The Gandhian Era
Gandhian phase of the freedom struggle (1915–1934) for UPSC — Champaran to Poona Pact, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Round Table Conferences.
SyllabusGS I · The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors and contributions from different parts of the country
Between Gandhi’s return from South Africa in January 1915 and the withdrawal of Civil Disobedience in 1934, the national movement turned from an elite petition-politics into a mass struggle. This chapter covers that turn: the early local satyagrahas, the Rowlatt agitation and Jallianwala Bagh, Khilafat and Non-Cooperation, the Swarajist interlude, the Simon Commission, Purna Swaraj, the Salt March and the Round Table Conferences.
What UPSC asks. Prelims tests sequence and specifics — which session passed which resolution, who presided, what each satyagraha was about, the terms of the Gandhi–Irwin Pact and the Poona Pact. Mains asks you to evaluate Gandhi’s methods, the role of peasants, women and regions, and the “struggle–truce–struggle” strategy.
| Sub-topic | Key years |
|---|---|
| Champaran, Ahmedabad, Kheda | 1917–1918 |
| Rowlatt Satyagraha and Jallianwala Bagh | 1919 |
| Khilafat and Non-Cooperation | 1919–1922 |
| Swarajists and No-Changers | 1922–1926 |
| Simon Commission, Nehru Report | 1927–1928 |
| Purna Swaraj and Civil Disobedience | 1929–1934 |
| Round Table Conferences, Communal Award, Poona Pact | 1930–1932 |
Start with the topic page, then use the revision sheet and practice set.