Question

How did the Civil Disobedience Movement become a mass movement? Explain with examples.

Answer 1

1. On 6 April 1930, Gandhiji violated the salt law by producing salt from seawater, marking the start of the Civil Disobedience Movement. The movement encouraged people to defy colonial laws, and thousands across the country joined by illegally making salt, protesting outside government salt factories, boycotting foreign cloth, picketing liquor shops, refusing to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes, resigning from village posts and violating forest laws by collecting wood and grazing cattle in reserved forests.
2. Wealthy peasants such as the Patidars of Gujarat and the Jats of Uttar Pradesh were hit by trade depression and heavy revenue demands. They supported the movement to oppose high taxes.
3. Poor peasants, mainly small tenants, could not pay rent due to falling incomes. They demanded rent reductions or waivers and took part in more radical movements.
4. The business class, led by industrialists like Purshottamdas Thakurdas and G.D. Birla, initially backed the movement as they sought protection from foreign competition and fewer colonial trade restrictions. They offered financial support and participated in the boycott of imported goods.