Non-cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan

1.Background

• Khilafat and Non-Cooperation as Two Movements (1919–22)Importance 3/5
  Why are the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements studied together when they began from separate issues? Understand the method they shared. Also understand why the Khilafat issue, though not directly an Indian matter, gave the national movement an added advantage.
• Post-War Discontent Behind the Movements (Economy, Rowlatt Act, Hunter Committee, Dyarchy)Importance 4/5
  Be able to explain each cause of the discontent of 1919: economic hardship after the war (prices, industry, taxes and rents), the Rowlatt Act and the Punjab events, the Hunter Committee, and the failure of dyarchy. Why did Indians see the Hunter Committee as unfair? Remember the British reaction to General Dyer, including the Morning Post fund raised for him.
• Ground for Hindu-Muslim Political CooperationImportance 3/5
  Understand the three developments that prepared the ground for joint Hindu-Muslim action, including the Lucknow Pact of 1916. Who were the radical nationalist Muslims who gained influence? How did they differ from the Aligarh school that had earlier dominated the League?

2.The Khilafat Issue

• The Khilafat Question and the Demands of Indian MuslimsImportance 4/5
  Who was the Khalifa, and why did Britain's treatment of Turkey after the First World War anger Indian Muslims? Remember the two demands the Muslims made to the British. Understand how this issue strengthened the radical trend among young Muslims and traditional Muslim scholars.
• Khilafat Committee (1919) and Its LeadersImportance 4/5
  When was the Khilafat Committee formed, and who led it? Remember the leaders' names, including the two Ali brothers. Understand what the Committee aimed to do.
• Development of the Khilafat-Non-Cooperation Programme (Delhi Conference, November 1919)Importance 4/5
  How did the Khilafat leaders' methods change from meetings, petitions and deputations to the idea of stopping cooperation? Remember what the All India Khilafat Conference at Delhi decided. Understand Gandhi's role, and why he saw the issue as a platform for united mass non-cooperation.
• Congress Stand on the Khilafat Question (Tilak's Objections)Importance 3/5
  Why was the Congress not united on non-cooperation over Khilafat? Remember Tilak's two objections and how Gandhi tried to win him over. Which other part of Gandhi's programme was also opposed?
• Why the Congress Backed Non-Cooperation on Khilafat, and Muslim League SupportImportance 4/5UPSC 1998
  Be able to explain the three reasons why the Congress came round to supporting non-cooperation on the Khilafat question. What stand did the Muslim League take towards the Congress and its agitation?

3.The Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement

• Steps Towards Non-Cooperation (1920: Deputation, Gandhi's Announcement, Treaty of Sevres, Allahabad Conference)Importance 3/5
  Know the order of events in 1920 up to June. What happened to the joint deputation to the Viceroy? Understand how Gandhi's February announcement changed the priorities of the national movement. Remember the Treaty of Sevres and its effect on Turkey. Its terms became known in spring 1920, but it was signed in August 1920. What did the all-party conference at Allahabad decide, and what did it ask of Gandhi?
• Formal Launch of the Movement (31 August 1920)Importance 4/5
  Which body formally launched non-cooperation on 31 August 1920? Be clear on how this differs from the Congress adopting the programme soon after. Remember the date of Tilak's death.
• Calcutta Special Session (September 1920) and the Non-Cooperation ProgrammeImportance 5/5UPSC 2025
  What did the Calcutta special session decide, and until when was non-cooperation to continue? Remember each item of the boycott programme. How did the first phase differ from the second, more militant phase? In which phase did resignation from government service and non-payment of taxes fall? Which leaders were unwilling to accept the council boycott, and what did they finally do in the November 1920 elections? Remember the duties expected of every participant.
• Nagpur Session (December 1920): Change in the Congress CreedImportance 5/5UPSC 2025
  What were the Congress goal and method before the Nagpur session, and what did they become? Understand why the new creed committed the Congress to a struggle outside the constitution. What happened to the non-cooperation programme at Nagpur?
• Nagpur Session: Organisational Changes and "Swaraj in a Year"Importance 5/5
  Remember the organisational changes made at Nagpur: the size of the Congress Working Committee, the basis of the provincial committees, the ward committees and the change in the entry fee. Understand how these changes turned the Congress into a mass organisation. What promise did Gandhi make about swaraj?
• Supporters and Leavers: Revolutionaries, Departures and the Indian National Liberal FederationImportance 4/5UPSC 2019
  Which group of revolutionaries pledged support to the Congress programme? Remember the leaders who left the Congress at this stage, and why they left. Who founded the Indian National Liberal Federation, and how large was its part in national politics afterwards? Note that the Moderates had already split from the Congress in 1918–19, before this stage.
• National Schools and CollegesImportance 4/5
  Remember how large the national education effort was and who organised the institutions. What post did Subhas Bose hold at Calcutta? Remember the main institutions, such as Jamia Millia Islamia and the Vidyapeeths. What did Gandhi and the Ali brothers do to spread the movement?
• Lawyers Who Gave Up PracticeImportance 3/5
  Which well-known leaders gave up their legal practice to join the movement? Remember the main names.
• Boycott of Foreign Cloth, Picketing, Tilak Swaraj Fund and Volunteer CorpsImportance 4/5
  Understand the forms the boycott took: public burning of foreign cloth and its effect on imports, and picketing of liquor and toddy shops. How much money did the Tilak Swaraj Fund collect, and how did this compare with its target? What was the role of the Congress volunteer corps?
• Ali Brothers' Call to Muslims in the Army (July 1921)Importance 3/5
  What did the Ali brothers ask Muslims in the army to do in July 1921, and on what ground? What happened to them in September? How did Gandhi respond?
• Local Civil Disobedience: No-Tax Campaigns and Assam StrikesImportance 3/5UPSC 1996
  What did the Congress allow its local bodies to start? Where were no-tax campaigns against union board taxes already running? What strikes took place in Assam, and which leader is linked to them?
• Visit of the Prince of Wales (November 1921)Importance 3/5
  When did the Prince of Wales visit India, and how did Indians receive him?
• Local Struggles Linked to the Movement (Awadh Kisan, Eka, Mappila, Sikh Agitation)Importance 4/5
  Understand how the defiance spread by the movement encouraged these local struggles. Remember the region of each: where was the Awadh Kisan movement, the Eka movement, the Mappila revolt, and the Sikh agitation against mahants?
• Response of the Middle ClassImportance 3/5
  Why was the middle-class response mixed? Understand the early lead and the later reservations, the weak response in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, and the poor response to resignations and giving up titles. Which leaders gave solid support in Bihar and Gujarat, and why did leaders like them see non-cooperation as useful?
• Response of the Business ClassImportance 3/5
  Why did Indian business groups support the economic boycott? Why did a section of big business stay doubtful?
• Participation of PeasantsImportance 4/5
  Understand how peasants joined in large numbers and went beyond the Congress's own position on class war. Against whom did they turn, besides the British? How did a caste conflict in Bihar become part of the movement?
• Participation of Students and WomenImportance 3/5
  What did students do in the movement, and which institutions took them in? Remember the actions of women, for example their support for the Tilak Fund.
• Hindu-Muslim Unity in the MovementImportance 4/5UPSC 1996
  How far did Muslims take part in the movement? Understand how communal unity held despite strains such as the Mappila uprising. Remember examples of this closeness, such as leaders speaking at mosques and Gandhi's meetings with Muslim women.
• Gandhi-Reading Talks (May 1921) and the Crackdown of December 1921Importance 3/5
  Why did the talks between Gandhi and Viceroy Reading break down in May 1921? What did Gandhi see in the government's demand about the Ali brothers' speeches? Remember the measures the government took in December 1921.
• Ahmedabad Session (1921) and the Bardoli Ultimatum (February 1922)Importance 4/5UPSC 2001, 2004
  Who presided over the Ahmedabad session, and who acted in his place? What authority did the session give Gandhi? What did Gandhi threaten on 1 February 1922, and on what two conditions?
• Chauri Chaura Incident (4 February 1922)Importance 5/5UPSC 4 Years
  Where and when did the Chauri Chaura incident take place? Understand the sequence of events from the police beating a volunteer leader to the burning of the police station. Remember the number of policemen killed (accounts differ slightly) and what Gandhi did at once.
• Bardoli Resolution and the Constructive ProgrammeImportance 4/5
  What did the Congress Working Committee decide at Bardoli in February 1922? Remember the constructive work that was to take the place of law-breaking.
• Reactions to the Withdrawal (Nationalist Leaders, Subhas Bose, Marxist Interpretation)Importance 3/5
  Which leaders were shocked and confused by Gandhi's decision? Understand what Subhas Bose thought of the withdrawal, and how the Marxist view explains why the movement was called off. What did Gandhi say in Young India about violence?
• Gandhi's Arrest and Trial (March 1922)Importance 3/5
  When was Gandhi arrested, and what sentence did he receive? Understand the stand he took in his court speech.

4.Why Gandhi Withdrew the Movement

• Gandhi's Reasons for Withdrawing the MovementImportance 4/5UPSC 1998
  Be able to explain why Gandhi withdrew the movement after Chauri Chaura. Cover his view of how well people had learnt non-violence, what a violent turn would let the government do, and the roles of fatigue and the government's attitude.
• How the Khilafat Question Lost Relevance (Mustafa Kamal Pasha, 1922–24)Importance 4/5
  What happened in Turkey under Mustafa Kamal Pasha in November 1922, and how did it affect the sultan? Remember the reforms that followed (law, women's rights, education, economy). When was the caliphate abolished? Understand why these events ended the Khilafat question in India.

5.Evaluation of Khilafat Non-Cooperation Movement

• Khilafat and Muslim Participation: Gains and Limits (with Koenraad Elst's View)Importance 4/5UPSC 1998
  Be able to weigh what the movement gained by drawing in urban Muslims against what it cost national politics. What did the national leaders fail to do about the Muslims' political consciousness? Understand Koenraad Elst's critical view of the Khilafat movement.
• Achievements of the Non-Cooperation MovementImportance 5/5UPSC 1996
  How did the movement politicise people in every section of society, and why did this give the national movement a revolutionary character? Which two myths did colonial rule rest on, and what challenged each? How did the masses' attitude to colonial rule change?

1. 1.

   Consider the following statements about the Nagpur session of the Congress (December 1920):
   1. It endorsed the programme of non-cooperation.
   2. It changed the Congress goal to the attainment of swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means.
   3. It raised the Congress entry fee to one rupee.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. A1 only
   2. B2 and 3 only
   3. C1 and 2 only
   4. D1, 2 and 3
2. 2.

   Consider the following statements:
   Statement-I: The Nagpur session's change in the Congress creed was a significant break with its past.
   Statement-II: The Congress replaced the goal of self-government through constitutional means with swaraj through peaceful and legitimate means, committing itself to extra-constitutional mass struggle.
   Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

   1. ABoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
   2. BBoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
   3. CStatement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
   4. DStatement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
3. 3.

   Consider the following:
   1. Boycott of government schools and colleges
   2. Boycott of law courts and justice through panchayats
   3. Boycott of foreign cloth and use of khadi
   4. Renunciation of government honours and titles
   How many of the above were part of the non-cooperation programme approved at the Calcutta special session (September 1920)?

   1. AOnly one
   2. BOnly two
   3. COnly three
   4. DAll four
4. 4.

   Consider the following statements about the Congress stand on the Khilafat question:
   1. Tilak was opposed to an alliance with Muslim leaders over a religious issue.
   2. Tilak was sceptical of satyagraha as an instrument of politics.
   3. The entire Congress leadership readily accepted the boycott of councils.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. A1 only
   2. B1 and 2 only
   3. C2 and 3 only
   4. D1, 2 and 3
5. 5.

   Match List I with List II:

   List I (Leader)	List II (Role during Non-Cooperation)
   A. Subhash Bose	1. Acting president of the Ahmedabad session (1921)
   B. Hakim Ajmal Khan	2. Prominent leader of strikes in Assam
   C. J.M. Sengupta	3. Founded the Indian National Liberal Federation
   D. Surendranath Banerjea	4. Principal of the National College at Calcutta

   Select the correct answer using the code given below:

   1. AA-4, B-1, C-2, D-3
   2. BA-4, B-2, C-1, D-3
   3. CA-1, B-4, C-2, D-3
   4. DA-4, B-1, C-3, D-2
6. 6.

   Consider the following leaders:
   1. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
   2. Annie Besant
   3. B.C. Pal
   4. C.R. Das
   How many of the above left the Congress after it adopted non-cooperation, because they believed in constitutional and lawful struggle?

   1. AOnly one
   2. BOnly two
   3. COnly three
   4. DAll four
7. 7.

   Consider the following statements about the spread of the Non-Cooperation Movement:
   1. Around 800 national schools and colleges came up.
   2. Imports of foreign cloth fell by half.
   3. Kashi Vidyapeeth, Gujarat Vidyapeeth and Bihar Vidyapeeth were among the national institutions.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. A1 and 2 only
   2. B2 and 3 only
   3. C1 and 3 only
   4. D1, 2 and 3
8. 8.

   In September 1921, the Ali brothers were arrested after they had

   1. Aled a no-tax campaign in Guntur
   2. Borganised a strike in the Assam-Bengal Railway
   3. Ccalled on Muslims to resign from the army
   4. Dled demonstrations against the Prince of Wales
9. 9.

   Consider the following local struggles:
   1. Awadh Kisan Movement
   2. Eka Movement
   3. Mappila Revolt
   4. Sikh agitation for the removal of mahants
   How many of the above arose from the spirit of defiance during the Non-Cooperation Movement?

   1. AOnly one
   2. BOnly two
   3. COnly three
   4. DAll four
10. 10.

    Consider the following statements about participation in the Non-Cooperation Movement:
    1. The response in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, centres of elite politicians, was very limited.
    2. A section of big business remained sceptical, fearing labour unrest in their factories.
    3. Peasants' participation was minimal, as they stayed loyal to landlords.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. A1 only
    2. B1 and 2 only
    3. C2 and 3 only
    4. D1, 2 and 3
11. 11.

    On 1 February 1922, Gandhi threatened to launch civil disobedience from which place?

    1. ABardoli
    2. BKheda
    3. CChamparan
    4. DDandi
12. 12.

    Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: The Khilafat question lost its relevance soon after the Non-Cooperation Movement was withdrawn.
    Statement-II: In November 1922, the people of Turkey rose under Mustafa Kamal Pasha and deprived the sultan of political power.
    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. ABoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
    2. BBoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
    3. CStatement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. DStatement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
13. 13.

    Consider the following statements about the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement:
    1. The Congress Working Committee met at Bardoli in February 1922 and resolved to take up constructive work.
    2. C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru and Subhash Bose expressed bewilderment at the decision.
    3. Gandhi was arrested in March 1922 and sentenced to six years in jail.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. A1 only
    2. B1 and 2 only
    3. C2 and 3 only
    4. D1, 2 and 3
14. 14.

    Talks between Gandhi and Viceroy Reading broke down in May 1921 because the government wanted Gandhi to

    1. Acall off the boycott of foreign cloth
    2. Burge the Ali brothers to remove portions of their speeches that suggested violence
    3. Caccept the Hunter Committee report
    4. Ddissolve the Congress volunteer corps
15. 15.

    Consider the following statements about the evaluation of the Khilafat-Non-Cooperation Movement:
    1. It brought urban Muslims into the national movement.
    2. It communalised national politics to an extent.
    3. National leaders succeeded in raising the Muslims' religious-political consciousness to a secular political consciousness.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. A1 only
    2. B2 and 3 only
    3. C1 and 2 only
    4. D1, 2 and 3

1. 1.

   UPSC 2004

   Consider the following events during India’s freedom struggle:
   1. Chauri-Chaura Outrage
   2. Minto-Morley Reforms
   3. Dandi March
   4. Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
   Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the events above?

   1. A1 ‑ 3 ‑ 2 ‑ 4
   2. B2 ‑ 4 ‑ 1 ‑ 3
   3. C1 ‑ 4 ‑ 2 ‑ 3
   4. D2 ‑ 3 ‑ 1 ‑ 4
2. 2.

   UPSC 1997

   Match List I with List II and select the correct answer by using the codes given below the lists:
   List I (Events)
   I. Morley Minto Reforms
   II. Simon Commission
   III. The Chauri-Chaura incident
   IV. The Dandi March
   List II (Results) A) Country-wide agitation B) Withdrawal of a movement C) Communal Electorates D) Communal outbreaks E) Illegal manufacture of salt
   Codes:

   1. AI-C, II-D, III-E, IV-B
   2. BI-D, II-A, III-B, IV-C
   3. CI-B, II-C, III-D, IV-E
   4. DI-C, II-A, III-B, IV-E
3. 3.

   UPSC 2025

   Consider the following subjects with regard to Non-Cooperation Programme :
   I. Boycott of law-courts and foreign cloth
   II. Observance of strict non-violence
   III. Retention of titles and honours without using them in public
   IV. Establishment of Panchayats for settling disputes
   How many of the above were parts of Non-Cooperation Programme?

   1. AOnly one
   2. BOnly two
   3. COnly three
   4. DAll the four
4. 4.

   UPSC 2025

   Consider the following statements in respect of the Non-Cooperation Movement :
   I. The Congress declared the attainment of ‘Swaraj’ by all legitimate and peaceful means to be its objective.
   II. It was to be implemented in stages with civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes for the next stage only if ‘Swaraj’ did not come within a year and the Government resorted to repression.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. AI only
   2. BII only
   3. CBoth I and II
   4. DNeither I nor II
5. 5.

   UPSC 2025

   Who provided legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of Chauri Chaura incident?

   1. AC. R. Das
   2. BMadan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant
   3. CDr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Khwaja Hasan Nizami
   4. DM. A. Jinnah
6. 6.

   UPSC 2019

   With reference to Indian National Movement, consider the following pairs : Person
   1. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru : President, All India Liberal Federation
   2. K. C. Neogy : Member, The Constituent Assembly
   3. P. C. Joshi : General Secretary, Communist Party of India
   Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

   1. A1 only
   2. B1 and 2 only
   3. C3 only
   4. D1, 2 and 3
7. 7.

   UPSC 2004

   During the Indian Freedom Struggle, who among the following proposed that Swaraj should be defined as complete independence free from all foreign control?

   1. AMazharul Haque
   2. BMaulana Hasrat Mohani
   3. CHakim Ajmal Khan
   4. DAbul Kalam Azad
8. 8.

   UPSC 2001

   Who among the following leaders proposed to adopt Complete Independence as the goal of the Congress in the Ahmedabad session of 1920?

   1. AAbul Kalam Azad
   2. BHasrat Mohani
   3. CJawaharlal Nehru
   4. DMohandas Karamchand Gandhi
9. 9.

   UPSC 1998

   Assertion (A): The Khilafat movement did bring the urban Muslims into the fold of the National Movement. Reason (R): There was a predominant element of anti-imperialism in both the National and Khilafat Movements.

   1. ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
   2. BBoth A and R are true, but R is NOT a correct explanation of A
   3. CA is true, but R is false
   4. DA is false, but R is true
10. 10.

    UPSC 1998

    Assertion (A): Gandhi stopped the Non-cooperation Movement in 1922. Reason (R): Violence at Chauri-Chaura led him to stop the movement.

    1. ABoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
    2. BBoth A and R are true, but R is NOT a correct explanation of A
    3. CA is true, but R is false
    4. DA is false, but R is true
11. 11.

    UPSC 1996

    Consider the following statements: The Non-cooperation Movement led to the
    I. Congress becoming a mass movement for the first time.
    II. Growth of Hindu Muslim unity.
    III. Removal of fear of the British ‘might’ from the minds of the people.
    IV. British government’s willingness to grant political concessions to Indians. Of these statements

    1. AI, II, III and IV are correct
    2. BII and IV are correct
    3. CI and III are correct
    4. DIII and IV are correct
12. 12.

    UPSC 1996

    The Sarabandi (no tax) campaign of 1922 was led by

    1. ABhagat Singh
    2. BChittaranjan Das
    3. CRajaguru
    4. DVallabhbhai Patel