NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT

Question 1

What was the main reason to withdraw the Non-cooperation Movement?

Answer 1

Mahatma Gandhi called off the Non-cooperation Movement as the movement had turned violent in many places. The Chauri Chaura incident in 1922 turned into a violent dash and 22 policemen were killed. Gandhiji felt satyagrahis were not ready for mass struggles.

Question 2

Explain the effects of ‘worldwide economic depression’ on India, towards late 1920s.

Answer 2

1. In 19th century, colonial India had become an exporter of agricultural goods and an importer of manufactures.
2. The worldwide economic depression immediately affected Indian trade. India’s exports and imports nearly halved between 1928 and 1934.
3. As international prices crashed, prices in India also plunged. Peasants producing for the world market were worst hit. Though agricultural prices fell, the colonial government refused to reduce revenue demands. Peasants indebtedness increased. For example, Jute producers of Bengal.
4. In these depression years, India became an exporter of precious metals, notably gold

Question 3

Explain any three facts about the new economic situation created in India by the First World War.

Answer 3

The First World War created a dramatically new economic situation in India:

(i) Manchester imports into India declined as the British mills were busy with war production to meet the needs of the army paving the way for the Indian mills to supply for the huge home market.
(ii) As the war prolonged, Indian factories were called upon to supply war needs. As a result new factories were set up, new workers were employed and everyone was made to work longer hours.
(iii) Cotton production collapsed and exports of cotton cloth from Britain fell dramatically after the war, as it was unable to modernize and compete with US, Germany, Japan. Hence within colonies like India, local industrialists gradually consolidated their position capturing the home market.

Question 4

How did the plantation workers understand the idea of ‘Swaraj’? Explain.

Answer 4

1. For the plantation workers of Assam, “Swaraj” meant freedom to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they all were enclosed and also to be able to keep the link with their native village intact. 2.Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not allowed to leave their tea gardens without permission, which they were rarely given.
2. When they heard of the Non-cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied authorities, left the plantations and headed home.

Question 5

How had the First World War created a new economic situation in India? Explain with three examples.

Answer 5

The First World War created a dramatically new economic situation in India:

(i) Manchester imports into India declined as the British mills were busy with war production to meet the needs of the army paving the way for the Indian mills to supply for the huge home market.
(ii) As the war prolonged, Indian factories were called upon to supply war needs. As a result new factories were set up, new workers were employed and everyone was made to work longer hours.
(iii) Cotton production collapsed and exports of cotton cloth from Britain fell dramatically after the war, as it was unable to modernize and compete with US, Germany, Japan. Hence within colonies like India, local industrialists gradually consolidated their position capturing the home market.

Question 6

Explain any three effects of the Non-cooperation Movement on the economy of India.

Answer 6

The economic sphere was affected by the Non-cooperation Movement:

1. Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops were picketed and foreign cloth was burnt.
2. Many merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade.
3. People began discarding imported clothes and wearing Indian ones.
4. The production of Indian textile mills and handlooms went up. Use of khadi was popularized.

Question 7

Why did Non-cooperation Movement gradually slow down in cities? Explain any three reasons.

Answer 7

The Non-cooperation Movement gradually slowed down in cities for a variety of reasons:

1. Khadi cloth was more expensive than mill cloth and poor people could not afford to buy it. As a result they could not boycott mill cloth for too long.
2. Alternative Indian institutions were not there which could be used in place of the British ones. These were slow to come up.
3. So students and teachers began trickling back to government schools and lawyers joined back work in government courts.

Question 8

Describe the role of the peasants in Awadh in the Non-cooperation Movement.

Answer 8

Role of the peasants in Awadh in the Non-cooperation Movement:
1. In Awadh, the peasants’ movement was led by Baba Ramchandra—a Sanyasi who had earlier worked in Fiji as indentured labour.
2. The movement was against taluqdars and landlords who demanded high rents from the peasants. Peasants had to do ‘bega/ and work at landlords’ farms without any payment. As tenants, they had no security of tenure and could be evicted without any notice.
3. The peasants’ movement demanded reduction of revenue, abolition of begar and social boycott of these landlords.
4. In many places Nai-Dhobi bandits were organized to deprive landlords of the services of even washermen and barbers.
5. In 1920, Jawahar Lai Nehru began talking to the villagers and formed ‘Oudh Kisan Sabha’. Within a month 300 branches had been setup in the villages.
As the movement spread in 1921, the houses of taluqdars and merchants were attacked, bazaars were looted and grain hoards were taken over

Question 9

Describe any three major problems faced by the peasants of Awadh in the days of Non-Cooperation Movement.

Answer 9

The movement of Awadh peasants was led by:

1. The peasants’ movement Baba Ramchandra was against talukdars and landlords who demanded extremely high rents and a variety of other cesses from the peasants.
2. Peasants were forced to work in landlords’ farms without any payment (begar). Peasants had no security of tenure, thus being regularly evicted so that they could acquire no right over the leased land.
3. The demands of the peasants were: reduction of revenue, abolition of begar and social boycott of oppressive landlords.

Question 10

Describe any three suppressive measures taken by the British administration to clampdown on nationalists.

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Answer 10

Suppressive measures taken by the British administration were:

(i) The fear that the lines of communication, such as railways and telegraph, might get disrupted, the British Government started even stronger repressive measures. Local leaders were picked up. Gandhiji was barred from entering Delhi. On 10th April, 1919 the police in Amritsar fired upon a peaceful procession.
(ii) This provoked widespread attacks on banks, post offices and railway stations. Martial law was imposed and General Dyer took command. The government replied with further brutalities. The people of Punjab were made to crawl on the streets and salute to all ‘Sahibs’. Some were put in open cages and flogged.
(iii) Newspapers were banned and their editors were arrested. A reign of terror followed. Intellectuals like Rabindranath Tagore renounced their knighthood

Question 11

“The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of industrial workers in its programme of struggle.” Analyse the reasons.

Answer 11

1. Some workers did participate in the civil disobedience movement, selectively adopting some of the ideas of the Gandhian programme, like boycott of foreign goods as a part of their own movements against low wages and poor working conditions.
2. There were strikes by railway workers in 1930 and dock workers in 1932. Thousands of workers in Chotanagpur tin mines wore Gandhi caps and participated in protest rallies and boycott campaigns. 3. The Congress was reluctant to include the demands of workers as part of its programme of struggle. It felt that this would alienate industrialists and divide the anti-imperial forces.

Question 12

Why did the Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slow down in the cities?

Answer 12

Non-cooperation movement gradually slowed down in the cities for a variety of reasons:

1. Khadi cloth was often more expensive than mass produced mill cloth and poor people could not afford to buy it.
2. Boycott of British institutions posed a problem for the movement to be successful. Alternative Indian institutions had to be set up so that they could be used in place of the British ones.
3. The institutions were slow to come up. So teachers and students began trickling back to the government schools and even lawyers joined back work in government courts.

Question 13

Why did Mahatma Gandhiji decide to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922?

Answer 13

1. In February 1922, Gandhiji decided to launch a no tax movement. The police opened fire at the people who were taking part in a demonstration, without any provocation.
2. The people turned violent in their anger and attacked the police station and set fire to it. The incident took place at Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh. 3. When the news reached Gandhiji, he decided to call off the Non-cooperation movement as he felt that it was turning violent and that the satyagrahis were not properly trained for mass struggle.

Question 14

Describe the spread of Non-Cooperation Movement in the countryside.

Answer 14

The Non-cooperation movement spread to the countryside also. It drew into the struggles of peasants and tribals from different parts of India.

(i) In Awadh, the peasants’ movement led by Baba Ramchandra was against talukdars and landlords who demanded extremely high rents and a variety of other cesses from the peasants. Peasants were forced to work in landlords’ farms without any payment (begar). Peasants had no security of tenure, thus being regularly evicted so that they could acquire no right over the leased land. The demands of the peasants were—reduction of revenue, abolition of begar and social boycott of oppressive landlords.
(ii) In the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh a militant guerrilla movement spread in the early 1920s against the closure of forest areas by the colonial government, preventing people from entering the forests to graze their cattle, or to collect fuelwood and fruits. They felt that their traditional rights were being denied.
(iii) For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed. It meant retaining a link with the village from which they had come. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not permitted to leave tea gardens without permission. In fact the permission was hardly granted. When they heard of the Non¬Cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities and left for their homes.

Question 15

Who had designed the ‘swaraj flag’ by 1921? Explain the main features of this ‘swaraj flag’.

Answer 15

Mahatma Gandhi designed the ‘Swaraj Flag’ by 1921.
Main features of the ‘Swaraj Flag’:
1. It had tricolours — Red, Green and White.
2. It had a spinning wheel in the centre.
3. It represents the Gandhian idea of self-help.
4. Carrying the flag during marches had become a symbol of defiance and a sense of collective belonging.

Question 16

Why did Gandhiji decide to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement’ in February, 1922? Explain any three reasons.

Answer 16

1. In February 1922, Gandhiji decided to launch a no tax movement. The police opened fire at the people who were taking part in a demonstration, without any provocation.
2. The people turned violent in their anger and attacked the police station and set fire to it. The incident took place at Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh. 3. When the news reached Gandhiji, he decided to call off the Non-cooperation movement as he felt that it was turning violent and that the satyagrahis were not properly trained for mass struggle.

Question 17

Explain any five major problems posed by the First World War in India.

Answer 17

The outbreak of the First World War had created a new economic and political situation in India:

1. The increased defence expenditure was financed by war loans and by raising tax rates, custom duties, etc. There was tremendous price rise during the war years. Between 1913 and 1918, the prices had almost doubled. People, particularly common people, were facing extreme hardships.
2. Forced recruitment in the army caused widespread anger in the villages.
3. The failure of crops in many parts of India had created food shortages, leading to the added misery of the people.
4. In addition to this, there was the outbreak of the great influenza epidemic. Millions of people perished due to influenza and starvation.
5. The nationalist movement grew stronger during the war years. A large number of Muslims were drawn into the anti-British struggle during the war. The defence of the ‘Caliphate’ (Khilafat) became an important question for Muslims. Peasant movements during war period also had helped the nationalist movement to grow stronger.

Question 18

What was Gandhiji’s idea behind launching the Non-cooperation Movement? Mention four proposals suggested by Mahatma Gandhi with reference to Non-cooperation Movement.

Answer 18

Mahatma Gandhi felt (in his book Hind Swaraj, 1909) that British rule was established in India with the cooperation of IndiAnswer: It has survived because of their cooperation. If the Indians refuse to cooperate, British rule in India will collapse and Swaraj would come.
Proposals suggested by Mahatma Gandhi with reference to Non-cooperation Movement
1. According to Gandhiji, Non-cooperation could become a movement by unfolding in stages.
2. It would begin with the surrender of titles that the government awarded and a boycott of civil services, army, police, courts and legislative councils, schools and foreign goods.
3. Then if the government used repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched.
4. Throughout 1920, Gandhiji and Shaukat Ali toured extensively mobilizing popular support for the movement.

Question 19

How could non-cooperation become a movement? Explain with examples.

Answer 19

Mahatma Gandhi felt that British rule was established in India with the cooperation of the Indian people. If the Indians would refuse to cooperate, British rule would collapse.

1. According to Gandhiji, non-cooperation could become a movement by unfolding in stages.
2. It would begin with the surrender of titles that the government awarded, and a boycott of civil services, army, police, courts and legislative councils, schools and foreign goods. Then if the Government used repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would be launched.
3. Throughout 1920, Gandhiji and Shaukat Ali toured extensively mobilising popular support for the movement.
4. In the cities, the movement started with middle class participation. Thousands of students left government controlled schools and colleges. Headmasters and teachers resigned and lawyers gave up their legal practices.
5. The Council elections were boycotted, foreign goods and foreign cloth was boycotted. Traders and merchants also refused to trade in foreign goods.

Question 20

How did different social groups conceive the idea of ‘Non-Cooperation’? Explain with examples.

Answer 20

Various social groups participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement, each with its own specific aspiration. All of them responded to the call of ‘Swaraj’ but the term meant different things to different people.
Movement in the cities:
1. Thousands of students from government controlled schools, headmasters, teachers resigned and left the school.
2. Lawyers gave up their legal practices. The Council elections were also boycotted in most provinces.
Movement spread to the countryside:
(i) In Awadh, the peasants’ movement led by Baba Ramchandra was against talukdars and landlords who demanded extremely high rents and a variety of other cesses from the peasants. Peasants were forced to work in landlords’ farms without any payment (begar). Peasants had no security of tenure, they were regularly evicted so that they could acquire no right over the leased land. The demands of the peasants were: reduction of revenue, abolition of begar and social boycott of oppressive landlords.
(ii) In the Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh a militant guerrilla movement spread in the early 1920s against the closure of forest areas by the colonial government, preventing people from entering the forests to graze their cattle, or to collect fuelwood and fruits. They felt that their traditional rights were being denied.
(iii) For plantation workers in Assam, freedom meant the right to move freely in and out of the confined space in which they were enclosed. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers
were not permitted to leave tea gardens without permission which was hardly granted. When they heard of the Non-Cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities and left for their homes.

Question 21

How did the ‘Non-Cooperation Movement’ spread in cities across the country? Explain its effects on the economic front.

Answer 21

In the cities, the Non-Cooperation Movement started with middle class participation.
1.	Thousands of students left government-controlled schools and colleges. Headmasters and teachers resigned and lawyers gave up their legal practices.
2.	The Council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras. Where the Justice Party, the party of the non-Brahmans, feet that entering the council was one way of gaining power.
3.	Foreign goods and foreign cloth was boycotted. Traders and merchants also refused to trade in foreign goods.
The economic sphere was affected by the Non-Cooperation Movement.
1.	Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops were picketed and foreign cloth was burnt. The import of foreign cloth halved between 1921-1922. Its value dropped from ₹ 102 crores to ₹ 57 crores.
2.	Many merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade.
3.	People began discarding imported clothes and wearing Indian ones.
The production of Indian textile mills and handlooms went up. Use of khadi was popularised