Question

(a) Identify the two male personalities in the picture given. Mention four ideological tenets of the Indian leader.
(b) Explain the reason behind the launching of the Khilafat Movement in India. Why were Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movements merged in 1920?
(c) Why was the Non-Cooperation Movement withdrawn?

Answer 1

a) Lord Mountbatten and Mahatma Gandhi.

Satyagraha, Non-violence or Ahimsa, Swadeshi and mass movement are the four ideological tenets of the Indian leader.

b) In the First World War, Turkey was defeated and the Ottoman Empire was divided. The Sultan of Turkey who was also the Caliph was deprived of all the authority. The Caliph was looked upon by large sections of Muslims as their religious head. They felt that any weakening of the Caliph's position would adversely affect the position of the Muslims.

The Muslim population in India started a powerful agitation known as Khilafat Movement, under the leadership of the Ali brothers- Mohamed Ali and Shaukat Ali- Maulana Hakim Ajmal Khan and Hasrat Mohani.' Khilafat Day' was observed on October 17, 1919 on an all-India scale.

Gandhiji saw in the Khilafat Movement an opportunity for uniting Hindus and Muslims . He said that the Congress plea for Hindu-Muslim unity. Mahatma Gandhi was elected as President of the All-India Khilafat Conference in November 1919. He advised the Khilafat Committee to adopt a policy of Non-Cooperation with the Government. By August 31, 1920, the Khilafat Non-Cooperation Movement started. By the end of 1920, the Khilafat Movement and the Congress Non-Cooperation Movement merged into one nationwide movement.

c) On February 5, 1922, a procession of about 3000 peasants marched to the police station to protest against the police officer who had beaten some volunteers picketing a liquor shop. The police fired at the peasants. This infuriated the peasants and they set the police station on fire killing 22 policemen. There were few other violent incidents in other parts of the country. Gandhiji, a believer in Ahimsa was greatly shocked at these incidents and he withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement on February 12, 1922.