Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Movement (1919–1947) — Part 11: Glossary

Glossary

1. Satyagraha: "Truth-force" or "soul-force"; Gandhi's method of non-violent resistance in which the practitioner accepts suffering willingly to convert the opponent through moral persuasion rather than physical compulsion. First developed in South Africa.

2. Ahimsa: Non-violence; the principle of not causing harm to any living being; the philosophical bedrock of Gandhi's entire political programme.

3. Swaraj: Self-rule; encompassing both political independence from colonial rule and moral self-governance of the individual and community; Gandhi's ultimate goal.

4. Khilafat Movement (1919-1924): Muslim political movement in India demanding the restoration of the Ottoman Caliphate after Turkey's defeat in World War I; allied with the Non-Cooperation Movement by Gandhi to build Hindu-Muslim unity.

5. Tinkathia System: Exploitative practice in Champaran under which indigo planters compelled peasants to cultivate indigo on a fixed portion of their land and sell the produce at artificially low prices; abolished after the Champaran Satyagraha (1917).

6. Chauri Chaura Incident (1922): A mob attacked and torched a police station in Gorakhpur district, killing 22 policemen; prompted Gandhi to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement in February 1922.

7. Purna Swaraj: Complete independence (as opposed to dominion status within the British Empire); declared as the Congress's goal at the Lahore session in December 1929.

8. Rowlatt Act (1919): Legislation extending wartime emergency measures into peacetime; allowed detention without trial for up to two years and trial without right of appeal; the immediate trigger for Gandhi's first national satyagraha.

9. Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931): Agreement between Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin suspending the Civil Disobedience Movement in exchange for the release of non-violent political prisoners and permission for coastal salt manufacture; formalised at the Delhi Pact.

10. Poona Pact (1932): Agreement between Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar replacing the British government's Communal Award (which had provided for separate electorates for Dalits) with enhanced reserved seats — increased from 71 to 148 — within a joint electorate.

11. Cabinet Mission Plan (1946): British proposal for a united, independent India structured as a three-tier federation with groupings of provinces; intended to satisfy Muslim concerns without partitioning India; failed when Congress and the League could not agree on its interpretation.

12. Indian National Army (INA): Armed force of approximately 45,000 soldiers, organised by Subhas Chandra Bose from Indian prisoners of war held by Japan during World War II; fought alongside Japanese forces in the northeast India campaign of 1944; its 1945-46 trials became a catalyst for the final push for independence.