Gandhian Era — Second Phase

Chapter 33 — Complete Notes | 1927–1939

SSC / RailwayBSSC CGL Modern HistoryExam Fusion Prep
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Key Events — Quick Timeline 1927–1939
8 Nov 1927
Simon Commission announced — Lord Birkenhead. Chairman: Sir John Simon. All 7 British.
27 Dec 1927
Congress Madras Session — President M.A. Ansari. Decision: Complete boycott of Simon Commission.
3 Feb 1928
Simon Commission India arrives — Mumbai. "Simon Go Back" slogans.
Aug 1928
Nehru Report presented — Motilal Nehru (chairman). Some Muslim leaders opposed aspects; Jinnah’s Fourteen Points followed in March 1929.
Dec 1929
Lahore Session — Jawaharlal Nehru (President). "Purna Swaraj" official goal.
26 Jan 1930
First Independence Day celebrated. the flag was hoisted.
12 Mar 1930
Dandi March starts — Sabarmati Ashram. 78 followers. 24 days.
6 Apr 1930
Salt Law broke — CDM officially starts. Dandi.
5 May 1930
Gandhi arrested → Yerwada Jail. Tens of thousands arrested; totals depend on period counted.
Nov 1930
1st Round Table Conference — London. Congress absent.
5 Mar 1931
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (Delhi Pact) signed.
Sep–Dec 1931
2nd Round Table Conference — Gandhi sole Congress rep. Churchill's "half-naked Fakir" remark.
16 Aug 1932
Communal Award — Ramsay MacDonald. Separate electorate for Depressed Classes.
24 Sep 1932
Poona Pact — Gandhi + Ambedkar. Reserved seats 71 → 148.
Nov–Dec 1932
3rd Round Table Conference — Congress boycotted. Only 46 reps. Ambedkar represented Depressed Classes in all 3.
2 Aug 1935
Government of India Act 1935 enacted.
1934
Congress Socialist Party — JP Narayan + Acharya Narendra Dev.
Feb 1937
Provincial elections: Congress majorities in six provinces; ministries in seven during 1937, Assam added in 1938.
1939 (Tripuri)
Bose won election vs Gandhi's candidate (Pattabhi). Gandhi: "My defeat." Bose resigned.
3 May 1939
Forward Bloc — Subhash Chandra Bose.
🚫
Simon Commission (1927–28)
All-British Commission — Indians Excluded
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Announcement: 8 November 1927. Appointed by: Lord Birkenhead (Secretary of State for India).
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Chairman: Sir John Simon. Total Members: 7 — all British.
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Objective: To examine the operation and progress of the Government of India Act, 1919.
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Members: Clement Attlee, Harry Levy Lawson, Edward Cadogan, Vernon Hartshorn, George Lane Fox, Donald Howard.
Indians's Reaction
🏛️
Congress Madras Session, 27 December 1927: President M. A. Ansari. Decision: Boycott the Simon Commission at every stage and by every means.
📍
India Arrival: 3 February 1928, Mumbai. "Simon Go Back" slogans were raised.
Nehru Report (1928) — Indian Response
⚡
Challenge: Lord Birkenhead challenged — "Unified Constitutional Proposal prepare."
👤
Committee Chairman: Motilal Nehru. Report Presented: August 1928.
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Key Members: Tej Bahadur Sapru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Ali Imam, Shuaib Qureshi, Mangal Singh, M.S. Aney, N.M. Joshi, G.R. Pradhan.
❌
Response: Muslim political opinion differed. Jinnah sought amendments and, after disagreement, presented Fourteen Points in March 1929.
7 all-British members = undemocratic Madras Session 1927 = M.A. Ansari (NOT Nehru) Nehru Report = Motilal Nehru (chairman) Rejection → Jinnah's 14 Points
🧂
Dandi March & Civil Disobedience Movement — 1930
Lahore Session (Dec 1929) — Foundation
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President: Jawaharlal Nehru. Official Goal: "Purna Swaraj" (Complete Independence).
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26 January 1930: First Independence Day was observed — flag hoisted.
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31 January 1930: Gandhi presented an eleven-point ultimatum to the British government. Its rejection led to the Salt March.
Dandi March — Key Facts
Detail Fact
Start Date 12 March 1930
Start Place Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad
Followers 78 followers accompanied Gandhi
Duration 24 Days
Distance ~241 Miles (~387 km)
Arrival at Dandi 5 April 1930
CDM Start 6 April 1930 — broke the salt law by picking up salt
💬
Subhash Chandra Bose march "Napoleon's march to Paris" and "Mussolini's march to Rome" compared it with.
Regional Spread
Region Leader / Movement
NWFP Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Frontier Gandhi). Org: Khudai Khidmatgar (Red Shirt Movement).
Manipur Rani Gaidinliu
Tamil Nadu (Tanjore) C. Rajagopalachari — Route: Trichinapalli to Vedaranyam
Kerala (Malabar) K. Kelappan (Vaikom Satyagraha fame)
Odisha Gopabandhu Chaudhary
Dharsana Satyagraha & Government Repression
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Leaders: Sarojini Naidu, Imam Sahib and Manilal, Gandhi's son. Abbas Tyabji led the march before them.
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Witness: American journalist Webb Miller — "I have never seen a scene as horrifying as Dharsana."
⛓️
Gandhi arrested: 5 May 1930 → Yerwada Jail. Tens of thousands arrested; totals depend on period counted. Congress illegal declared.
💰
Other Protests: Eastern India — Chowkidari Tax refusal. Bengal — Anti-Union Board Movement.
12 Mar 1930 = Dandi March starts 6 Apr 1930 = CDM starts (salt) 78 followers, 24 days, ~241 miles Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan = Frontier Gandhi
✊
Second Civil Disobedience Movement (1932–34)
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Start: January 1932.
⛓️
Arrests: Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.
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Congress declared unlawful. Property seized.
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Formally withdrawn: By CWC in 1934 — CDM officially end.
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Three Round Table Conferences — London
1st RTC
Date: 12 Nov 1930 – 19 Jan 1931
Presided: Ramsay MacDonald (British PM)
Inaugurated: George V
Represented: British Indian interests, princely states and British political parties
Congress: ABSENT
Demands: Muslim League + Ambedkar = Separate Electorate
Result: No consensus
2nd RTC
Date: 7 Sep – 1 Dec 1931
Secretary: Samuel Hoare
Viceroy: Lord Willingdon
Congress: Gandhi (sole rep)
Others: Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant, Malaviya, Jinnah, Iqbal, Ambedkar
Result: Separate Electorate on no consensus
3rd RTC
Date: 17 Nov – 24 Dec 1932
Reps: Only 46
Congress: BOYCOTTED
Key Fact: Ambedkar = Depressed Classes’ representative at all 3
Result: White Paper (Mar 1933) → GOI Act 1935
Famous Quote — Gandhi–Irwin Negotiations
Winston Churchill — 23 February 1931, before the Second RTC
"Seditious Middle Temple lawyer now posing as a half-naked fakir."
1st RTC = Congress absent 2nd RTC = Gandhi sole rep 3rd RTC = Congress boycotted Ambedkar = attended all 3 RTCs
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Gandhi-Irwin Pact (Delhi Pact) — 5 March 1931
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Date: 5 March 1931. Also called: Delhi Pact.
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Principal Negotiator: Mahatma Gandhi. Intermediaries: Tej Bahadur Sapru, M.R. Jayakar, Shrinivas Shastri.
Terms of Agreement
# Term
1 Release all political prisoners (except violent offenders)
2 Return of confiscated property not already sold
3 Postponement of fine collection
4 Permission to make salt (coastal areas only)
5 Withdrawal of Emergency Ordinances
6 Congress suspends CDM and attends Second Round Table Conference
⚖️
Communal Award & Poona Pact — 1932
Communal Award
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Announced: 16 August 1932. By: British PM Ramsay MacDonald.
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I Feature: Separate Electorate for — Muslims, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Europeans, Anglo-Indians. Crucial: Extended to Harijans (Depressed Classes) also.
🍽️
Gandhi's reaction: Fast unto death (Aamran Anshan) — started 20 September 1932, Yerwada Jail, Pune.
Poona Pact — 24 September 1932
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Between: representatives of the Depressed Classes and caste-Hindu leaders; Gandhi supported the agreement but did not sign.
✍️
Prominent signatories: B.R. Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malaviya, alongside several others.
📊
Result: (1) Separate Electorate for Depressed Classes abolished. (2) Reserved seats Provincial Legislatures: 71 → 148.
🏛️
Samata Sainik Dal — Ambedkar’s volunteer organisation for social equality and rights of the oppressed.
GOI Act 1935 — Path
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White Paper March 1933 → Joint Select Committee appointed 1933, chaired by Linlithgow, report 1934 → bill introduced December 1934 → Royal Assent 2 August 1935.
Communal Award 16 Aug 1932 = Ramsay MacDonald Gandhi fast = 20 Sep 1932, Yerwada Jail Poona Pact 24 Sep 1932 = Ambedkar + Malaviya Reserved seats 71 → 148
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Congress Ministries — Provincial Elections 1937
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Elections completed: February 1937 (11 Provinces in).
🏛️
Ministries: seven provinces in 1937, Assam in 1938; resigned in 1939. Head = Premier (Chief Minister).
Province-wise Results
Province Government
Madras, UP, CP, Bihar, Orissa, Bombay, Assam, NWFP Congress ministries across 1937–39; Assam from 1938 ✅
Punjab Unionist Party under Sikandar Hayat Khan ❌
Bengal Krishak Praja Party + Muslim League ❌
Sindh United Party ❌
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National Planning Committee (1938): Formed during Congress ministries. Chairman: Jawaharlal Nehru. (Note: Congress President was Subhash Chandra Bose, but Committee head = Nehru.)
⚔️
Congress Tripuri Crisis — 1939 (Gandhi vs Bose)
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Haripura Session (1938): Subhash Chandra Bose — elected President Unopposed.
⚔️
Tripuri Session (1939): Bose Gandhi's candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya defeat.
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Gandhi's statement: "Sitaramayya's defeat is not his defeat, but mine."
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Gandhi called Bose "the Patriot of Patriots" in his writings.
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Outcome: Bose resigned as Congress President after deadlock; Rajendra Prasad succeeded him.
Forward Bloc
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Established: 3 May 1939. Founder: Subhash Chandra Bose. Objective: Mass awakening for Independence.
Congress: 6 majorities; 7 ministries 1937, Assam 1938 Tripuri = Bose beat Pattabhi Forward Bloc = 3 May 1939 Rajendra Prasad = successor after Bose resigned
☭
Congress Socialist Party & Other Leftist Parties
Congress Socialist Party (CSP) — 1934
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Founding conference: 17 May 1934, Patna; Bombay meeting adopted constitution and programme in October 1934.
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Founders: Jayprakash Narayan (JP), Acharya Narendra Dev, Ram Manohar Lohia.
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President: Acharya Narendra Dev. General Secretary: Jayprakash Narayan.
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Objectives: To establish a socialist society and decentralise economic and political power.
Other Leftist / Socialist Parties
Party Founded Founder(s) Region / Note
Bihar Socialist Party Jul 1931 Jayaprakash Narayan, Phoolan Prasad Varma Predates National CSP (1934)
Punjab Socialist Party 1933 Prof. Brijlal Regional
Indian Bolshevik Party 1939 N. Dutt Majumdar Bengal
Radical Democratic Party 1940 M.N. Roy Bengal (IMP for UPSC)
Bolshevik Leninist Party 1942 All-regional BLPI: Trotskyist groups from India and Ceylon Bengal
Revolutionary Communist Party of India 1943 Saumyendranath Tagore; Communist League from 1934, RCPI name adopted 1943 —
CSP 1934 = JP Narayan + Acharya Narendra Dev Bihar Socialist Party 1931 = JP (predates CSP) Radical Democratic Party 1940 = M.N. Roy
⚠️ Trap #1 — Madras Session 1927's President
The decision to boycott the Simon Commission was taken at the Madras Session on 27 December 1927[cite: 5]. M. A. Ansari was the president; Jawaharlal Nehru played an active role but did not preside[cite: 5].
⚠️ Trap #2 — Nehru Report = Motilal Nehru (Jawaharlal not)
Nehru Report (1928): Motilal Nehru, not Jawaharlal Nehru, chaired the committee[cite: 5]. Do not confuse the father and son.
⚠️ Trap #3 — Dandi March dates
The march began at Sabarmati on 12 March 1930[cite: 5], reached Dandi on 5 April[cite: 5], and the Civil Disobedience Movement began on 6 April when Gandhi picked up salt[cite: 5]. These are three different dates.
⚠️ Trap #4 — 3 RTCs in Congress's attendance
First Round Table Conference: Congress absent[cite: 5]. Second: Gandhi attended as the sole Congress representative[cite: 5]. Third: Congress boycotted it[cite: 5]. Ambedkar represented the Depressed Classes at all three; other delegates also attended all three[cite: 5].
⚠️ Trap #5 — Poona Pact signatories
Gandhi did not sign. Ambedkar and Malaviya were two prominent signatories alongside several others; the agreement involved Depressed Classes and caste-Hindu representatives.
⚠️ Trap #6 — The Communal Award also included the Depressed Classes
Communal Award = Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Europeans, Anglo-Indians + Harijans (Depressed Classes) also.[cite: 5] This "crucial addition" was which on Gandhi fast.
⚠️ Trap #7 — Tripuri's president and successor
Tripuri (1939) in Bose Pattabhi Sitaramayya beat — President became[cite: 5]. Deadlock after resign [cite: 5]. Successor = Dr. Rajendra Prasad[cite: 5]. Gandhi's statement: "Sitaramayya's defeat is mine."[cite: 5]
⚠️ Trap #8 — National Planning Committee = Nehru (president Bose was)
National Planning Committee (1938) Chairman = Jawaharlal Nehru.[cite: 5] Congress President at that time = Subhash Chandra Bose — but committee head Nehru the[cite: 5].
⚠️ Trap #9 — CSP founders: President vs Secretary
Congress Socialist Party (1934): President = Acharya Narendra Dev. General Secretary = Jayprakash Narayan.[cite: 5] Founders: JP + Acharya + Ram Manohar Lohia[cite: 5].
⚠️ Trap #10 — Churchill quote and context
Churchill’s “half-naked fakir” remark was made 23 February 1931, during Gandhi–Irwin negotiations; the Second RTC began later in September.
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