Background
- Economy of India post world war had been alarming
- Rowlatt act,Martial law in Punjab and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
- Hunter Commission on Punjab atrocities was an eyewash
- Montague Chlemsford Reforms failed to satisfy demand of self-government.
- Ground was prepared for common political action by Hindus and muslims as – Lucknow pact had brought together Congress -muslim league,and radical nationalist Muslims like Mohammad Ali,Abul Kalam Azad, Hakim Azmal Khan and Hasan Imam had become more influential than conservative Aligarh school elements.
Khailafat Issue
- Muslims were angered by the treatment meted out to Turkey by Britishers post World War because Muslims all over the world regarded the Sultan of Turkey as their spiritual leader- Turkey has been dismembered and Khalifa removed from power.
- 1919- Khailafat Committee was formed under the leadership of Shaukat Ali and Muhammad Ali, Maulana Azad , Ajmal Khan and Hasrat Mohani.
- All India Khailafat Conference – Delhi – 1919– call for boycott of British goods and stop all cooperation with the British govt.
- Gandhi – President of All India Khailafat Committee.
- Congress was not united on this form of political action.
- Tilak was opposed to it due to 2 reasons–
- i.he was opposed to alliance with Muslim leaders over a religious issue and
- ii.doubtful of Satyagraha as an instrument of politics.
- Why Congress later supported Non cooperation programme-
- i. It was a golden opportunity to cement Hindu Muslim Unity.
- ii.It was losing faith in constitutional struggle.
- iii.Congress was aware of masses eagerness to express discontent.
- Muslim league also supported Congress .
- May ,1920- Treaty Of Serves– completely dismembered Turkey.
- August 31,1920– Khailafat Committee formally launched a campaign of Non cooperation.
- September,1920-Calcutta session of Congress-approval of Non cooperation programme which included
- i.Boycott of govt schools and colleges
- ii.Boycott of law courts Boycott of Legislative Council
- iii.Boycott of foreign cloth Renunciation of govt honours and titles
- Nagpur Session-December -1920 – Non Cooperation Movement was endorsed.
- Now instead of attainement of self government through constitutional means as its goal,Congress decided to attain Swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means,an extra constitutional mass struggle.
- A congress working committee of 15 members was set up
- -Gandhi declared Swaraj could be attained within a year if programme is implemented successfully.
- Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Annie Besant, G.S. Kharpade, B.C Pal left the congress as they believed in constitutional struggle.
- Surendranath Banerjea founded the Indian National Liberal Foundation.
Spread of the Movement
- Educational institutes were organised under the leadership of Acharya Narendra Dev, C.R.Das, Lala Lajpat Rai, Zakir Hussain, Subhash Bose( Principal of National College at Calcutta
- Institutes opened- Jamia Milia at Aligarh, Kashi Vidyapeeth, Gujarat Vidyapeeth and Bihar Vidyapeeth.
- Lawyers who gave up practice- Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, C R Das, C Rajagopalachari , Saifuddin Kitchlew , Vallabhbhai Patel, Asaf Ali, T Prakasam, Rajendra Prasad
- Tilak Swaraj Fund collected one crore rupees.
- No tax movement against union board taxes – Midnapore( WB) and Guntur( Andhra Pradesh)
- J M Sengupta – leader of strikes in Assam- in tea plantation,steamer services, Assam-Bengal railways.
- Rise to many local struggles-
- Awadh Kisan movement- UP
- Eka movement – UP
- Mappila revolt- Malabar
- Sikh agitation for removal of mahants.
- Feb 1 ,1922- Gandhi Threatened to launch Civil Disobedience Movement from Bardoli in Gujarat if two demands were not met-
- Political prisoners were not released
- Press controls were not removed
- Talks failed between Gandhi and Reading,the viceroy as government wanted Gandhi to ask Ali Brothers to avoid speeches suggesting violence which Gandhi refused.
- Chauri Chaura Incident– Gorakhpur ,UP- February 5,1922 -Police here had beaten volunteers campaigning against liquor sales and high food prices.22 policemen were killed and police station was torched.
- CWC Meeting at Bardoli,Gujarat in Feb 1922 resolved to stop all activity of Non Cooperation Movement.
