What was the purpose of the Salt March?
The Salt March, which took place from March to April 1930 in India, was an act of civil disobedience led by Mohandas Gandhi to protest British rule in India. During the march, thousands of Indians followed Gandhi from his religious retreat near Ahmedabad to the Arabian Sea coast, a distance of some 240 miles.
Who was behind Gandhi in the Salt March?
Salt March. Gandhi picked up grains of salt at the end of his on march. Behind him is his second son Manilal Gandhi and Mithuben Petit. The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
What did Gandhi pick up at the end of his March?
Gandhi picked up grains of salt at the end of his on march. Behind him is his second son Manilal Gandhi and Mithuben Petit. The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
What was the result of the Salt March of India?
Salt March. Thousands were arrested and imprisoned, including Jawaharlal Nehru in April and Gandhi himself in early May after he informed Lord Irwin (the viceroy of India) of his intention to march on the nearby Dharasana saltworks. News of Gandhi’s detention spurred tens of thousands more to join the satyagraha.
Where did Gandhi march?
In early 1930 Gandhi decided to mount a highly visible demonstration against the increasingly repressive salt tax by marching through what is now the western Indian state of Gujarat from his ashram (religious retreat) at Sabermati (near Ahmadabad) to the town of Dandi (near Surat) on the Arabian Sea coast.
Why was Gandhi imprisoned?
Gandhi-Irwin Pact. …followers had initiated with the Salt March (March–April 1930). Gandhi’s arrest and imprisonment at the end of the march, for illegally making salt, sparked one of his more effective civil disobedience movements.
What was Gandhi's first act?
The march was the first act in an even-larger campaign of civil disobedience ( satyagraha) Gandhi waged against British rule in India that extended into early 1931 and garnered Gandhi widespread support among the Indian populace and considerable worldwide attention.
When was Gandhi released from custody?
Gandhi was released from custody in January 1931 and began negotiations with Lord Irwin aimed at ending the satyagraha campaign. A truce subsequently was declared, which was formalized in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact that was signed on March 5.
When did Gandhi set out on foot?
He set out on foot on March 12, accompanied by several dozen followers. After each day’s march the group stopped in a different village along the route, where increasingly larger crowds would gather to hear Gandhi rail against the unfairness of the tax on poor people.
When did Indians protest the salt tax?
This affected the great majority of Indians, who were poor and could not afford to buy it. Indian protests against the salt tax began in the 19th century and remained a major contentious issue throughout the period of British rule of the subcontinent.
Who was arrested for satyagraha?
Thousands were arrested and imprisoned, including Jawaharlal Nehru in April and Gandhi himself in early May after he informed Lord Irwin (the viceroy of India) of his intention to march on the nearby Dharasana saltworks. News of Gandhi’s detention spurred tens of thousands more to join the satyagraha.
Why did Gandhi stop collecting salt?
During the march, he stopped in villages to convince government officials to resign in protest and to encourage people to pledge nonviolence. When he got to the sea, Gandhi collected a chunk of salt, which was against the law. The act inspired a crime wave of illegal salt collection and thousands of arrests.
How did Mahatma Gandhi break the salt laws?
Young Nationalist supporters of Mahatma Gandhi break salt laws by filling containers with sea water in Bombay, India. Hulton Archive/ Getty Images. Britain abolished its own salt tax in 1825, when the mineral became important to the manufacturing processes emerging in the Industrial Revolution [source: Le Couteur ].
Why did Gandhi write an open letter to Lord Irwin?
This explains why Gandhi wrote an open letter to Lord Irwin, the viceroy of India, requesting an end to the salt tax and explaining his intentions before setting out on a 240-mile (386.2-kilometer) trek to protest the tax. Irwin could've easily arrested Gandhi.
Why is salt taxed?
Since ancient times, governments have recognized the benefits of taxing salt. Because everyone needs it, taxing salt ensures steady revenue. And because salt was also used to preserve food before the dawn of refrigeration, it was a popular commodity. Advertisement.
What philosophy did Gandhi develop?
It was then that Gandhi emerged. The philosophy he developed that encouraged fighting evil with peace is known as satyagraha. Under this ethos, one achieves profound insight into absolute truth by embracing nonviolence and self-scrutiny.
How old was Gandhi when he started the march?
The frail, 61-year-old Gandhi didn't have to walk -- he could have taken a car or train to gather salt from the sea. But he knew what he was doing. His march was a symbolic protest designed to attract media attention and inspire action more than anything else. Many historians now consider it his most powerful campaign.
What did Gandhi believe about India?
He believed that India could gain its independence from Britain through nonviolent campaigns.
What was Gandhi's Salt March?
Gandhi's Salt March, the tax protest that changed Indian history. It was on 12 March 1930 that Mahatma Gandhi embarked on an unlikely odyssey. By that point, Gandhi – a London-trained lawyer who had risen to become a passionate campaigner for India’s independence from the British Empire – had already spearheaded civil disobedience in India.
Why was salt important to Gandhi?
The essential mineral was heavily taxed by the colonial power, and Indians could even be jailed for daring to make salt themselves. For Gandhi, the issue encapsulated the wicked tyranny of colonialism. ‘Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life,’ he said, believing a mass protest over the salt laws would help invigorate ...
What did Gandhi do to help India?
The British government had to relent, and in 1931 Gandhi met with the Viceroy of India to sign a pact which led to the release of political prisoners and allowed the manufacture of salt by Indians in coastal areas.
What was the Salt Protest?
The British government had to relent, and in 1931 Gandhi met with the Viceroy of India to sign a pact which led to the release of political prisoners and allowed the manufacture of salt by Indians in coastal areas.
How many people were arrested in the Gandhi march?
It’s estimated that around 60,000 people were eventually arrested by the British, and Gandhi himself was hauled away while preparing for a non-violent raid on the Dharasana Salt Works in Gujarat.
How did Gandhi break the salt laws?
Here, Gandhi committed the decisive act. He calmly and deliberately broke the salt laws by evaporating sea water to make his own salt. Raising a handful of salty mud in his hand, he declared: ‘With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire.’. The success of the march inspired mass disobedience across the land, ...
How many miles did Gandhi walk?
Gandhi and an initial band of followers set out from his ashram in Ahmedabad on 12 March 1930, with the designated end-point being the coastal town of Dandi, over 240 miles away. It would mean covering around 12 miles a day on foot, with the sprighty, 61-year-old Gandhi an instantly iconic figurehead with his stick and plain white robes. The epic walk took them from village to village, where Gandhi’s ever-increasing numbers of fellow marchers could rest each night. International journalists and filmmakers covered the march, while thousands of locals would gather at each stopping point to hear Gandhi deliver speeches against the salt laws.
What was Gandhi's Salt March?
Coming on the heels of the Indian National Congress's January 26, 1930, declaration of Indian independence, Gandhi's 23-day-long Salt March inspired millions of Indians to join in his campaign of civil disobedience. Before he set out, Gandhi wrote a letter to the British Viceroy of India, Lord E.F.L.
How did the Salt March affect India?
Although India would not gain its independence from Britain for another 17 years, the Salt March raised international awareness of British injustices in India.
What did Gandhi say on his bended knees?
The Viceroy did not deign to answer Gandhi's letter, however. Gandhi told his supporters, "On bended knees, I asked for bread and I have received stone instead" —and the march went on. On April 6, Gandhi and his followers reached Dandi and dried seawater to make salt.
What was the first target of Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha movement?
The Mahatma's choice of the salt tax as the first target of his non-violent satyagraha movement initially sparked surprise and even derision from the British, and also from his own allies such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. However, Gandhi realized that a simple, key commodity like salt was the perfect symbol around which ordinary Indians could rally. He understood that the salt tax impacted every person in India directly, whether they were Hindu, Muslim or Sikh, and was more easily understood than complex questions of constitutional law or land tenure.
What happened to the salt marchers?
They arrested him and severely beat many of the salt marchers. The beatings were televised around the world; hundreds of unarmed protesters stood still with their arms at their sides while British troops smashed batons down on their heads. These powerful images stoked international sympathy and support for the Indian independence cause.
How long was Gandhi in jail?
Following the Salt Satyagraha, Gandhi spent nearly a year in prison. He was one of more than 80,000 Indians jailed in the aftermath of the protest; literally millions turned out to make their own salt. Inspired by the Salt March, people across India boycotted all kinds of British goods, including paper and textiles.
How long did Gandhi spend in prison?
Following the Salt Satyagraha, Gandhi spent nearly a year in prison.
What was the Salt March?
The Salt March was a nonviolent campaign of Gandhi.
Why did the British impose the salt tax on Indians?
due to India's weather, the citizens sweats and lose more of the human body's salt supply. Indians didn't eat much meat (natural source of salt) so they needed to find a supplementary source of salt. Thus, the British imposed the salt tax to control the Indians.
How many followers did Gandhi have?
Gandhi and his 78 followers marched from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on the Arabian Sea.
Why did Gandhi choose salt?
However, Gandhi had sound reasons for his decision. An item of daily use could resonate more with all classes of citizens than an abstract demand for greater political rights. The salt tax represented 8.2% of the British Raj tax revenue, and hurt the poorest Indians the most significantly. Explaining his choice, Gandhi said, "Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life." In contrast to the other leaders, the prominent Congress statesman and future Governor-General of India, C. Rajagopalachari, understood Gandhi's viewpoint. In a public meeting at Tuticorin, he said:
Where did Gandhi pick up salt?
Gandhi picked up grains of salt at the end of his march. Behind him is his second son Manilal Gandhi and Mithuben Petit. Date. 12 March 1930 — 5 April 1930. Location. Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial ...
What was the Salt Satyagraha campaign?
The Salt Satyagraha campaign was based upon Gandhi's principles of non-violent protest called satyagraha, which he loosely translated as "truth-force". Literally, it is formed from the Sanskrit words satya, "truth", and agraha, "insistence". In early 1930 the Indian National Congress chose satyagraha as their main tactic for winning Indian sovereignty and self-rule from British rule and appointed Gandhi to organise the campaign. Gandhi chose the 1882 British Salt Act as the first target of satyagraha. The Salt March to Dandi, and the beating by British police of hundreds of nonviolent protesters in Dharasana, which received worldwide news coverage, demonstrated the effective use of civil disobedience as a technique for fighting social and political injustice. The satyagraha teachings of Gandhi and the March to Dandi had a significant influence on American activists Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel, and others during the Civil Rights Movement for civil rights for African Americans and other minority groups in the 1960s. The march was the most significant organised challenge to British authority since the Non-cooperation movement of 1920–22, and directly followed the Purna Swaraj declaration of sovereignty and self-rule by the Indian National Congress on 26 January 1930. It gained worldwide attention which gave impetus to the Indian independence movement and started the nationwide Civil Disobedience movement which continued until 1934.
How many villages did Gandhi march through?
The 24-day march would pass through 4 districts and 48 villages. The route of the march, along with each evening's stopping place, was planned based on recruitment potential, past contacts, and timing. Gandhi sent scouts to each village ahead of the march so he could plan his talks at each resting place, based on the needs of the local residents. Events at each village were scheduled and publicised in Indian and foreign press.
What movement did Gandhi lead?
For movement in Kashmir, see Civil Disobedience movement in kashmir. For movement in Myanmar, see Civil disobedience movement in Myan mar. Gandhi leading his followers on the famous Salt March to break the British Salt Laws. Gandhi picked up grains of salt at the end of his march.
What was the main tactic of the Indian National Congress?
In early 1930 the Indian National Congress chose satyagraha as their main tactic for winning Indian sovereignty and self-rule from British rule and appointed Gandhi to organise the campaign. Gandhi chose the 1882 British Salt Act as the first target of satyagraha.
Where was the Satyagraha held?
The Congress Party planned to stage a satyagraha at the Dharasana Salt Works, 25 mi (40 km) south of Dandi. However, Gandhi was arrested on the midnight of 4–5 May 1930, just days before the planned action at Dharasana.
