Section 3: Imperialism Challenged Chapter 16: Attitudes to Empire – the Role and Influence of Individuals
Chapter 16: Attitudes to Empire – the Role and Influence of
Individuals
How Important was the Role of Gandhi in Indian Independence 1914-47?
Who was Mohandas Gandhi? What was his background?
• He trained as a barrister in London but enjoyed little success and returned to India
• Gandhi began his career practising in South Africa for 20 years from 1893. He campaigned against racism and
segregation, championing the civil rights of Indians who had settled in the area – challenging the British and
the Afrikaners
• His effort in South Africa won him widespread respect and opened doors in the Congress
What were his beliefs?
• Gandhi favoured peaceful resistance to British rule – based on satyagraha principle. Satyagraha was rejecting
violence to combat evil, relying on peaceful protests to appeal to the moral conscience and compassion of
one’s opponents e.g. strikes, boycotts, protests and peaceful disobedience
• He wanted a united India with tolerance and equal rights for Hindu’s and Muslims. He rejected the caste
system, particularly arguing against discrimination against ‘untouchables’ and strongly opposed the partition
• He wanted an independent India build on spiritual and social traditions. He wanted a predominantly
agricultural and rural society which rejected the urbanisation and industrialisation of the west. For him,
religion was fundamental to the conduct of human affairs. He distrusted all forms of modern technology which
alienated many of the conventional liberal progressives in Congress
• ‘He fired them with a vision of themselves and their country, which most felt impossible to fulfil’
What campaigns was he involved in?
• 1907 Speaking he set out his commitment to the ordinary people of India and condemned the hardships the
endured under both British rule and the iniquitous caste system
• 1915 Becomes President of the Indian National Congress. He travelled the country, supporting popular protests
against British rule
• 1915-18 He travelled around India making speeches and listening to what the peasants had to say
• 1917-18 Championed the downtrodden indigo workers of Bihar and textile workers of Ahmedabad. He was
interested in gaining rights for poor Indians
• 1919 The Rowlatt Act appalled him as they were unjust and abolished the normal legal process for all political
offences
• 1919 After the Amritsar massacre he began his campaign for full Indian independence. Congress was reborn as
a dynamic mass movement which embraced the peasantry and industrial workers
• 1920 Helped organise the Non-Cooperation Movement. Taxes were withheld, British titles were returned and
imported goods form the empire were not bought. By the end of 1922 more than 30 000 Indians had been
arrested ans as the architect of this mass action, Gandhi was quickly established as the leading figure in Indian
nationalism. It was called off as peaceful protests gave way to violence
• 1924 Fasts for three weeks to promote Hindu-Muslim unity
• 1930-31, 1932-34 Helped organise the Civil Disobedience Movement against unjust laws, including his anti-
salt tax campaign (1931) culminating in 24-day march to Dandi to make salt in defiance of the British
monopoly. Gandhi was arrested along with over 80,000 supporters.
• 1931 The Round Table Conference. Gandhi claimed to speak for the whole of India and questioned the
presence of other Indian representatives. This went straight to the core of Muslim fears, and significantly
undermined the negotiations, which resulted in a failure to reach an agreement. His actions in London
disrupted what was perhaps the best opportunity yet offered to nationalists
• 1942 Helped organise the Quit India Movement during WW2 which led to his eventual arrest by the British. It
was ‘a poorly judged action that failed to take in account the divided loyalties of the Indian nation’ ‘It received
dismal support throughout the nation – victory over Hitler took precedence over grassroots India’
• 1947 Strongly opposed the partition of India and fasted again to show opposition to Hindu-Muslim violence
Chapter 16: Attitudes to Empire – the Role and Influence of
Individuals
How Important was the Role of Gandhi in Indian Independence 1914-47?
Who was Mohandas Gandhi? What was his background?
• He trained as a barrister in London but enjoyed little success and returned to India
• Gandhi began his career practising in South Africa for 20 years from 1893. He campaigned against racism and
segregation, championing the civil rights of Indians who had settled in the area – challenging the British and
the Afrikaners
• His effort in South Africa won him widespread respect and opened doors in the Congress
What were his beliefs?
• Gandhi favoured peaceful resistance to British rule – based on satyagraha principle. Satyagraha was rejecting
violence to combat evil, relying on peaceful protests to appeal to the moral conscience and compassion of
one’s opponents e.g. strikes, boycotts, protests and peaceful disobedience
• He wanted a united India with tolerance and equal rights for Hindu’s and Muslims. He rejected the caste
system, particularly arguing against discrimination against ‘untouchables’ and strongly opposed the partition
• He wanted an independent India build on spiritual and social traditions. He wanted a predominantly
agricultural and rural society which rejected the urbanisation and industrialisation of the west. For him,
religion was fundamental to the conduct of human affairs. He distrusted all forms of modern technology which
alienated many of the conventional liberal progressives in Congress
• ‘He fired them with a vision of themselves and their country, which most felt impossible to fulfil’
What campaigns was he involved in?
• 1907 Speaking he set out his commitment to the ordinary people of India and condemned the hardships the
endured under both British rule and the iniquitous caste system
• 1915 Becomes President of the Indian National Congress. He travelled the country, supporting popular protests
against British rule
• 1915-18 He travelled around India making speeches and listening to what the peasants had to say
• 1917-18 Championed the downtrodden indigo workers of Bihar and textile workers of Ahmedabad. He was
interested in gaining rights for poor Indians
• 1919 The Rowlatt Act appalled him as they were unjust and abolished the normal legal process for all political
offences
• 1919 After the Amritsar massacre he began his campaign for full Indian independence. Congress was reborn as
a dynamic mass movement which embraced the peasantry and industrial workers
• 1920 Helped organise the Non-Cooperation Movement. Taxes were withheld, British titles were returned and
imported goods form the empire were not bought. By the end of 1922 more than 30 000 Indians had been
arrested ans as the architect of this mass action, Gandhi was quickly established as the leading figure in Indian
nationalism. It was called off as peaceful protests gave way to violence
• 1924 Fasts for three weeks to promote Hindu-Muslim unity
• 1930-31, 1932-34 Helped organise the Civil Disobedience Movement against unjust laws, including his anti-
salt tax campaign (1931) culminating in 24-day march to Dandi to make salt in defiance of the British
monopoly. Gandhi was arrested along with over 80,000 supporters.
• 1931 The Round Table Conference. Gandhi claimed to speak for the whole of India and questioned the
presence of other Indian representatives. This went straight to the core of Muslim fears, and significantly
undermined the negotiations, which resulted in a failure to reach an agreement. His actions in London
disrupted what was perhaps the best opportunity yet offered to nationalists
• 1942 Helped organise the Quit India Movement during WW2 which led to his eventual arrest by the British. It
was ‘a poorly judged action that failed to take in account the divided loyalties of the Indian nation’ ‘It received
dismal support throughout the nation – victory over Hitler took precedence over grassroots India’
• 1947 Strongly opposed the partition of India and fasted again to show opposition to Hindu-Muslim violence
