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Indian Freedom Struggle (1707–1947 A.D.) Manu Sharma, Lovely Professional University

Notes Unit 10: National Movements and Indian Independence

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
10.1 Non-Co-Operation Movement
10.2 Civil Disobedience Movement
10.3 Quit India Movement
10.4 Indian Independence and Partition
10.5 Summary
10.6 Key-Words
10.7 Review Questions
10.8 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit students will be able to:
• Explain Non-cooperation Movement.
• Know about Quit India Movement.
• Discuss Indian Independence and Partition.

Introduction

The last year of the second decade of the twentieth century found India highly discontented. With
much cause. The Rowlatt Act, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and martial law in Punjab had belied
all the generous wartime promises of the British. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, announced
towards the end of 1919, with their ill-considered scheme of dyarchy satisfied few. The Indian
Muslims were incensed when they discovered that their loyalty had been purchased during the
War by assurances of generous treatment of Turkey after the War — a promise British statesman
had no intention of fulfilling. The Muslims regarded the Caliph of Turkey as their spiritual head
and were naturally upset when they found that he would retain no control over the holy places it
was his duty as Caliph to protect. Even those who were willing to treat the happenings at Jallianwala
Bagh and other places in Punjab as aberrations, that would soon be ‘corrected’, were disillusioned
when they discovered that the Hunter Committee appointed by the Government to enquire into
the Punjab disturbances was an eye wash and that the House of Lords had voted in favour of
General Dyer’s action, and that the British public had demonstrated its support by helping the
Morning Post collect 30,000 pounds for General Dyer.
By the end of the first quarter of 1920, all the excuses in favour of the British Government were fast
running out. The Khilafat leaders were told quite clearly that they should not expect anything
more and the Treaty of Sevres signed with Turkey in May 1920 made it amply clear that the
dismemberment of the Turkish Empire was complete. Gandhiji, who had been in close touch with
the Khilafat leaders for quite some time, and was a special invitee to the Khilafat Conference in
November 1919, had all along been very sympathetic to their cause, especially because he felt the
British had committed a breach of faith by making promises that they had no intention of keeping.
In February 1920, he suggested to the Khilafat Committee that it adopt a programme of non-
violent non-cooperation to protest the Government’s behaviour. On 9 June 1920, the Khilafat
Committee at Allahabad unanimously accepted the suggestion of non-cooperation and asked
Gandhiji to lead the movement.

132 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY