Mahatma

Gandhi
and his
contribution to
freedom
INDIA
movement of
 Acknowledgement
I would like to thank my teacher Ms. Aarti
Shekhawat maam and my vice-principal Ms.
Usha Premkumar maam for giving me this
golden opportunity of doing this project.

I would also like to thank my parents and

friends for their continuous support.
 Index
Sl.no Topic Page number

1 Introduction 1-2

2 Early life and background 3

3 Champaran and Kheda movements 4-5

4 The Khilafat movement 6-8

5 Non-cooperation or Swaraj 9-11

6 The happenings of 1922-1929 12

7 Civil disobedience movement: Salt Satyagraha 13-16

8 Quit India movement Do or Die 17-18

(Indias final push for freedom)

9 Partition and Independence, 1947 19

10 Conclusion 20
11 Bibliography 21
 1

Introduction
Gandhi was a unique and incredible kind of human being. All those
who came in contact with him including those who were ranged
against him perceived that there was something unique about Gandhi.
In India, he is also calledBapuandGandhiji. He is unofficially called
the FatheroftheNation.
Some of his famous movements are Swaraj, Dandi March and Quit
India.
 Mahatma Gandhi spent his first year in India travelling throughout the 2
country, understanding the people, their needs and the overall situation.
His earliest interventions were in local movements in Champaran and Kheda
where he led peasants in their struggles against unfair terms and excessive
taxes.
In Ahmedabad he led a successful millworkers strike in 1918. In these two
movements he also came into contact with many leaders who were to be his
lifelong associates people like Rajendra Prasad and Vallabhai Patel.

Gandhi with Rajendra Gandhi with Sardar

Prasad Vallabhai Patel
 3
rly life and background
MohandasKaramchandGandhiwas born in
Porbandar, on the 2nd of October 1869.
After his return to India from South
Africa, he set about organising farmers,
and urban labourers to protest against excessive
land-tax and discrimination.
Gandhi's father belonged to a family that was
highly respected for their honesty and wisdom, Gandhi at the age of 7

and their knowledge.

Mahatma Gandhi, was born as the son of Karamchand Gandhi and
his wife, Putlibai.
He was conscientious, but not fond of studies and was shy.
In May 1883, the 13-year-old Mohandas was married to 14-year-
old Kasturbai Makhanji Kapadia.
hamparan and Kheda 4

One of Gandhi's first major contributions to the Indian freedom came with
the Champaran and Kheda agitations of Bihar and Gujarat. Gandhi arrived in
Champaran on 10 April, 1917.Kheda Satyagraha took place in 1918
Champaran :
The Champaran agitation pitted the local peasantry against their largely
British landlords who were backed by the local administration.
The peasantry was forced to grow Indigo,a cash crop and were forced
to sell their crops to the planters at a fixed price.
Unhappy with this, the peasantry
appealed to Gandhi.
Pursuing a strategy of non-violent
protest, Gandhi took the
administration by surprise and
won concessions from the
authorities.
Gandhi addressing peasants
 5
Kheda
Kheda was hit by floods and famine and the peasantry was demanding
relief from taxes.
His most notable supporter was vallabhai patel.
Using non-co-operation as a technique,
Gandhi initiated a signature campaign
where peasants pledged
non-payment of revenue even under the
threat of confiscation of land.
A social boycott of revenue officials
accompanied the agitation.
For five months,the administration refused but finally,the Government
gave way on relaxed the conditions of payment of revenue tax until the
famine ended.
In Kheda, Vallabhbhai Patel represented the farmers in negotiations
with the British.
 6
e Khilafat movement
Khilafat movement is a worldwide protest by Muslims against the
collapsing status of the Caliph or Khalifa, the leader of the Sunni
branch of Muslims.
The Indian Muslims wanted the Khalifa to be allowed to retain
control over Muslim sacred places.
Mahatma Gandhi supported the khilafat movement and soon became
All-India Muslim Conferences most prominent spokesman and
attracted a strong base of Muslim support.
He believed that the British government was not being honest in its
dealings with Muslims on the Khilafat issue.
His success made him India's first national leader with a
multicultural base and facilitated his rise to power within Congress,
which had previously been unable.
Large parts of the country were on the brink of a formidable revolt.
 7
The Khilafat Movement, aimed against the British government,
received the support of Mahatma Gandhi, who related his Non-
Cooperation Movement with it.
The main objective behind this move was to enlist the support of the
Muslim community into his movement, which addressed the issue of
Swaraj (Self-Government).
By mid-1920 the Khilafat leaders(Ali brothers- Maulana Muhammad
Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali) assured full support to the non-violent
methods of Gandhi, which facilitated the establishment of a united
front of Hindus and Muslims against the British government.
The Khilafat Movement however did not last long. Owing to some
violent incidents in the country which resulted in the deaths of many
Indian and British people, Mahatma Gandhi called off his Non
Cooperation Movement. The Khilafat Day
The Khilafat Day
was observed on 17
October 1919.
 8

A FEW
PICTURES
RELATED TO
THE
KHILAFAT
MOVEMENT
 9
n-cooperation or Swaraj
Gandhi declared that British rule was established in India with the co-
operation of Indians and had survived only because of this co-operation.
If Indians refused to co-operate, British rule would collapse and Swaraj
would come.
Gandhi criticised both the actions of the British Raj and the retaliatory
violence of Indians especially during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

In the late phase

of Indian
National
Movement
Gandhiji
adopted Charka
as a symbol of
 10
As a part of this movement,
Thousands of students left government controlled schools and
colleges.
Many lawyers such as Motilal Nehru, C.R.Das,
C.Rajagopalachari and Asaf Ali gave up their practices
British titles were surrendered and legislatures were boycotted.
People lit public bonfires of foreign cloth.
The imports of foreign cloth fell drastically between 1920 and
1922.
To this Gandhi added a campaign for people to spin their own
cotton on a charka (this cloth is known as Khadi).
However, all this was merely the tip of the iceberg. Large parts of
the country were on the brink of a formidable revolt.
For example, let us see what was happening in Andhra region.
Guntur district was at the centre of nationalist activity and the
participation was very widespread including not only students, but
also merchants and peasants in the villages.
 11
A highlight of the non-cooperation movement was the famous Chirala
Perala movement.
The government decided to convert Chirala Perala into a
municipality and forced high taxes. About 15,000 people of the town
led by Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya refused to pay the taxes and
migrated to a new settlement called Ramnagar and remained there for
eleven months. There was a powerful movement of non-payment of
land revenue by the peasants and mass resignations of village.In the
late phase of Indian National Movement Gandhiji adopted Charka as a
symbol of Swadeshi.People said, Gandhi's Swaraj is coming and we
will not pay taxes to this government.
At other times, using Gandhis name, tribes
and peasants undertook actions
that did not conform to Gandhian
Ideals.
Duggirala
gopalakrish
e Happenings of 1922-1929 12

Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, was against violent movements.

He abruptly called off the Non-Cooperation Movement when a crowd of
peasants set fire to a police station in Chauri Chaura. Twenty-two
policemen were killed on that day. The peasants were provoked because the
police had fired on their peaceful demonstration.
Once the Non-Cooperation movement was over, Gandhi's followers
stressed that the Congress must undertake constructive work in the rural
areas. However , other leaders such as C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru argued
that the party should fight elections to the councils and enter them in order
to influence government policies.
Through sincere social work in
villages in the mid-1920, the
Gandhians were able to extend
their support base. This proved
to be very useful in launching
Chauri
the Civil disobedience Chaura
movement later. incident
 13
Civil Disobedience Movement: Salt
Satyagraha
In this Lahore session, the Congress declared that the attainment of Purna
Swaraj was its goal and resolved to launch Civil Disobedience Movement
to achieve it.
On March 12th, 1930 at Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, Gandhiji
decided to break the government salt laws (making salt very expensive
for the common people) by manufacturing salt at Dandi, a small village
on the Gujarat sea-coast.
The next morning Gandhiji and his 78 companions began the 375 km trek,
from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi. This was covered in 24 days.
After Gandhiji reached Dandi, he picked up a handful of salt and broke the
salt law as a symbol of the Indian peoples refusal to live under the British
made laws and therefore under the British rule.

Gandhi called the salt

march as
A battle of right
against might
 14

When Gandhi picked up salt from Dandi

after the great salt march , he took a
With these crystals
pledge of salt,
I am going to shake
the foundation of
the British empire.

A wave of enthusiasm swept the country.

Salt laws were broken at many places.
In Delhi alone, 1600 women were imprisoned.
This Movement was not confined to the Salt Satyagraha alone.
Foreign-cloth shops and liquor shops were picketed and were
burned.
Hand spinning was taken up as a movement.
British schools, colleges and services were boycotted.
The people joined in large number in this movement.
 15
The government replied
with ruthless repression, lathi charges and firing on unarmed crowds
of men and women.
Over 90,000 Satyagrahis including Gandhiji and other Congress
leaders were imprisoned.
110 persons were killed and over 300 wounded in police firing.
Restrictions were imposed on the press.
The British attempted to divide the Indians by winning over the
Muslims, zamindars and others.
But the leaders took up constructive programme throughout the country
like wearing Khaddar, removal of untouchability to bring social cohesion
in the movement. In response to the call of Gandhiji, a number of women
broke purdah and participated in the movement.
The combined struggles of the Indian people bore fruit and the Congress
formed governments in 7 out of 11 provinces.
As pledged, Mahatma Gandhi shook the British foundation.
D 16

A
N
D
I
M
A
R GANDHI

C
PICKING UP
SALT IN
DANDI
t India Movement Do or Die 17

as final push for freedom!

Britain wanted to use the people and money of India for the Second World
War.
Congress demanded that in return for support in the war, India should be
given self-rule.
But the British Government was in no mood to accept this demand.
Congress working committee met at Bombay and passed a resolution
stating clearly that British Rule in India must end immediately.
The evening after the Quit India Resolution was passed; Gandhiji
addressed these memorable words to the Indian people: Every one of you
should from this movement onwards consider yourself a free man or
woman and act as if you are free... I am not going to be satisfied with
anything short of complete freedom. We shall do or die. We shall either
free India or die in the attempt.
Later, the Government arrested most of the Congress leaders -Gandhiji,
Patel, Nehru, Maulana Azad, Acharya Kriplani, Rajendra Prasad and
others.
 18
The working class in the factories boycotted the work and students attacked
the police stations, post offices, railway-stations and other public places.
They cut off Telegraph and Telephone wires and railway lines.
They burnt government buildings, vehicles, Military vehicles, Railway
carriages.
As a result of this movement, ten lakh pounds worth of property was
destroyed.
Thirty police personnel and ten army men lost their lives; many people were
killed and thousands were arrested in the Government suppression.
Over 90,000 people were arrested, and around 1,000 killed in police firings.
The rebellion, however, ultimately brought the Raj to its knees.
QUIT INDIA movement
ition and independence, 1947 19

The partition of India is the separation of India on August 14, 1947 and
August 15, 1947, into the states of the dominion of Pakistan and the Union
of India, respectively.
India was separated on the day of gaining independence from British, due to
tensions between the Hindus and the Muslims living in the country.
In 1943, the Muslim league proposed a quick plan to divide and gain
independence; also known as DIVIDE AND QUIT.
Soon, India was ready to be partitioned.
For years, Gandhi struggled to keep the Muslims active in congress so
media would not have to suffer the consequence of separation and losing
unity.
Not only did Gandhi is non-violent and non-cooperative methods, but also
he ceased much of radical hate ideas on both the sides of Muslims and
Hindus. However, it was all in vain.
Leave India to god. If
that is too much, leave
her to anarchy.-
Gandhi, May 1942
 Conclusion 20

It has been a matter of immense pleasure, honour and

challenge to have this opportunity to take up this project
and complete it successfully.
While making this project, I have learnt a lot about the
great freedom fighter, Mahatma Gandhi. I have also
learnt that peace, love, tolerance and non-violence are
the keys to success in many cases and the study of the
life of such a great man(Gandhi) is an education in itself.
Also, all the events which gave the freedom to India
taught me that working with patience always helps.
 21

Bibliography:
http://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/GandhiBiographyforbeginners.pdf
http://www.mkgandhi.org/students/intro.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi
http://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/AbridgedAutobiography.pdf
http://www.thebetterindia.com/70247/gandhi-first-satyagraha-champaran/
http://www.importantindia.com/21397/role-of-mahatma-gandhi-in-indias-struggle-
for-freedom/
http://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/hind_swaraj.pdf
http://apscert.gov.in/ebookapp/GeneratePdf
https://youtu.be/LBdHy5pqp50
http://www.importantindia.com/16192/khilafat-movement/
http://www.india9.com/i9show/Khilafat-Movement-65273.htm
http://www.universityofcalicut.info/cuonline/exnotif/ex4232.pdf
https://youtu.be/G1_Dm1ZjRAM
 22

THANK YOU!

Submitted by
Kopparam Runvika
10-A
EKYA School, JP Naga