The March to Freedom (1919-1947) PDF - Indian Independence

Okay, here is the converted text from the document to a structured markdown format. I have focused on retaining all important facts and figures, summarizing where necessary, and formatting the text for readability. ## 12 The March to Freedom (1919-1947) Use Cordova Smart Class Software on the smar...

Okay, here is the converted text from the document to a structured markdown format. I have focused on retaining all important facts and figures, summarizing where necessary, and formatting the text for readability. ## 12 The March to Freedom (1919-1947) Use Cordova Smart Class Software on the smart board in class to make learning enjoyable. (Digital Learning - NEP Guidelines) **LEARNING OUTCOMES** Students will be able to: * describe the emergence of freedom fighters against the foreign rule * outline the course of the Indian freedom struggle from 1914 to 1947 through various movements, acts, reforms and reports ### Key Terms | Term | Definition | | ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Caliph | A title used for Muslim rulers regarded as the symbolic head of all Muslims | | Gandhian Era | The phase of the freedom movement, led by Gandhiji | | Hartal | A Hindi term which means strike, of closing or suspending particular or all work for a certain or indefinite period | | Khilafat movement | The Movement started by Ali brothers in 1920 with the support of the Caliph of Turkey | | Knighthood | An honor granted by the British for exceptional achievement | | Martial Law | A situation where the military of a country controls an area instead of the police during a time of trouble | | Satyagraha | Word adopted by Gandhiji for standing firm for truth and justice with non-violence | **Timeline:** * **1917:** Champaran, Khera, Ahmadabad Satyagraha * **1915:** Mahatma Gandhi returns back to India * **1919:** Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms; Jallianwala Bagh Massacre * **1920:** Khilafat Movement/ Non-Cooperation Movement * **1927:** Simon Commission * **1930:** Civil Disobedience Movement Dandi March * **1935:** The Government of India Act * **1942:** The Cripps Mission; Quit India Movement * **1945:** Cabinet Mission * **1947:** Independence/ Partition After 1919, the Indian National Movement involved almost all segments of Indian society Participation of all these people transformed the national movement into a mass movement. None other than Mahatma Gandhi is credited for this transformation. ### EMERGENCE OF GANDHI This phase of the freedom movement is called the **Gandhian Era**. Towards the end of the First World War, the Indian National Movement got a dynamic leader, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Under his able leadership, the national movement became a mass movement and people from different walks of life participated in the movement. Gandhiji became the most prominent figure of this period. ### Early Life Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born at Porbandar in Gujarat on 2 October 1869. He had been married to Kasturba Gandhi in 1883, when he was only thirteen.Gandhiji studied law in England. He practised as a lawyer in South Africa for around 20 years. During his practice as a lawyer in South Africa, Gandhiji struggled to improve the conditions of the poor Indians who were treated badly by the racist authorities of South Africa. In 1894, Gandhiji founded the Natal Indian Congress. The main aim of this organisation was to work for Indians living in South Africa. During this long struggle, he evolved the concept of Satyagraha or peaceful non-violent agitation. In 1915, a new phase in the Indian National Movement began by the return of Gandhiji to India, Gandhiji returned and got involved in the cause of the poor peasants of Champaran. ### The Champaran, Khera and Ahmedabad Satyagraha Gandhiji heard that the peasants in Champaran (Bihar) were being forced to sell indigo at very low prices to the planters. In 1917, Gandhiji defied British orders and went to Champaran. Gandhiji declared that he would not leave the place till justice was delivered. This ultimately resulted in the government increasing the price the peasants received, for indigo that they sold to the planters. The workers of the textile mills in Ahmedabad were paid very low wages. In 1918, Gandhiji supported the workers against the mill owners who eventually increased the workers' wages. Kaira (Kheda), Gujarat was another area where Gandhiji involved himself. He supported the peasants who could not pay taxes as the crops had failed that year. His agitation forced the government not to collect taxes from the peasants that year. Gandhiji was the first leader during the freedom struggle who could mobilize the common people for a national movement. By 1919, Gandhiji had become a popular figure and he propagated Satyagraha and Ahimsa. ### Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919) In 1919 (after the First World War), the Government of India Act, also known as the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, was passed. The important features of the act were as follows: * The Central Legislative Council was now to consist of two houses – The Imperial Legislative Assembly and the Council of State. This system was the bicameral system. The majority in both houses was made up of elected members. * The provinces were to follow the dual government system or dyarchy * The state subjects were clearly demarcated into two divisions-reserved and transferred. The subjects considered more important were categorized under the reserved list. This list was under the control of the governor and his council. * Subjects considered less important were put under the ministers. These ministers were responsible to the legislature. Hence, power still rested in British hands. ### The Rowlatt Act: First All Indian Satyagraha The Government of India Act 1919 disappointed the Indians. There were protests all over. The British tried to control the situation by passing the Rowlatt Act (1919). This Act authorised the government to imprison any person without trial or conviction in a court of law and was branded by the name of 'Black Act'. Gandhiji launched an anti-Rowlatt Satyagraha. He gave message to Indians that 6 April 1919 was to be observed as a day of hartal (strike), fasting and prayer. The Act was widely criticised. ### The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre Hartals took place all over the country, opposing the Rowlatt Act. On 6 April, 1919, Gandhiji was arrested. This was followed by the arrests of Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satya Pal in Punjab. On 13 April 1919, a peaceful public meeting was going on in Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar to protest against the arrest of Dr Kitchlew and Dr Satya Pal. General Dyer wanted to teach a lesson to Punjab. With his well-armed soldiers, he surrounded the Jallianwala Bagh and blocked its only exit. By this act the crowd was trapped in the ground. Finally, General Dyer ordered his soldiers to shoot the trapped people with machine guns and rifles. Soldiers, without any warning, opened fire on the helpless men, women and children gathered there. More than a thousand died and many more were injured. This incident created shock and horror among the people. The British reacted brutally, torturing and arresting people. All leaders condemned the massacre. Rabindranath Tagore reacted by renouncing his knighthood. These violent measures by the Government, however, strengthened the determination of the Indians. On 15 April, the Martial Law was proclaimed in Punjab. ### ANTI-BRITISH MOVEMENTS ### KHILAFAT MOVEMENT International politics changed after the First World War. Humiliating terms were imposed by the British on the ruler of Turkey. The ruler of Turkey was also the Caliph of Muslims. They regarded him as the religious head of the Muslims throughout the world. The Muslims in India wanted to bring pressure upon Britain to change its policies towards Turkey. All these developments resulted in the famous Khilafat Movement of 1920. This movement was started by Ali brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali. The Khilafat Movement got the full support of the Indian National Congress under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. **Wonderful To Know** Khilafat leaders such as Dr Ansari, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Hakim Ajmal Khan founded the Jamia Millia Islamia in 1920 to promote independent education and social rejuvenation of Muslims. ### NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT (1920-1922) The All India Non-Cooperation Movement was started on 1 August 1920. Gandhiji gave the call for this movement was to redress the wrong done in Punjab and Turkey. It was also to attain self-government. The Congress now decided to demand Swaraj and not to co-operate with the government in any manner. A constructive programme was launched along with the Non-Cooperation Movement and promoted: * Khadi and Charkha * Spread of education * Equality (abolition of untouchability) All sections of the society supported the Non-Cooperation Movement. Women also took part in the movement very enthusiastically. **Beginning of the Movement** The movement began with renunciation of titles by Indians. Even Gandhiji renounced the title of Kaiser-i-Hind, given to him by the British. The second stage of the movement was boycott. People all over the country boycotted foreign goods. Boycott of Government schools, colleges, legislatures, law courts and elections to legislatures followed. People followed the policy of non-cooperation with the Government in all spheres. Peasants responded to the call of the Congress. They organised no tax campaigns in Bengal and Bihar. Forest Satyagraha was organised by several forest tribes. Sensing the success of the movement, it was decided at the Congress session at Ahmedabad in 1921 that the final stage would be the non-payment of taxes. This plan, however, could not be carried out because of the riot at Chauri Chaura, a small village in Uttar Pradesh. A protest march was being carried out by a crowd of peasants in Chauri Chaura on 5 February 1922. The police beat up a volunteer and then opened fire, killing several peasants. This angered the crowd and they set fire to the police station, causing the death of twenty-two policemen. Gandhiji was deeply saddened by this violent incident. Hence, he called off the movement. **Importance of Non-Cooperation Movement** * The movement was widespread and reached even the remotest village of the country. * The movement saw large-scale participation of the masses. * The Hindu-Muslim unity got strengthened. ### EVENTS AFTER THE NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT ### The Swaraj Party After the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement, a debate started regarding the next course of political activity. Gandhiji's followers stressed that the Congress should continue with the constructive work suggested by Gandhiji and they were called 'No changers'. On the other hand, leaders insisted on fighting elections and entering the councils to influence the British policy. They were called 'Pro-changers'. Finally they formed Swaraj Party in January 1923 and fought elections and won many seats. In 1925 their foremost leader, Chittranjan Das, died and soon the Swaraj Party faded away. ### Communist Party The Communist Party of India was established in Kanpur in December 1925. The main aim of the Communist Party was to establish a classless society. They also propagated their idea of state ownership of all means of production. The cause of the peasants and workers were supported by the Indian communists. ### Revolutionaries: Second Phase The sudden withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement led to disillusionment and frustration among the revolutionaries. New revolutionary organisations were formed during this period. These organisations were in support of radical protest methods like assassination of British officials. Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) was one such organisation and was completely in favour of an armed socialist revolution in India. Chandrashekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh were members of the HSRA. The revolutionary movement was very strong in Bengal. Unpopular police officers and magistrates were the main targets. The most famous among the revolutionaries of Bengal was Surya Sen. The Indian Republican Army was organised by him. ### THE SIMON COMMISSION To recommend constitutional changes in India, in 1927 a commission headed by Sir John Simon was appointed by the British government. All the members of the commission were British. Hence the commission refused the demand of the Indians for self-government. The Muslim League and the Indian National Congress boycotted the commission. In February 1928, the Simon Commission arrived in India. The Indians launched a protest and greeted the commission with black flags and banners everywhere saying "Simon, go back." In Lahore an anti-Simon demonstration was going on. Saunders, a British police officer, lathi-charged the peaceful demonstrators. Lala Lajpat Rai was badly injured and died soon after the incident. The British faced retaliation. Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and Rajguru killed Saunders. ### The Nehru Report An attempt at drafting a constitution by the Indians was made in 1928 by Motilal Nehru and Tej Bahadur Sapru. The Nehru report demanded dominion status of India but the Muslim League rejected the report. ### Lahore Session of the Congress (1929) In December 1929, the Congress session was held at Lahore. It was presided by Jawaharlal Nehru. In this session, the Congress declared its aim as complete independence or purna swaraj. The newly adopted Tricolour was hoisted on 31 December 1929. ### CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT (1930-34) Under the able leadership of Gandhiji, the Civil Disobedience Movement was started and focussed on complete independence. ### The Dandi March The Civil Disobedience Movement started with the beginning of satyagraha against the Salt Law. Gandhiji started this movement as the Salt Law clearly states that nobody could manufacture salt in India without the permission of the British government and everyone paid a salt tax. The Dandi March was organised by Gandhiji to break the Salt Law. It was a 385 km walk. On March 12, 1930, it started and ended on 6 April 1930 at the coastal village of Dandi. Here, Gandhiji made a handful of salt at the seashore and thus broke the Salt Law. Gandhiji's march from Sabarmati to Dandi is called the Dandi March. In the north-west part of India, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan led the movement and was known as Frontier Gandhi. Represssive measures were used by the British government to crush the movement. ### Gandhi-Irwin Pact The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed in 1931. By the terms of this pact, the Government agreed to free all political prisoners except those involved in violence. In return, the Congress suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement and agreed to participate in the next (Second) Round Table Conference. ### The Round Table Conferences * **First Round Table Conference** - It was held in 1930 and was boycotted by the Indian National Congress. * **Second Round Table Conference** - It was held in London in 1931. Gandhiji represented the Indian National Congress. The conference ended in failure. Gandhiji returned to India and relaunched the Civil Disobedience Movement. * **The Third Round Table Conference** - It was held in London in November 1932 and was boycotted by the Congress which meant the conference was a failure. ### Communal Award The British government announced the 'Communal Award' in 1932 and granted separate electorates for the scheduled castes or untouchables and for the minorities. Later Dr BR Ambedkar and Gandhiji signed the Poona Pact (1932) with regard to the upliftment of the scheduled castes. ### THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT 1935 In 1935, the British passed the Government of India Act: * This Act suggested the creation of an All-India Federation of British Indian provinces and Indian states * At the centre, the system of dyarchy was introduced. The Governor-General was made responsible for reserved subjects such as defence and foreign affairs. * Autonomy was granted to the provinces and the Act was a failure as it did not satisfy the demands of the Indians. In 1936, at its Lucknow Session, the Congress rejected the Act but agreed to participate in the elections to the provincial assemblies to be held in 1937 and secured majority. The Second World War broke out in 1939 which resulted in the resignation of Congress ministers in 1939 in protest. ### THE CRIPPS MISSION Sir Stafford Cripps came to India in March 1942 to discuss the issues regarding the Second World War and to seek the support of Indian leaders in the war. This mission was known by the name of Cripps Mission but was rejected by both major parties. ### Demand for Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah was amongst the most prominent Muslim leaders of those days. His two-nation theory was based on the belief that the Hindus and the Muslims constituted two separate nations within India, and the political separation alone could solve their problems. Muhammad Ali Jinnah began to demand a separate homeland or country for the Muslims. The Muslim League passed a resolution in 1940. This resolution clearly called for partition of India and the creation of a new state called Pakistan after India obtained freedom from the British rule. ### THE QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT Gandhiji and the Congress launched the famous Quit India Movement in August 1942 after the failure of the Cripps Mission. On 9 August 1942, the British arrested Gandhiji and other senior leaders and declared the Congress an illegal organisation. The people reacted violently to this and many Indians destroyed infrastructure. During this time a terrible famine occurred in Bengal (1943). Over thirty lakh people died. ### NETAJI SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE AND THE INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY (INA) One of the most dynamic leaders of the Indian freedom struggle was Subhash Chandra Bose. In 1939 he left the Congress party and founded a new party called the Forward Bloc. In 1943, he arrived in Tokyo (Japan). Bose created the Azad Hind Fauj or Indian National Army (INA) in Singapore and was killed in a plane crash while flying to Tokyo in 1945. ### TRANSFER OF POWER The Second World War broke the economy of Britain as It became too weak to sustain its empire in India. Observing this unrest, Clement Atlee, the Prime Minister of Britain, finally decided to transfer power to the Indians. ### The Cabinet Mission (1945) By May 1945, the Second World War came to an end. The British Government sent a three member Cabinet Mission in February 1946. This mission was to discuss the terms for transfer of power to India. ### BIRTH OF A NEW NATION Indian princes and the Muslim League refused to participate in the working of the Constituent Assembly. The Muslim League demanded a separate country for Muslims. In March 1947, Lord Mountbatten became the viceroy and the country was divided to form India and Pakistan. On 15 August 1947, India became independent. The year after independence was a sad year for India as Mahatama Gandhi, Bapu, the Father of the Nation, was assassinated on 30 January 1948.