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Ecc Academy, Marthandam

Gandhian Era – (1917-1947)
Mahatma Gandhi
 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born at porbandar in Gujarat on 2 october 1869.
 He studied law in England
 He returned to India in 1891.
 In April 1893 he went to South Africa and involved himself in the struggle against
apartheid for twenty years.
 He came to India in 1915.
 Impressed by activities and ideas of Gopala Krishna Gokale, he acknowledged him as
his political Guru.
 On the advice of Gokale's Gandhi spent a year travelling all over India himself with the
situation.
 He established his Sabarmati Ashram at Ahmedabad (25 may 1915).
 People called him as Mahatma.
Gandhi's Experiments of Satyagraha:-
a) Champaran movement (1917) or Champaran Satyagraha:-
 Indigo cultivators at the district champaran in Bihar were severely exploited by the
European planters.
 Who had bound the peasants to compulsorily grow indigo on lease on 3/20 th of their
fields.
 Late they sell it at the rates fixed by the planters.
 This system squeezed the peasants and eventually reduced them to penury.
 Accompanied by local leaders such as Rajendra Prasad, Mazharul Huq, Acharya
Kripalani and Mahadeva Desai, Gandhi conducted a detailed enquiry.
 To solve this problem Government formed an enquiry committee.
 Gandhi also become as a member of the enquiry committee.
 The report was accepted and implemented.
 It resulted in the release of the indigo cultivators of the bondage of European planters.
 Who gradually had to withdraw from Champaran itself.
b) Mill workers strike and Gandhi's Fast at Ahmedabad (1918):-
 In Ahmedabad there was a dispute between the textile workers and the mill owners.
 Gandhiji met both the parties.
 The owners refused to accept the demands of the low paid workers.
 Gandhi Advised them to go on strike demanding a 35% increase in their wages.
 Gandhi's fast ultimately forced the mill owners to concede the demand.
c) The Kheda Struggle (1918):-
 The peasants of kheda district due to the failure of monsoon were in distress.
 They had appealed to the colonial authorities for remission of land revenue during 1918.
 But the authorities refused.
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 The kheda peasants who where also battling the plague epidemic, high prices and famine
approached the servants of India society, of which Gandhi was a member for help.
 Vallabhai Patel, a young lawer and Indulal Yagnik joined Gandhi in the movement.
 These virtues made him the man of the masses and soon he was hailed as the Mahatma.
Note:-
 In 1905 servants of Indian society was founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
 It was the first secular organization in the country.
 The Organization has its headquarters in pune (Maharashtra).
 Notable branches in Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay), Allahabad and Nagpur.
Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919):-
 Edwin Montagu – The secretary of state for India.
 Chelmsford – Viceroy.
 They announced their scheme of constitutional changes for India.
 It was known as the Indian Council Act.
 The Act enlarged the Provincial Legislative Councils with elected Majorities.
 Under this arrangement all important subjects like Law and Order and finance 'reserved'
for the Whitemen.
 Other subjects such as health educations and local self-government were 'transferred' to
elected Indian representatives.
 The part dealing with central legislature in the act created two houses of legislature (bi-
cameral).
 The Central legislative Assembly was to have 41 nominated members, out of a total of
144.
 The upper house known as the council of states was to have 60 members, of whom 26
were to be nominated.
 The scheme was announced in 1918.
 The Indian National Congress met in a special session at Bombay in August 1918 to
discuss the scheme.
 The Congress termed the scheme 'disappointing and unsatisfactory'.
 Surendranath banarjee left the congress and formed own party which came to be called
Indian Liberal Federation.
Non-Cooperation Movement:-
a) Rowlatt Act (1919):-
 The Indian Council Act 1919 and the Rowlatt Act of the same year were promulgated.
 In 1917, a committee was set up under the presidentship of sir Sydney Rowlatt to look
into the militant Nationalist activities.
 On the basis of its report the Rowlatt act was passed in March 1919 by the central
legislative council.
 As per this Act, any person could be arrested on the basis of suspicion.
 No appeal or petition could be filled against such arrests.
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 This Act was called the Black Act and it was widely opposed.
 In the place of the old agitational methods and demonstrations, a novel method was
adopted.
 'Satyagraha' was the weapon to be used.
 Gandhi called upon the people to observe'harlal' in March-April 1919 against the
Rowlatt Act.
 Mahatma Gandhi was arrested near Delhi.
 Two prominent leaders of Punjab, Dr.Satyapal and Dr.Saifuddin Kitchlew, were
arrested in Amritsar.
Jallian Wala Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919):-
 On 13th April 1919, in Amristar town, in the Jallianwala enclave that the most heinous
of political crimes was perpetrated on an unarmed mass of people by the British regime.
 More than two thousand people had assembled at the venue to peacefully protest against
the arrest of their leaders Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew.
 Michael O' Dyer become the Lt.Governor of Punjab and the military commander was
general Reginald Dyer. The Firing continued for about 10 to 15 minutes and it stopped
only after the ammunition exhausted.
 According to official report 379 people were killed and 1137 wounded in the incident.
 In Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Lahore there were widespread protests against the Rowlatt
Act where the protesters were fired upon.
 Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood.
 Gandhiji renounced 'the title of Hizer ki Hind'.
Note:-
 Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood immediately after the Jallianwala Bagh
massacre.
 In his protest letter to the viceroy on May 31, 1919 Tagore wrote "The time has come
when the badge of honour makes our shame glaring in their incongruous context of
humiliation, and, I for my part, wish to stand shorn of all special distinctions, by the side
of those of my countrymen who for their so-called insignificance are liable to suffer
degradation not fit for human beings".
 The two immediate causes responsible for launching the non-cooperation movement.
 While Khilafat issue related to the position of Turkish sultan vis-a-vis the holy places of
Islam, the Punjab issue related to the exoneration of the perpetrators of the Jallian wala
massacre.
 The British courts of enquiry totally exonerated Reginald dyer and Micheal O' Dyer of
the crime perpetrated at Jallianwala.

Note:-
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 The sikh teenager who was raised at khalsa orphanage named Udham singh saw the
happening in his own eyes. To avenge the killings of Jallianwalla Bagh, on 30 March
1940, he assassinated Micheal O' Dyer in Caxton Hall of London.
 Udham Singh was hanged at pentonville jail, London.
 Spring harvest festival of Sikhs was celebrating on April 13.
Khilafat Movement (1919):-
 The chief cause of Khilafat movement was the defeat of turkey in the first world war.
 The harsh terms of the Treaty of Sevres (1920) was felt by the muslims as a great insult
to them.
 The whole movement was based on the muslim belief that the caliph (The sultan of
Turkey) was the religious head of the muslims all over the world.
 The muslims in India were upset over the British attitude against Turkey and launched
the Khilafat movement.
 Maulanda Abul Kalam Azad, M.A.Ansari, Saifuddin Kitchlew and the Ali brothers were
the prominent leaders of this movement.
 A khilafat committee had been formed and on 19th October 1919 the whole country had
observed the khilafat day.
 On 23 November, a joint conference of the Hindus and the Muslims had also been held
under the chairmanship of Mahatma Gandhi.
Launch of Non-cooperation movement (1920-22):-
 The khilafat conference, at the instance of Gandhi, decided to launch the non-
cooperation movement from 31 August 1920.
 The congress met in a special session at Calcutta in September 1920 and resolved to
accept Gandhi's proposal on non-cooperation.
 A regular congress session held at Nagpur in 1920 endorsed the earlier resolutions.
 In order to broad base the congress, the workers were to reach out to the villages and
enrol the villagears in the congress on a nominal fee of four annas (25 paise). The
programmes of the Non-Cooperation movement were:
 Surrender of titles and honorary positions.
 Resignation of membership from the local bodies.
 Boycott of elections held under the provisions of the 1919 Act.
 Boycott of government functions.
 Boycott of courts, government schools and colleges.
 Boycott of foreign goods.
 Establishment of national schools, colleges and private panchayat courts.
 Popularizing swadeshi good and khadi
 National schools such as the Khasi Vidyapeeth, the Bihar Vidhyapeeth and the Jamia
Millia Islamia were set up.
 In 1921, mass demonstrations were held against the prince of Wales during his tour of
India.
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 Gandhi was shedding its elitist character, becoming a mass organization and in a real
sense 'National'.
South Indian Struggle.
 Non-cooperation movement in Tamilnadu was organised and led by stalwarts like
C.Rajagopalachari, S.Satyamurthi and Periyar E.V.R.
 In kerala, peasants organized anti-jenmi struggles.
 The peasants of Andhra with held payment of taxes to the zamindars.
 The Viceroy admitted in a letter to the secretary of state that the movement had seriously
affected lower classes in certain areas of Up, Bengal, Assam, Bihar, and Orissa the
peasants have been effected Impressed by the intensity of the movement, in a special
session the congress reiterated the intensification of the movement.
 In February 1922 Gandhi announced that he would lead a mass civil dis-obedience
including no tax campaigns, at Bardoli.
Chauri Chaura incident and withdrawal of the movement:-
 In the Rampa region of coastal Andhra the tribals revolted under the leadership of Alluri
sitarama Raju.
 In Malabar, Muslim (Mapilla) peasants rose up in armed rebellion against upper caste
landholders and the British Government.
 Chauri Chaura a village in Gorakhpur district of Up had an organized volunteer group
which was participating and leading the picketing of liquor shops and local bazaar
against high prize.
 On 5 february 1922, a congress procession, 3000 strong was fired upon by police
enraged by the firing the mob attacked and burnt down the police station, 22 policemen
lost their lives.
 The 10th March 1922, Gandhi was arrested and sentenced to 6 years in prison.
 Thus ended the non-cooperation movement.
Swarajist Party and its Activities (1923):-
 Following the suspension of Non cooperation the question was what next.
 Chittaranjan Das and Motilal Nehru proposed a new line of activity.
 They wanted to return to active politics which included entry into electoral politics and
demonstrate that the nationalists were capable of obstructing the working of the
reformed Legislature by capturing them and arousing nationalist sprit.
 This group came to be called the swarajists and pro-changers.
 In Tamil Nadu, Satyamurti joined this group.
 There was another group which opposed council entry and wanted to continue the
Gandhian line by mobilizing the masses.
 This team led by Rajagopalachari, Vallabhai patel and Rajendra Prasad was called 'No
changers'.
 The suspension of the non-cooperation movement led to a split within congress in the
Gaya session of the congress in December 1922.
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 Leaders like Motilal Nehru and chittranjan Dhas formed a separate group within the
congress known as the swaraj party on January 1923.
 In the Central Legislative Council Motilal Nehru became the leader of the party where
as in Bengal the party was headed by C.R.Das.
 It demanded the setting up of responsible government in India with the necessary
changes in the Government of India Act of 1919.
 When a committee chaired by the Home member, Alexander Muddiman considered the
system of diarchy as proper a resolution was passed against it in the Central Legislative
council.
 After the passing away of C.R.Das in June 1925.
 The swaraj party was dissolved.
Simon Commission (1927):-
 The Act of 1919 included a provision for its review after a lapse of ten years.
 The British were due to consider and announce another instalment of constitutional
reforms some time in 1929-30.
 The review commission was appointed by the British Government two years earlier of
its schedule in 1927.
 It came to be known as Simon commission after the name of its chairman Sir John
Simon.
 All its seven members were Englishmen.
 As there was no Indian member in it, The congress at it annual session in Madras in
1927 resolved to boycott the commission.
 The muslim League and the Hindu Mahasabha also supported the decision.
 On the fateful day of 3 February 1928 when the commission reached Bombay, a general
hartal was observed all over the country.
 Everywhere it was greated with black flags and the slogan 'simon go back' rent the air.
 At Lahore, the students took out a Large anti-simon commission demonstration on 30
October 1928 under the Leadership of Lala Lajpat Rai.
 In this demonstration, Lala Lajpat Rai was seriously injured in the police Lathi charge
and he passed away after the month (Nov 17,1928).
 The report of the simon commission was published in May 1930.
 It was started that the constitutional experiment with Dyarchy was unsuccessful and in
its place the report recommended the establishment of autonomous government.
 There is no doubt that the simon commission's report became the basis for enacting the
Government a India Act of 1935.
Nehru Report (1928):-
 The secretary of state, Lord Birken-head, challenged the Indians to procedure a
constitution that would be acceptable to all.
 The challenge was accepted by the congress which convened an all party meeting on 28
February 1928.
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 A committee consisting of eight was constituted to draw up a blue print for the future
constitution of India.
 It was headed by Motilal Nehru.
 The Report favoured.
 Dominion status as the next immediate step.
 Full responsible government at the centre.
 Autonomy to the provinces.
 Clear cut division of power between the centre and provinces.
 A bicameral Legislature at the centre.
 It was at Calcutta that the congress met in December 1928.
 To conciliate the left wing it was announced that Jawaharlal would be the president of
the next session in 1929.
 Thus Jawaharlal Nehru, son of Motilal Nehru, who presided over congress in 1928,
succeeded his father.
 It was at Lahore that the congress met in 1929 and Jawaharlal Nehru was chosen as
president.
Lahore Congress session-Poorna Swaraj:-
 Lahore session of the congress has a special significance in the history of the freedom
movement.
 It was at the Lahore session that the congress declared that the objective of the congress
was the attainment of complete independence.
 During this session presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru the congress passed the poorna
swaraj resolution.
 On 31 December 1929 the tricolour flag of freedom was hoisted at Lahore.
 The Congress had also observed January 26, 1930 as the Day of Independence.
 Since the January 26th had been observed as a day of Independence every year.
 The same date later became the Republic day. When the Indian constitution was
enforced in 1950.
Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34):-
 The government failed to accept the Nehru Report the Congress (Gandhi) gave a call to
Launch the civil-Disobedience Movement.
 It was a protest against the unjust tax on salt, which is used by all.
 It become problem for poor people.
 So Gandhi opposed this and launched civil disobedience movement in March 12,1930.
Dandi March:-
 On 12th March 1930 Dandi March was started.
 Gandhi began his famous March to Dandhi with his chosen 79 followers including
Sarojini Naidu to break the salt law.
 He reached the coast of Dandi on 6 April 1930 after Marching a distance of 200 miles
and on 6 April formally launched the Civil Disobedience movement by breaking the salt
law.
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Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha:-
 In Tamil Nadu, a salt March was led by Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) to
vedarayam.
 Vedaranyam situated 150 miles from Tiruchirapalli from where march started was an
obscure coastal village in Thanjavur district.
 Rajaji had just been elected president of the Tamil Nadu congress.
 The march started on 13th April and reached Vedaranyam on 28th April 1930.
 The Thanjavur collector J.A.Thore had warned the public of severe action if the
marchers were harboured.
 The satyagrahis marched via Kumbakonam, Semmagudi, Thiruthuraipoondi where they
were given good reception.
The Round Table Conferences:-
 The simon commission had submitted the report to the government.
 The congress, Muslim league and Hindu Mahasabha had boycotted it.
 In order to secure some legitimacy and creditability to the report. The government
announced that it would convene a Round Table Conferece (RTC) in London.
First Round Table Conference (1930):-
 The British could not suppress the civil-disobedience movement.
 Round Table conference weed the britishers began gathering and negotiating with
various political parties.
 The First Round Table conference was held at London in November 1930.
 It was not attended by the Congress, since the civil dis-obedience movement was going
on in full swing. It ended in failure.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931):-
 The failure of the first round table conference made the British to send Lord Irwin to
negotiate with Gandhiji.
 The Gandhi-Irwin pact was signed on March 5,1931.
 Gandhi was released from custody in January 1931.
 Gandhi pledged to give up the satyagraha compaign.
 Irwin agreed to release, tens of thousands of Indians who had been jailed during the
movement.
Second Round Table Conference:-
 By the Gandhi-Irwin pact:
 The government agreed to allow people to make salt for their consumption, release
political prisoners who had not indulged in violence, and permitted the picketing of
liquor and foreign cloth shops.
 The Karachi Congress ratified the Gandhi–Irwin pact.
 However the Viceroy refused to commute the death sentence of Bhagat Singh and his
comrades.
 In September 1931, the Second Round Table Conference was held at London.
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 Mahatma Gandhi ad Ambedkar participated in the conference but returned to India
disappointed as no agreement could be reached on the demand of complete
independence.
 The leftists were in the forefront of the struggles of the workers and peasants.
 All key leaders including Nehru, Khan Abdul Gafar Khan and finally Gandhi were all
arrested.
 It was a reign of terror that was unleashed on the unarmed masses participating in the
movement.
 The movement started waning and it was officially suspended in May 1933 and
withdrawn in May 1934.
Emergence of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and the Separate Electorates:-
 Dr. Ambedkar came to the centre stage of the struggles of the oppressed world in the
1920’s.
 He was the first to matriculate from his community called Mahar.
 Ambedkar joined the Elphinston College, with the help of a scholarship and graduated
in 1912.
 With the help of a scholarship from the Maharaja of Barona he went to United States
and secured a post-graduate degree, and doctorate, from the Columbia University.
 He went to London to study law and economics.
 In 1916, he had participated in an international conference of Anthropology and
presented a research paper on ‘Castes in India’.
 The British government which was searching for talents among the downtrodden of
India invited him to interact with the South borough or the Franchise Committee which
was collecting evidence on the quantum and qualifications to be fixed for the Indian
voters.
 It was in these interactions that Ambedkar first spoke about separate electorates.
 He argued the untouchables be given separate electorates and reserved seats.
Ambedkar's Activism:-
 Launched news journals: Mook Nayak (leader of the dumb).
 Organizations: Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha (Association for the welfare of excluded).
 He launched the ‘Mahad Satyagraha’ to establish the civic right of the untouchables.
 He renewed his demand for separate electorates, be it before the All-Parties conferece
or the simon commission or at the Round Table Conference.
Communal Award (1932):-
 In the First Round Table Conference, he had demanded separate electorates for
untouchables.
 On 16 August 1932 the British Prime minister Ramsay Mac Donald made an
anouncemet which came to be as the communal Award.
 According to this award, the depressed classes were considered as a separate community
and as such provisions were made for separate electorates for them.
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 Mahatma Gandhi protested against the Communal award and went on a fast into death
in the Yeravada Jail on 20 September 1932.
Poona Pact (1932):-
 There was enormous pressure on Ambedkar to save Gandhi’s life.
 The new agreement, between Ambedkar and Gandhians, called the ‘Poona Pact’ was
signed.
 It took away separate electorates but guaranteed reserved seats for the untouchables.
Ambedkar and Party Politics:-
 Ambedkar launched two political parties.
 1937 → Independent Labour party.
 1942 → Scheduled Caste Federation.
 1942 → member of the Defence Advisory Committee in 1942.
 A few months later, a minister in the Viceroy’s cabinet.
 He was selected as the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the independent India’s
Constitution.
 After independence Ambedkar was invited to be a member of the Nehru cabinet.
 He participated in the Third Round Table Conference.
The Third Round Table Coference (1932):-
 In November 1932 the Third Round Table Conference was held in London.
 The Congress Once more did not take part in it.
 In March 1933, the British Government issued a white paper.
 Which became the basis for the enactment of the Government of India Act 1935.
First Congress Ministries:-
 In the 1937 elections, Congress won in seven of the eleven provinces and formed the
largest party in three others.
 Seeing this dismal performance, the Muslim League was convinced that the only choice
left to it was to whip up emotions on communal lines in provinces like Bengal and
Punjab.
 Jinnah exploited the emotional campaign of ‘Islam in danger’ to gain mass Muslim
support after the 1936-37 elections – a divisive cause in which the Hindu Mahasabha
came to its help through coalition ministries.
Observation of Day of Deliverance:-
 The Second World War broke out in 1939 and the Viceroy of India Linlithgow
immediately announced that India was also at war.
 The declaration was made without any consultation with the Congress. So the Congress
Working Committee decided that all Congress ministries in the provinces would resign.
 After the resignation of Congress ministries, the provincial governors suspended the
legislatures and took charge of the provincial administration.
 This day is celebrated as Muslim League day (on 22 December 1939).
 The League passed its resolution on 26 March 1940 in Lahore demanding a separate
nation for Muslims.
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 The idea of Pakistan came from the Muslim League platform in 1940 it had been
conceived ten years earlier by the poet–scholar Mohammad Iqbal.
 At the League’s annual conference at Allahabad (1930), Iqbal expressed his wish to see
a consolidated North-west Indian Muslim State.
 It was then articulated forcefully by Rahmat Ali, a Cambridge student.
 The basis of League’s demand was its “Two Nation Theory” which first came from Sir
Wazir Hasan in his presidential address at Bombay session of League in 1937.
Demand for Pakistan (1940):-
 In March 1940, at the Lahore session of the Muslim League, the demand for a separate
nation of Pakistan was made.
 Muhammad Ali Jinnah put forth the "Two Nation Theory", that is two different Nations
namely India and Pakistan for the Hindus and Muslims respectively.
 He addressed that the Muslims wanted separate home-land styled as Pakistan.
 It comprised of those provinces where the muslims were in majority.
August Offer (1940):-
 The Congress Opposed for involving Indians in the Second World War.
 The British Viceroy Linlithgow made some offer to satisfy the congress.
 These offers were made in the month of August of 1940.
 It was promised that a committee would be set up for framing the Indian Constitution.
 And an Indian would ne appointed in the council of the viceroy.
 The Congress totally rejected it but muslim league accepted it.
Individual Satyagraha:-
 Gandhi was not satisfied with is offer and decided to lauch Individual Satyagraha.
 Individual Satyagraha was limited symbolic and non-violent in nature and it was left to
Mahatma Gandhi to choose the satyagrahis.
 Acharya Vinoba Bhave was the first to offer satyagraha.
 The programme began on October 17, 1940 with Vinobha Bhave offering Satyagraha
near his Paunar ashram in Maharashtra. Gandhi suspended the Satyagraha in December
1941.
 It was revived with some changes and groups offered satyagrahas from January 1941
and was eventually withdrawn in August 1941.
 Jawaharlal Nehru was the second satyagrahi and imprisioned for 4 months.
 The individual satyagraha continued for nearly 15 months.
 During this period more than 25,000 people were arrested.
Lahore Resolution:-
 India a participated in World war II as they were promised to offer Dominion status after
World war II.
 The resolution on March 23,1940 at Lahore was distinct.
 The congress leaders were committed to the idea that the British war efforts called for
support given the character of the Axis powers- Germany, Italy and Japan – being fascist
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and thus a danger for democracy. Bose was the only leader who sought non-cooperation
with the allied forces and active cooperation with the Axis powers.
 Winston Churchill, now heading the war cabinet, dispatched Sir Stafford Cripps to talk
with the Congress
Cripps Mission (1942):-
 In March 1942, Sir Stafford Cripps was sent to India to negotiate with Indian leaders.
 The main recommendations of cripps were,
 The promise of Dominion Status to India.
 Protection of Minorities.
 Setting up a Constituent Assembly in which there would be representatives from the
princely states along with those of the British Provinces.
 There would be provision for any province of British India not prepared to accept this
constitution, either to retain its present constitutional position or frame a constitution of
its own.
 Most of the Party leaders did not agree with the idea of cripps.
 Nehru recalled Later:"When I read these proposals for the first time I was profoundly
depressed.
Rejection of Cripp's Proposals:-
 The offer of Dominion Status was too little.
 The major political parties of the country rejected the Cripps Proposals.
 Gandhi called Cripp's Proposals as a "Post Dated Cheque".
 This happened in two ways:
 The Colonial government's adamant stand against any assurance of Independence on the
one hand and subhas Bose's campaign to join hands with the Axis powers in the fight
for Independence.'
 Bose had addressed the people of India on the Azad Hind Radio broad cast from
Germany in March 1942.
 This was the context in which Gandhi thought of the Quit India Movement.
Quit India Movement (1942-1944):-
 Sometime in May 1942 Gandhi took it upon himself to steer the Indian National
Congress into action.
 It was in this context that the Working Committee of the Indian National Congress met
at Wardha on July 14, 1942.
 The meeting resolved to launch a mass civil disobedience movement.
 C. Rajagopalachari and Bhulabhai Desai who had reservations against launching a
movement at that time resigned from the Congress Working Committee
 Gandhi expressed this in a press interview on May 16, 1942 where he said: ‘Leave India
to God. If that is too much, then leave her to anarchy. This ordered disciplined anarchy
should go and if there is complete lawlessness, I would risk it.’
 The Mahatma called upon the people to ‘Do or Die’ and called the movement he
launched from there as a ‘fight to the finish’.
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 The All India Congress Committee that met at Bombay on 8 August 1942 passed the
famous Quit India Resolution.
 On 8th and 9th August 1942, the government arrested all the prominent leaders of the
congress.
 Mahatma Gandhi was kept in Prison at poona.
 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Abdul Kalam Azad, and other leaders were imprisioned in the
Ahmednagar Fort.
 At this time leadership was provided by Ram Manohar Lohia, Achyuta and S.M.Joshi.
 Industrial workers across India went on strike.
 The Tata Steel Plant in Jamshedpur closed down by the striking workers for 13 days
beginning August 20.
 The textile workers in Ahmedabad struck work for more than three months.
 The colonial government responded with brutal repression and police resorted to firing
in many places.
 Army, (ex 54 Battalions), air force was used.
 The momentum and its intensity was such that Linlithgow, wrote to Churchill,
describing the protests as ‘by far the most serious rebellion since 1857, the gravity and
extent of which we have so far concealed from the world for reasons of military
security.’
 The rise in price of grains was another reason for the disgust.
 The youth of the village were mobilized through guerrilla action.
 In 1943, as the movement gained further momentum, there were armed attacks on
government buildings in Chennai, Bengal, Bihar, Maharastra, etc.
 The rebels even set up 'national government's in pockets they liberated from the colonial
administration.
 An instance of this was the ‘Tamluk Jatiya Sarkar’ in the Midnapore district in Bengal
that lasted until September 1944.
 A parallel government also operated in Satara.
 Gandhi’s 21 day fast in jail, beginning February 10, 1943, marked a turning point and
gave the movement a great push.
 By the end of 1943, the number of persons arrested across India stood at 91, 836.
 The police shot dead 1060 persons during the same period.
 208 police outposts, 332 railway stations and 945 post offices were destroyed or
damaged very badly.
 R.H. Niblett, who served as District Collector of Azamgarh in eastern United Province,
removed from service for being too mild with the rebels, recorded in his diary that the
British unleashed ‘white terror’ using an ‘incendiary police to set fire to villages for
several miles’ and that ‘reprisals (becoming) the rule of the day.’ Collective fines were
imposed on all the people in a village where public property was destroyed.
 The press being censored, the rebels set up a clandestine radio broadcast system from
Bombay. (The transmitter was shifted from one place to another in and around the city).
ECC ACADEMY MARTHANDAM
 Usha Mehta was the force behind the clandestine radio operations and its broadcast was
heard as far away as Madras.
 On May 6 1944 Gandhi's released from Prison.
 Lord Archibald Wavell, who had replaced Linlithgow as Viceroy in October 1943.
 He prepared for the next stage of speech.
 The white leave movement is the culmination of the country's liberation struggle.
Indian National Army (1942):-
 Subash Chandra Bose popularly known as Netaji was one of the Greatest patriots.
 He joined the Indian National Congress in 1927. He worked with Jawaharlal Nehru.
 He was elected as the president of the Indian National Congress in 1938.
 He started the forward Block party in 1939.
 He went to Burma in 1942, which was occupied by the Japanese.
 The Indian Army was posted in Burma and Malaya, which were the part of the British
Empire.
 Japan's interest lay in colonising china and not much India. The India pows(Prisoners of
war) with the Japanese were left under Mohan singh's command.
 The fall of Singapore to the Japanese forces added to the strength of the Pows and Mohan
singh now had 45,000 Pows under his command of these Mohan singh had drafted about
40,000 men in the Indian National Army by the end of 1942.
 On July 2, 1943, Subash Chandra Bose, reached Singapore.
 Bose in Singapore set up the provisional Government of free India on October 21, 1943.
 Bose enlisted civilians too into the INA and one of the regiments was made up of
women.
 The Rani of Jahnsi Regiment of the INA was commanded by a medical doctor and
daughter of freedom fighter Ammu swaminathan from Madras, Dr.lakshmi.
 Subash Chandra Bose gave the rousing war cry of 'Dilli Chalo' in Singapore.
 The presidentship of the Indian Independence League was handed over to subash by
Rash Behari Bose.
 Subash became the supreme commander of the INA or Azad Hind Fauj.
 Netaji's Slogan 'Jai Hind' echoed through out India.
 'Delhi Chalo' was another famous slogan of Bose.
 From then onwards, Subash Chandra Bose was popularly called Netaji.
 Netaji means the Leader.
 The names of the INA's three Brigades were the subhas Brigade, Gandhi Brigade and
Nehru Brigade.
 The women's wing of the army was named after Rani Ladmibai.
 On July 6,1944, subhas Bose addressed a message to Gandhi over the Azad Hind Radio
from Rangoon.
 Calling him the 'Father of Nation', Bose appealed to Gandhi for his blessing in what he
described as 'India's last war of Independence'.
ECC ACADEMY MARTHANDAM
 The Indian National Army marched towards Imphal after registering its victory Over
Kohima.
 After japan's surrender in 1945, the INA failed in its efforts. Under such circumstances,
subhas went to Taiwan.
 Then on his way to Tokyo he died on 18 August 1945 in a plane crash.
 The trial of the soldiers of INA was held at Red fort in Delhi.
 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai and Tej Bahadur Sapru fought the case on
behalf of the soldiers.
Rajaji Proposals (C.R.Formula):-
 In April 1944, when the Congress leaders were in jail.
 C.Rajagopalachari put out a proposal to resolve the issue.
 It contained the following:
• A post-war commission to be formed to demarcate the contiguous districts where
the Muslims were in absolute majority and a plebiscite of the adult population
there to ascertain whether they would prefer Pakistan;
• In case of a partition there would be a mutual agreement to run certain essential
services, like defence or communication;
• The border districts could choose to join either of the two sovereign states;
• The implementation of the scheme would wait till after full transfer of power.
 Gandhi, in July 1944, proposed talks with Jinnah based on what came to be the ‘Rajaji
formula’.
 The talks did not go anywhere.
Wavell Plan:-
 In June 1945 Lord Wavell moved to negotiate and called for the Simla conference.
 The rest of the Congress leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and the
Congress president, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad were released from jail for this.
 Wavell had set out on this project in March 1945 and sailed to London. There he
convinced Churchill of the imperative for a Congress–Muslim League coalition
government as a way to deal with the post-war political crisis.
Cabinet Mission (1946):-
 After the Second World War, Lord Atlee became the Prime Minister of England.
 On 15 March 1946 Lord Atlee made a historic announcement in which the right to self-
determination and the framing of a constitution for India were conceded.
 Consequently, three members of the British cabinet – Pathick Lawrence, Sir Stafford
Cripps and A.V.Alexander – were sent to India.
 This is known as the cabinet mission.
 This team visited India to negotiate with Indian leaders about the transfer of power.
 The Committee recommended Federal Government.
 A constituent Assembly should be elected to draw up the future constitution of India.
Till the constitution was ready and interim Government of all the parties should he set
up at the centre.
ECC ACADEMY MARTHANDAM
 The viceroy issued invitations on 15 June 1946 to the 14 men to join the interim
government.
 After various disagreement Muslim league and congress agreed to the plan.
 Elections for the political organization committee were held in July 1946.
 On 2 September 1946, the interim government of Jawaharlal Nehru was formed.
The Interim Government (1946):-
 In 1946 Jawaharlal Nehru formed the interim Government.
 To form interim Government Nehru asked help to Jinnah.
 But Jinnah didn’t agree. He was adamant in his demand of Pakistan.
 Hence partition of India became inevitable.
The Mountbatten Plan (1947):-
 On 20 February 1947, Prime minister Atlee announced in the House of commons the
definite intention of the British Government to transfer power to responsible Indian
hands.
 To effect the transference of that power Atlee decided to send Lord Mountbatten as
viceroy to India.
 Lord Mountbatten armed with vast powers became India's viceroy on 24 March 1947.
 He was the last British viceroy.
 The Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan appeared inevitable to him.
 After extensive consultation Lord Mountbatten put forth the plan of partition of India
on 3 June 1947.
 According to this plan India had to be divided into two independent countries namely
Indian union and the Pakistan union.
 The princely states were given the option to join either of the two new nations or to
remain independent.
 Both the Congress and the Muslim league accepted this plan.
The Indian Independence Act (1947):-
 On the basis of the mountbatten plan, the British Government passed the Indian
Independence Act in July 1947.
Notes:-
 The partition of the country into India and Pakistan would come into effect from 15
August 1947.
 The British Government would transfer all powers to these two Dominions.
 A Boundary commission would demarcate the boundaries of the provinces of the punjab
and Bengal.
 The Act provided for the transfer of power to the constituent Assemblies of the two
Dominions, which will have authority to frame their respective constitutions.
 The Radcliff Boundary commission drew the boundary line separating India and
Pakistan.
 On 15th August 1947 India, and on the 14th August Pakistan came into existence as two
independent states.
ECC ACADEMY MARTHANDAM
 Tricolour Indian flag was hoisted in the place of British union Jack on the Historic Red
fort at Delhi.
 Lord Mount Batten became the first Governor – General of free India.
 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister.
 C.Rajagopalachariar became the first and last India Governor-General of free India.
 Mohammad Ali Jinnah became the first Governor General of Pakistan.
 The most tragic incident occurred on 30 January 1948, when Mahatma Gandhi – the
father of the nation – on his way to a prayer meeting was assassinated by Nathuram
Godse.
 On January 30th, 1948 Jawaharlal Nehru remarked, 'The light has gone out of our lives
and there is darkness everywhere.
The Integration of the Princely States:-
 The integration of Indian states was the greatest achievements of patel.
 On the eve of Indian independence there were nearly 565 princely states in India.
 About 562 princely states were merged with the Indian union..
 But states like Kashmir, Hyderabad and Junagadh were reluctant to join.
 When Jawaharlal Nehru was the prime minister, Patel, by his diplomacy and stern action
integrated them with Indian union and earned the name, "The iron man of India" and
"Bismarck of India".
Accession of French Possessions (1954):-
 With the consent of the French Government, Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam and
chandranagore became the parts of the Indian union in 1954.
 Goa, Diu, Daman were the Portugese settlements in India. The People of these places
wanted to merge with India. So the Government of India had to resort to military action
over these areas in 1961.
Time Line Chart
1919 Montague-Chelmsford Reforms Act, Rowlatt Act, Jallian Walabagh Massacre.
1920 Non co-operation Movement.
1922 Chauri Chaura incident, Suspension of Non co-operation Movement
1923 Swarajya Party
1927 Formation of Simon Commission
1929 Lahore Congress.
1930 Salt Satyagraha, Civil Disobedience movement, Dandi March, First Round
Table conference.
1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Second Round Table Coference.
1932 Communal Award, Poona Pact, Third Round Table Conference.
1935 Government of India Act.
1939 Beginning of Second world war.
1940 Demand for Pakistan, August Offer.
ECC ACADEMY MARTHANDAM
1942 Arrival of Cripps Mission, Quit India Movement.
1945 End of Second World War
1946 Arrival of Cabinet Mission, The Interim Government.
1947 Mountbetten plan, Indian Independence Act, India became Independent.
1948 Assassination of Gandhi.
1950 Indian constitution came into force India became Republic.