated the forest laws.
Farmers in Awadh refused to pay taxes.
Sujith.K,HSST History GVHSS Kayyoor,Kasargod .
2
