1. The RIN Mutiny started on the HMIS Talwar in Bombay and quickly spread to other naval ships and shore establishments. While the rebellion received massive public support, the top leadership of the Congress and the Muslim League viewed it as premature and undisciplined. Sardar Patel traveled to BombaRead more

    The RIN Mutiny started on the HMIS Talwar in Bombay and quickly spread to other naval ships and shore establishments. While the rebellion received massive public support, the top leadership of the Congress and the Muslim League viewed it as premature and undisciplined. Sardar Patel traveled to Bombay and, along with Jinnah, issued a joint appeal to the sailors to lay down their arms. They emphasized that constitutional means were the best path to freedom. The surrender effectively ended the last major armed uprising before India achieved its independence in 1947.

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  2. Gandhi viewed the Communal Award as a British "divide and rule" tactic designed to fragment the Indian nationalist movement. While in Yerwada Jail, he launched his fast to demand that the Depressed Classes remain within the joint electorate of the Hindu community. The intense pressure of the fast leRead more

    Gandhi viewed the Communal Award as a British “divide and rule” tactic designed to fragment the Indian nationalist movement. While in Yerwada Jail, he launched his fast to demand that the Depressed Classes remain within the joint electorate of the Hindu community. The intense pressure of the fast led to negotiations with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The resulting Poona Pact increased the number of seats reserved for Dalits in provincial legislatures but maintained a unified voting system. This event was a major turning point in both the freedom struggle and social reform history.

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  3. The Ahmedabad strike was a critical early experiment for Gandhi in mediating industrial conflict. When the workers began to waver in their commitment to non-violence, Gandhi declared his hunger strike. This fast exerted immense moral pressure on both the mill owners and the laborers. It resulted inRead more

    The Ahmedabad strike was a critical early experiment for Gandhi in mediating industrial conflict. When the workers began to waver in their commitment to non-violence, Gandhi declared his hunger strike. This fast exerted immense moral pressure on both the mill owners and the laborers. It resulted in a fair settlement and established Gandhi’s reputation as a leader who could balance the interests of the poor with those of the capitalist class. This event proved that the “soul force” of a fast could be a decisive factor in securing justice without resorting to conflict.

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  4. The Rajkot struggle was a unique experiment in applying Satyagraha to the complex political environment of a princely state. Sardar Patel organized the local resistance against the autocratic rule of the Thakore. Gandhi viewed Rajkot as his "second home" and was deeply involved in the negotiations.Read more

    The Rajkot struggle was a unique experiment in applying Satyagraha to the complex political environment of a princely state. Sardar Patel organized the local resistance against the autocratic rule of the Thakore. Gandhi viewed Rajkot as his “second home” and was deeply involved in the negotiations. The success of this “controlled struggle” proved that the principles of non-violence and mass mobilization could be successfully exported from British India to the semi-independent states, further uniting the diverse political units of the subcontinent under the Congress’s nationalist umbrella.

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  5. The tragedy at Amritsar was the result of a coordinated colonial policy of suppression. General Dyer entered the park with 50 soldiers and opened fire on an unarmed crowd celebrating Baisakhi. However, Michael O'Dwyer, as the head of the Punjab administration, had created the atmosphere of terror anRead more

    The tragedy at Amritsar was the result of a coordinated colonial policy of suppression. General Dyer entered the park with 50 soldiers and opened fire on an unarmed crowd celebrating Baisakhi. However, Michael O’Dwyer, as the head of the Punjab administration, had created the atmosphere of terror and martial law that allowed such an atrocity to happen. His endorsement of the massacre turned him into a symbol of British tyranny. The Hunter Commission later censured Dyer, but O’ Dwyer’s vocal support for the slaughter remained a deep scar on Indo-British relations for decades.

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