Evaluation of the Civil Disobedience Movement
Modern History › Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences · Topic 20.10
The Civil Disobedience Movement aimed at complete independence, broke the law from the start, drew massive peasant and business support but fewer intellectuals and Muslims, saw about three times as many imprisoned as in 1920-22, and left the Congress organisationally stronger. Suspending it under the Gandhi-Irwin Pact is argued not to have been a retreat, because mass movements are short-lived and signs of exhaustion had appeared.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences
At a Glance
- Objective Complete independence, not specific wrongs
- Method Violation of law from the beginning
- Gap Fewer intellectuals; Muslim participation lower than in 1920-22
- Strength More imprisoned; Congress organisationally stronger
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences
Where Does It Fit?
This is the tenth topic of the category on the Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences. The previous topic covered the third conference and the second phase of the movement. This topic assesses the movement as a whole. The next topic covers the Communal Award. Previous topic: Third Round Table Conference and the Resumption of Civil Disobedience.
Was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact a Retreat?
Gandhi’s decision to suspend the movement as agreed in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact is argued not to have been a retreat. Mass movements are necessarily short-lived. The capacity of the masses to make sacrifices, unlike that of activists, is limited. And there were signs of exhaustion after September 1930, especially among the shopkeepers and merchants who had participated so enthusiastically.
The reception was mixed. The youth were disappointed, having wanted the world to end with a bang and not a whimper. The peasants of Gujarat were disappointed that their lands were not restored at once; they were returned only under the Congress ministry in the province. But many people were jubilant that the government had been made to regard the movement as significant and to treat its leader as an equal and sign a pact with him, and released political prisoners got a hero’s welcome. The pact is in Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
How Did It Differ From the Non-Cooperation Movement?
| Aspect | Civil Disobedience (1930) |
|---|---|
| Objective | Complete independence, and not just remedying two specific wrongs and a vaguely worded swaraj |
| Methods | Violation of law from the very beginning, and not just non-cooperation with foreign rule |
| Intelligentsia | A decline in forms of protest by the intelligentsia, such as lawyers giving up practice and students leaving government schools for national institutions |
| Muslims | Participation nowhere near that of the Khilafat Committee Congress approval Special session at Calcutta, September 1920 Nagpur session…">Non-Cooperation Movement |
| Labour | No major labour upsurge coincided with the movement |
| Peasants and business | Massive participation of peasants and business groups compensated for the decline of other features |
| Imprisonment | The number of those imprisoned was about three times more |
| Organisation | The Congress was organisationally stronger |
The earlier movement is in Evaluation of the Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement, and the participation in 1930 in Extent of Mass Participation and Impact of the Agitation.
What Did Contemporaries Say?
Gandhi told Lord Irwin that India was one vast prison-house and that he repudiated the law that made it so. Ellen Wilkinson called Gandhi the best policeman the British had in India. The English journalist Brailsford called the Dandi March the kindergarten stage of revolution, based on the notion that the King-Emperor could be unseated by boiling sea water in a kettle. These views run from admiration to sarcasm and are reported here as attributed opinions.
What Was the Overall Result?
The movement reached beyond the middle class and the cities. Peasants in the United Provinces, Bihar and Gujarat, merchants in Tamil Nadu and Punjab, tribals, workers and women all took part, and the Congress moved from a goal of dominion status to a demand for complete independence, which it did not alter afterwards. The government lost revenue, faced a boycott of its Assembly elections, and had to treat the Congress as an equal in the pact. The second phase, in 1932 to 1934, showed the limits: the government’s preparation and repression, and the movement’s lack of time to build, ended it in April 1934, as described in Third Round Table Conference and the Resumption of Civil Disobedience.
As an analytical point, the movement’s weaknesses and strengths were related: it relied on peasants and merchants, who joined in large numbers but could not sustain the effort beyond a year or so, and it moved forward by means of a symbolic act that the government could neither ignore nor easily suppress without a political cost. The balance is that the movement did not win independence or a clear constitutional concession, but it enlarged the mass base and the organisation of the Congress and placed complete independence at the centre of Indian politics. The Karachi programme that followed is in Karachi Congress Session, 1931.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Comparison with Non-Cooperation A standard Mains question
- Retreat or not A debate often asked in essays and answers
- Gains and limits Balanced assessment of mass movements
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the Communal Award of 1932, which arose from the failure of the Round Table Conferences. Next topic: Communal Award, 1932.
Key People and Terms
- Retreat Withdrawal in the face of an opponent
- Exhaustion Signs of fatigue after September 1930
- Intelligentsia The educated class, less active in 1930
- Hero’s welcome The reception given to released prisoners
- Kindergarten stage of revolution Brailsford’s phrase for the Dandi March
- Congress ministry The provincial Congress government that restored Gujarat lands
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Objective: complete independence; law broken from the start.
- Imprisoned about three times as many as in 1920-22.
- Peasants and business compensated for the decline of the intelligentsia.
- Signs of exhaustion after September 1930.
- Gujarat lands restored only under the Congress ministry.
Do Not Confuse With
- Pact and retreat The pact suspended the movement, which is argued not to be a retreat
- Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience aims Two wrongs and swaraj versus complete independence
- Peasants and the intelligentsia Peasants joined massively; lawyers and students less so
Memory Hook
Aims higher, law broken, jails fuller, and the middle class thinner.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for a comparison and assessment. These points add depth.
- Aims and methods Complete independence and law-breaking
- Participation Peasants and business in; intelligentsia and Muslims fewer
- Outcome Stronger organisation, no constitutional gain
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Compare the Civil Disobedience Movement with the Non-Cooperation Movement and assess whether the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was a retreat.”
How to Answer
- Compare Objective, method and participation.
- Pact Reasons it was not a retreat.
- Assess Gains and limits.
- Conclude A stronger Congress and a clearer goal.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact a retreat?
It is argued not to have been a retreat, because mass movements are short-lived, the masses' capacity for sacrifice is limited, and there were signs of exhaustion after September 1930, especially among merchants and shopkeepers. Many people were also jubilant that the government treated Gandhi as an equal.
How did the Civil Disobedience Movement differ from the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Its objective was complete independence and not two specific wrongs, its methods involved law-breaking from the start, intelligentsia protests declined, Muslim participation was lower, no major labour upsurge coincided with it, peasants and business groups took part massively, and about three times more people were imprisoned.
How was the Congress affected by the movement?
The Congress emerged organisationally stronger. The movement enlarged its mass base among peasants, merchants and women, and made complete independence its settled goal, though it did not win a constitutional concession from the British government.
Who was disappointed by the suspension of the movement?
The youth were disappointed, as they had wanted the movement to end with a bang, and the peasants of Gujarat were disappointed because their lands were not restored at once; they were returned only under the Congress ministry in the province.
What did observers say about Gandhi and the Dandi March?
Ellen Wilkinson called Gandhi the best policeman the British had in India, and the journalist Brailsford called the Dandi March the kindergarten stage of revolution. Gandhi himself told Irwin that India was one vast prison-house and that he repudiated the law.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The stated objective of the Civil Disobedience Movement was complete independence.
The earlier movement had sought redress of two wrongs and a vague swaraj.
2 Muslim participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement matched that in the Non-Cooperation Movement.
It was nowhere near that level.
3 The number of people imprisoned in the Civil Disobedience Movement was about three times higher than in non-cooperation.
The Congress was also organisationally stronger.
4 Signs of exhaustion appeared among merchants after September 1930.
This is one reason why the pact is argued not to be a retreat.
5 A major labour upsurge coincided with the Civil Disobedience Movement.
No major labour upsurge did.
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