Run-up to Civil Disobedience: Irwin’s Declaration and the Delhi Manifesto
Modern History › Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences · Topic 20.1
The run-up to the Civil Disobedience Movement began at the Calcutta session of December 1928, which gave the government a deadline of one year to accept dominion status. During 1929 Gandhi prepared the country, Lord Irwin made his declaration of 31 October 1929 that dominion status was the natural issue of constitutional progress, and the Delhi Manifesto of 2 November 1929 set conditions for the Round Table Conference, which Irwin rejected.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences
At a Glance
- Calcutta session December 1928; dominion status deadline of one year
- Irwin’s Declaration 31 October 1929; dominion status as the natural issue
- Delhi Manifesto 2 November 1929; conditions for the Round Table Conference
- Result Irwin rejected the demands; stage set for confrontation
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences
Where Does It Fit?
This is the first topic of the category on the Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences. The previous topic covered Dr Ambedkar’s evidence before the Simon Commission. This topic covers the events of 1928 and 1929 that led to civil disobedience. The next topic covers the Lahore Congress. Previous topic: Dr Ambedkar and the Simon Commission.
What Was Decided at the Calcutta Session, December 1928?
The Calcutta session of the Congress in December 1928 approved the Nehru Report, but the younger elements led by Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Bose and Satyamurthy expressed dissatisfaction with dominion status as the goal. They demanded purna swaraj, or complete independence. Older leaders such as Gandhi and Motilal Nehru did not want the dominion status demand dropped in haste, since consensus on it had been reached with great difficulty. They suggested a grace period of two years for the government to accept it, and under pressure from the younger group this was cut to one year. The Congress decided that if the government did not accept a constitution based on dominion status by the end of 1929, it would demand complete independence and launch a civil disobedience movement. The Report is described in Nehru Report, 1928.
What Happened in 1929?
Gandhi travelled incessantly in 1929, preparing people for direct political action, telling youth to prepare for a fiery ordeal, organising constructive work in villages and helping redress specific grievances on the lines of the Bardoli agitation of 1928. The Congress Working Committee organised a Foreign Cloth Boycott Committee to promote an aggressive programme of boycott and public burning of foreign cloth. Gandhi began the campaign in Calcutta in March 1929 and was arrested, and bonfires of foreign cloth followed across the country.
| Development, 1929 | Detail |
|---|---|
| March | The Meerut Conspiracy Case began |
| April | Bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly by Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt |
| May | A minority Labour government under Ramsay MacDonald came to power in Britain; Wedgwood Benn became Secretary of State for India |
The Assembly bomb is in Revolutionary Activity in Punjab, United Provinces and Bihar.
What Was Irwin’s Declaration, 31 October 1929?
Before the Simon Commission report came out, Lord Irwin made a declaration. It was the combined effort of the Labour government, which was more sympathetic to Indian aspirations than the Conservatives, and a Conservative viceroy. Its purpose was to restore faith in the ultimate purpose of British policy. It was issued as an official communique in the Gazette of India on 31 October 1929.
It said, in substance, that in view of doubts in Britain and India about the intentions behind the 1919 statute, the government stated that it was implicit in the Declaration of 1917 that the natural issue of India’s constitutional progress was the attainment of dominion status. But there was no time scale. The dominion status promised would not be available for a long time, and there was in reality nothing new or revolutionary in the declaration. Irwin also promised a Round Table Conference after the Simon Commission submitted its report. The 1917 statement is described in Montagu’s Statement of August 1917.
What Was the Delhi Manifesto of 2 November 1929?
On 2 November 1929 a conference of prominent national leaders issued the Delhi Manifesto, which set conditions for attending the Round Table Conference.
| Condition | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | The purpose of the conference should be not to decide whether or when dominion status would come, but to frame a constitution for implementing it, acting as a constituent assembly, and the basic principle of dominion status should be accepted immediately |
| 2 | The Congress should have majority representation at the conference |
| 3 | There should be a general amnesty for political prisoners and a policy of conciliation |
Why Did the Talks Fail?
Gandhi, along with Motilal Nehru and other leaders, met Lord Irwin in December 1929, after the viceroy had narrowly escaped a bomb detonated to hit his train. They asked for an assurance that the purpose of the Round Table Conference was to draft a constitutional scheme for dominion status. Irwin said that was not its purpose and rejected the demands of the Delhi Manifesto. The stage for confrontation was set.
As an analytical point, the difference was about who would decide: the Congress wanted the conference to frame a constitution on the basis of dominion status, while the government wanted to keep the question of whether and when open, so each side was asking the other to concede the point on which the whole issue turned. The decision that followed is in Lahore Congress and Purna Swaraj.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Chronology Dates of the declaration and manifesto are Prelims facts
- Dominion status debate A recurring theme in the national movement
- Cause of civil disobedience Explains why the Congress moved to confrontation
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the Lahore session of December 1929, where the Congress declared complete independence its goal. Next topic: Lahore Congress and Purna Swaraj.
Key People and Terms
- Dominion status Self-government within the Empire
- Irwin’s Declaration The 31 October 1929 communique on dominion status
- Delhi Manifesto The 2 November 1929 conditions for the Round Table Conference
- Wedgwood Benn Secretary of State for India from May 1929
- Ramsay MacDonald Prime Minister of the minority Labour government
- Constituent assembly A body to frame a constitution, the role sought for the conference
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Calcutta session: December 1928; deadline cut from two years to one year.
- Irwin’s Declaration: 31 October 1929; no time scale.
- Delhi Manifesto: 2 November 1929; three conditions.
- Gandhi arrested in March 1929 at Calcutta over foreign cloth bonfires.
- Labour government from May 1929; Wedgwood Benn.
Do Not Confuse With
- Irwin’s Declaration and Montagu’s Statement 1929 named dominion status; 1917 named responsible government
- Delhi Manifesto and Mahasabha Opposed new Muslim-majority provinces; wanted…">Delhi Proposals 1929 conditions for the conference versus Muslim demands of 1927
- Calcutta 1928 and Lahore 1929 Calcutta set the deadline; Lahore declared independence
Memory Hook
A year’s ultimatum, a declaration without a clock, a manifesto without an answer.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about the events that led to the movement. These points add depth.
- Ultimatum The one-year deadline
- Declaration Dominion status but no time scale
- Failure Irwin’s rejection of the Manifesto
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Trace the events from December 1928 to December 1929 that led the Congress to the decision to launch civil disobedience.”
How to Answer
- Calcutta Ultimatum on dominion status.
- 1929 Political temperature and Irwin’s Declaration.
- Manifesto Delhi Manifesto and the failed meeting.
- Conclude Confrontation became inevitable.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What was decided at the Calcutta session of 1928?
The Congress approved the Nehru Report but gave the government a deadline: if a constitution based on dominion status was not accepted by the end of 1929, the Congress would demand complete independence and launch civil disobedience. The grace period was cut from two years to one under pressure from younger leaders.
What was Irwin's Declaration?
On 31 October 1929 Lord Irwin announced in the Gazette of India that it was implicit in the Declaration of 1917 that the natural issue of India's constitutional progress was dominion status. He also promised a Round Table Conference, but gave no time scale.
What was the Delhi Manifesto?
Issued on 2 November 1929 by prominent leaders, it set three conditions for attending the Round Table Conference: that it should frame a constitution for dominion status, that the Congress should have majority representation, and that there should be a general amnesty for political prisoners.
Why did Gandhi's meeting with Irwin in December 1929 fail?
Gandhi, Motilal Nehru and other leaders asked Irwin for an assurance that the Round Table Conference would draft a scheme for dominion status. Irwin said that was not its purpose and rejected the demands of the Delhi Manifesto, so the stage was set for confrontation.
What kept political tension high in 1929?
Gandhi's tours and the foreign cloth boycott, the Meerut Conspiracy Case in March, the Assembly bomb in April, and the arrival of a Labour government in Britain in May all kept the political temperature high throughout that year.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Irwin's Declaration was issued on 31 October 1929.
It stated dominion status as the natural issue of constitutional progress.
2 Irwin's Declaration laid down a specific time scale for dominion status.
It gave no time scale.
3 The Delhi Manifesto was issued on 2 November 1929.
It had three conditions for the Round Table Conference.
4 The Calcutta session of 1928 gave the government a one-year deadline.
The initial two years were reduced.
5 Wedgwood Benn became Secretary of State for India in May 1929.
A minority Labour government took office.
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