ICSE Class 10 · Chapter 11

Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement ICSE Class 10: Notes and Answers

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Under Mahatma Gandhi the freedom struggle became a mass movement through three campaigns: Non-Cooperation (1920-22), Civil Disobedience (1930-34) and Quit India (1942). ICSE Class 10 tests the causes, programme and impact of each, the Chauri Chaura suspension, the Dandi March, the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, the Second Round Table Conference and the Quit India Resolution.

What Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement is about

Gandhi returned from South Africa in 1915 with a new method of struggle, satyagraha: non-violent resistance based on truth. Through it he brought peasants, workers, women and students into the national movement.

The syllabus covers three movements. For the Non-Cooperation Movement: its causes (the Khilafat Movement, the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy), its programme, its suspension after Chauri Chaura, and its impact. For the Civil Disobedience Movement: its causes (reaction to the Simon Commission and the Poorna Swaraj declaration at Lahore, 1929), the Dandi March, the programme and impact, the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, the Second Round Table Conference and why the movement was renewed. For the Quit India Movement: its causes (failure of the Cripps Mission and the Japanese threat), the Quit India Resolution and its significance. The clauses of the Simon Commission and the Cripps Mission are not tested.

CISCE examiners note that students give causes outside the syllabus (such as communal clashes or resignation of Congress ministries for Quit India), list events like the Dandi March as causes of Civil Disobedience, cannot state the Rowlatt Act's provisions, and fail to identify Jallianwala Bagh from a picture. Learn the causes exactly as the syllabus names them.

Weightage: CISCE publishes no chapter weightage. History is tested in Part I (compulsory 1- and 2-mark items) and in Part II Section B, where you answer three of five 10-mark History questions, each split 3 + 3 + 4.Source: CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper 501, History & Civics (H.C.G. Paper 1)

Key concepts

Causes of the Non-Cooperation Movement

1. Rowlatt Act (March 1919): passed despite the opposition of every Indian member of the Imperial Legislative Council. It allowed the government to arrest any person without a warrant on suspicion; to detain people without trial (for up to two years); to try cases in special courts without a jury, in secret, with no right of appeal; and to restrict the press. People summed it up as 'no appeal, no vakil (lawyer), no daleel (argument)' and called it the Black Act. Gandhi called a nationwide hartal on 6 April 1919.
2. Jallianwala Bagh tragedy (13 April 1919): at Amritsar, a peaceful crowd gathered on Baisakhi day, partly to protest the arrest of the local leaders Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal. General Dyer blocked the only exit and ordered troops to fire without warning; about 1,650 rounds were fired and hundreds were killed. The Hunter Committee's mild response and praise for Dyer in Britain shocked Indians. Rabindranath Tagore gave up his knighthood.
3. Khilafat Movement: after the First World War, the Allies treated defeated Turkey harshly and weakened the Sultan, whom Indian Muslims regarded as the Khalifa (religious head). The Ali brothers (Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali) led the Khilafat agitation. Gandhi supported it, seeing a chance to unite Hindus and Muslims against British rule.

Worked example

(3 marks) Mention any three repressive provisions of the Rowlatt Act.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Any person could be arrested without a warrant, on mere suspicion - 1 mark.
Persons could be detained without trial - 1 mark.
Cases were tried by special courts without a jury, and there was no right of appeal against their decisions (also: press restrictions) - 1 mark.

Answer: The Rowlatt Act (1) allowed arrest without a warrant, (2) allowed detention without trial, and (3) set up special courts that tried cases without a jury and with no right of appeal. It was therefore called the Black Act.

Programme and suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement

The programme was adopted at the special Calcutta session (September 1920) and confirmed at the Nagpur session (December 1920).

Boycott (negative) programme:

Surrender of titles and honorary posts.
Boycott of government schools and colleges, law courts and the elections to the legislative councils.
Boycott of foreign goods, especially cloth, and of government functions.

Constructive (positive) programme:

National schools and colleges (such as Jamia Millia Islamia and Kashi Vidyapith).
Panchayats to settle disputes in place of courts.
Swadeshi: spinning on the charkha and wearing khadi.
Removal of untouchability and promotion of Hindu-Muslim unity.
Collection of the Tilak Swaraj Fund.

Suspension: on 4 February 1922, at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur district (U.P.), an angry crowd set fire to a police station, killing 22 policemen. Gandhi, committed to non-violence, suspended the movement in February 1922.

Worked example

(3 marks) Mention any three items of the boycott programme of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Surrender of titles and honorary offices - 1 mark.
Boycott of government schools, colleges and law courts - 1 mark.
Boycott of foreign goods and of elections to the legislative councils - 1 mark.

Answer: Indians were asked to (1) give up titles and honorary posts, (2) boycott government schools, colleges and courts, and (3) boycott foreign goods and the elections to the councils.

Impact of the Non-Cooperation Movement

1. It became the first truly mass movement, drawing in peasants, workers, students, women and traders across India.
2. The Congress became a mass organisation with branches in villages and a new constitution.
3. It produced a high point of Hindu-Muslim unity, through the joining of the Khilafat cause.
4. People lost their fear of the British government and of jail.
5. It promoted Swadeshi, khadi and national education, and turned the charkha into a symbol of self-reliance.
6. It showed the strength of non-violent mass action, and Gandhi became the undisputed leader of the movement.

Worked example

(3 marks) State three ways in which the Non-Cooperation Movement changed the national movement.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

It became a mass movement involving peasants, workers, women and students - 1 mark.
It strengthened Hindu-Muslim unity through the Khilafat link - 1 mark.
It removed the fear of the government and spread Swadeshi and national education - 1 mark.

Answer: It turned the struggle into a mass movement, it brought Hindus and Muslims together, and it removed people's fear of British power while spreading Swadeshi, khadi and national education.

Causes of the Civil Disobedience Movement

1. Reaction to the Simon Commission: in 1927 the British appointed a commission under Sir John Simon to review the working of the reforms. All seven members were British; no Indian was included. Indians felt insulted that their constitutional future would be decided without them. When it arrived in 1928 it was met with black flags, hartals and the slogan 'Simon Go Back'. In Lahore, Lala Lajpat Rai was injured in a police lathi charge and later died. (The commission's recommendations are not tested.)
2. Declaration of Poorna Swaraj at the Lahore Session (December 1929): under the presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress declared complete independence (Poorna Swaraj) as its goal, and authorised the Working Committee to launch civil disobedience. 26 January 1930 was celebrated as Independence Day across the country.

Note: the Dandi March was how the movement began, not a cause of it.

Worked example

(3 marks) Explain the two causes of the Civil Disobedience Movement given in the syllabus.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The all-British Simon Commission (1927) excluded Indians, which was seen as an insult; it was boycotted with 'Simon Go Back' - 1 mark.
The police lathi charge in Lahore injured Lala Lajpat Rai, who died later, increasing anger - 1 mark.
The Lahore Session (1929) under Nehru declared Poorna Swaraj as the goal and authorised civil disobedience; 26 January 1930 was observed as Independence Day - 1 mark.

Answer: First, the all-white Simon Commission insulted Indians, was boycotted with 'Simon Go Back', and the lathi charge on Lajpat Rai deepened anger. Second, at Lahore in 1929, the Congress under Nehru declared Poorna Swaraj its goal and authorised the launch of civil disobedience.

Dandi March, programme and impact of Civil Disobedience

Dandi March: on 12 March 1930 Gandhi set out from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 followers and walked about 385 km (240 miles) to Dandi on the Gujarat coast. On 6 April 1930 he broke the salt law by making salt from sea water. Salt was chosen because the salt tax hit every Indian, rich or poor.

Programme:

Breaking the salt law everywhere.
Boycott of foreign cloth, with bonfires of foreign clothes; picketing of shops selling foreign cloth and liquor.
Refusal to pay taxes and land revenue (no-tax campaigns).
Resignation from government service; boycott of schools, colleges and courts.
Violation of forest laws.

Impact:
1. Mass participation, including large numbers of women for the first time.
2. Imports of British cloth fell sharply because of the boycott.
3. The movement spread to every region, for example the Khudai Khidmatgars of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in the North-West Frontier Province.
4. Faced with mass defiance, the British had to negotiate with the Congress, leading to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

Worked example

(3 marks) What was the Dandi March? Why did Gandhi choose salt?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

On 12 March 1930 Gandhi marched from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 followers to Dandi - 1 mark.
On 6 April 1930 he broke the salt law by making salt, launching the Civil Disobedience Movement - 1 mark.
Salt was chosen because the salt tax affected every Indian, rich and poor, so the issue united everyone - 1 mark.

Answer: The Dandi March was Gandhi's walk from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi (12 March to 6 April 1930), where he broke the salt law, starting the Civil Disobedience Movement. He chose salt because the tax on it was a burden on every Indian, so everyone could join.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Second Round Table Conference and renewal

Gandhi-Irwin Pact (5 March 1931):
The government agreed to: release political prisoners not convicted of violence; return confiscated properties not yet sold; allow people in coastal villages to make salt for their own use; permit peaceful picketing; withdraw the emergency ordinances.
The Congress agreed to: suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and take part in the Second Round Table Conference.

Second Round Table Conference (London, September-December 1931): Gandhi attended as the sole representative of the Congress. The conference failed because of disagreement over the representation of minorities: the British and some delegates insisted on separate electorates, which Gandhi opposed. Gandhi returned empty-handed.

Reasons for renewal (January 1932):
1. The failure of the Second Round Table Conference.
2. Severe repression by the new Viceroy, Lord Willingdon: Gandhi and other leaders were arrested soon after his return, the Congress was banned, and new ordinances were issued.
The renewed movement gradually declined and was withdrawn in 1934.

Worked example

(4 marks) State two terms each that the government and the Congress accepted in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Government: release of political prisoners not guilty of violence - 1 mark.
Government: people in coastal areas allowed to make salt for their own use (or return of confiscated property, withdrawal of ordinances) - 1 mark.
Congress: suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement - 1 mark.
Congress: participation in the Second Round Table Conference - 1 mark.

Answer: The government agreed to release political prisoners not convicted of violence and to let coastal villagers make salt for their own use. The Congress agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and to attend the Second Round Table Conference.

Quit India Movement: causes, resolution and significance

Causes:
1. Failure of the Cripps Mission (March 1942): Sir Stafford Cripps brought proposals that promised dominion status only after the war and did not offer real power immediately; the Congress rejected them. Indians concluded that Britain would not part with power voluntarily. (The clauses are not tested.)
2. The Japanese threat: Japan had overrun South-East Asia, including Malaya, Singapore and Burma, and was at India's doorstep. The British seemed unable to defend India, and leaders felt that the British presence was itself inviting a Japanese attack. A free India could defend itself better.

Quit India Resolution (8 August 1942, AICC session at Bombay): demanded the immediate end of British rule in India; proposed a provisional government after the British withdrawal; sanctioned a mass struggle on non-violent lines under Gandhi's leadership. Gandhi gave the call 'Do or Die'. The next morning, Gandhi and the main leaders were arrested.

Significance:
1. It showed the people's determination to end British rule; the people led the movement themselves after the leaders were arrested.
2. Underground leaders such as Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Aruna Asaf Ali kept it going; parallel governments were set up in places like Ballia, Tamluk and Satara.
3. Women, students, peasants and workers took part widely.
4. It made it clear to the British that they could not rule India for long; after the war, independence became a question of when, not whether.

Worked example

(2 marks) Mention two causes of the Quit India Movement.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Failure of the Cripps Mission, which offered dominion status only after the war - 1 mark.
The Japanese threat: Japan had reached India's borders and the British seemed unable to defend India - 1 mark.

Answer: (1) The failure of the Cripps Mission convinced Indians that Britain would not transfer real power. (2) Japan's advance to India's frontier made leaders feel that India, free of British rule, could defend itself better.

Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement in real life

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

Rowlatt Act and civil liberties

Suppose a law allowed police to arrest anyone without a warrant, hold them for months without telling them the charge, and try them in a closed court with no appeal.

Which colonial law does this resemble, and which rights would it violate?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Rowlatt Act of 1919 allowed arrest without warrant, detention without trial and special courts without appeal.
It violates the right to personal liberty, the right to know the charge, and the right to a fair trial and appeal.
That is why Indians called it the Black Act and protested.

Answer: It resembles the Rowlatt Act of 1919. Such a law would violate personal liberty and the right to a fair, open trial with appeal, which is why Indians called the Rowlatt Act the Black Act.

Memory hook: No vakil, no daleel, no appeal: the Black Act.

Salt as a symbol

Imagine a campaign that wants every household to join a protest. Organisers choose an item every family buys every day, whose price has been raised by a government tax.

Why is such a choice effective? Link it to the Dandi March.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

An everyday necessity affects everyone, rich or poor, in every region.
Gandhi chose salt because the salt tax hurt every Indian.
Breaking the salt law was simple, so anyone could take part, making the movement a mass one.

Answer: A daily necessity unites everyone because all are affected. Gandhi chose salt for the same reason: the salt tax burdened every Indian, and making salt was an act anyone could perform, so millions joined the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Memory hook: Pick a grievance everyone tastes.

Non-violence and suspension

Suppose a peaceful student protest against a fee increase turns violent when a few protesters burn a bus, injuring people. The student leader immediately calls off the protest.

Which decision of Gandhi does this resemble? Give his reason.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

At Chauri Chaura (1922) a mob burnt a police station, killing 22 policemen.
Gandhi suspended the Non-Cooperation Movement because it had turned violent.
He believed the people were not yet ready for non-violent mass struggle and that violence would justify repression.

Answer: It resembles Gandhi's suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement after Chauri Chaura. Gandhi held that the movement must remain non-violent; once violence occurred, he stopped it rather than let it lose its moral force.

Memory hook: Violence ends a satyagraha.

Topics in this chapter

Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement: key facts

Rowlatt Act: March 1919; Arrest without warrant, detention without trial, no appeal.
Jallianwala Bagh: 13 April 1919, Amritsar; General Dyer; About 1,650 rounds fired.
Non-Cooperation: 1920-1922; suspended after Chauri Chaura (4 February 1922); Calcutta and Nagpur sessions, 1920.
Simon Commission: Appointed 1927, arrived 1928; 'Simon Go Back'; Clauses not tested.
Poorna Swaraj: Lahore Session, December 1929; President Jawaharlal Nehru; 26 January 1930: Independence Day.
Dandi March: 12 March - 6 April 1930; 78 followers; about 385 km; Salt law broken at Dandi.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact: 5 March 1931; Second Round Table Conference, London, 1931.
Quit India: Resolution 8 August 1942, Bombay; 'Do or Die'; Causes: Cripps Mission failure, Japanese threat.

How the board asks Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Picture identification (Part I or II)	A newspaper image such as '1,650 bullets'; identify the incident, the movement it led to, and what suspended that movement.	1,650 bullets = Jallianwala Bagh, which led to Non-Cooperation, suspended after Chauri Chaura.
Causes exactly as listed (2 to 4 marks)	Two causes of Quit India; causes of Civil Disobedience.	Quit India: Cripps failure and Japanese threat. Civil Disobedience: Simon Commission and Poorna Swaraj. Do not add events like the Dandi March.
Provisions or terms (3 or 4 marks)	Three provisions of the Rowlatt Act; terms of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.	List concrete provisions, not opinions.
Significance (4 marks)	Significance of Quit India; impact of Non-Cooperation or Civil Disobedience.	Four points: mass participation, unity, British realisation, specific outcomes.

Tricks to remember Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement

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

R-J-K for Non-Cooperation
Rowlatt, Jallianwala, Khilafat.
Use it when: Causes of Non-Cooperation.
S-P for Civil Disobedience
Simon and Poorna Swaraj.
Use it when: Causes of Civil Disobedience.
C-J for Quit India
Cripps and Japan.
Use it when: Causes of Quit India.
20-30-42
Non-Cooperation 1920, Civil Disobedience 1930, Quit India 1942.
Use it when: Chronology.

Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement: board-level solved questions

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: Black Act · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The Rowlatt Act was called the Black Act because Indians:
(a) could not possess any arms
(b) could not export goods
(c) could be arrested without a warrant
(d) could be sent overseas on duty

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Arms Act (1878) dealt with arms; overseas service relates to 1856.
The Rowlatt Act allowed arrest without warrant and detention without trial.

Answer: (c) could be arrested without a warrant.

Example 2: Chronology · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level

Arrange in order: (1) Gandhi-Irwin Pact, (2) Chauri Chaura, (3) Lahore Session declaring Poorna Swaraj, (4) Quit India Resolution.
(a) 2, 3, 1, 4
(b) 3, 2, 1, 4
(c) 2, 1, 3, 4
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Chauri Chaura 1922; Lahore 1929; Gandhi-Irwin Pact 1931; Quit India 1942.

Answer: (a) 2, 3, 1, 4.

Example 3: Assertion and reason: Khilafat · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): Gandhi supported the Khilafat Movement.
Reason (R): He saw in it an opportunity to unite Hindus and Muslims against British rule.
(a) Both A and R are true and R explains A
(b) Both A and R are true but R does not explain A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Gandhi did support the Khilafat cause: A is true.
His reason was Hindu-Muslim unity in a joint struggle: R is true and explains A.

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R explains A.

Example 4: Picture-based: 1,650 bullets · 3 marks · Source-basedHarder board level

A newspaper headline reads: 'Tears of blood: when 1,650 bullets changed India forever.' Identify the incident. Which Gandhian movement did it lead to? Which incident led to the suspension of that movement?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

About 1,650 rounds were fired at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, on 13 April 1919.
The tragedy was one of the causes of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
The movement was suspended after the violence at Chauri Chaura in February 1922.

Answer: The Jallianwala Bagh tragedy (13 April 1919). It led to the Non-Cooperation Movement, which Gandhi suspended after the Chauri Chaura incident of February 1922.

Example 5: Why renew Civil Disobedience · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

Give two reasons for the renewal of the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1932.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Second Round Table Conference failed over the question of minority representation, and Gandhi returned empty-handed.
Lord Willingdon's government began severe repression: leaders arrested, Congress banned, ordinances issued.

Answer: (1) The failure of the Second Round Table Conference. (2) Severe repression by Lord Willingdon's government, including the arrest of Gandhi and other leaders and the banning of the Congress.

Example 6: Quit India Resolution · 4 marks · Short answerBoard level

When and where was the Quit India Resolution passed? State three of its main points.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Passed on 8 August 1942 at the AICC session in Bombay.
It demanded the immediate end of British rule in India.
It proposed a provisional government after British withdrawal.
It sanctioned a non-violent mass struggle under Gandhi's leadership.

Answer: It was passed on 8 August 1942 at Bombay. It (1) demanded an immediate end to British rule, (2) proposed a provisional government of free India after the British left, and (3) sanctioned a non-violent mass struggle under Gandhi, who gave the call 'Do or Die'.

Example 7: Comparing movements · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Compare the Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience movements on (i) goal, (ii) key method, (iii) participation of women, and (iv) how each ended.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Goal: Non-Cooperation aimed at Swaraj and redress of Punjab and Khilafat wrongs; Civil Disobedience aimed at Poorna Swaraj.
Method: Non-Cooperation = refusing to cooperate (boycott); Civil Disobedience = actively breaking unjust laws such as the salt law.
Women: much larger participation in Civil Disobedience, including picketing.
End: Non-Cooperation suspended after Chauri Chaura (1922); Civil Disobedience suspended by the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931), renewed in 1932 and withdrawn in 1934.

Answer: (i) Non-Cooperation sought Swaraj and redress of the Punjab and Khilafat wrongs; Civil Disobedience sought Poorna Swaraj. (ii) The first refused cooperation; the second deliberately broke laws. (iii) Women took part far more widely in Civil Disobedience. (iv) Non-Cooperation ended after Chauri Chaura; Civil Disobedience was suspended by the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, renewed in 1932 and withdrawn in 1934.

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In the board paper this is a 10-mark question split into 3 + 3 + 4 marks.

1942: Do or Die

Read the extract and answer the questions.

'In March, a British minister came with proposals that promised freedom only after the war. In August, at a session in Bombay, a resolution demanded that the British leave India at once. Within hours the leaders were in jail, yet the movement went on, led by students, peasants, women and leaders who went underground.'

(i) · 3 marks
Identify the proposals of March and explain why they failed to satisfy Indians. What other development made the leaders demand immediate freedom?
Answer
Answer: The Cripps Mission (March 1942). It offered dominion status only after the war and no real transfer of power immediately, so the Congress rejected it. The Japanese advance to India's borders made leaders feel that a free India would defend itself better.
1 mark each.
(ii) · 3 marks
State three points of the resolution passed in August.
Answer
Answer: (1) Immediate end of British rule. (2) A provisional government after the British withdrawal. (3) A non-violent mass struggle under Gandhi's leadership ('Do or Die').
1 mark each.
(iii) · 4 marks
Explain four points of significance of the movement.
Answer
Answer: (1) It showed the depth of the people's will for freedom, as they carried on after the leaders' arrest. (2) Underground leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan and Aruna Asaf Ali, and parallel governments at places like Ballia and Satara, kept it alive. (3) Women, students, peasants and workers participated widely. (4) It convinced the British that they could not hold India for long after the war.
1 mark per point.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Two causes of the Quit India Movement. (2 marks) (2 marks)

Step	Marks
Failure of the Cripps Mission.	1
Japanese threat.	1

Three repressive provisions of the Rowlatt Act. (3 marks) (3 marks)

Step	Marks
Arrest without warrant.	1
Detention without trial.	1
Special courts, no jury, no appeal.	1

Two terms each accepted by the government and the Congress in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. (4 marks) (4 marks)

Step	Marks
Release of non-violent prisoners.	1
Salt for personal use / return of property.	1
Suspend Civil Disobedience.	1
Attend the Second Round Table Conference.	1

Where students lose marks in Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement

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

Mistake: Adding causes outside the syllabus for Quit India
CISCE examiners' comments, 2024: candidates gave causes such as communal clashes and the resignation of Congress ministries.
Wrong working
Causes: resignation of Congress ministries; communal riots.
Right working
Causes: failure of the Cripps Mission; the Japanese threat.
Do this: Quit India = C-J only.
Usually costs: Up to 2 marks.
Mistake: Listing events as causes of Civil Disobedience
CISCE examiners' comments, 2025: candidates gave events leading to the movement instead of causes, and included the Dandi March and the Nehru Report as causes.
Do this: Civil Disobedience causes = Simon Commission and Poorna Swaraj. The Dandi March began the movement.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks.
Mistake: Unable to write three provisions of the Rowlatt Act
CISCE examiners' comments, 2025: candidates could not write three repressive provisions; in 2024 some ticked two MCQ options and lost the mark.
Do this: Learn: arrest without warrant; detention without trial; special courts with no jury or appeal.
Usually costs: Up to 3 marks.
Mistake: Failing to identify Jallianwala Bagh from a picture
CISCE examiners' comments, 2025: candidates could not identify the incident and gave 'Non-Cooperation' as the incident.
Do this: Link the numbers: 13 April 1919, about 1,650 rounds, General Dyer.
Usually costs: 1 to 3 marks.

Practice questions on Mahatma Gandhi and the National 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 Non-Cooperation Movement was suspended after the incident at:
(a) Jallianwala Bagh
(b) Dandi
(c) Chauri Chaura
(d) Bardoli
Hint
Violence in Gorakhpur district.
Answer
(c) Chauri Chaura.
Q2 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level
Who presided over the Lahore Session of 1929?
(a) Mahatma Gandhi
(b) Jawaharlal Nehru
(c) Subhas Chandra Bose
(d) Motilal Nehru
Hint
A young leader.
Answer
(b) Jawaharlal Nehru.
Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
Mention two causes of the Quit India Movement.
Hint
Only the two in the syllabus.
Answer
The failure of the Cripps Mission, and the threat of a Japanese invasion of India.
Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Why was the Simon Commission boycotted?
Hint
Composition.
Answer
All its members were British; no Indian was included, though it was to decide India's constitutional future. Indians saw this as an insult and boycotted it with the slogan 'Simon Go Back'.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
State three items of the constructive programme of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Hint
What people were asked to build.
Answer
(1) Setting up national schools and colleges. (2) Promoting Swadeshi through spinning and khadi. (3) Removing untouchability and promoting Hindu-Muslim unity (also: panchayats to settle disputes; Tilak Swaraj Fund).
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
State three features of the programme of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Hint
Salt, cloth, taxes.
Answer
(1) Breaking the salt law. (2) Boycotting foreign cloth and picketing liquor and cloth shops. (3) Refusing to pay taxes and land revenue (also: resigning government posts, breaking forest laws).
Q7 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Why did the Second Round Table Conference fail?
Hint
The minorities question.
Answer
It deadlocked over the representation of minorities: separate electorates were demanded for several communities, which Gandhi opposed, so no agreement was reached and Gandhi returned empty-handed.
Q8 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
'The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was a victory as well as a setback for the Congress.' Discuss.
Hint
What was gained, what was given up.
Answer
Victory: the government negotiated with the Congress as an equal, released non-violent prisoners, allowed salt-making for personal use and permitted peaceful picketing. Setback: the Congress had to suspend the movement without winning Poorna Swaraj, and the Second Round Table Conference it agreed to attend failed, leading to renewed repression.
Q9 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
How did the Quit India Movement differ from earlier Gandhian movements? Give three points.
Hint
Leadership, demand, methods.
Answer
(1) It demanded the immediate withdrawal of the British, not negotiated reforms. (2) With the leaders arrested at once, it was led by ordinary people and underground leaders. (3) In places it went beyond strict non-violence, with attacks on communication lines and parallel governments.

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.When did the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy take place?Show answer
13 April 1919.
2.Who led the Khilafat Movement in India?Show answer
The Ali brothers, Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
3.When did the Dandi March begin and end?Show answer
12 March to 6 April 1930.
4.Who was the Viceroy when the Civil Disobedience Movement was renewed?Show answer
Lord Willingdon.
5.What was Gandhi's slogan in 1942?Show answer
'Do or Die'.
6.Name two underground leaders of the Quit India Movement.Show answer
Jayaprakash Narayan and Aruna Asaf Ali (also Ram Manohar Lohia).

Best order to study it

Non-Cooperation: three causes, programme, Chauri Chaura, impact.
Civil Disobedience: two causes, Dandi March, programme, impact.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Second Round Table Conference, renewal.
Quit India: two causes, resolution, significance.
Make a comparison table of the three movements.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Rowlatt Act 1919: arrest without warrant, detention without trial, no appeal.
Jallianwala Bagh, 13 April 1919, General Dyer.
Khilafat: Ali brothers; Hindu-Muslim unity.
Non-Cooperation 1920-22: boycott + constructive programme; suspended after Chauri Chaura.
Civil Disobedience causes: Simon Commission (1927-28), Poorna Swaraj (Lahore 1929, Nehru).
Dandi March 12 March - 6 April 1930; salt law broken.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact 5 March 1931; Second RTC failed; renewal 1932 under Willingdon's repression.
Quit India causes: Cripps failure, Japanese threat; resolution 8 August 1942; 'Do or Die'.
Quit India significance: people's movement, underground, parallel governments, British realised end near.

Mahatma Gandhi and the National Movement: frequently asked questions

Do I need the clauses of the Simon Commission or the Cripps Mission?

No. The syllabus says the clauses will not be tested. Learn why Indians reacted against them.

Is the Dandi March a cause of the Civil Disobedience Movement?

No. It was how the movement began. The causes in the syllabus are the reaction to the Simon Commission and the declaration of Poorna Swaraj at Lahore.

Why did Gandhi suspend the Non-Cooperation Movement when it was at its height?

Because of the violence at Chauri Chaura. He believed a satyagraha must stay non-violent and that the people needed more training in non-violence.

Based on: CISCE ICSE 2027 History & Civics syllabus (H.C.G. Paper 1); CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper and Marking Scheme, History & Civics (501)