History 312      Gandhi's India                                                                                                    Outline # 4

GANDHI AND INDIAN NATIONALISM, 1915-1932

MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI -- 1869-1948

The Name Is Spelt: Gandhi .... Not Ghandi.

Main Themes

1. The CONTEXT for Gandhian Nationalism: Political and Economic

Impact of the War: Prices, Taxes, Recruitment

Political Context: Home Rule Leagues, Anti-war sentiment, INC-Muslim League alliance.

2. Gandhi and the transformation of Indian nationalism: REASONS FOR GANDHI'S SUCCESS.

. Key ideas and strategies: AHIMSA (non violence) and SATYAGRAHA (truth force).

. South African experience, and reputation.

. Organizational abilities, 1920-21 REORGANIZES the INC.

FOUR ANNA MEMBERSHIP.

VILLAGE TO NATIONAL LEVEL COMMITTEES AND OFFICE-BEARERS.

CONGRESS WORKING COMMITTEE (a permanent, year- round coordination and decision making body).

STATE CONGRESS COMMITTEES BASED ON LINGUISTIC DIVISIONS.

5 MILLION PEOPLE RECRUITED AS MEMBERS IN THREE MONTHS OF 1921.

. Gandhi's critique of modernity. (Hind Swaraj)

3. Popular participation (peasant nationalism) and I.N.C. control.

Peasant REINTERPRETATION of Gandhi's message, and the role of RUMOR. (Hardiman, Chapters Two and Three in particular)

Gandhi as mobilizer and "brake" on popular participation. This becomes the strength and the weakness of Indian nationalism under Gandhi. (Hardiman and Textbook)

IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS

1914-1918 World War I

1915 Home Rule Leagues formed by Tilak and Annie Besant. Gandhi returns to India.

1916 Congress - Muslim League Pact (Lucknow Pact).

1917 Gandhi's first satyagrahas in India. Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad.

1919 Government of India Act, (Montague-Chelmsford Reforms). Limited in nature. Rowlatt Act tries to keep martial law in Punjab. Gandhi leads first all-India against it. 13th April, massacre of Indians ordered by General Dyer at Jallianwalla Bagh in Amritsar.

1921 Non-cooperation and Khilafat Movement. The latter takes up Indian Muslims' concern with the abolition of the Turkish Caliphate.

1922 FEBRUARY Peasants burn a police station at Chauri-Chaura. 23 Policemen die. Gandhi calls off the Non Cooperation Movement.

1923 Split between "Swarajists" and "No Changers" within the Congress. Swarajists seek elections to Legislative Councils and the "No Changers" follow Gandhi in constructive work in rural area.

1928 Agitation against the all-white Simon Commission.

1928 Nehru Report outlining INC’s vision for India’s political future. Insufficient provision for minority rights according to Jinnah and Muslim League who respond with “Fourteen Points” in 1929.

1929-3PURNA SWARAJ or Complete Independence resolution passed by Congress in Lahore.

1930 The Salt Satyagraha, and the First Civil Disobedience Movement.

1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact. Civil Disobedience called off. Second Round Table Conference for which Gandhi travels to London. Unsuccessful. Second Civil Disobedience Movement launched.

1932 Communal Award. Gandhi's protest and threat of fast unto death. Compromise between Gandhi and Ambedkar on issue of separate electorates for Untouchables/Harijans.