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Summary
Modern Indian History Class 26

Impact of GOI Act, 1919 - 05.01 PMÂ

Failed to satisfy Indians due to -Â

1) limited franchise as against the demand of Lucknow pact, 1916.Â
2) No self-government.Â
3) No responsible government at the centre and only partially responsible government in provinces due to
dyarchy.Â
4) Unsatisfactory vertical division between central subjects and provincial subjects.Â
5) With finance and administration under the reserved list, there was conflict/friction and seats to provinces in the
central legislature not as per population but as per their importance. Example - Financial importance of Bombay
and Importance of Punjab as a frontier province.Â

Gandhiji in South Africa - 05.12 PMÂ

Grievances of Indians in South Africa -Â

1) Government disenfranchised the Indians that is no right to vote.Â
2) Those indentured Indians who have overstayed the tenure of their contract, are given a choice to either get re-
indentured or pay a poll tax.Â
3) Transvaal banned the immigration of Indians from other states, this hurt the employment opportunities for
Indians in Transvaal.Â
4) Registration certificates that had fingerprints must be carried at all times, if not then fined or imprisoned.Â
5) SC invalidates all marriages not done as per Christianity.Â
From 1895 to 1905, Gandhiji adopted moderate methods of sending petitions, writing articles in the newspaper
'Indian Opinion' etc. These methods failed.Â
From 1905, he adopted methods of extra-constitutional non-violent struggle, which he called Satyagraha. Â
Satyagraha = Passive resistance (non-cooperation + civil disobedience) + non violence + spirituality or
morality of Satyagrahi.Â
Satyagrahi = truthful, non-violent, fearless, ready to accept suffering, loves the evil doer, hate be alien to his
nature and therefore morally superior (*that is IDEAL INDIAN HUSBAND - mnemonic).
Utility - With high morality, a Satyagrahi got the confidence to resist a much more physically powerful, oppressive
government/state/colonial power.Â
Indian workers, women, and merchants all joined Gandhiji's movement + Gopal Krishna Gokhale raised awareness
in India and Viceroy Hardinge (1016) criticised the Government of South Africa.Â
Result - The government agreed to MG's demands on the poll tax, registration certificates and validation of Indian
marriages.Â

Gandhian Ideology - 05.48 PMÂ

Break - 06.15 PM - 06.26 PM

Inclusive approach - therefore fully aware of the plural nature of Indian society. Example - never defined Swaraj
which meant different things for different sections. Simple attire, use of Hindi and symbols like Ram Rajya,
therefore, one of us.Â
Cultural Nationalism and ideology based on Indian civilization. Example - rejected the concept of classes and
favoured varnashrama as the former leads to hatred in society due to class conflict + village republics instead of a
strong state-led parliamentary democracy that leads to not will of the people but of political parties + party
discipline hurts independence of a Parliamentarian.Â
Used religion to mobilise masses as religion stronger than class in India. But with a focus on the morality of
religion and not revivalism.Â
Criticised modern civilisations - there is nothing to learn from Godless western civilisation based solely on
industrial capitalism with a focus only on profit motive with no regard to morality. Indians were responsible for
their own enslavement because they had accepted the capitalism of the west and now doctors, lawyers and
railways are looting the country.Â
Like Marx, believed in a stateless society. For Marx, the state was an agent of the middle class but MG wanted a
stateless society due to the belief in the liberty of each individual, therefore for MG, Swaraj meant self-rule and not
a home rule which is total liberty to each individual. However, he wanted enlightened anarchy that is morality to
guide behaviour.Â
Until such collective morality is achieved, there may be parliamentary democracy but with a very weak state.Â
Hindi Swaraj 1909 by MG = Most authentic work on MG's ideology.
India = Nation since ancient times and the basis on nationality = ancient civilization and not just one language or
one religion or one race like the West.
Instead of a Capitalist economy, MG wanted a village-based self-sufficient economy of ancient India.Â
Democracy = a system that gives equal opportunity to the weak.Â
Did not favour forceful land redistribution but wanted landlords to give up their lands voluntarily on basis of
morality. Bhoodan movement 1951 of Acharya Vinobha Bhave in Telangana was inspired by this ideal.Â
The idea of trusteeship is to resolve disputes between capitalists and the working class that is, the capitalist should
act as a trustee working for the interests of workers and not for profit motive.Â
The idea of arbitration is to reveal the truth and arrive at a win-win compromise/solution.Â
Favoured universal disarmament and against selective disarmament of Indians while the colonial state remained
armed, therefore against the Arms act, 1878.Â
MG was not anti-modernisation but used this idea to criticise the west. Example - Highly used railways to travel
 across India.Â
Non-violent Satyagraha attracted moderates due to non-violence and attracted extremists due to passive
resistance. Therefore, MG could unite both in 1920.Â
MG wanted a controlled mass movement that is strict adherence by the masses to the program decided.Â
Non-violence had the utility of allowing greater participation by the common man as it prevented the British from
using violence in many cases.Â
MG's approach was gradualist struggle - truce - struggle as the masses developed fatigue after a period of struggle
and MG believed in the mass movement.
MG did not participate in HRLM due to morality as did not want to take benefit of British weakness. Collected
signatures in support of Besant after arrest. + toured India after WWI asking Indians to join British Army as
believed that Allied powers are democracies and victims of aggression by Central powers who were absolute
monarchies.Â
Hated breach of promise.Â

Pilot Projects of Mahatma Gandhi in Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda - 07.08 PMÂ

Champaran, 1917 = First Passive resistance/civil disobedience

1) MG refused the order to leave Champaran.
2) Grievance = Tinkathiya systemÂ
3) Result = Inquiry committee and end of Tinkathiya systemÂ
Ahmedabad Mill Strike, 1918 = First Hunger strikeÂ
1) In favour of workers whose plague bonus was discontinuedÂ
2) MG demanded a 35% increase in wages.Â
3) An Arbitration board was formed and wages increased by 27.5%. This led to the foundation of the working-class
movement in Ahmedabad and the formation of the Textile labour association, in 1920.Â
Kheda Satyagraha, 1918 = First Non-Cooperation movementÂ
1) MG asked peasants to withhold LR payment as they were entitled to low LR in case of cross failure but the
government was demanding full LR.Â
2) Result - The government asked only those to pay who can pay.Â

Rowlatt Satyagraha - 07.23 PMÂ

First mass strike and first attempt at the All India movement by Mahatma Gandhi.Â
Grievance = breach of progress by the British. On one hand, Montague's statement of 1917 promised gradual self-
government and on the other hand, GOI 1919, a disappointment + the British wanted to continue having draconian
powers of Defence of India Act, 1915 in form of the Rowlatt act in 1919. Therefore, a breach of the promise of self-
government.Â
Action - MG gave a call to all Indians to start Satyagraha by going on a nationwide strike. However, violence
erupted after MG's arrest, especially in Punjab. The real grievance of people was war inflation and food
shortages.Â
General O'Dwyer, LG of Punjab applied marshal law + disobeying marshall law, a peaceful crowd gathered at
Jallianwala Bagh on the 13th of April, 1919. On the direction of Dwyer, General Dyer surrounded the gathering and
without warning, troops fired at the crowd killing 379 people, now MG withdrew the movement due to violence
and decided that he needed an organisation like INC for a controlled mass movement and that Indian masses need
training in Satyagraha.Â
Cities had participated more than rural areas, especially workers.Â
Importance = First all India movement, therefore, beginning of mass politics.Â

Non - Cooperation movement - 07.46 PMÂ

Who participated? - Capitalists, Revolutionaries, Peasants, Students, Muslims, Workers, Women

Who participated in CDM? - Muslims and Workers did not participateÂ
Khilafat movement - Disrespect of Khalifa, Ali brothers formed the Khilafat committee.Â
Undo Punjab wrongsÂ
Hallmark - Hindu-Muslim Sikh UnityÂ
Non cooperation = Boycott + constructive workÂ

Topics for the Next Class - Continuation of Non-cooperation and Khilafat movement, Nagpur Session, 1920,
Chauri Chaura incidentÂ