Gandhi appealing to a wider population and not just the wealthy

Gandhi's Policy of Non-Cooperation and India's Independence

In 1947 India was granted with its independence from the British

Empire that had ruled over India since the 19th century. The campaign

for independence began with the formation of the Indian National

Congress party in 1885, the congress was a party for Indians to play a

part in the running of the country. However, in 1914 World War 1 broke

out and Indian people supported Britain and the Empire, sending food,

materials and money. In exchange for their support during the war

Congress demanded the British fix a date for India to become

self-governing. This was agreed by the British but no date was

actually set. In 1920 Gandhi persuaded Congress to vote for the first

time for self-rule (self-government and self-control).

Gandhi changed Congress by making it appeal to a wider population

instead of just the wealthy. He also started most of the major

campaigns against the British. Perhaps the most famous of these were

the protests against the British control of salt and cloth imports

from England that that led to them making their own cotton and salt.

Gandhi's policy of non-cooperation (civil disobedience) and peaceful

protest was the major strength of his protest movement and popularity.

It contrasted with those who previously wanted a violent uprising

against the British.

I think that if there had been violent protest against the British the

government would have argued that their troops act in self-defence

against armed rebels. However, in the Amritsar massacre the contrast

of unarmed people being brutally m...

... middle of paper ...

...s becoming too great. Indian people were starting to see that the

British were vulnerable and the army which until then had remained

loyal were beginning to stop acting against Indian nationalists.

I have described in the above essay, the ways in which Gandhi has

influenced the independence of India. It is fair to say that Gandhi

did play quite a major in independence but it is also fair to say that

his was not the only factor. As in the rest of the essay I have been

talking about other influences that led to its independence, including

the World Wars, India's Army and non-cooperation. The latter statement

I agree with very much, as if this had not been done Britain would

have no need to think of dropping India as there would be a continuing

economic reasons from both cheap manufactured goods and a very large

market.