Differing Strands within the Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement, Class10 notes History, Unit 2 of Chapter 2
Credit : NCERT
Table of Contents
Overview
This post titled “Differing Strands within the Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement” underlines that “Swaraj” meant different things to different people. This Non-Cooperation Khilafat movement was started in January, 1921, under leadership of Mahatma Gandhi with massive participation of different social groups. But all these social groups had their own specific aspirations related to it.
In our previous post titled The First world War, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation we had seen the national movement spreading to new areas, incorporating new social groups. Let us examine what were the differing strands within the Non-Cooperation Khilafat movement of 1921.
Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement in Towns
Q.1. Discuss the spread and effects of Non-Cooperation Khilafat movement in towns and cities.
Ans.
People’s participation in Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement :
The Non-Cooperation Khilafat movement started with middle class participation in cities.
Thousands of student left government schools and colleges, teachers resigned and layers gave up their law practices.
The council elections were boycotted in most provinces except Madras, where Justice Party (a party of non- Brahmins) participated in council elections.
Economic impact of Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement :
- Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed and foreign cloths burnt in huge bonfires.
- The import of foreign cloths halved during 1921-1922. It reduced from import value of Rs.102 Crores in 1921 to Rs.57 Crores in 1922.
- In many places merchants and traders refused to trade in foreign goods or finance foreign trade.
- People began discarding imported clothes and wearing Indian clothes. As a result, production of Indian textile mills and handlooms went up.
Q.2. Why did Non-cooperation Khilafat movement slow down in town and cities ?
Ans. Non-cooperation movement in cities gradually slow down for a variety of reasons :
- Khadi was often more expensive than mass produced mill clothes. So poor people couldn’t afford Khadi and gradually stopped the boycott of foreign clothes.
- Indian institutions couldn’t emerge fast enough to replace the British institutions. As a result, teachers, students retreated to government schools and colleges. Similarly advocates joined back work in government courts.
Rebellion in the Countryside : Differing Strands Within the Non-cooperation Khilafat Movement
Q.3. Discuss the spread of Non-cooperation Khilafat Movement in the countryside. Also discuss how did it draw in its fold the old struggles of peasants and tribal people ?
Ans. From cities, the Non- cooperation Movement spread to the countryside. It drew in its fold the struggles of peasants and tribal which had developed over the years after the First World War.
In Awadh, peasants were led by Baba Ramchandra – a Sanyasi who had been to Fiji as an indentured labourer. The movement in Awadh was against talukdars and land lords who :
- demanded from peasants exorbitant high rents and variety of other cesses.
- made peasants to do Begar and work at their (landlord’s) farms without any payment.
- didn’t provide any security of tenure to the tenants.
Thus the peasants in Awadh demanded :
- reduction in revenue,
- abolition of Begar, and
- social boycott of oppressive landlord.
In many places Nai- Dhobi bandhs were organised by panchayats to deprive landlords of these services.
In June 1920, J.L. Nehru started going around the villages in the Awadh and understanding the problems of peasants. By October 1920, the Oudh Kisan Sabha was setup by J.L. Nehru, Baba Ramchandra and others. Within a month, over 300 branches had been setup in the villages.
When Non-cooperation Khilafat Movement began in 1921, the effort of Congress was to integrate the Awadh peasant struggle into the wider struggle. However as the movement spread, the houses of Talukdars and merchants were attacked, bazars were looted and grain hoards were taken over. Even the name of Mahatma Gandhi was misused to sanction all actions and aspirations.
Thus, the peasants movements acquired such forms which were not in good taste for congress.
Q.4. How did the tribal peasants of Gudem hills in Andhra Pradesh, under leadership of local leader Alluri Sitaram Raju, take the message of Mahatma Gandhi for Swaraj during Non-cooperation Khilafat Movement?
Or, Q. Tribal peasants interpreted the message of Mahatma Gandhi in their own way. Give an example in support of this viewpoint.
Ans. Tribal peasants interpreted the message of Mahatma Gandhi and the idea of Swaraj in their own way. For example, in Gudem Hills of Andhra Pradesh, a militant guerilla movement spread in the early 1920s, whose form of struggle was not in tune with the form approved by congress.
Cause of Struggle :
- Colonial government had prevented the tribal people from entering the forests to graze their cattle, or to collect fuelwood and fruits.
- Their traditional rights over forest produce were denied.
Immediate region of revolt:
When colonial government forced them to contribute Begar for road construction, the hill people revolted. Alluri Sitaram Raju who claim to wield magical and mysterious powers led the revolt.
Nature of revolt :
Gudem rebels attacked police stations, attempted to kill British officials and carried on the guerilla warfare for achieving Swaraj.
Raju was captured and executed in 1924, and over the time he became a folk hero.
Assessment of Revolt:
The movement by Alluri Sitaram Raju was a militant guerilla movement which was quite opposite to the Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of achieving Swaraj through Satyagraha and Non-violence.
Though Raju was inspired by the Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of Non-cooperation movement and had persuaded people to wear Khadi and give up drinking; he asserted that India could be liberated only by the use of force, not Non-violence.
Yet when tribal people chanted Gandhi’s name and raised slogans demanding ” Swatantra Bharat,” they were also emotionally relating to an all India agitation which went beyond their immediate locality.
Swaraj in the Plantations : Differing Strands Within the Non-cooperation Khilafat Movement
Q.5. What did Non-cooperation Khilafat Movement and Swaraj mean to plantation workers in Assam?
Ans. Under the Inland Emigration Act of 1859, plantation workers were not permitted to leave the gardens without permission.
When they heard of the Non-cooperation Movement, thousands of workers defied the authorities, left the plantations and headed for home. However they were caught up by the police midway.
They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given land in their own village. They were imagining of Swaraj to be a time when all their sufferings and troubles would be over.
Halt to Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement
Q.6. Why did Mahatma Gandhi call a halt to the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Ans. Gandhi felt that –
- Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement is turning violent in some areas.
- He also felt that Satyagrahis need to be properly trained before they would be ready for mass struggles.
- Within Congress, some leaders seemed by now tired of mass struggles and they wanted to participate in elections to the Provincial Councils under Government of India Act,1919.
In the mean time, at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur in 1922, a peaceful demonstration in Bazar, turned in to a violent clash with the colonial police. Hearing about this and being considerate about above mentioned facts, Mahatma Gandhi called a halt to this movement.
Important Dates
| October, 1920 | Oudh Kisan sabha was formed. |
| January, 1921 | Start of Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement |
| 1922 | Chauri Chaura Incident, and Non-Cooperation khilafat Movement Call off. |
| 1924 | Alluri Sitaram Raju was executed. |
| 1928 | Bardoli Satyagraha |
