Question

Analyse the impact of the national movement in India from 1915 to 1931 on the Indian masses.

Answer 1

1. Emergence of Gandhi’s Mass Politics (1915 onwards):
   • Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and introduced a new style of politics based on non-violence, mass mobilisation, and satyagraha.
   • He drew peasants, workers, artisans, and women into politics, moving the struggle beyond elite leadership to popular involvement.
2. Champaran, Kheda, and Ahmedabad Movements:
   • Gandhi’s early struggles in Champaran (indigo cultivators), Kheda (demand for tax relief), and Ahmedabad (mill workers) exposed the masses to methods of protest and dialogue.
   • These movements gave ordinary Indians confidence to oppose colonial policies.
3. Rowlatt Satyagraha and Jallianwala Bagh (1919):
   • The Rowlatt Act, which permitted detention without trial, sparked widespread protest across India.
   • The Jallianwala Bagh massacre shocked the nation and intensified nationalist feelings among people in both towns and villages.
4. Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22):
   • The coming together of the Khilafat issue and the Congress movement created a broad unity between Hindus and Muslims.
   • Students, teachers, lawyers, and traders actively participated in boycotting British goods, titles, and institutions.
5. Spread to Rural Areas:
   • Peasants in Awadh, tribal groups in Andhra and Gujarat, and industrial workers responded to Gandhi’s appeal.
   • Local issues like zamindari exploitation found expression within the wider national movement.
6. Formation of New National Consciousness:
   • Nationalism spread through cultural forms such as songs, folklore, pamphlets, and images.
   • The idea of swaraj (self-rule) became widely understood and desired by common people.
7. Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–31):
   • Beginning with the Salt March, the movement witnessed large-scale participation from students, women, workers, and peasants.
   • Violating the salt law exposed colonial rule as unjust and weak.
8. Women’s Participation:
   • Women from elite as well as humble backgrounds joined protests, picketing, and imprisonment.
   • Their involvement marked the widening and democratisation of the national movement.
9. Limitations and Challenges:
   • Although participation was widespread, responses differed across regions and communities.
   • Some movements, such as Non-Cooperation, had to be withdrawn due to incidents like Chauri Chaura.
10. Legacy on the Masses:
    • The movements between 1915 and 1931 fostered unity, self-belief, and a sense of common purpose among Indians.
    • They laid the groundwork for the final struggle for independence by turning it into a truly mass-based movement.