history2

• The First World War: This war significantly impacted India.
  • Increased Defence Expenditure: War loans and higher taxes (customs duties, income tax) financed the war.
  • Forced Recruitment: Villages were forced to supply soldiers, causing widespread anger in rural areas.
• The Idea of Satyagraha: Mahatma Gandhi, returning to India in January 1915 after fighting a racist regime in South Africa with his non-violent method of mass agitation called "satyagraha", brought this concept. Satyagraha emphasizes truth and non-violence.
• The Non-Cooperation Movement (1921-1922): This movement aimed to achieve "swaraj" (self-rule). Gandhi believed that if Indians refused to cooperate, British rule would collapse within a year. It encouraged a boycott of British institutions, goods, and services.
  • Boycott: The refusal to deal with people, participate in activities, or buy/use things as a form of protest.

• Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922): After the Jallianwalla Bagh incident (April 13, 1919), Mahatma Gandhi collaborated with Muslim leaders like Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali to discuss 'united mass action'. He toured extensively, mobilising support. The movement was based on his belief, stated in Hind Swaraj (1909), that British rule was established with Indian cooperation, and thus, non-cooperation could unravel it. The movement saw widespread participation, but Mahatma Gandhi called a halt to it in February 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident.
• Civil Disobedience Movement (1930): Mahatma Gandhi identified salt as a 'powerful symbol that could unite the nation'. The government's monopoly on salt production and the tax on it represented 'the most oppressive face of British rule'. This led to the Salt March, where thousands joined and peacefully defied the British. When leaders were arrested, more joined the Satyagraha. Mahatma Gandhi again decided to call off the movement and entered into a pact with Irwin on March 5, 1931.

The period following 1919 marked a significant turning point for the Indian national movement. It began to spread to new areas, incorporate new social groups, and develop new modes of struggle. This expansion was heavily influenced by several key factors and the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.

The years following 1919 marked a significant phase for the national movement in India, characterized by its expansion into new areas, involvement of new social groups, and the adoption of novel struggle methods. These developments were profoundly shaped by the socio-economic and political consequences of World War I.

The period after 1919 saw the Indian national movement expand, bringing in new social groups and new forms of struggle. One significant event that galvanized this was the passing of the Rowlatt Act.

The Rowlatt Act was a highly repressive piece of legislation:
* It was passed "hurriedly... despite the united opposition of the Indian members" in the Imperial Legislative Council.
* It gave the government "enormous powers to repress political activities."
* Crucially, it "allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years."