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Why did Gandhi launch the noncooperation movement in 1920?
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Indian Independence Movement
In August 1947 British rule ended on the Indian subcontinent.
Mahatma Gandhi launched the noncooperation movement in 1920 to induce the British government of India to grant India self-government, or swaraj. This campaign was driven by several key factors:1
- Repressive Legislation: The passage of the Rowlatt Act in 1919, which allowed for the detention of political suspects without trial and the use of special courts without juries, caused widespread resentment among Indians who felt betrayed after supporting Britain during World War I.12
- The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: The brutal killing of hundreds of unarmed civilians by British troops under Gen. Reginald Dyer in Amritsar in April 1919, followed by the government's failure to take adequate action against those responsible, fueled intense national outrage.13
- The Khilafat Movement: Gandhi sought to build a united front by supporting the Khilafat movement, which mobilized Indian Muslims protesting the post-war dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire and the threat to the caliphate.14
The movement aimed to achieve its goals through nonviolent civil disobedience, including the boycott of government institutions and foreign goods.1