CBSE Class 12 History Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement Assignment

Key points in nutshell:-
- Mahatma Gandhi is the most influential and revered of all the leaders who participated in the freedom struggle of India.
- In January 1915, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi returned to India after spending two decades in South Africa.
- It was in South Africa he first focused the distinctive techniques of non-violent protest known as Satyagraha and Promoted harmony between religions.
- On Gokhale’s advice he spent one year traveling around British India to know the land and its peoples.
- His first major public appearance was at the opening of the Banaras Hindu University in February 1916.
- Here in his speech Gandhiji Charged the Indian elite with a lack of concern for the labouring poor .
- He successfully organized Satyagraha at Champaran (Bihar in 1917); Ahmedabad and Kheda in 1918.
- In 1919 Gandhiji called for a century wide campaign against the “Rowlatt Act”. It was the Rowlatt Satyagraha that made Gandhiji a truly national leader.
- In 1920 After Jalianwala Bagh Massacre he called for a campaign of non cooperation with British Rule and joined hands with the Khilafat movement.
- The British Raj was shaken to its foundations for the first time since the Revolt of 1857.
- Non-cooperation movement was suspended in 1922 after Chauri-Chaura incident.
- Causes of Gandhiji’s popularity among Indians. he dressed like them lived like them and speak their language.
- Mahatma Gandhi was released from prison in February 1924 devoted himself in constructive work like promotion of home-spun cloth khadi, abolition of untouchability,
Hindu-Muslim unity etc.
- In 1928 Gandhiji began to think of reentering politics. After the failure of Simon Commission in its annual session at Lahore Congress demanded Purna Swaraj and
decided to observe 26th January 1930 as Independence Day.
- 12th March 1930-Dandi Satyagraha, Salt March.
- On 6th April 1930 broke the salt law.
- Across large parks of India peasants breached forest laws, factory workers went on the strike, lawyers boycotted courts and students refused to attend government run educational institutions.
1930- First Round Table conference- Gandhiji did not attend.
1931- Gandhi-Irwin pact, 2nd Round Table Conference- Gandhi attended but it failed.
1935- Government of India Act
1937- Provincial Election, Congress formed ministries in 8 out of 11 provinces.
1939- World War II broke out, Individual Satyagraha.
1940- Two Nation Theory put forward by Jinnah.
1942- Failure of Cripps Mission.
9th August 1942- Quit India Movements by Gandhiji. Gandhiji along with all prominent leaders sent to jail.
1946- Cabinet Mission- Failed to get the Congress and the League to agree on the federal system.
16th August 1946- Direct Action Day and Communal riots in Bengal, Bihar, U.P and Punjab.
1947- Mountbatten was appointed as viceroy.
15th August 1947- Formal transfer of power, announcement of partition and India got her independence.
The last heroic days of Gandhiji:-
- On 15th August 1947 Gandhiji was not at Delhi to witness the festivities. He was at Calcatta and undertook a 24 hour fast.
- Due to initiative of Gandhiji and Nehru Congress passed a resolution on the rights of the minorities.
After working to bring peace to Bengal Gandhiji shifted to Delhi from where he hoped to move on to the riot-torn districts of Punjab. On 30th January 1948 Gandhiji was shot dead by Nathuram Godse.

Sources to know more about Gandhiji:-
1. Public voice and private scripts.
2. Series of Personal letters published by Gandhiji in his journal Harijan.
3. A bunch of old letters edited by Nehru.
4. Fortnightly Reports of the Home Department.
5. From newspapers.

ASSERTION AND REASON BASED MCQs

Directions : In the following questions, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of
Reason (R). Mark the correct choice as:
(A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(B) Both A and R are true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
(C) A is true but R is false.
(D) A is false and R is true.

Question. Assertion (A) : The Salt March was highly successful.
Reason (R) :It was the Salt March which forced the British to realise that their Raj would not last forever and that they have to devolve same powers to the Indians.
Answer : A

Question. Assertion (A): In February 1924, Mahatma Gandhi chose to devote his attention to the promotion of home-spun cloth (khadi), and the abolition of untouchability.
Reason (R): Mahatma Gandhi believed that in order to be worthy of freedom, Indians had to get rid of social evils.
Answer : A

Question. Assertion (A) : In 1940, the Muslim League passed a resolution committing itself to the creation of a separate nation called “Pakistan”.
Reason (R) : The political polarisation was complete and Jinnah called for a “Direct Action Day” to press for the League’s demand for Pakistan.
Answer : B

Question. Assertion (A) : The Congress wished to “assure the minorities in India that it will continue to protect, to the best of its ability, their citizen rights against aggression.
Reason (R) : The Congress party had never accepted the “two-nation theory”: forced against its will to accept Partition. 
Answer : A

Question. Assertion (A): Gandhiji called for a countrywide campaign against the “Rowlatt Act”. In towns across North and West India, life came to a standstill, as shops shut down and schools closed in response to the bandh call.
Reason (R): Indians who wished colonialism to end were asked to stop attending schools, colleges, and law courts, and not pay taxes. In sum, they were asked to adhere to a “renunciation of (all) voluntary association with the (British) Government”.
Answer : B

Question. Assertion (A): Gandhiji was as much a social reformer as he was a politician.
Reason (R): He believed that in order to be worthy of freedom, Indians have to get rid of social evils such as child marriage and untouchability. 
Answer : A

CASE-BASED MCQs

I. Read the following excerpt carefully and answer the following questions: 

On 5 April 1930, Mahatma Gandhi spoke at Dandi:
When I left Sabarmati with my companions for this seaside hamlet of Dandi, I was not certain in my mind that we would be allowed to reach this place.
Even while I was at Sabarmati there was a rumour that I might be arrested. I had thought that the Government might perhaps let my party come as far as Dandi, but not me certainly. If someone says that this betrays imperfect faith on my part, I shall not deny the charge. That I have reached here is in no small measure due to the power of peace and non-violence: that power is universally felt. The Government may, if it wishes, congratulate itself on acting as it has done, for it could have arrested every one of us. In saying that it did not have the courage to arrest this army of peace, we praise it. It felt ashamed to arrest such an army.
He is a civilised man who feels ashamed to do anything which his neighbours would disapprove.
The Government deserves to be congratulated on not arresting us, even if it desisted only from fear of world opinion. Tomorrow we shall break the salt tax law. Whether the Government will tolerate that is a different question. It may not tolerate it, but it deserves congratulation for the patience and forbearance it has displayed in regard to this party. … What if I and all the eminent leaders in Gujarat and in the rest of the country are arrested? This movement is based on the faith that when a whole nation is roused and on the march no leader is necessary.

Question. The Dandi March started from:
(a) Delhi
(b) Meerut
(c) Ahmadabad
(d) Bardoli
Answer : C

Question. Choose the correct option.
Assertion (A): Gandhi made Salt a symbol of Protest.
Reason (R): Salt was used by Hindus and Muslims, it was used by rich and poor and the rate of tax was very high on salt.
(a) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is incorrect but R is correct.
(d) R is incorrect but A is correct.
Answer : A

Question. Why was Gandhiji certain that he would not be allowed to reach Dandi?
(a) British might arrest him on the way.
(b) British might impose the Rowlatt Act on him.
(c) The British deport him back to South Africa.
(d) All of the above
Answer : A

Question. Consider the following statements :
(a) Gandhi declared on 5th April that on 6th April he will break the salt law
(b) He chose 6th April, because on this day Poorna Swarajya resolution was passed.
Choose the correct option:
(a) Only (a) is correct
(b) Only (b) is correct
(c) Both (a) and (b) are correct.
(d) Neither (a) nor (b) is correct
Answer : A

Very short questions

Question. Who were Lal-Bal-Pal?
Answer: All three were early extremist leaders, who led the nation-wide Nationalist movement.
Lal-Lala lajpat Rai, Bal- Bal Ganga dhar Tilak and Pal- Bipin Chandra Pal.

Question. Name one movement launched for farmers and peasants by Mahatma Gandhi in India?
Answer: 1. Champaran Satyagraha 1917 for indigo peasants.
2. Ahmedabad mill labour movement 1918.

Question. State the significance of Gandhiji`s speech at Banaras Hindu University?
Answer: 1. Gandhiji charged the Indian elite with a lack of concern for the labouring poor.
2. He worried about the contrast between the rich and poor. He felt salvation of India lay in the farmers.

Question. What is meant by Rowlatt Act?
Answer: Anybody could be arrested on the basis of suspicion and put in prison without trial.
This Act was made by Rowlatt to suppress the freedom struggle.

Question. Why was charkha chosen as a national symbol?
Answer: 1- Symbol of self-reliance and self confidence.
2. Source of employment for thousands of poor and unemployed.

Question. What was the significance of Lahore Session of Congress?
Answer: 1- Declaration of poorna Swaraj as the main objective of Congress.
2- 26 January 1930 to be celebrated as Independence Day.

Question. Describe the Gandhi –Irwin Pact of 1931?
Answer: 1- Gandhiji postponed Civil Disobedience movement.
2- Irwin agreed to release all prisoners and allowed to make salt along the coast.
3- Gandhiji agreed to go to second round table conference.

Question. What was the attitude of the Indian National Congress towards the second world war?
Answer: 1-Both Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru were against Hitler and Nazis.
2-They promised congress support to the war effort if the British in return promised to grant India Independence after the war.

Short questions

Question. Why did Gandhiji start Non-cooperation Movement? Why was it withdrawn?
Answer: To oppose Rowlatt Act.
- To undo the injustice done at Jalianwala Bagh.
- To support the Khilafat Movement.
- To attend Swaraj.
- Violence at Chauri-Chaura – He withdrew non co-operation movement because of the incident of Chauri-Chaura
- Gandhiji believed in non-violence.

Question. Explain the significance of Dandi March?
Answer: 1. Violation of Salt law- a monopoly of British and manufacturing of salt.
2. Large scale participation of women.
3. Civil law violated across large part of India.

Question. What was the problem of separate electorates? What were the disagreement between Congress and Dalits on this issue? Finally what solution to be of this issue?
Answer: Demand of separate electorates by the Dalits in which they wanted reservation in separate Electorates like muslims.
In 1931 in the second Round Table Conference Dalit leader Dr.B.R.Ambedkar said Congress does not represent the Dalits.
- He said Dalits are socially and economically backward. By separate electorate they can put demands of their rights.
- Gandhiji opposed the separate electorates.
- Finally Congress gave separate electorates to Dalits within the Congress.

Long questions

Question. How did Gandhiji transform National Movement into mass movement?
Answer: 1. Simple lifestyle
2. Use of Hindi for communication
3. Role of Gandhiji in three mass movement.
4. Emphasis on Truth and non-violence
5. swadeshi, boycott and Swaraj.
6. Importance on Charkha and Khadi.
7. Upliftment of women, poor down trodden.
8. Hindu-Muslim unity
9. Abolition of untouchability.
10. Balancing each and every section of society.

Question. Explain the sources from which we can reconstruct the political career of Mahatma Gandhi and the history of National Movement of India.
Answer: Auto-biographies and biographies.
- Contemporary newspapers.
- Official and police records.,
- Public speeches
- private letters.

Question. “Where ever Gandhiji went, rumours spread of his miraculous power.” Explain with examples.
Answer: 1-The ascetic life style,
2. Use of dhoti and charkha
3. Use of Hindi for communication made Gandhiji very popular.
4- Where ever he went rumours spread of his miraculous powers.
a- Sent by King to redress the grievances of the farmers.
b- Had power to overrule all local officials.
c- Gandhiji was superior to the British.
5- Fight against untouchability.

Source based questions:-

Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:

Why the salt satyagraha?
Why was salt the symbol of protest? This is what Mahatma Gandhi wrote:
The volume of information being gained daily shows how wickedly the salt tax has being designed. In order to prevent the use of salt that has not paid the tax which is at times even fourteen times its value, the Government destroys the salt it can not sell profitably. Thus it taxes the nation’s vital necessity; it prevents the public from manufacturing it and destroys what nature manufactures without effort. No adjective is strong enough for characterising this wicked dog-in-the-manager policy. From various sources I hear tales of such wanton destruction of the nation’s property in all parts of India. Maunds if not tons of salt are said to be destroyed on the Konkan coast. The same tale comes from Dandi. Wherever there is likelihood of natural salt being taken away by the people living in the neighbourhood areas for their personal use, salt officers are posted for the sole purpose of carrying on destruction. Thus valuable national property is destroyed at national expense and salt taken out of the mouths of the people.
The salt monopoly is thus a fourfold curse. It deprives the people of a valuable easy village industry, involves wanton destruction of property that nation produces in abundance, the destruction itself means more national expenditure, and fourthly, to crown his folly, and unheard-of takes of more than 1,000 per cent is exacted from a starving people.
This tax has remained so long because of the apathy of the general public. Now that it is sufficiently roused, the tax has to go. How soon it will be abolished depends upon the strength the people.

Question. Why was salt the symbol of protest? 2
Answer: Salt was the symbol of protest because salt was used by everyone even by the poorest Indians.
In every Indian household salt was indispensable yet people were forbidden from making salt even for domestic use compelling them to buy it from shops at a high price.

Question. Why was salt destroyed by the Colonial Government? 3
Answer: The salt tax had been wickedly designed. In order to prevent the use of salt that has not paid the tax which was at times even fourteen times its value, the Government
destroyed the salt it could not sell profitably.

Question. Why did Mahatma Gandhi consider the salt tax more oppressive than other taxes?
Answer: Gandhiji considered the salt tax more oppressive than other taxes because salt tax was wickedly designed by the Government. The salt tax was at times even fourteen times its values. The Government destroyed the salt it can not sell profitably. Wherever there was likelihood of natural salt being taken away by the people salt officers were posted
for destruction. In this way national property was destroyed at national expe.

Question. ‘Non Cooperation was a form of Protest’. Evaluate this statement.
Answer: Gandhiji was one of the greatest personality of the world. His main principles were – Truth and Non Violence. Gandhiji decided to start noncooperation as a unique form of protest freedom struggle against the British rule. He hoped that by coupling non cooperation with khilafat, Hindu and Muslims could collectively bring an end to colonial rule. During NCM (Non Coorperation Movement) Students stopped going to school and colleges run by the British Government. Lawyers refused to attend the court. The working class went on strike in many towns and cities. The country side was seething with discontent.Hill tribe in Northern Andhra violated by the forest laws. Farmers in Awadh did not pay taxes. These protest movements were sometime carried out in defence of the local nationalist leadership. By the Analysis of the above mentioned facts it can be said that undoubtedly this was the first freedom struggle movement, in which most of Indian castes and communities participated to protest British rule.

Question. How did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the National movement?
Answer: Gandhiji transformed the nature of the National movement by the following thoughts, methods ideology, working styles movements etc. The main principles of his philosophy were

i. Satyagrah

ii. Non violence

iii. Peace

iv. True sympathy for the poorest.

v. Empowerment of the lady.

vi. Communal Harmony

vii. Indian Rural areas and to think about interest of the people residing in the villages and to motivate the other people to think, to act and to inspire resourceful and influencial high up of the society in favour of down trodden.

viii. Opposing untouchablility with his full vigor and strength.

ix. To stress both equally and their purity of aim and means alike.

x. To launch public welfare programme.

xi. To stress importance of cottage Industry.

xii. Charkha

xiii. Spinning wheels

xiv. Khadi etc

xv. To oppose colour discrimination alike. 

Gandhiji utilized south Africa as practical lab for his ideological and philosophical development. He raised his voice at full pitch their against wrong policies and injustice done by the government of South Africa. He utilize Satyagraha in South Africa also in several places in India. When Gandhiji returned to motherland in 1915. In fact that time still Indian National congress was confined in only urban areas upto people of middle educated classes. He knew very well that its natural power rests with the rural people, labour, ordinary men and women and young boys and girls till all sections and people of Indian society would not join freedom struggle against the colonial British power then it would be very difficult to finish British authority from India. Gandhiji said that British rule have rewarded India through out spreading Poverty, hunger, low quality of life ,illiteracy, superstitions and social disunity and disharmony. Gandhiji opposed the owners of Indigo plantation of champaran. He also press the cotton textile mill owners to revise the minimum wage of the labourers. Gandhiji was a true economic and social reformer. He advocated the use of charkha and khadi. He stressed the importance of cottage and very small industries. Infact due to his efforts the face of Indian National Movement turns from palaces to hunts, from urban areas or cities towards villages where the real India resides. This was the greatest work of Gandhiji. This converted the shape of National movement into a mass movement

Ques. 1 ‘Non Cooperation was a form of Protest’. Evaluate this statement.
Ans:- Gandhiji was one of the greatest personality of the world. His main principles were – Truth and Non Violence. Gandhiji decided to start noncooperation as a unique form of protest freedom struggle against the British rule. He hoped that by coupling non cooperation with khilafat, Hindu and
Muslims could collectively bring an end to colonial rule.
During NCM (Non Coorperation Movement) Students stopped going to school and colleges run by the British Government.
Lawyers refused to attend the court.
The working class went on strike in many towns and cities.
The country side was seething with discontent.Hill tribe in Northern
Andhra violated by the forest laws. Farmers in Awadh did not pay taxes.
These protest movements were sometime carried out in defence of the local nationalist leadership. 
By the Analysis of the above mentioned facts it can be said that undoubtedly this was the first freedom struggle movement, in which most of
Indian castes and communities participated to protest British rule.

Ques.2 How did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the National movement?
Ans:- Gandhiji transformed the nature of the National movement by the following thoughts, methods ideology, working styles movements etc.
The main principles of his philosophy were
i. Satyagrah
ii. Non violence
iii. Peace
iv. True sympathy for the poorest.
v. Empowerment of the lady.
vi. Communal Harmony
vii. Indian Rural areas and to think about interest of the people residing
in the villages and to motivate the other people to think, to act and to inspire resourceful and influencial high up of the society in favour of down trodden.
viii. Opposing untouchablility with his full vigor and strength.
ix. To stress both equally and their purity of aim and means alike.
x. To launch public welfare programme.
xi. To stress importance of cottage Industry.
xii. Charkha
xiii. Spinning wheels
xiv. Khadi etc
xv. To oppose colour discrimination alike.
Gandhiji utilized south Africa as practical lab for his ideological and philosophical development. He raised his voice at full pitch their against wrong policies and injustice done by the government of South Africa. He utilize Satyagraha in South Africa also in several places in India.
When Gandhiji returned to motherland in 1915. In fact that time still Indian National congress was confined in only urban areas upto people of middle educated classes. He knew very well that its natural power rests with the rural people, labour, ordinary men and women and young boys and girls till all sections and people of Indian society would not join freedom struggle against the colonial British power then it would be very difficult to finish British authority from India`Gandhiji said that British rule have rewarded India through out spreading Poverty, hunger, low quality of life ,illiteracy, superstitions and social disunity and disharmony.
Gandhiji opposed the owners of Indigo plantation of champaran. He also press the cotton textile mill owners to revise the minimum wage of the labourers.
Gandhiji was a true economic and social reformer. He advocated the use of charkha and khadi. He stressed the importance of cottage and very small industries.
Infact due to his efforts the face of Indian National Movement turns from palaces to hunts, from urban areas or cities towards villages where the real India resides. This was the greatest work of Gandhiji. This converted the shape of National movement into a mass movement.

Ques3:-‘The Quit India Movement was truly a mass movement’. Justify this statement.
Ans:- Due to the failure of the Cripps mission, Gandhiji decided to launch his third major movement against British rule. This was called Quit India Movement. This was to be a mass struggle on non violent lines under leadership of Gandhiji. But on the Next day of the approval of India Quit Movement resolution. Gandhi and other main congress leaders were arrested. But the younger activist organized demonstrations and strike in factories, schools and colleges in all parts of the country.
Particularly active in the underground resistance were socialist members of the congress such as Jaya Prakash Narain and Ram Manohar Lohia, Aruna Asif Ali. In some areas such as Satara and Midnapur “Independent governments were proclaimed. The movement took the form of a violent