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.