Non-Cooperation And Khailafat Movement- Revision Capsule for UPSC Prelims

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-

1. Political prisoners were not released
2. 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.