Gandhian Era & Satyagrahas
National Movement · गांधीवादी युग और सत्याग्रह
📋Quick Overview
Satyagraha — meaning 'truth-force' or 'soul-force' — was Gandhi's unique weapon of non-violent resistance. First developed in South Africa (1906), Gandhi brought it to India beginning with the Champaran Satyagraha of 1917. Over two decades, Gandhi led a series of satyagrahas at local and national levels, each addressing specific injustices — from indigo farmers to salt tax to temple entry — building mass movement capacity step by step.
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Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919): General Dyer ordered firing on a peaceful crowd in Amritsar on Baisakhi day — 379 killed officially (estimates up to 1,000+). Udham Singh avenged it by shooting General O'Dwyer in London on March 13, 1940.
📖Gandhi's Major Satyagrahas — Chronological Table
| Satyagraha | Year | Place | Issue & Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champaran Satyagraha | 1917 | Champaran, Bihar | Indigo farmers forced to grow indigo on 3/20th of land (tinkathia system); Gandhi won, system abolished — FIRST Satyagraha in India |
| Kheda Satyagraha | 1918 | Kheda, Gujarat | Crop failure 1918 — farmers demanded tax remission; Vallabhbhai Patel joined Gandhi; British eventually gave relief |
| Ahmedabad Mill Strike | 1918 | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Mill workers demanded 35% wage hike (plague bonus issue); Gandhi's FIRST hunger strike in India; workers got 35% hike |
| Rowlatt Satyagraha | 1919 | Pan-India | Against Rowlatt Act (detention without trial 2 years, no vakeel no daleel no appeal); Jallianwala Bagh massacre followed (April 13) |
| Vaikom Satyagraha | 1924–25 | Vaikom, Kerala (Travancore) | Untouchables denied use of roads near Vaikom temple; first temple entry satyagraha; partial success |
| Bardoli Satyagraha | 1928 | Bardoli, Surat, Gujarat | 30% tax hike on farmers despite poor harvest; Patel led — called 'Sardar' (leader) by women here; hike withdrawn |
📖Rowlatt Act & Jallianwala Bagh (1919)
- •Rowlatt Act passed February 18, 1919 — allowed indefinite detention without trial; Indian members called it 'No Vakeel, No Daleel, No Appeal'
- •April 13, 1919 (Baisakhi): Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew + Dr. Satyapal arrested; public gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar
- •General Reginald Dyer ordered firing without warning; 10 minutes, 1,650 rounds — 379 killed (official), estimated 1,000+ actual
- •Hunter Commission (1919-20) investigated — found Dyer acted wrongly; Dyer removed from command but never punished
- •Rabindranath Tagore returned his knighthood to protest — wrote to Viceroy on May 31, 1919
- •Udham Singh (disguised as Ram Mohammad Singh Azad) shot General O'Dwyer (Lt Governor who approved Dyer's action) in London, Caxton Hall, on March 13, 1940