What was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact of 1931?

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was a political agreement signed on March 5, 1931, between Mahatma Gandhi and the British viceroy of India, Lord Irwin.1

This pact effectively ended the civil disobedience movement, or satyagraha, which Gandhi had initiated in response to British colonial policies, most notably through the Salt March of 1930. Under the terms of the agreement:12

• Gandhi pledged to discontinue the satyagraha campaign.1
• The British government agreed to release individuals imprisoned during the movement.1
• Indians were granted the right to produce salt for domestic use.1

Following the truce, Gandhi agreed to attend the second session of the Round Table Conference in London as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress. While the pact provided a temporary cessation of hostilities, the subsequent conference failed to meet nationalist expectations regarding the transfer of power.12