What traumatic event does Zitkala-Sa describe at the school?

The forcible cutting of her long hair

Why was the cutting of her hair so humiliating to Zitkala-Sa?

Among her people, shingled hair was worn by cowards and mourners

When did Gandhi return to India and from where?

He returned in January 1915 after about two decades in South Africa, where he had become a leader of the Indian community.

A method of non-violent resistance based on truth and moral force, which Gandhi first developed in South Africa and then used in India.

Which early struggles did Gandhi lead after returning to India?

Local movements at Champaran (indigo cultivators), Ahmedabad (mill workers) and Kheda (peasants seeking revenue relief).

Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement launched?

In response to the Rowlatt Act, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Khilafat issue, Gandhi called on Indians to boycott British schools, courts, councils and goods.

Why did Gandhi call off Non-Cooperation in 1922?

After a violent incident at Chauri Chaura, where protesters killed policemen, Gandhi suspended the movement because it had departed from non-violence.

What was the significance of the Salt March of 1930?

By marching to Dandi and making salt in defiance of the salt law, Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement and turned salt into a powerful symbol of resistance.

How did Gandhi try to make nationalism inclusive?

He campaigned against untouchability, promoted khadi and the charkha, and drew peasants, workers, women and people of different communities into the movement.

How did women participate in Gandhi's movements?

Women joined protests, picketing, spinning and the Salt Satyagraha in large numbers, expanding the social base of the national movement.

What was the Quit India Movement?

A movement launched in 1942 demanding an immediate end to British rule; it became the most widespread popular challenge to the Raj.

How do historians reconstruct Gandhi's career?

They use newspapers, his own writings and letters, government records and contemporary accounts, separating the historical figure from the myths that grew around him.

Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement — Civil Disobedience and Beyond

Class 12 History · Themes in Indian History Part III · Chapter 3

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Summary

This chapter analyses Mahatma Gandhi's role in the Indian national movement between 1915 and 1948, using sources such as newspapers, letters, autobiographies and government records. Returning from South Africa in 1915, where he had developed satyagraha, Gandhi first led local struggles at Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda, then transformed the Congress into a mass movement. The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22), launched against the Rowlatt Act, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Khilafat issue, drew millions into boycotts of schools, courts and foreign goods, but Gandhi suspended it after the violence at Chauri Chaura. In 1930 the Salt March to Dandi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement, defying the salt law and spreading mass protest across the country; the Round Table Conferences and the Gandhi-Irwin Pact followed. Gandhi worked to make nationalism inclusive — addressing untouchability and calling untouchables Harijans, promoting khadi and the charkha, and reaching out to peasants, workers and women, who participated in large numbers. The Quit India Movement of 1942 became the most widespread challenge to British rule. Throughout, Gandhi appeared in ordinary dress, lived simply, and built an extraordinary bond with the masses, who saw him as a saintly leader. The chapter also shows how historians reconstruct his career — distinguishing the man from the myths around him — and reflects on the events leading to independence, Partition and his assassination in 1948.

Return, satyagraha and early strugglesNon-Cooperation and the mass movementThe Salt March and Civil DisobedienceInclusive nationalism: khadi, caste and womenQuit India, independence and Gandhi's legacy

Key terms

Satyagraha

Gandhi's technique of non-violent resistance based on truth and moral force, developed in South Africa.

Non-Cooperation Movement

The 1920-22 mass movement urging Indians to withdraw cooperation from British institutions.

Salt March

Gandhi's 1930 march to Dandi that launched the Civil Disobedience Movement by breaking the salt law.

Khadi

Hand-spun, hand-woven cloth promoted by Gandhi as a symbol of self-reliance and protest against foreign cloth.

Harijan

The term Gandhi used for untouchables in his campaign against untouchability.

Quit India Movement

The 1942 movement demanding an immediate end to British rule, the most widespread anti-colonial struggle.

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In which year did Gandhi return to India from South Africa?

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Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement — Civil Disobedience and Beyond

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Summary

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Practice quiz · Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement — Civil Disobedience and Beyond

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