HISTORY PROJECT

2020 - 2021
 Topic

Role of Mahatma Gandhi in Indian

Freedom Struggle

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher Mrs. A. Tiwari, who gave me the
golden opportunity to do this wonderful project of History on “ROLE OF MAHATMA GANDHI IN
INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE”, who also helped me in completing my project. I came to know
many new things. Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and friends who also helped me lot
in finalizing this project within the limited time frame.

Name - Simone Shradha Chand

Class – 11 D
U. ID. - 7178040

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

S. No. Contents Pg. No.

1. Abstract 4
2. Introduction 5
3. Hypothesis 6
4. Methodology 7
5. Chapter 1 8-9
The Satyagraha
Movement
The Champaran
Movement
The Khela
Movement
Khilafat Movement

6. Chapter 2 10
The Non-
Cooperation

7. Chapter 3 11
The Civil
Disobedience
The Dandi March

8. Chapter 4 12
The Quit India
Movement

9. Conclusion 13
10. Bibliography 14
11. Webliography 15
12. Picture 16-20
Gallery
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 ABSTRACT

Mahatma Gandhi played a pivotal role in the peaceful role in the freedom struggle of India. His non-
violent ways and peaceful methods were the foundation for giving independence from the British.
Gandhi took his time to grow and develop his techniques to ensure that his actions made an impact.
His faith in different religions was commendable he listened to the teachings of Christiany with same
belief and faith he read the Hindu scriptures with.
One of the first series of non-violent protests nationwide was the Non-cooperation Movement started
by Mahatma Gandhi. This movement official started the Gandhian Era in India. In this freedom
struggle, the Non-cooperation Movement was basically aimed at making the Indians aware of the fact
that the British government can be opposed and if done actively, it will keep a check on them.
After the Quit India Movement the freedom struggle got even more intense and passionate. Entire
India was united together in the movement for freedom. Everyone contributed what they could in the
freedom struggle. The cry of Purna Swaraj or Complete Independence was raised. After much
sacrifices and efforts, India gained it’s Independence on 15th August, 1947.

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 INTRODUCTION

In ancient times, people from all over the world were keen to come to India. The Persians followed by
the Iranians and Parsis immigrated to India. Then came the Moghuls and they too settled down
permanently in India. Chenghis Khan, the Mongolian, invaded and looted India many times.
Alexander the Great too, came to conquer India but went back after a battle with Porus. He-en Tsang
from China came in pursuit of knowledge and to visit the ancient Indian universities of Nalanda and
Takshila. Columbus wanted to come to India, but instead landed on the shores of America. Vaso da
Gama from Portugal came to trade his country’s goods in return for Indian spices. The French came
and established their colonies in India.
Lastly, the Britishers came and ruled over India for nearly 200 years. After the battle of Plassy in
1757, the British achieved political power in India. And their paramountcy was established during the
tenure of Lord Dalhousie who became the Governor-General in 1856, the British conquest and its
authority were firmly established. And while the British power gained its height during the middle of
the 19th century, the discontent of the local rulers, the peasantry, the intellectuals, common masses as
also of the soldiers who became unemployed due to the disbanding of the armies of various states that
were annexed by the British, became widespread. This soon broke out into a revolt which assumed the
dimensions of the 1857 Mutiny.

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 HYPOTHESIS

The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920), the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930), and the Quit
India Movement (1942), are some of the most important movements started by Mahatma Gandhi with
the objective of freedom from the British rule using non-violent methods such as boycotting of British
made clothing, goods and other services and promote Khadi, by opposing the colonial laws imposed
on people by the British and a mass civil disobedience movement.

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 METHODOLOGY

The researcher has collected the data from :-

 Books – Gandhi and Freedom Struggle by P.K. Pruti

 Websites – https://knowindia.gov.in/

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 CHAPTER-1

The Satyagraha Movement

Gandhi called his overall method of non-violent action Satyagraha. This translates roughly as “Truth-
force”. A fuller rendering, though would be “the force that is generated through adherence to Truth”.
Gandhi practised two types of Satyagraha in his mass campaigns. The first was Civil Disobedience
which entailed breaking on law and courting arrest. The second form of mass Satyagraha was Non-
Cooperation. This is just what it sounds like. Non-cooperation meant refusing to cooperate with the
opponent, refusing to submit to the injustice being fought. It took such forms as strikes, economic
boycotts, and tax refusals.

The Champaran Movement

Gandhiji was persuaded by Raj Kumar Shukla to study the conditions of the Indigo Plantations
workers in Champaran, a district in Bihar. The system prevalent in the Indigo Plantations was the
Tinkathia System. In this system, the peasants were required to mandatorily cultivate indigo in 3/20th
of their land holdings.
Gandhiji did his research. At the same time, the Govt. appointed a Commission of Inquiry to go into
the whole issue and nominated Gandhiji as one of its members. Needless to say, it found the Planters
guilty of exploitation. A compromise was reached and the Planters were ordered to refund 25% of the
amount they had illegally taken.

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 The Kheda Movement

This is where Gandhiji teams up with Sardar Vallabhai Patel to help the cause of peasants. The
peasants were in extreme were in distress as their crop produce had been 1/4 th of the original. As per
the revenue code, they were entitled for full concession. However, the Govt. wasn’t willing to let go
of their revenues and kept the pressurizing the peasants.
Gandhiji urged all farmers to fight unto death against this injustice of the British. He appealed the rich
farmers to support the poor farmers by not paying revenues despite having the capability. Later the
British came out with a policy asking the rich farmers to pay their due voluntarily.

Khilafat Movement

The significance of the Khilafat Movement, however, lies less in its supposed pan-Islamism than in its
impact upon the Indian nationalist movement.
The Khilafat issue crystalized anti-British sentiments among Indian Muslims that had increased since
the British declaration of war against the ottomans in 1914. The Khilafat leaders, most of whom had
been imprisoned during the war because of their pro-Turkish sympathies, were already active in the
Indian nationalist movement. Upon their release in 1919, they espoused the Khilafat cause as means
to achieve pan-Indian Muslim political solidarity in the anti-British cause. The Khilafat Movement
also benefited from Hindu-Muslim cooperation in the nationalist cause that had grown during the war,
beginning with the Lucknow Pact of 1916 between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim
League, and culminating in the protest against the Rowlatt anti-sedition bills in 1919. The National
Congress, led by Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) called for non-violent non-cooperation to rally
Muslim support for Nationalism. The Ali Brothers and their allies, in turn, provided the non-
cooperation movement with some of its most enthusiastic followers.

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 CHAPTER-
10

The Non-Cooperation Movement

The Non-Cooperation Movement was pitched in under leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Indian
National Congress from September 1920 to February 1922, marking a new awakening in the Indian
Independence Movement. After a series of events including the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, Gandhiji
realised that there was no prospect of getting ant fair treatment at the hands of the British, so he
planned to withdraw the nation’s co-operation from the British Government, thus launching the Non-
Cooperation Movement and thereby marring the administrative set up of the country. Through the
‘Non-Cooperation Movement’ which was a non-violent struggle Gandhiji appealed to the people to
boycott British made clothingThis movement was great success as it got massive encouragement to
millions of Indians. This movement almost shook the British authorities.

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 CHAPTER-
11

The Civil Disobedience Movement

Mahatma Gandhiji led the Civil Disobedience Movement that was launched in the Congress Session
of December 1929. The aim of this movement was a complete disobedience of the orders of the
British Government. During this movement it was decided that India would celebrate 26 th January as
Independence Day all over the country. On 26th January 1930, meetings were held all over the country
and the Congress tricolour was hoisted. The British Government tries to repress the movement and
restored to brutal firing, killing hundreds of people. Thousands were arrested along with Gandhiji and
Jawaharlal Nehru. But the movement spread to all the four corners of the country. Following this,
Round Table Conferences were arranged by the British and Gandhiji attended the second Round
Table Conference at London. But nothing came out of the conference and the Civil Disobedience
Movement was revived. During this time, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were arrested on the
charges of throwing a bomb in the Central Assembly Hall (which is now Lok Sabha) in Delhi, to
demonstrate against the autocratic alien rule. They were hanged to death on March 23, 1931.

The Dandi March/Salt Satyagraha

Dandi March is also known as Salt Satyagraha, Salt March and is a form of Civil Disobedience
Movement. The Dandi March was initiated by Mahatma Gandhi against the salt tax that was imposed
by the British Government in India. It was a mass Civil Disobedience Movement.
Until the passing of the 1882 Salt Act, Indians were making salt from seawater free of cost. But the
Salt Act gave British monopoly over the production of salt and authority to impose a salt tax. With the
Salt Satyagraha, Mahatma Gandhi tried to unite Hindu and Muslim because the cause was common.
The major non-violent protest was led by Mahatma Gandhi in India during the struggle for freedom
and Salt Satyagraha was one of them. It was started in March-April 1930. The Dandi March began
with around 80 people, it was 360 km-long journey and later it grew into a strong force of around
50,000 people. It started on 12th March, 1930, from Sabarmati Ashram near Ahmedabad to the coastal
town Dandi on the Arabian Sea. Due to the Salt Act, the population of India was not able to sell salt
independently and instead, Indians were required to buy expensive, heavily taxed salt that often was
imported. A great majority of Indians are affected and poor were even not able to afford to buy it.

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 CHAPTER-
12

The Quit India Movement

In August 1942, Gandhiji started the ‘Quite India Movement’ and decided to launch a mass Civil
Disobedience Movement “Do or Die” call to force the British to leave India. The movement was
directed at railway stations, telegraph offices, government buildings, and other emblems and
institutions of colonial rule. There were widespread acts of sabotage, and the government held
Gandhiji responsible for these acts of violence, suggesting that they were a deliberate act of Congress
Policy. However, all the prominent leaders were arrested, the Congress was banned and the police and
army were brought out to suppress the movement.
Meanwhile, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who stealthily ran away from the British detention in
Calcutta, reached foreign lands and organized the Indian National Army (INA), to overthrow the
British from India.
The Second World War broke out in September of 1939, and without consulting the Indian leaders,
India was declared a warring state (on behalf of the British) by the Governor General. Subhash
Chandra Bose, with the help of Japan, preceded fighting the British forces and not only freed
Andaman And Nicobar Islands from the Britishers but also entered the north-eastern border of India.
But in 1945 Japan was defeated and Netaji Proceeded from Japan through an aeroplane to place of
safety but met with an accident and it was given out that he died in that air-crash itself. “Give me
blood and I shall give you freedom” – was one of the most popular statements made by him, where he
urges the people of India to join him in his freedom movement.

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 CONCLUSION

India a vast country and has a huge army but then also it has been ruled by different persons and
nations. The British ruled India for nearly 200 years and exploited the people of India although having
numerous armies. At that time, the question arose, how to start for the independence of the country.
India was not able to get the freedom until the people got united and fought in an organized way.
 British started to conquer India during the Battle Plassey in 1757.
 The first revolution for freedom was started in 1847.
 Then happened the Revolt of 1857.
 The Non-Cooperation Movement was started by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.
 The revolution which almost brings freedom in India was the Quit India Movement started in
1924.
Finally, after lots of struggle the nation got freedom on 15th August, 1947. India considered itself
an independent state.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

The above content has been extracted from the following books :-

 Gandhi and Freedom Struggle by P.K. Pruti

 Freedom Struggle by Bipin Chandra
 A History of Indian Freedom Struggle by E.M.S. Namboodiripad

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 WEBLIOGRAPHY

The above content has been taken from the following websites :-

 www.vedantu.com
 https://knowindia.gov.in/
 https://indianexpress.com/
 https://brainly.in/

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PICTURE GALLERY

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