The viceroyalty of Lord Chelmsford was a period of intense political unrest. While he attempted to introduce limited constitutional reforms to appease Indian leaders, the repressive Rowlatt Act and the subsequent atrocities in Punjab destroyed any remaining goodwill. The Non-Cooperation Movement, launched by Gandhi in late 1920, was a direct challenge to Chelmsford’s administration. The movement’s call for boycotting British goods, courts and educational institutions marked the beginning of a new, aggressive phase of mass struggle that Chelmsford struggled to contain before his term ended in early 1921.