Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement

ICSE Class 10 · History & Civics · Chapter 12

What this chapter covers

Mahatma Gandhi and the mass phase of the national movement
Causes of the Non-Cooperation Movement
Programme of the Non-Cooperation Movement
Suspension of the Movement: the Chauri Chaura incident
Impact of the Non-Cooperation Movement
Causes of the Civil Disobedience Movement
The Dandi March
Programme and impact of the Civil Disobedience Movement
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact
The Second Round Table Conference
Renewal of the Civil Disobedience Movement

Key definitions

Satyagraha is Gandhi's method of struggle in which a person resists an unjust law or order by peaceful means, openly disobeys it, and willingly accepts the punishment, so that the wrongdoer's conscience is moved.

Ahimsa is the principle of non-violence in thought, word and deed, which Gandhi made the basic rule of every movement he led.

Key points

Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and led the mass phase of the national movement with his methods of satyagraha and ahimsa.
The causes of the Non-Cooperation Movement were the Rowlatt Act (1919), the Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy (13 April 1919) and the Khilafat question.
The Non-Cooperation Movement was adopted at Calcutta (September 1920) and confirmed at Nagpur (December 1920); it had a negative programme of boycott and a constructive programme of khadi, national schools, Hindu-Muslim unity and removal of untouchability.
The violence at Chauri Chaura on 5 February 1922 led Gandhi to suspend the movement; the Bardoli resolution of 12 February 1922 confirmed the suspension.
The Non-Cooperation Movement made the national movement a mass movement, made the Congress a mass party and removed people's fear of British rule.
The all-British Simon Commission (1927) was boycotted with "Simon Go Back" protests; Lala Lajpat Rai died after a lathi-charge at Lahore in 1928.
The Lahore Session of 1929, under Jawaharlal Nehru, declared Poorna Swaraj as the goal; 26 January 1930 was celebrated as Independence Day.
Gandhi began the Civil Disobedience Movement with the Dandi March (12 March to 6 April 1930), breaking the salt law at Dandi.
The programme of the Civil Disobedience Movement included breaking the salt and forest laws, boycott of foreign cloth, picketing of liquor shops and non-payment of taxes; women took part on a large scale.
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact of 5 March 1931 released political prisoners and allowed salt-making for personal use; the Congress suspended the movement and agreed to attend the Second Round Table Conference.
The Second Round Table Conference (1931) failed over the question of minorities and separate electorates; Gandhi returned empty-handed.
The Civil Disobedience Movement was renewed in January 1932 because of the failure of the Conference and Lord Willingdon's repression; it was withdrawn in 1934.

Questions answered

What is meant by satyagraha?

Satyagraha is Gandhi's method of resisting an unjust law or order by peaceful means, openly disobeying it and willingly accepting the punishment, so as to change the opponent's heart. The word means "holding firmly to truth".

What was the Rowlatt Act? Why was it called a "Black Act"?

The Rowlatt Act of March 1919 allowed the government to arrest people on suspicion without a warrant and to imprison them without trial for up to two years. It was called a "Black Act" because it took away the basic legal rights of Indians and was passed in spite of the opposition of every elected Indian member of the Council.

When and where did the Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy take place? Who ordered the firing?

It took place on 13 April 1919, the day of Baisakhi, in Jallianwala Bagh at Amritsar in Punjab. The firing was ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer.

Name two leaders of the Khilafat Movement. Why did Gandhi support it?

The Ali brothers, Maulana Mohammad Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali, led the movement (Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Hakim Ajmal Khan were also leaders). Gandhi supported it because he saw it as an opportunity to unite Hindus and Muslims against British rule.

Mention any four items of the programme of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Surrender of titles and honours; boycott of government schools and colleges; boycott of law courts; boycott of foreign cloth. Items of the constructive programme, such as spinning khadi and setting up national schools, are also correct.

What happened at Chauri Chaura? What was its result?

On 5 February 1922, at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Provinces, an angry mob set fire to the police station after the police fired on a procession, killing 22 policemen. As a result, Gandhi called off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Congress Working Committee suspended it at Bardoli on 12 February 1922.

Why did Indians boycott the Simon Commission?

Indians boycotted the Simon Commission because all seven of its members were British. A commission set up to decide India's constitutional future had no Indian member, which Indians saw as an insult and a denial of their right to self-determination.

Which session of the Congress declared Poorna Swaraj as its goal? Who presided over it?

The Lahore Session of December 1929 declared Poorna Swaraj as the goal of the Congress. Jawaharlal Nehru presided over it.

Past board exam questions

ICSE 2027 sample paper · 3 marks

Mahatma Gandhi led the freedom movement using non-violent methods. With reference to the Gandhian movements, answer the following questions: Name the march led by Mahatma Gandhi to break the salt law. Which movement did this march lead to? In which year was that movement launched?

Show answer

1. The Dandi March (Salt March). 2. It led to the Civil Disobedience Movement. 3. The movement was launched in 1930.

ICSE 2027 sample paper · 3 marks

Mahatma Gandhi led the freedom movement using non-violent methods. With reference to the Gandhian movements, answer the following questions: The movement which began with this march made a considerable impact on the social and political surroundings of the country. Analyse this statement by mentioning any three such impacts.

Show answer

Any three: 1. It created patriotic feelings and widened the base of the freedom struggle, drawing in peasants, workers, merchants and students. 2. Women took part in large numbers – in picketing, salt-making and processions – which raised their status. 3. It made people understand the significance of non-violence as a method of struggle. 4. There was improvement in the status of the depressed classes. 5. New methods of propaganda such as Prabhat Pheris and secret bulletins were used; the Congress later took part in the legislative elections.

ICSE 2027 sample paper · 4 marks

Mahatma Gandhi led the freedom movement using non-violent methods. With reference to the Gandhian movements, answer the following questions: Mention any four clauses of the pact which led to the suspension of this movement.

Show answer

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 1931). Any four: The British agreed to: 1. Withdraw all ordinances and end prosecutions. 2. Release all political prisoners except those guilty of violence. 3. Permit peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign-cloth shops. 4. Restore the confiscated properties of the satyagrahis. 5. Permit the free collection or manufacture of salt by persons living near the sea-coast. The Congress agreed to: 6. Suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement. 7. Participate in the Second Round Table Conference. 8. Not press for an investigation into police excesses.

ICSE 2026 sample paper · 1 mark

Identify the option which shows the correct chronology of the following events: 1. The Dandi March 2. The Second Round Table Conference 3. The Simon Commission

3-1-2
1-3-2
3-2-1
2-1-3

Show answer

3-1-2

ICSE 2026 sample paper · 4 marks

Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow- The March, which took place in India, was led by Mohandas Gandhi to protest British rule in India. During the march, thousands of Indians followed Gandhi from his religious retreat near Ahmedabad to the Arabian Sea coast, a distance of some 240 miles. The march resulted in the arrest of nearly 60,000 people, including Gandhi himself. — The Marion (Ohio) Star [Edited] Mention any four clauses of the treaty which led to the suspension of this movement.

Show answer

The Gandhi–Irwin Pact (1931). Any four clauses: The British (Government) agreed to: 1. Withdraw all ordinances and end prosecutions. 2. Release all political prisoners except those guilty of violence. 3. Permit peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign cloth shops. 4. Restore the confiscated properties of satyagrahis. 5. Permit the free collection or manufacture of salt by persons living near the sea coast. The Congress agreed to: 6. Suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement. 7. Participate in the Second Round Table Conference. 8. Not press for an investigation into police excesses.

ICSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks

Mahatma Gandhi with his principle of Non-violence, changed the direction of the freedom movement. With reference to the Gandhian Movements, answer the following: Who launched the Khilafat Movement in India? Mention two other causes of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Show answer

The Khilafat Movement was launched by the Ali brothers – Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali (with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Hasrat Mohani). Other causes of the Non-Cooperation Movement: 1. The Rowlatt Act (1919), which allowed arrest and imprisonment without trial. 2. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre (13 April 1919) and the Hunter Commission's whitewash of it. (Also: dissatisfaction with the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms; economic hardship after the First World War.)

ICSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks

Mahatma Gandhi with his principle of Non-violence, changed the direction of the freedom movement. With reference to the Gandhian Movements, answer the following: Mention any three points to analyse the impact of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Show answer

1. It turned the national movement into a mass movement – peasants, workers, women and students took part, and the Congress became a mass organisation. 2. Boycott of foreign goods sharply reduced imports of foreign cloth and promoted Khadi, Swadeshi and Indian industries. 3. It strengthened Hindu-Muslim unity through its union with the Khilafat Movement. (Also: national schools such as Jamia Millia Islamia and Kashi Vidyapeeth were set up; people lost their fear of the British.)

ICSE 2026 board paper · 4 marks

Show answer

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact (5 March 1931): 1. The Government agreed to release all political prisoners except those guilty of violence. 2. The Government agreed to withdraw all ordinances and end prosecutions. 3. People living near the sea coast were allowed to make salt for their own use, free of duty. 4. Peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign-cloth shops was permitted; confiscated property not yet sold was to be returned. In return, the Congress agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and to attend the Second Round Table Conference.