EFFECTS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND KHILAFAT MOVEMENT

The first World war led to a huge increase in defence expenditure. This was finaced by war loans and by increasing taxes. Custom duties were raised and income tax was introduced to raise extra revenue. Prices of items increased during the war years.The prices was doubled between 1913 and 1918. The common peopple were the worst sufferers because of price rese. Forced recruitment of rural people in the army was another cause of widespread anger among people. 

Crop failure in many parts of India resulted in acute shortage of food. Infuenza epidemic further aggravated the problem. According 1921 census, about 12 to 13 million people died because of famines and epidemic. 


The Idea of Satyagraha ;

Mahatma Gandhi advocated a noble method of mass agitation, called Satyagraha. This method was based on the idea that if someone is fighting for a true cause, there is no need to take recourse to physical force to fight the oppressor. Gandhi believed that a satyagrahi could win a battle through non-violence. i.e. without being aggressive or revengeful. 

Some early satyagraha movements organised by Gandhijee:

Peasants' movement in champaran 1917. 

Peasants' movement in Kheda Gujarat in 1917. 

Mill Workers' movement in Ahmedabad in 1918. 


The Rowlatt Act (1919)

The Rowlatt Act was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in 1919. The Indian members did not support the Act, but it was passed; neverthless. The Act gave enormous power to the government to repress political activities. It allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for trial for two years. 


On 6th April, 1919, Gandhiji launched a nationwide satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act. The call of strike on 6th April got huge response. People cane out in support in various cities, shops were shut down and workers in railway workshops went on strike. The British administration decided to clamp down on the nationalists. Several local leaders were arrested. Mahatma Gandhi was barred from entering Delhi. 


Jallianwall Bagh Incident 


On 10th April 1919, in Amritsar; the police fired upon a peaceful procession. This provoked widespread attacks on government establishments. Martial law was imposed in Amritsar and the command of the area was given to General Dyer. 

The infamous Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre took place on 13th April 1919; the day on which Baishakhi is celebrated in Punjab. A crowd of villagers came to participate in a fair in jallianwalla Bagh. This was enclosed from all sides with narrow entry points. General Dyer blocked the exit points and opened fire on the crowd. Hundreds of people were killed in the incident. Public reaction to the incident took a violent turn in many north Indian towns. The government was quite brutal in its response. 


Khilafat Movement


The Khilafat issue gave Gandhiji the opportunity to bring The Hindus and Muslims on a common platform. The ottoman Turkey was badly defeated in the first world war. There were rumours about a harsh peace treaty likely to be imposed on the Ottoman emperor; who was the spiritual head of the Islamic world (The Khalifa). A Khilafat committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919 to defend the Khalifa . This committee had leaders like the brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali. They also wanted Mahatma Gandhi to take up the cause to build a united mass action. At the Calcutta Session of the Congress in September 1920, the resolution was passed to launch a Non-Cooperation movement in support of Khilafat and also for Swaraj. 


NON COOPERATION MOVEMENT


In his famous book Hind Swaraj (1909) Mahatma Gandhi declared that British Rule in India with the cooperation of Indians, and had survived only because of this cooperation. If Indians refused to cooperate , British rule in India would collapse within a year, and Swaraj would come. Gandhiji believed that if Indians begin to refuse to cooperate, the British rulers will have no other way than to leave India. 

Some of the proposals of the Non-Cooperation Movement: 

Surrenders teh titles which were awarded by the British Government . 

Boycott civil services, army, police, courts, legislative councils and schools. 

Boycott foreign goods . 

Launch full Civil Disobedience Campaign, if the government persisted with repressive measures. 


Differing strands within the movement : 


The non-cooperation