THE GANDHIAN PHASE

1) What do you understand by Satyagraha?

Answer: Satyagraha refers to the twin principles of truth and non-violence which was followed
by Gandhiji during the freedom struggle.
2) What did General Dyer do in Jallianwala Bagh?
Answer: General Dyer had banned all public meetings and processions in Amritsar. But some
people went ahead with the meeting in a park named Jallianwala Bagh. The park had only one
exit. On General Dyer’s orders the policemen blocked the exit and opened fire killing
thousands of people and injuring many more. This incident took place on 13th April 1919.
3) Why was Simon commission set up?
Answer: The Simon commission was setup, in 1928 under Sir John Simon, to review the law
and order situation in India and come up with new reforms.
4) When and how was the civil Disobedience Movement launched?
Answer: The Civil Disobedience Movement was launched in March 1930 with Dandi March
under the leadership of Gandhiji.
5) What was the popular slogan for the Quit India Movement?
Answer: The popular slogan for the Quit India Movement was ‘do or die’ meaning either
Indians should win freedom or die trying to get it.
6) How did the non-corporation and non-violent methods of Gandhiji help in achieving
freedom?
Answer: The non-corporation and non-violent methods of Gandhiji helped in following ways:
a. It invoked the feeling of nationalism in the hearts and minds of the countrymen.
b. The struggle was converted into a mass struggle with no place for religious and caste
differences. It made the struggle to last long.
c. The British had no means to stop the silence and felt burdened.
d. It provided new dimensions to India’s struggle for freedom.
7) Why did Gandhiji weave cloth on the charkha?
Answer: During the colonial time, raw cotton was exported to Britain and manufactured
textiles were brought back. This caused much economic loss to India. So, Mahatma Gandhi
used Charkha for making cloth for himself and encouraged other people to do the same. This
cut out the market for British made cloth and helped India gain Economic Independence.
8) Why did the congress boycott the Simon Commission?
Answer: The congress boycotted it as there were no Indians among the seven members of the
commission.
9) How were the Moderates different from the Radicals?
Answer: Moderates: The Indian National Congress achieved limited success during its early
years. The early leaders of the Congress were known as the Moderates. They believed in
asking the English government for reforms.
Radicals: There was another group within the congress. They were called the Radicals. They
wanted to oppose the English strongly. To protest against English injustice, they were in
favour of strikes and boycotts. Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal
(called Lal-Bal-Pal) were the three popular leaders of the Radicals.
10) What made Gandhiji decide to fight against injustice?
Answer: Gandhiji decided to fight against the English and also against some of the social and
religious practices, especially the caste system. He asked people not to obey the unjust laws
made by the government.
11) Write a short note on Dandi March.
Answer: (i) Mahatma Gandhi started his famous Dandi March along with his 78 trusted
volunteers.
(ii) The march was about 240 miles.
(iii) It started from Gandhi's ashram in Sabarmati to Gujarat's coastal town of Dandi.
(iv) The volunteers walked for 24 days, about 10 miles a day.
(v) Thousands came to hear Gandhiji, wherever he stopped.
(vi) On 6th April, he reached Dandi and violated the salt law by manufacturing salt, by boiling
sea water.

12) Write short note on Civil Disobedience Movement.

Answer: Launched on April 6, 1930, the Civil Disobedience Movement was the most significant
movement in the freedom struggle of India. The formation of the Simon Commission and
protests against the arrest of revolutionaries were the important causes of this movement.
The movement started with the "Dandi March" against the unjust salt laws of the British
government. This march was joined by thousands of Indians. The main objective of the Civil
Disobedience movement was that the people wanted to break the unjust laws. In support of
this movement, Indian people continued the production of salt and boycotted British clothes
and goods.

13) Write short note on Indian National Army.

Answer: Indian National Army, also known as the Azad Hind Fauj, was formed for the
liberation of India from the British rule. It was formed under the leadership of Subash Chandra
Bose in 1943. Indian National Army emerged along with Mahatma Gandhi`s peaceful
resistance movement within India. Subash Chandra Bose advocated a more aggressive
confrontation with the British authorities.