Mahatma Gandhi Flashcards
What is satyagraha?
Satyagraha: The term satyagraha is made up of two Sanskrit words Satya (truth) and Agraha (insistence to hold fast)
To Gandhiji, satyagraha was a moral force born of truth and non-violence. Gandhiji’s Satyagraha Movement was directed against the British system of exploitation.
State Gandhi’s methods to obtain freedom.
Satyagraha:
Doctrine of Non-Violence: Non-Violence or Ahimsa means non-killing or avoiding injury but for Gandhiji, it meant avoiding injury to anything by thought, word or deed.
Swadeshi: Swadeshi means producing necessary items in one’s own country and using them for one’s use without being dependent on imported goods. Gandhiji emphasised manual labour and the use of charkha and khadi.
Mass movement: The South African experiment gave Gandhiji the experience of leading Indians belonging to different religions, regions, and social classes.
What is non-coorperation?
Not cooperation is a way of protesting in which one doesn’t cooperate with evil doer. Gandhiji asked the people not to assist the foreign government to rule over them.
Rowlatt Act and Rowlatt satyagraha
(i) Arrest of a person without warrant.
(ii) In camera trial (trial in seclusion).
(iii) Restrictions on movements of individuals.
(iv) Suspension of the Right of Habeas Corpus
The Rowlatt Satyagraha emerged as the first all India struggle against the British government.
There occurred the number of demonstration and strikes in the country.
An important feature of the Rowlatt Satyagraha was Hindu Muslim unity.
Jallianwala Bagh tragedy
A large but peaceful crowd gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13th 1919 to protest against the arrest of leaders. Jallianwala Bagh had only one exit. Its other three sides were enclosed by buildings. General Dyer the military commander of Amritsar surrounded the garden with his soldiers. After closing the exit with his troops, he ordered them to shoot at the crowd. The troops kept on firing till their ammunition was exhausted. About 1000 innocent demonstrators were killed and many more wounded.
Khilafat Movement
The Sultan of Turkey, who was the Caliph, was deprived of all authority.
The Caliph was looked upon by large sections of Muslims as their religious head. They felt that any weakening of the Caliph’s position would adversely affect the position of the Muslims.
In the First World War the British fought against Turkey
The Muslim population in India started a powerful agitation known as the Khilafat Movement under the leadership of the Ali Brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
The Khilafatists formed a three point programme.
(a) the Ottoman Caliph should retain his empire;
(b) the caliph must be left with sufficient territory to enable him to defend the Islamic faith; and,
(c) the Arab lands must remain under Muslim rule.
Gandhiji saw in the Khilafat movement and opportunity for uniting Hindus and Muslims.
Objectives of Non-coorperation movement
(i) To attain self-government within the British Empire if possible and outside if necessary.
(ii) Annulment of the Rowlatt Act and remedying of ‘Punjab wrong’.
(iii) Remedying the ‘Khilafat wrong’ i.e, British should adopt a lenient attitude towards Turkey.v
