Main Events during Gandhian Era

Rowlatt Act,1919

Passed despite Indian opposition|Allowed detention without trial|Based on Sedition Committee headed by Justice Sidney Rowlatt|Called Black Act

Satyagraha Against Rowlatt Act,1919

Gandhiji launched nationwide hartal|First all-India mass agitation led by Gandhi

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre,13 April 1919

Amritsar Punjab|General Reginald Dyer ordered firing|Occurred on Baisakhi day|Hundreds killed|Hunter Commission appointed

Hunter Commission,1919

Inquired into Jallianwala Bagh massacre|Dyer criticized but not severely punished

Khilafat Movement,1919-1924

Leaders-Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali|Supported by Gandhi|Aimed to protect Ottoman Caliphate

Non-Cooperation Movement,1920-1922

Launched at Nagpur Session 1920|Boycott of schools courts councils and foreign goods|Ended after Chauri-Chaura incident

Chauri-Chaura Incident,5 February 1922

Gorakhpur UP|Police station burnt|22 policemen killed|Led Gandhi to withdraw Non-Cooperation Movement

Swaraj Party,1923

Founded by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru|Also called Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party|Entered legislative councils to obstruct government

Simon Commission,1927

Chairman Sir John Simon|7 members all British no Indian member|Arrived in India in 1928|Boycotted with slogan Simon Go Back

Lala Lajpat Rai,1928

Injured during Simon Commission protest at Lahore|Died due to lathi charge injuries

Nehru Report,1928

Prepared by Motilal Nehru|First major constitutional framework by Indians|Demanded Dominion Status|Rejected separate electorates

Jinnah's Fourteen Points,1929

Response to Nehru Report|Safeguards demanded for Muslims

Lahore Session,December 1929

President Jawaharlal Nehru|Congress adopted Poorna Swaraj resolution|26 January 1930 observed as Independence Day

Poorna Swaraj Resolution,1929

Complete Independence declared as Congress goal|Passed at Lahore Session

Dandi March,12 March-6 April 1930

Started from Sabarmati Ashram|Ended at Dandi Navsari district Gujarat|Distance about 390 km|78 volunteers accompanied Gandhi

Salt Satyagraha,1930

Violation of Salt Law|Triggered Civil Disobedience Movement|Spread across India

Vedaranyam Salt March,1930

Conducted in Tanjore region Madras Presidency|Led by C. Rajagopalachari|Southern counterpart of Dandi March

Civil Disobedience Movement,1930-1934

Began with Salt Satyagraha|Refusal to pay taxes and breaking laws|Mass participation across India

First Round Table Conference,Nov 1930-Jan 1931

Held in London|Congress absent|73 delegates attended

Gandhi-Irwin Pact,5 March 1931

Agreement between Gandhi and Lord Irwin|Civil Disobedience suspended|Political prisoners released except violent offenders|Congress agreed to attend Second Round Table Conference

Karachi Session,March 1931

President Vallabhbhai Patel|Approved Gandhi-Irwin Pact|Resolution on Fundamental Rights and National Economic Programme

Second Round Table Conference,Sep-Dec 1931

Gandhi attended as sole Congress representative|Held in London|Failed over minority issues

Communal Award,16 August 1932

Announced by British PM Ramsay MacDonald|Separate electorates for depressed classes and minorities

Poona Pact,24 September 1932

Agreement between Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar|Separate electorates dropped|Reserved seats for Depressed Classes in provincial legislatures

Third Round Table Conference,1932

Congress absent|Limited participation|Led to Government of India Act 1935

Government of India Act,1935

Largest constitutional reform before independence|Provincial Autonomy introduced|Dyarchy abolished in provinces|Dyarchy proposed at centre|Federal scheme proposed but never implemented

Provincial Elections,1937

Congress won majority in several provinces|Congress ministries formed in 8 provinces

Congress Ministries Resign,1939

Resigned after India dragged into WWII without consultation|Protested Viceroy Linlithgow's decision

Pakistan Resolution,23 March 1940

Passed at Lahore Session of Muslim League|Also called Lahore Resolution|Demanded separate Muslim homeland

August Offer,8 August 1940

Announced by Lord Linlithgow|Promised expansion of Executive Council|Rejected by Congress

Individual Satyagraha,1940-1941

Launched by Gandhi against war policy|First satyagrahi-Vinoba Bhave|Second satyagrahi-Jawaharlal Nehru

Cripps Mission,March 1942

Sent by British Government|Leader Sir Stafford Cripps|Promised Dominion Status after war|Rejected by Congress and Muslim League

Quit India Movement,8 August 1942

Launched at Bombay Gowalia Tank Maidan|Congress adopted Quit India Resolution|Gandhi's slogan Do or Die

Quit India Leaders Arrested,9 August 1942

Gandhi Nehru Patel and others arrested immediately|Movement became leaderless but widespread

Gandhi's Fast,1943

21-day fast in Aga Khan Palace detention|Protested British policies and detention

C.R. Formula,1944

Proposed by C. Rajagopalachari|Attempt to resolve Congress-League deadlock|Basis for Gandhi-Jinnah talks

Wavell Plan,1945

Proposed by Viceroy Lord Wavell|Reconstitution of Executive Council suggested

Shimla Conference,June-July 1945

Convened by Lord Wavell|Failed due to Congress-League differences

Indian National Army (INA)

Founded by Mohan Singh in 1942|Reorganized by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1943

Azad Hind Fauj

Another name of INA|Subhas Bose became Supreme Commander

Azad Hind Government,21 October 1943

Provisional Government of Free India|Established by Subhas Chandra Bose in Singapore

INA Trial,Nov 1945

Red Fort Delhi|Accused-Shah Nawaz Khan Prem Kumar Sehgal Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon|Generated nationwide sympathy

Royal Indian Navy Revolt,1946

Began in Bombay|Demonstrated weakening British control

Cabinet Mission,March 1946

Members-Pethick Lawrence Stafford Cripps A.V. Alexander|Proposed Constituent Assembly and federal structure

Direct Action Day,16 August 1946

Called by Muslim League|Led to communal riots especially in Calcutta

Interim Government,2 September 1946

Vice President Jawaharlal Nehru|Formed before independence

Constituent Assembly,9 December 1946

First meeting held|Temporary Chairman-Sachchidananda Sinha|Permanent Chairman-Dr Rajendra Prasad elected on 11 December 1946

Attlee's Announcement,20 February 1947

British PM Clement Attlee announced transfer of power by June 1948

Mountbatten Plan,3 June 1947

Announced partition of India|Accepted by Congress and Muslim League

Indian Independence Act,18 July 1947

Passed by British Parliament|Created India and Pakistan as independent dominions|Effective from 15 August 1947

Indian Independence,15 August 1947

India became independent|Lord Mountbatten first Governor-General of independent India

Integration of Princely States,1947-1950

Led by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel|V.P. Menon key administrator|Over 560 princely states integrated

Junagadh Integration,1948

Nawab acceded to Pakistan|Plebiscite favored India

Hyderabad Integration,1948

Operation Polo conducted|Hyderabad merged with India

Kashmir Accession,26 October 1947

Maharaja Hari Singh signed Instrument of Accession|Indian troops airlifted to Srinagar