Towards Civil Disobedience Concept & Notes PDF for Free

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Topic & sub-topics covered: Towards Civil Disobedience, The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement, How Participants Saw the Movement, The Limits of Civil Disobedience: Nationalism in India (All single detail notes that are exam-oriented).

We have discussed in-depth and exam-oriented pointers that can be asked in the board exam of class 10th about “Towards Civil Disobedience, The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement, How Participants Saw the Movement, The Limits of Civil Disobedience” which is taken from the NCERT History book for class 10th chapter no. 2 “Nationalism in India”.

Download NCERT History Chapter 2 Nationalism in India Class 10th Notes PDF for Free

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NCERT History Chapter 2 Nationalism in India Notes PDF for Class 10

Towards Civil Disobedience

1. Withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement:

In February 1922, Mahatma Gandhi withdrew from the Non-Cooperation Movement due to rising violence.
Emphasized the need for proper training of satyagraha before engaging in mass struggles.

2. Internal Debates within Congress:

Some Congress leaders, fatigued by mass struggles, advocated participation in elections to provincial councils.
Swaraj Party, led by C. R. Das and Motilal Nehru, argued for a return to council politics.
Younger leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose pressed for radical mass agitation and full independence.

3. Worldwide Economic Depression:

Agricultural prices fell from 1926, collapsing after 1930, leading to turmoil in the countryside.
Peasants struggled as demand for agricultural goods declined, exports fell, and revenue payment became challenging.

4. Simon Commission and Indian Response:

Sir John Simon led a Statutory Commission to examine the constitutional system in India, formed by the Tory government.
The commission lacked Indian representation, sparking protests with the slogan ‘Go back Simon’ in 1928.

5. Vague Offer and Dissatisfaction:

In October 1929, Viceroy Lord Irwin offered a vague promise of ‘dominion status’ and a Round Table Conference.
Congress leaders, especially radicals, were dissatisfied, leading to increased assertiveness.

6. Formalization of Demand for Independence:

December 1929 Lahore Congress, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, formalized the demand for ‘Purna Swaraj’ or full independence.
Declared January 26, 1930, as Independence Day, urging people to pledge for complete independence.

7. Gandhi’s Efforts for Concrete Connection:

Independence celebrations attracted little attention, prompting Gandhi to connect the abstract idea of freedom to concrete everyday issues.
Demonstrated the need for a more tangible relation to engage wider public interest.

The Salt March and the Civil Disobedience Movement

1. Salt as a Symbol of Unity:

Gandhi identified salt as a powerful symbol to unite the nation.
Sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin on January 31, 1930, with eleven demands, including the abolition of the salt tax.
Salt consumption was widespread, affecting both the rich and the poor, making it a unifying demand.

2. Civil Disobedience Movement:

Gandhi’s ultimatum in the letter was an initial step towards the Civil Disobedience Movement.
The movement was initiated when Irwin failed to fulfil the demands by March 11.
Gandhi led the famous Salt March from Sabarmati to Dandi, covering 240 miles in 24 days.

3. Dandi March and Salt Law Violation:

Gandhi reached Dandi on April 6, 1930, and symbolically violated the salt law by manufacturing salt from seawater.
This marked the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Dandi March aimed to peacefully defy British rule and inspire people to join the movement.

4. Difference from Non-Cooperation Movement:

The Civil Disobedience Movement required breaking colonial laws, not just refusing cooperation.
People across the country broke the salt law, boycotted foreign cloth, picketed liquor shops, and resisted various colonial impositions.

5. Government Response and Repression:

The colonial government responded with arrests of Congress leaders, leading to violent clashes.
Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s arrest sparked protests in Peshawar, resulting in casualties.
Mahatma Gandhi’s arrest led to industrial workers’ attacks on symbols of British rule in Sholapur.

6. Gandhi-Irwin Pact:

Mahatma Gandhi entered into the Gandhi-Irwin Pact on March 5, 1931, agreeing to participate in the Round Table Conference.
The government agreed to release political prisoners in return.
Gandhi went to the London conference in December 1931, but negotiations failed, and he returned disappointed.

7. Relaunch of Civil Disobedience Movement:

Gandhi discovered increased repression upon his return to India after the failed negotiations.
With Ghaffar Khan and Jawaharlal Nehru in jail, the Congress declared illegal, and restrictive measures imposed, Gandhi relaunched the Civil Disobedience Movement.

8. Loss of Momentum:

The Civil Disobedience Movement continued for over a year but lost momentum by 1934.
Despite initial enthusiasm, challenges and government repression contributed to the movement’s decline.

How Participants Saw the Movement

1. Rich Peasants and Revenue Issues:

Rich peasant communities like Patidars and Jats were active in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
They were hard-hit by the trade depression, falling prices, and the government’s high revenue demands.
The movement was seen as a struggle against these high revenues, leading to enthusiastic participation.

2. Poorer Peasantry and Rent Remission:

Poorer peasants, often small tenants, faced difficulties in paying rent as cash incomes dwindled.
They joined radical movements, seeking remission of unpaid rent to landlords.
Congress hesitated to support ‘no rent’ campaigns, leading to an uncertain relationship between the poor peasants and the Congress.

3. Business Classes and Economic Interests:

Indian merchants and industrialists reacted against colonial policies restricting business activities.
They formed organizations like the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress and FICCI.
Initially supported the Civil Disobedience Movement, seeking swaraj as a time of economic freedom.
Apprehensions grew after the Round Table Conference failure, fearing disruption of business and the rise of socialism within the Congress.

4. Industrial Working Classes:

Industrial workers, except in the Nagpur region, did not significantly participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Some workers selectively adopted Gandhian ideas, like boycotting foreign goods, in their movements against low wages and poor working conditions.
Congress hesitated to include workers’ demands in its struggle program to maintain unity against imperialism.

5. Women’s Participation:

Large-scale participation of women in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Participated in protest marches, salt manufacturing, picketing, and faced imprisonment.
In both urban and rural areas, women from high-caste and rich peasant households actively engaged.
Gandhiji’s call led women to see service to the nation as a sacred duty but with limited changes in their traditional roles.

6. Gandhi’s Views on Women:

Gandhi believed in traditional gender roles, emphasizing women’s duties as homemakers, mothers, and wives.
Congress was initially reluctant to allow women authoritative positions, focusing more on their symbolic presence.

Note: These exam-oriented pointers highlight the diverse social groups involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement, their motivations, and their nuanced relationships with the Congress and Gandhian ideals.

The Limits of Civil Disobedience

1. Dalits and Swaraj:

Dalits, or the ‘untouchables’, began calling themselves Dalit or oppressed in the 1930s.
Initially ignored by the Congress, Mahatma Gandhi addressed the issue, organizing satyagraha for their rights.
Gandhi’s efforts included securing entry into temples, access to public facilities, and fighting against untouchability.
Dalit leaders sought political empowerment, demanding reserved seats in educational institutions and a separate electorate.

2. Ambedkar-Gandhi Clash and Poona Pact:

Dr B.R. Ambedkar clashed with Gandhi at the Round Table Conference, demanding separate electorates for Dalits.
Gandhiji’s fast unto death opposed separate electorates, leading to the Poona Pact in 1932.
The pact provided reserved seats for Depressed Classes (Scheduled Castes) but elected by the general electorate.
Dalit movement remained apprehensive of Congress-led national movement despite these concessions.

3. Muslim Response and Congress-Muslim League Relations:

After the decline of Non-Cooperation-Khilafat, many Muslims felt alienated from the Congress.
Congress associated with Hindu Mahasabha, worsening relations between Hindus and Muslims.
Efforts to renegotiate an alliance between Congress and the Muslim League faced obstacles.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was willing to give up separate electorates for reserved seats in the Central Assembly.

4. Hindu-Muslim Communal Clashes:

Hindu-Muslim relations worsened, leading to religious processions and communal clashes in various cities.
Riots deepened the distance between the two communities.
Suspicion and distrust between communities prevailed during the Civil Disobedience Movement.

5. Muslim Concerns and Minority Status:

Many Muslim leaders and intellectuals expressed concerns about the status of Muslims as a minority.
Fears that the culture and identity of minorities would be submerged under Hindu majority domination.
Large sections of Muslims, alienated from Congress, couldn’t actively participate in the united struggle.

Note: These pointers provide a focused overview of the responses of different social groups, particularly Dalits and Muslims, during the Civil Disobedience Movement and the challenges in building a united struggle.

Next & Previous Topics of NCERT/CBSE History Class 10 Chapter 2: Nationalism in India

Topics No.	Topics Name
0 (Introduction)	Introduction To Nationalism In India
1	The First World War, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation
2	Differing Strands within the Movement
3	Towards Civil Disobedience
4	The Sense of Collective Belonging