Indian Freedom Struggle & Gandhi

🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)

Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your exam.

Indian Freedom Struggle — Key Facts for BPSC

The Indian independence movement was one of the most significant mass movements in world history, culminating in India’s independence on 15 August 1947.

Core Facts:

• Indian National Congress (INC) founded 1885 by A.O. Hume and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
• Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915 from South Africa; led the Champaran Satyagraha (1917) — his first Indian movement
• Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922): Gandhi’s first nationwide movement; led to bonfire of foreign cloth
• Civil Disobedience Movement / Dandi March (1930): Gandhi marched 241 miles to the sea to make salt
• Quit India Movement (1942): “Do or Die” — the final mass movement
• Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948 by Nathuram Godse

⚡ Exam tip: Gandhi’s movements, his principles (Ahimsa, Satyagraha), and key events in the freedom struggle are BPSC’s most favourite history topic.

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🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

Standard content for students with a few days to months.

Gandhi — Life and Philosophy

Early Life

• Born on 2 October 1869 at Porbandar, Gujarat — his father was the Diwan (Chief Minister) of Porbandar
• Trained as a barrister in London (1888–1891); returned to India
• 1893: Went to South Africa to work for a trading firm; stayed for 21 years (1893–1914)
• In South Africa, he faced racial discrimination — this transformed him into a political activist

South Africa — The Making of Gandhi

• Pioneer Pietermaritzburg incident (1893): Thrown off a train at Pietermaritzburg station for being in a first-class compartment; spent the night in the waiting room
• Sat-Swarajya (Self-rule) movement in South Africa (1906–1914)
• Established Phoenix Settlement (1904) near Durban — communal living based on Tolstoy’s ideas
• Tolstoy Farm (1910) — another commune near Johannesburg
• Developed Satyagraha (truth-force or soul-force) — non-violent resistance
• Successfully challenged ** Asiatic Registration Act (Black Act) in South Africa**

Return to India and First Movements

Champaran Satyagraha (1917) — Gandhi’s First Indian Movement:

• Champaran district in Bihar — indigo farmers were being forced by British planters to grow indigo and sell at fixed low prices
• Gandhi arrived at Motihari (Champaran) on 10 April 1917; was initially ordered to leave
• He refused to leave; was arrested and tried — but thousands of farmers gathered in protest
• He organized a people’s movement — the British planters fled
• Result: Champaran Agrarian Bill passed — farmers were freed from forced indigo cultivation
• This established Gandhi as a mass leader in India

Kheda Satyagraha (1918) — Gujarat:

• In Gujarat’s Kheda district, peasants suffered a famine and crop failure
• Peasants petitioned for revenue exemption — the British refused
• Gandhi organized a no-tax campaign — Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a key lieutenant
• Result: The revenue was suspended for the affected areas

Ahmedabad Textile Mill Strike (1918):

• Workers in Ahmedabad mills went on strike for higher wages
• Gandhi intervened as a mediator; popularized the ekah (one) method — wage demand was partially accepted
• This gave Gandhi experience in labor disputes

Gandhi’s Core Principles

Ahimsa (Non-Violence):

• Gandhi elevated ahimsa from a personal virtue to a political weapon
• He believed violence was the way of the weak; non-violence was the way of the strong
• Non-violence required tremendous courage — not cowardice

Satyagraha:

• Literally means “truth-force” or “holding firmly to truth”
• A method of non-violent resistance based on moral conviction
• Key components:
  1. Truth — absolute commitment to truth
  2. Non-violence — not just physical non-violence but non-violent thought
  3. Civil disobedience — willingness to break unjust laws
  4. Suffering willingly — accepting punishment for standing up
  5. Non-retaliation — refusing to hit back

Sarvodaya (Welfare of All):

• Gandhi’s vision of an ideal society: no poverty, no inequality, no exploitation
• Based on village self-reliance and cottage industries
• Trividhi (three pillars): Khadi (hand-spun cloth), Village industries, Panchayati Raj

Swadeshi and Khadi:

• Swadeshi: Self-reliance; using only Indian-made goods
• Khadi: Hand-spun thread and hand-woven cloth; became a symbol of national self-reliance
• Gandhi promoted the charkha (spinning wheel) — all Congress sessions had charkha spinning

Major Movements

Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922)

Background:

• After Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) and the Rowlatt Act (1919) — which allowed preventive detention without trial
• Khillafat Movement (1919–1923): Indian Muslims were outraged by the British threat to the Ottoman Caliphate — Gandhi linked this with the national movement

The Movement:

• Adopted at the Nagpur Congress session (1920) — under the leadership of Gandhi
• Programme:
  1. Surrender of British titles and honours
  2. Boycott of government schools, colleges, courts
  3. Boycott of foreign cloth — huge bonfires of foreign textiles
  4. Non-participation in government functions
  5. Establishment of national schools and courts
• Charkha became the symbol of the movement
• Hundreds of students left schools; lawyers gave up practice

Abeyance — Chauri Chaura Incident (1922):

• In Chauri Chaura (Uttar Pradesh), a police lathicharge on protesters led to a mob burning 22 police officers alive
• Gandhi was deeply disturbed — called off the Non-Cooperation Movement on 12 February 1922
• This showed Gandhi’s commitment to non-violence above all else

Civil Disobedience Movement (1930)

The Salt March / Dandi March (12 March – 6 April 1930):

• Gandhi wrote to Vicoy Irwin (Lord Irwin) on 2 March 1930 with 11 demands — if not met, he would break the salt law
• On 12 March 1930, Gandhi started from Sabarmati Ashram (Ahmedabad) with 78 volunteers
• Arrived at Dandi (Gujarat coast) on 6 April 1930
• Made salt by evaporating seawater — technically breaking the British salt monopoly
• 241 miles in 24 days — became an international news story
• Over 60,000 people were arrested in the following weeks

Why Salt?

• Salt was a universal necessity consumed by everyone (rich and poor)
• The British had a monopoly on salt — imported salt, taxed salt
• The British salt tax made salt extremely expensive for the poor
• Gandhi said: “Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life”

Other Salt March-related actions:

• Dharasana Satyagraha (May 1930): 2,500 volunteers under Vijayalakshmi Pandit marched on the Dharasana salt works; were beaten by police
• This received worldwide attention; newspapers reported police brutality

The Round Table Conferences (1930–1932)

First RTC (1930, London):

• Gandhi was in prison; INC did not attend
• Only British and princes attended

Second RTC (1931, London):

• Gandhi attended as the sole representative of the INC
• Negotiated with PM Ramsay MacDonald
• Nothing significant came of it

Third RTC (1932):

• Deadlock on the communal question (Hindu-Muslim disputes)
• Poona Pact (1932): Gandhi (in prison) opposed the British’s separate electorates for “Depressed Classes” (Untouchables); he went on a fast unto death
• Maharaja of Kolhapur and others intervened; Poona Pact signed — joint electorates with reserved seats for Depressed Classes

Quit India Movement (1942)

The “August Kranti” or “Do or Die”:

• On 8 August 1942, Gandhi gave the call “Do or Die” at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay
• The All-India Congress passed the “Quit India” resolution on 8 August 1942
• “Karo ya maro” (Do or Die) — not a violent call but a call to resist through mass action

What Happened:

• Gandhi and the entire Congress Working Committee were arrested on 9 August 1942
• Mass protests broke out across India — over 1,000 people killed in police firing
• The movement was spontaneous — without Gandhi’s leadership on the ground
• Underground movement: Leaders like Aruna Asaf Ali continued to operate; the Radio broadcast of Subhas Chandra Bose (from Germany) became the voice of the underground
• The British suppressed the movement but could not fully contain it

Other Key Leaders of the Freedom Struggle

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1857–1920):

• “Swaraj is my birthright” — popularized the demand for self-rule
• Arithmetic education — “Swaraj is attainable through persistent effort”
• Supported the Swadeshi movement; used Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja festivals for mass mobilization
• Split the INC in 1907 (Moderates vs Extremists)

Lala Lajpat Rai (1865–1928):

• “Punjab Kesari” (Lion of Punjab)
• Led the AIML delegation to the Simon Commission (1928); opposed the all-white Simon Commission
• Lathicharge on Simon Commission protesters in Lahore (1928) — Lajpat Rai was beaten; died in November 1928 (some attributed it to police lathis)
• This event inspired Bhagat Singh to avenge him (killed Saunders in 1928)

Bhagat Singh (1907–1931):

• Born in a Sikh family in Banga, Lyallpur (now Pakistan)
• Joined the Gadar Party and later the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)
• On 17 December 1928, Bhagat Singh and Raj Guru killed L.D. Kassa (Lala Lajpat Rai’s actual assassin) — this was Lajpat Rai’s killing that they were avenging
• Bomb blast in the Central Legislative Assembly (8 April 1929) — threw bombs, shouted slogans (“Inquilab Zindabad”)
• Arrested; executed on 23 March 1931 at age 23 in Lahore Jail
• Became a folk hero — inspired generations of revolutionaries

Subhas Chandra Bose (1897–1945):

• President of INC (1938, 1939) — resigned due to differences with Gandhi
• Escape from India (1941): Escaped house arrest in Calcutta; reached Germany via Afghanistan
• In Germany, established Free India Radio (Azad Hind Radio); formed the Indian National Army (INA) with Indian prisoners of war captured by Japan
• Formed the Provisional Government of Free India (Azad Hind Fauj) on 21 October 1943 in Singapore
• INA’s slogan: “Jai Hind” (from Major Abid Hasan)
• Disappeared on 18 July 1945 after a plane crash in Taiwan — death disputed (some believe he lived)

Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950):

• “Iron Man of India” — architect of India’s integration of princely states
• Played a key role in the Kheda Satyagraha (1918) and Borsad Satyagraha (1923)
• As Deputy Prime Minister (1947–1950), he persuaded most princely states to join India; used firm action where needed (Hyderabad, Junagadh)
• His statue (Statue of Unity) is the world’s tallest at 182 metres

⚡ Study strategy: Gandhi’s philosophy and movements are BPSC’s most frequently tested area. Focus on Champaran, Salt March, Non-Cooperation, and Quit India movements.

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🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)

Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.

Important Acts and Events

Year	Event	Significance
1919	Rowlatt Act	Preventive detention without trial
1919	Jallianwala Bagh	Massacre; 379–1,500 killed
1919	Khillafat Movement	Muslim support for Gandhi’s movement
1920	Non-Cooperation	Boycott of British institutions
1922	Chauri Chaura	Gandhi called off NCM
1930	Salt March	Civil disobedience; international attention
1935	Government of India Act	Provincial elections; limited self-government
1940	Individual Satyagraha	limited satyagraha; Nehru, Patel, etc.
1942	Quit India	Final mass movement
1947	Independence	India and Pakistan created

The Government of India Act 1935

• Provided for provincial autonomy — elected governments in provinces
• Diarchy was removed in provinces
• Created a federation of provinces and princely states (the federation never materialized)
• Extended the franchise — more people could vote
• Gandhi opposed it because it did not grant complete independence

Gandhi’s Philosophy of Trusteeship

• Wealthy individuals should act as “trustees” of their wealth — hold it not for themselves but for the welfare of society
• Not redistribution of wealth but redistribution of responsibility
• Based on the principle that the earth has enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed

Gandhi and Social Issues

Untouchability

• Gandhi called untouchability the “greatest blot on Hinduism”
• He called ** harijans** (“children of God”) — this term replaced “untouchable”
• Traveled extensively to harijan colonies
• Went on 21-day fast (1932) to pressurize the Poona Pact signatories
• Worked to get harijans access to temples and wells

Women’s Participation

• Gandhi encouraged women’s participation in the freedom movement
• Sarojini Naidu — poet and nationalist leader; became the first woman Governor of Uttar Pradesh
• Vijayalakshmi Pandit — led the Dharasana Salt Satyagraha
• Aruna Asaf Ali — became a symbol of resistance during Quit India (she hoisted the flag at Gowalia Tank)
• Kasturba Gandhi — wife of Gandhi; also participated in movements

BPSC Previous Year Questions Pattern

• Gandhi’s philosophy — Ahimsa, Satyagraha, Sarvodaya
• Champaran Satyagraha — causes, Gandhi’s role, outcome
• Salt March — 11 demands, route, significance
• Non-Cooperation Movement — reasons for calling off (Chauri Chaura)
• Quit India Movement — “Do or Die”, events of August 1942
• Bhagat Singh — HSRA, Saunder’s murder, execution
• Subhas Chandra Bose — INA, Azad Hind Fauj, disappearance
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak — “Swaraj is my birthright”, mass mobilization
• Role of women in freedom movement

Important Speeches and Slogans

• Gandhi at Gowalia Tank (8 August 1942): “Karo ya maro” (Do or Die)
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak: “Swaraj is my birthright and I will have it”
• Bhagat Singh: “Inquilab Zindabad” (Revolution will live forever)
• Subhas Chandra Bose: “Jai Hind” (from Major Abid Hasan)
• Bhagat Singh in court: “I am a revolutionary, not a terrorist”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t confuse Lala Lajpat Rai with someone else — he died after a lathicharge, which motivated Bhagat Singh
• The Chauri Chaura incident is important — it led Gandhi to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement (not the other way around)
• Gandhi’s fast unto death (1932) was during the Poona Pact — not during Civil Disobedience
• Quit India 1942 was different from the “mutiny” interpretation — it was a mass civil disobedience campaign
• Subhas Chandra Bose’s death is still disputed — always say “disappeared/disputed”

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