Gandhian Era
Indian History · गांधी युग
📋Quick Overview
Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) transformed India's freedom struggle through non-violent civil disobedience (Satyagraha). He returned to India from South Africa in 1915 and led major movements: Champaran (1917), Kheda (1918), Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918), Non-Cooperation (1920–22), Civil Disobedience/Salt March (1930), and Quit India (1942). His philosophy of Ahimsa (non-violence) and Satyagraha (truth-force) became the pillars of India's freedom movement. He was assassinated on 30 January 1948 by Nathuram Godse.
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Gandhi's first Satyagraha: South Africa (1906) | First Satyagraha in India: Champaran, Bihar (1917)
📖Gandhi's Major Movements — Master Table
| Movement | Year | Cause / Trigger | Key Facts | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaran Satyagraha | 1917 | Tinkathia system — indigo farmers forced to grow indigo on 3/20th of land | Gandhi's FIRST Satyagraha in India; in Bihar; Rajendra Prasad assisted | Tinkathia system abolished |
| Kheda Satyagraha | 1918 | Crop failure but govt demanded full revenue | Gandhi's first Non-Cooperation movement; Sardar Patel emerged as leader | Revenue collection suspended |
| Ahmedabad Mill Strike | 1918 | Workers demanded 35% wage increase; owners offered only 20% | Gandhi's FIRST hunger strike / fast; workers got 35% raise | Workers won 35% wage hike |
| Rowlatt Satyagraha | 1919 | Rowlatt Act — arrest without warrant, trial without jury | 6 April 1919 — national hartal; Jallianwala Bagh massacre (13 April 1919) followed. General Dyer ordered firing on 13 April 1919 at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar. About 1000 killed (official: 379). Rabindranath Tagore returned his Knighthood. Udham Singh assassinated General O'Dwyer (Punjab Governor) in 1940 in London. | Act passed but never applied; Gandhi called it 'Black Act' |
| Non-Cooperation Movement | 1920–22 | Jallianwala Bagh + Khilafat issue | Boycott of schools, courts, councils, foreign goods; Tilak Swaraj Fund; national schools opened | Withdrawn after Chauri Chaura incident (5 Feb 1922) — 22 policemen killed |
| Civil Disobedience / Salt March (Dandi March) | 1930 | Salt Tax — British monopoly on salt | 12 March to 6 April 1930; 390 km from Sabarmati to Dandi (Gujarat); 78 followers | Gandhi broke salt law; triggered worldwide attention; led to Gandhi-Irwin Pact 1931 |
| Quit India Movement | 1942 | Failure of Cripps Mission | 8 August 1942; 'Do or Die' slogan by Gandhi; Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted flag at Gowalia Tank, Mumbai | All leaders arrested; people continued leaderless; largest mass movement |
📖Round Table Conferences
| Conference | Year | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|
| First RTC | 1930 | Held in London; Congress boycotted; no result |
| Second RTC | 1931 | Gandhi attended (only Congress representative); Gandhi-Irwin Pact; no agreement reached |
| Third RTC | 1932 | Congress boycotted again; led to Communal Award & Poona Pact (1932) |
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Poona Pact (1932): Between Gandhi & Ambedkar — reserved seats for Dalits within Hindu electorate instead of separate electorate
📝Famous Slogans & Who Said What
| Slogan | Said By | When / Context |
|---|---|---|
| 'Do or Die' (Karo ya Maro) | Mahatma Gandhi | Quit India Movement, 1942 |
| 'Swaraj is my birthright' | Bal Gangadhar Tilak | After imprisonment |
| 'Give me blood, I will give you freedom' | Subhas Chandra Bose | INA speech |
| 'Inquilab Zindabad' | Bhagat Singh (popularized) | Originally by Maulana Hasrat Mohani |
| 'Jai Hind' | Subhas Chandra Bose | Greeting of INA (Azad Hind Fauj) |
| 'Dilli Chalo' | Subhas Chandra Bose | March towards Delhi call to INA |
| 'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna' | Ram Prasad Bismil | Famous revolutionary poem |
| 'Tryst with Destiny' | Jawaharlal Nehru | Independence Day speech, 14 Aug 1947 |
📖Timeline of Gandhian Era
📝Important Pacts & Agreements
- •Lucknow Pact (1916): Congress-Muslim League united; Tilak & Jinnah played key roles
- •Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931): Civil Disobedience suspended; Gandhi to attend 2nd RTC; political prisoners released
- •Poona Pact (1932): Gandhi vs Ambedkar; reserved seats for Depressed Classes within joint electorate
- •Cripps Mission (1942): Offered Dominion status after war; rejected by Congress — led to Quit India