Q1.With reference to the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22), consider the following statements:
- It was formally launched after Gandhi’s return from South Africa.
- It involved the boycott of courts, schools, and foreign cloth.
- It aimed at complete independence (Purna Swaraj) from the British.
How many of the above statements are correct?
a) One only
b) Two only
c) Three only
d) None
Correct Answer: (b) Two only
Explanation:
- Statement 1 —Correct. Gandhi returned to India in 1915; the NCM was launched in 1920 in response to the Rowlatt Act fallout, Jallianwala Bagh (1919), and the Khilafat issue. The movement began well after his return.
- Statement 2 — Correct. Non-cooperation tactics explicitly included boycotting British courts, government schools and colleges, resigning from government employment, and boycotting foreign cloth.
- Statement 3 — Incorrect. The aim of the NCM was non-cooperation short of complete severance; the demand was self-government through mass non-violent pressure. The call for Purna Swaraj was formally adopted later (Congress, 1929). The NCM sought swaraj but not an immediate declared demand for Purna Swaraj.
Q2.Which of the following were immediate causes that led Gandhi to launch the Non-Cooperation Movement?
- Rowlatt Act and its repressive measures.
- Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
- The Khilafat agitation led by Muslim leaders.
Select the correct answer:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation:
- All three were immediate catalysts. The Rowlatt Act (1919) and the violent repression that followed, notably the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (April 1919), radicalized Indian opinion. The Khilafat movement (1919–24), protesting the fate of the Ottoman Caliphate after World War I, created a large Muslim agitation; Gandhi linked Khilafat to the broader anti-imperial struggle to build Hindu-Muslim unity and create a mass base for non-cooperation.
Q3.Assertion (A): The Non-Cooperation Movement was suspended by Gandhi because it had turned violent in several places.
Reason (R): Gandhi believed that the success of the movement depended on strict adherence to non-violence (ahimsa).
Choose the correct option:
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, R is false.
d) A is false, R is true.
Correct Answer: (a) Both A and R are true, and R explains A.
Explanation:
- A is true: Gandhi suspended the NCM in February 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident (4 February 1922) where an agitated mob burnt a police station, killing policemen; this marked a clear outbreak of violence.
- R is true and explains A: Gandhi consistently emphasized non-violence as both moral principle and strategic tool. He felt that violent actions would delegitimize the movement and harm its moral authority; thus he called off the movement to prevent further degeneration.
Q4.Consider these measures advocated under the Non-Cooperation Movement:
- Resignation from legislative councils.
- Establishment of national schools and colleges.
- Non-payment of land revenue across the countryside.
Which of the above were part of NCM programmes?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Explanation:
- Resignation from legislative councils was a formal NCM demand — Indian representatives were to give up council seats.
- Founding national educational institutions (e.g., nationalist schools, national colleges) to replace British ones was encouraged.
- Total non-payment of land revenue was not a uniform or central call of the NCM (it was a tactic used in some subsequent peasant movements but not a blanket NCM instruction). Gandhi was cautious on fiscal non-cooperation that might harm peasants.
Q5.Which of the following statements about the Chauri Chaura incident and its consequences are correct?
- The incident happened in 1922 and directly caused Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement.
- It involved the killing of policemen after a police firing on a peaceful satyagraha.
- The incident led to the collapse of Congress as a mass organisation.
How many of the above statements are correct?
a) One only
b) Two only
c) Three only
d) None
Correct Answer: (b) Two only
Explanation:
- Statement 1 — Correct: Chauri Chaura took place on 4 February 1922; Gandhi suspended the NCM on 12 February 1922 because of the outbreak of violence.
- Statement 2 — Correct in context: A confrontation with police turned deadly; after police fired on protesters, an enraged crowd attacked and set the police chowki on fire, killing policemen.
- Statement 3 — Incorrect: Congress did not collapse; it suffered a temporary organizational setback in the sense of Gandhi’s imprisonment and the movement’s suspension, but Congress remained a major political organisation and later reorganised and resumed activity (including through electoral tactics via Swarajists).
