CBSE Class 10 · Nationalism in India

First World War and Khilafat Movement: Class 10 Notes

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

This topic explains how the First World War brought higher taxes, rising prices, forced recruitment, famine and epidemic to India. It then shows how Gandhiji used the Khilafat issue to unite Hindus and Muslims, leading to Non-Cooperation at the Calcutta and Nagpur sessions of 1920. The board asks causes, effects, sequences and map items.

Understand First World War and Khilafat Movement

In India, nationalism grew out of the fight against colonial rule. People found their unity while struggling against the British. Being oppressed together gave very different groups a common bond, even though each group suffered in its own way and had its own idea of freedom.

The First World War made this suffering much sharper. Britain's defence spending rose hugely, and it was paid for through war loans and higher taxes. Import duties went up, and a tax on incomes was charged for the first time. Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, so ordinary families found it hard to manage. Villages were made to supply soldiers, and this forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.

Nature added to the misery. Crops failed in 1918-19 and 1920-21, food ran short, and an influenza epidemic spread. The 1921 census recorded 12 to 13 million deaths from famines and the epidemic. People hoped things would improve once the war ended. They did not. This is why, after 1919, the national movement spread to new areas, drew in new social groups and tried new ways of struggle.

Gandhiji's Rowlatt satyagraha of 1919 was widespread but mostly limited to cities and towns. He now wanted a broader movement, and he was sure it needed Hindus and Muslims to come closer. The war gave an opening. Ottoman Turkey had been defeated, and there were rumours that a harsh treaty would be imposed on the Ottoman emperor, the Khalifa, spiritual head of the Islamic world. In March 1919 a Khilafat Committee was set up in Bombay to protect his temporal powers, that is, his political and worldly power as a ruler, not only his religious leadership. Young leaders such as the brothers Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali discussed united mass action with Gandhiji, who saw a chance to bring Muslims into one national movement.

At the Calcutta session (September 1920), Gandhiji convinced other leaders to start non-cooperation in support of Khilafat and for swaraj (self-rule). Many in the Congress hesitated: they did not want to boycott the council elections of November 1920 and feared popular violence. After months of tussle, a compromise at the Nagpur session (December 1920) adopted the programme. So the war links directly to the two defining movements: it created the hardship, and its result created the Khilafat issue.

First World War and Khilafat Movement: key facts

War finance: Defence spending paid by war loans and taxes: customs duties raised, income tax introduced; Use as the first economic effect of the war.
Prices: Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918; Shows hardship for the common people.
Forced recruitment: The government compelled villagers to become soldiers whether or not they wished to serve; Political effect; caused widespread rural anger.
Famine and epidemic: Crop failures 1918-19 and 1920-21, influenza; 12 to 13 million died (census of 1921); Quote the census figure carefully.
Khilafat Committee: Bombay, March 1919: to defend the Khalifa's temporal powers (his political power as a ruler, not only his religious role); Formed after Ottoman Turkey's defeat in the war. Young leaders Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali then discussed united action with Gandhiji.
Calcutta session: September 1920: Gandhiji convinced leaders to start non-cooperation for Khilafat and swaraj; Map item.
Nagpur session: December 1920: compromise reached, Non-Cooperation programme adopted; Map item. Do not confuse it with Calcutta.

How to answer First World War and Khilafat Movement questions

Questions here ask you to link causes to results. Examiners give marks for separate, fact-backed points.

1Read the command word: 'explain how', 'analyse' or 'trace' need cause-and-effect links, not just a list.
2Sort the war effects into economic (taxes, prices), social (forced recruitment) and natural (crop failure, epidemic).
3Quote one NCERT fact in each point: prices doubled 1913-18, income tax introduced, 12 to 13 million deaths.
4Finish with the result: people's hopes were not met, so the movement spread to new areas and groups.
5For Khilafat, give the chain: Ottoman defeat, rumoured harsh treaty, Khilafat Committee, Gandhiji's aim of Hindu-Muslim unity.
6Keep Calcutta (September, persuasion) and Nagpur (December, adoption after compromise) apart.
7Count words: 40 for 2 marks, 60 for 3, 120 for 5.

First World War and Khilafat Movement in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Effects of the First World War on India

Imagine a family whose monthly budget stays the same while the price of food and fuel keeps rising. A new charge is added to their bill, and one son is made to leave for distant work without choice. Their grandparents say they feel angry at those in charge.

Using this situation, explain why hardship during the First World War made Indians turn against British rule.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Rising prices: in the war years prices doubled, like the family's rising costs.
New burdens: customs duties and income tax were like the new charge on the bill.
Forced recruitment: villagers were made to join the army, like the son sent away.
Hopes broken: hardship did not end after the war, so anger grew into a mass movement.

Answer: The family's anger mirrors India after the war. Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, new taxes such as income tax were imposed, and villagers were forcibly recruited. Crop failures and an epidemic followed. When hardship continued after the war, anger at the colonial government spread and drew new groups into the national movement.

Memory hook: Empty pocket plus no choice equals a nation ready to protest.

Khilafat and Hindu-Muslim unity

Suppose a class leader wants every section of the class to join one campaign for a better library. One group is upset about a separate issue that matters deeply to them. The leader decides to support their issue too, so both groups march together.

Compare the leader's decision with Gandhiji's choice to take up the Khilafat issue. What did he hope to gain?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Identify the aim: one broad-based, united movement.
Gandhiji felt this was impossible without Hindus and Muslims coming closer.
Taking up Khilafat, an issue Muslims cared about, brought them into the movement.
Result: Non-Cooperation was launched for both Khilafat and swaraj.

Answer: Like the leader, Gandhiji backed an issue dear to one community to build a joint struggle. He believed no broad movement was possible without Hindu-Muslim unity, so he supported the Khilafat cause and linked it with swaraj in the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Memory hook: Back their cause, and they will back yours.

Tricks to remember First World War and Khilafat Movement

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

TPRFE for war effects
Taxes, Prices, Recruitment, Failure of crops, Epidemic.
Use it when: Recall all five effects for a 3- or 5-mark answer.
C before N, persuade before adopt
Calcutta in September convinced; Nagpur in December concluded.
Use it when: Stops you swapping the two 1920 sessions on a map or MCQ.
Bombay for the Khalifa
B for Bombay, B for brothers (Ali brothers).
Use it when: Place and date of the Khilafat Committee; Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali were young Muslim leaders who discussed united action with Gandhiji.

First World War and Khilafat Movement: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: MCQ: putting 1919-20 events in order · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Arrange the following events in the correct chronological order.
I. The Calcutta session convinced Congress leaders to start non-cooperation.
II. A Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay.
III. The Non-Cooperation programme was adopted after a compromise.
IV. A hartal against the Rowlatt Act began on 6 April.
(a) IV, II, I, III
(b) II, IV, I, III
(c) II, I, IV, III
(d) IV, II, III, I

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919 (II).
The Rowlatt hartal began on 6 April 1919 (IV), after the Khilafat Committee was formed in March 1919.
The Calcutta session came in September 1920 (I), and the Nagpur session in December 1920 (III).
Order: II, IV, I, III, which is option (b) (1).

Answer: (b) II, IV, I, III.

Example 2: How the war helped the national movement · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Explain how the First World War helped the growth of the national movement in India. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Defence spending was financed by war loans and taxes; customs duties rose and income tax was introduced, while prices doubled 1913-18 (1).
Forced recruitment of soldiers from villages caused widespread anger (1).
Crop failures and influenza killed 12 to 13 million; hardship continued after the war, so discontent fed a mass movement (1).

Answer: The war raised taxes, including new income tax, and prices doubled between 1913 and 1918. Forced recruitment in villages angered people. Crop failures and an influenza epidemic killed 12 to 13 million. When hardship did not end after the war, this anger helped the national movement spread to new areas and groups.

Example 3: Evaluate: war hardship and Khilafat together · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Evaluate how far the hardships of the First World War and the Khilafat issue together made a mass movement possible in India by 1920. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Hardship: war loans, raised customs duties and new income tax; prices doubled 1913-18, causing distress for common people (1).
Forced recruitment, crop failures and influenza (12 to 13 million deaths); hopes of relief after the war failed, so anger spread across groups (1).
Hardship alone was not enough: the Rowlatt satyagraha of 1919 stayed mostly in cities and towns, and Gandhiji felt a broad movement needed Hindu-Muslim unity (1).
The war's outcome supplied that link: Ottoman defeat, a rumoured harsh treaty on the Khalifa, and a Khilafat Committee in Bombay in March 1919 gave Muslims a cause Gandhiji could support (1).
Judgement: together they made it possible; at Calcutta (September 1920) non-cooperation was backed for Khilafat and swaraj, and Nagpur (December 1920) adopted it. Qualify it: Gandhiji's leadership and the anger after the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh also pushed people to act (1).

Answer: War spending brought new income tax and higher customs duties, and prices doubled between 1913 and 1918. Forced recruitment, crop failures and influenza (12 to 13 million deaths) deepened the anger, and relief did not come after the war. Yet hardship alone did not unite India: the Rowlatt satyagraha stayed largely urban, and Gandhiji felt a broad movement needed Hindu-Muslim unity. The war's end supplied this. Ottoman Turkey's defeat and rumours of a harsh treaty on the Khalifa led to the Khilafat Committee. Linking Khilafat with swaraj, Gandhiji won Calcutta's support, and Nagpur adopted Non-Cooperation. Together they made a mass movement possible, though Gandhiji's leadership and the anger after Jallianwala Bagh also mattered.

Example 4: Map: 1920 sessions with reasons · 2 marks · Map workBoard level

On an outline map of India, A and B mark the two places where the Congress held important sessions in 1920. Identify each place and state in one line what was decided there. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

A: Calcutta (½); in September 1920 Gandhiji convinced leaders to start non-cooperation for Khilafat and swaraj (½).
B: Nagpur (½); in December 1920 a compromise was reached and the Non-Cooperation programme was adopted (½).

Answer: A is Calcutta: the September 1920 session where leaders were persuaded to start non-cooperation for Khilafat and swaraj. B is Nagpur: the December 1920 session where, after a compromise, the Non-Cooperation programme was adopted.

Example 5: Source: why hardship was not enough · 4 marks · Source-basedHOTS / competency

Read the source and answer.

The war years left India exhausted. Taxes rose, income tax was introduced and prices doubled by 1918. Villages were pushed to send men to the army, and failed harvests and influenza followed. Yet when Gandhiji called a satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act in 1919, the protest, though widespread, stayed largely within cities and towns. Gandhiji concluded that a broader movement could not be built unless Hindus and Muslims came closer together. The war had also ended with the defeat of Ottoman Turkey, and rumours spread that the Ottoman emperor, the Khalifa, spiritual head of the Islamic world, would face a harsh treaty. A Khilafat Committee was formed in Bombay in March 1919, and young Muslim leaders began talking with Gandhiji about united action.

(i) What limitation of the Rowlatt satyagraha does the source point out? (1)
(ii) Why did the fate of the Khalifa matter to Indian Muslims? (1)
(iii) Infer why wartime hardship alone was not enough to build a mass movement, and why Gandhiji also took up the Khilafat issue. (2)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) It was limited mostly to cities and towns (1).
(ii) The Khalifa was the spiritual head of the Islamic world (1).
(iii) Hardship gave a shared grievance, but it did not by itself bring communities together; the Rowlatt protest stayed urban and a broad movement needed Hindu-Muslim unity (1).
(iii) Khilafat was a cause Muslims cared about, so supporting it and linking it with swaraj could bring Muslims under one national movement with Hindus (1).

Answer: (i) It stayed mostly within cities and towns. (ii) He was the spiritual head of the Islamic world. (iii) Hardship created anger, but it did not unite communities on its own, as the urban Rowlatt protest showed. Gandhiji believed a broad movement needed Hindu-Muslim unity. Backing the Khilafat cause and joining it to swaraj gave Muslims a reason to join one national struggle.

Example 6: Gandhiji's plan for non-cooperation · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Why did Gandhiji believe non-cooperation could bring swaraj, and how did he plan for the movement to unfold? (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

In Hind Swaraj (1909) he argued British rule was set up and survived only with Indian cooperation; if Indians refused, it would collapse within a year (1).
Stage one: surrender of government titles and boycott of civil services, army, police, courts, legislative councils, schools and foreign goods (1).
Stage two: if the government used repression, a full civil disobedience campaign would follow (1).

Answer: In Hind Swaraj (1909) Gandhiji said British rule rested on Indian cooperation, so if Indians withdrew it, the rule would collapse within a year. He planned stages: first, surrendering titles and boycotting civil services, army, police, courts, councils, schools and foreign goods; then, if the government turned repressive, a full civil disobedience campaign.

Example 7: Very short answer: hopes that failed · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level

Indians had expected their hardships to end once the war was over. Why did the failure of this hope matter for the national movement? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Hardships such as doubled prices, new taxes, forced recruitment, famine and epidemic continued after the war (1).
Unmet hopes turned into anger against colonial rule, so after 1919 the movement spread to new areas, drew in new social groups and tried new ways of struggle (1).

Answer: Doubled prices, new taxes, forced recruitment, famine and epidemic did not end with the war. These unmet hopes turned into anger against colonial rule, so after 1919 the movement spread to new areas and new social groups.

Where students lose marks in First World War and Khilafat Movement

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Swapping the two 1920 sessions
Both are in 1920 and both are about Non-Cooperation.
Wrong working
Non-Cooperation was adopted at Calcutta in December 1920.
Right working
Leaders were convinced at Calcutta in September 1920; the programme was adopted at Nagpur in December 1920.
Do this: Remember: C convinces, N concludes.
Usually costs: 1 mark in MCQs and map questions.
Mistake: Listing war effects without linking to nationalism
Students stop at the hardship.
Wrong working
Prices rose and taxes increased.
Right working
Prices doubled and taxes rose, so anger against colonial rule grew and the movement spread.
Do this: End each point with 'so...'.
Usually costs: Up to half the marks in 'how did it help' questions.
Mistake: Wrong place for the Khilafat Committee
Students confuse it with the Calcutta session.
Wrong working
Khilafat Committee formed in Calcutta, 1920.
Right working
Khilafat Committee formed in Bombay, March 1919.
Do this: Khilafat Committee = Bombay, March 1919.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Saying the Khalifa ruled India's Muslims
Misreading 'spiritual head'.
Wrong working
The Khalifa was the ruler of Indian Muslims.
Right working
The Khalifa was the Ottoman emperor and spiritual head of the Islamic world.
Do this: Use the exact description.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

Group war effects into economic, social and natural to write distinct points.
Use exact NCERT details: prices doubled 1913-18, census of 1921, Bombay March 1919.
Practise Calcutta and Nagpur on an outline map; both are in the official map list.
In 5-mark answers, show the chain from war hardship to Khilafat to Non-Cooperation.

Practice questions on First World War and Khilafat Movement

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
The defeat of Ottoman Turkey in the First World War led directly to the formation of which body in India?
(a) Oudh Kisan Sabha
(b) Swaraj Party
(c) Khilafat Committee
(d) Justice Party
Hint
Which body was set up to defend the Khalifa's temporal powers?
Answer
(c) Khilafat Committee.
Q2 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): At the Calcutta session of 1920, Gandhiji linked non-cooperation in support of Khilafat with the demand for swaraj.
Reason (R): He believed that no broad-based movement could be organised without bringing Hindus and Muslims closer together.
(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 but R is true.
Hint
Join two parts of the chapter: what Gandhiji concluded after the Rowlatt satyagraha, and what he proposed at Calcutta.
Answer
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. After the largely urban Rowlatt satyagraha, Gandhiji wanted a broader movement that needed Hindu-Muslim unity; supporting Khilafat alongside swaraj was his way of building it.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Why did the decision at the Calcutta session of September 1920 not settle the question of non-cooperation at once? How was it finally settled? (3 marks)
Hint
Think of the council elections, fear of violence, and what happened in December.
Answer
Many in the Congress were reluctant to boycott the council elections due in November 1920. They also feared the movement might lead to popular violence. After an intense tussle from September to December, a compromise was worked out at the Nagpur session in December 1920 and the programme was adopted.
Q4 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Evaluate why the Rowlatt satyagraha of 1919 did not become the broad-based mass movement that the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement became. (5 marks)
Hint
Compare the two on their social base, their cause, their organisation and how they ended. Finish with a judgement.
Answer
Value points:
- Base: the Rowlatt satyagraha was widespread but stayed mostly in cities and towns (1).
- Course: it opposed one law, and after the Amritsar firing and Jallianwala Bagh, violence and brutal repression spread, so Gandhiji called it off quickly (1).
- Unity: Gandhiji concluded that a broad movement needed Hindus and Muslims to come closer; the Khilafat issue, born of Ottoman Turkey's defeat, gave Muslims a cause to join (1).
- Programme: Non-Cooperation joined Khilafat with swaraj, was planned in stages (surrender of titles and boycotts, then civil disobedience if repressed) and was adopted by the whole Congress at Nagpur after the Calcutta debate (1).
- Judgement: war hardship had already spread discontent widely; what the 1921 movement added was a wider social base and a planned, united organisation, not just anger (1).
Model answer: The Rowlatt satyagraha of 1919 drew wide support but stayed mostly in cities and towns. It targeted one law, and once the Amritsar firing and Jallianwala Bagh brought violence and harsh repression, Gandhiji called it off. He concluded that a broad movement needed Hindu-Muslim unity. The Khilafat issue, created by Ottoman Turkey's defeat, gave him that link. Non-Cooperation joined Khilafat with swaraj, unfolded in planned stages and, after the Calcutta debate, had the whole Congress behind it at Nagpur. The war's hardships had already spread discontent; the difference in 1921 lay in a wider base and better organisation.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
A student says: 'Gandhiji supported the Khilafat cause only for religious reasons.' Do you agree? Justify. (3 marks)
Hint
What was his political aim?
Answer
No. Gandhiji wanted a broad-based national movement and believed it needed Hindu-Muslim unity. Supporting Khilafat drew Muslims into one national movement, and he linked it with the demand for swaraj in the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Q6 · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency
Read the case and answer.
In September 1920, at its Calcutta session, the Congress heard Gandhiji argue for non-cooperation in support of Khilafat and for swaraj. Through that summer he and Shaukat Ali had travelled widely, gathering popular support. Not everyone in the Congress was won over. Some leaders did not want to stay away from the council elections due in November 1920. Others worried that a mass movement could slip into violence among the people. Between September and December the two sides argued hard, and for a time no middle ground seemed possible. Only at the Nagpur session in December 1920 was a compromise found and the Non-Cooperation programme adopted.
(i) Who toured with Gandhiji in the summer of 1920? (1)
(ii) State any one concern of the leaders who opposed the proposals. (1)
(iii) Infer why Gandhiji needed a compromise instead of launching the movement without the opponents. (2)
Hint
For (iii), think about what a broad-based, united movement needs from its own organisation.
Answer
(i) Shaukat Ali. (ii) They did not want to boycott the November 1920 council elections (or: they feared popular violence). (iii) Gandhiji wanted a broad-based, united movement; a split Congress would weaken it from the start (1). A compromise at Nagpur gave the programme the backing of the whole Congress, so it could be launched widely in January 1921 (1).
Q7 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Prices doubled between 1913 and 1918, and the census of 1921 recorded 12 to 13 million deaths from famines and an epidemic. What can you infer from these figures about the mood of ordinary Indians after the war, and how did that mood shape the national movement? (3 marks)
Hint
What does a doubling of prices mean for a family whose income stays the same? Then link the deaths and the unmet hopes to the movement.
Answer
Value points:
- Inference from prices: a family whose income did not rise could buy only about half as much, so daily hardship was widespread (1).
- Inference from deaths: losses on this scale after crop failures and influenza touched most regions and added grief and fear (1).
- Effect: hopes that life would improve after the war were not met, so anger turned against the colonial government and, after 1919, the movement spread to new areas and new social groups (1).
Model answer: For a family whose income did not rise, doubled prices meant buying about half as much, so hardship was everywhere. Twelve to thirteen million deaths after crop failures and influenza added grief and fear across the country. When these hardships did not end after the war, people's hopes turned to anger against colonial rule, and after 1919 the national movement spread to new areas and drew in new social groups.
Q8 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Explain how the outcome of the First World War, and not only its hardships, helped Gandhiji widen the national movement. (2 marks)
Hint
Who lost the war, and what issue did that create for Indian Muslims?
Answer
The war ended with Ottoman Turkey's defeat and rumours of a harsh treaty on the Khalifa, which led to the Khilafat Committee (1). Supporting this cause gave Gandhiji a way to bring Muslims and Hindus together in one wider movement (1).

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.How much did prices rise in the war years?Show answer
They doubled between 1913 and 1918.
2.What new tax came during the war?Show answer
Income tax; customs duties were also raised.
3.Who was the Khalifa?Show answer
The Ottoman emperor, spiritual head of the Islamic world.
4.Where and when was the Khilafat Committee formed?Show answer
Bombay, March 1919.
5.Deaths counted by the 1921 census?Show answer
12 to 13 million from famines and epidemic.
6.Where was Non-Cooperation adopted?Show answer
Nagpur session, December 1920.

First World War and Khilafat Movement: frequently asked questions

What were the effects of the First World War on India?

Taxes such as income tax were introduced, customs duties raised and prices doubled between 1913 and 1918. Forced recruitment angered villagers. Crop failures and an influenza epidemic caused huge loss of life.

Why did Gandhiji join the Khilafat Movement?

He wanted a broad national movement and felt it needed Hindu-Muslim unity. Supporting the Khilafat cause brought Muslims into a united struggle for swaraj.

What is the difference between the Calcutta and Nagpur sessions?

At Calcutta in September 1920, Gandhiji convinced leaders to start non-cooperation. At Nagpur in December 1920, after a compromise, the programme was formally adopted.

Is Quit India part of this topic?

No. Quit India is a separate box at the end of the chapter. This topic covers the war years up to the 1920 sessions.