Salt March and Civil Disobedience Movement
INTRODUCTION:
After the historic Purna Swaraj declaration at the Lahore Congress Session in December 1929, the question was: how would Congress achieve complete independence? NCERT Class 10 History Chapter 2, Section 4 "The Salt March and Civil Disobedience Movement" explains how Mahatma Gandhi chose a simple substance—salt—to launch one of the most powerful mass movements in Indian history. On 12 March 1930, Gandhi began his famous 240-mile march from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi in Gujarat, where he broke the salt law on 6 April 1930, formally launching the Civil Disobedience Movement. This section is extremely important for CBSE board exams as questions on Dandi March, salt law breaking, and Civil Disobedience Movement regularly appear carrying 5-8 marks through MCQs, short answers, and long-answer questions. Understanding why Gandhi chose salt, how the movement spread across India, and the role of women in this movement is crucial for scoring full marks in this section.
Why Mahatma Gandhi Restarted the Movement
The Background
(Post-Lahore Congress)
After the Lahore Congress Session declared Purna Swaraj in December 1929, Congress needed a concrete plan of action.
Gandhi's Ultimatum to Viceroy Irwin:
· Mahatma Gandhi sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin with eleven demands
· The demands included reduction of land revenue, abolition of salt tax, and other reforms
· Gandhi gave a deadline: 11 March 1930
· He stated: if demands were not met, Congress would launch civil disobedience
Viceroy's Response:
· Lord Irwin ignored the letter
· He was unwilling to negotiate
· This forced Gandhi to start the planned movement
Class 10 Students (Board Exam 2026)! Chapter 4 Carbon and its Compounds
Why Gandhi Chose Salt
The
Strategic Brilliance
Salt as a Symbol (Exam Important):
|
Reason |
Explanation |
|
Universal necessity |
Every person, rich or poor, needed salt |
|
British monopoly |
British had monopoly on salt production; Indians could not make or sell it |
|
Salt tax was unjust |
Poor people suffered most due to salt tax |
|
Simple to understand |
Even illiterate people could understand the issue |
|
Easy to break law |
Anyone could make salt from seawater and break the law |
|
Symbolic power |
Showed how British controlled even basic necessities |
Class 10 Science Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals.[Notes & PDF]
The Historic Dandi March (Salt March)
Key
Facts (Memorize for Exams)
|
Aspect |
Details |
|
Start date |
12 March 1930 |
|
Starting point |
Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad |
|
Destination |
Dandi, coastal village in Gujarat |
|
Distance |
240 miles (about 385 km) |
|
Duration |
24 days |
|
Daily distance |
About 10 miles per day |
|
Initial marchers |
78 trusted volunteers with Gandhi |
|
End date |
5 April 1930 (reached Dandi) |
|
Salt law broken |
6 April 1930 |
|
Participants at Dandi |
About 50,000 people |
The Journey
What Happened During the March?
· Gandhi and volunteers walked about 10 miles every day
· They stopped at various villages along the route
· Thousands came to hear Gandhi at every stop
· Gandhi explained the meaning of Swaraj to common people
· He urged them to peacefully defy British
· More and more people joined the march as it progressed
· Prominent leaders like Sarojini Naidu joined on the way
Visual
Description (Exam Example):
The march became known as the "White Flowing River" because thousands
of people wearing white khadi participated.
Breaking the Salt Law (6 April 1930)
The Historic Moment:
· Early morning of 6 April 1930, at 8:30 am
· Gandhi reached the Dandi beach
· He picked up a fistful of salt from the seawater
· By this simple act, he broke the salt law
· He became a "criminal" in British eyes
Gandhi's
Declaration:
After breaking the salt law, Gandhi declared: "Sedition has become my religion"
Symbolic
Significance (6 April):
Gandhi chose 6 April for a symbolic reason—it was the first day of
"National Week," begun in 1919 when Gandhi conceived of the national
hartal against the Rowlatt Act.
Class 10 History (NCERT) Chapter 2 — Section 2: Differing Strands within the Movement.
How the Civil Disobedience Movement Spread
Nationwide Response
What Happened After Dandi?
· Thousands of Indians across the country broke salt laws
· People started making salt from seawater wherever possible
· The movement spread like wildfire across India
Different Forms in Different Regions:
|
Activity |
How It Was Done |
|
Boycott of foreign goods |
Foreign cloth boycotted; cloth merchants and students picketed shops selling foreign cloth |
|
Liquor shops |
Picketing of liquor shops |
|
Refusal of taxes |
Peasants refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes |
|
Village officials |
Village officials resigned in many places |
|
Forest laws |
In many forests, people violated forest laws—going into Reserved Forests to collect wood and graze cattle |
Example:
Refusal to Pay Taxes
In many parts of the country, people refused to pay taxes. Village officials
resigned, and in many places people violated forest laws by entering reserved
forests.
Large-Scale Participation
Numbers (Exam Important):
· The movement soon involved millions of Indians
· British authorities arrested more than 60,000 people
Gandhi's Arrest:
· Mahatma Gandhi was arrested on 5 May 1930
· Yet the Satyagraha continued even without him
Chapter 2 Class 10 Science: Acids, Bases & Salts.
Women's Participation in Civil Disobedience Movement
Large-Scale Women Participation (Very Important for Exams)
NCERT
Highlights:
The Civil Disobedience Movement saw large-scale
participation of women for the first time in Indian freedom
struggle.
What Women Did:
|
Activity |
Details |
|
Attended Gandhi's meetings |
During Salt March, thousands of women came out of their homes to listen to Gandhi |
|
Protest marches |
Participated in protest marches |
|
Manufactured salt |
Women manufactured salt |
|
Picketing |
Picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops |
|
Went to jail |
Many women went to jail |
Who Were These Women?
Social Background:
· In urban areas: Women
were from high-caste
families
· In
rural areas:
Women came from rich
peasant households
Motivation:
Moved by Gandhi's call, they began to see service to the nation as a sacred duty of
women.
Prominent Women Leaders:
· Sarojini Naidu: Joined Gandhi during the Salt March
· She inspired many women to join the struggle for independence
Complete Notes on Nationalism in India (First World War, Khilafat & Non-Cooperation Movement)
MCQs PYQ
Q1.
The Dandi March started on:
A. 6 April 1930
B. 12 March 1930
C. 26 January 1930
D. 5 May 1930
Answer: B
Q2. The
Dandi March started from:
A. Champaran
B. Sabarmati Ashram
C. Wardha
D. Sevagram
Answer: B
Q3. The
distance covered in the Dandi March was:
A. 150 miles
B. 200 miles
C. 240 miles
D. 300 miles
Answer: C
Q4. Gandhi
broke the salt law on:
A. 12 March 1930
B. 5 April 1930
C. 6 April 1930
D. 11 March 1930
Answer: C
Q5. The
number of volunteers who initially accompanied Gandhi in the Dandi March:
A. 50
B. 60
C. 78
D. 100
Answer: C
Q6. The
duration of the Dandi March was:
A. 20 days
B. 24 days
C. 30 days
D. 40 days
Answer: B
Q7. Which
prominent woman leader joined Gandhi during the Salt March?
A. Kasturba Gandhi
B. Sarojini Naidu
C. Aruna Asaf Ali
D. Kamala Nehru
Answer: B
Q8. After
breaking the salt law, Gandhi declared:
A. "Quit
India"
B. "Do or Die"
C. "Sedition has become my religion"
D. "Swaraj is my birthright"
Answer: C
Q9. Gandhi
was arrested during Civil Disobedience Movement on:
A. 6 April 1930
B. 12 March 1930
C. 5 May 1930
D. 26 January 1930
Answer: C
Q10. More
than how many people were arrested during Civil Disobedience Movement?
A. 30,000
B. 40,000
C. 50,000
D. 60,000
Answer: D
Class 10 Science Chapter-1: Chemical Reactions and Equations.
Short
Answer Questions (PYQ)
Q1) Why did Mahatma Gandhi choose salt to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Answer:
· Salt was a universal necessity needed by every person, rich or poor.
· The British had a monopoly on salt production, and the salt tax was extremely unjust, hurting poor people the most.
· The salt law was easy to break—anyone could make salt from seawater—making it a powerful symbol of British oppression.
Q2) Describe the Dandi March.
Answer:
· Gandhi started the Dandi March on 12 March 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 trusted volunteers.
· They walked 240 miles to the coastal village of Dandi, covering about 10 miles per day for 24 days.
· On 6 April 1930, Gandhi broke the salt law by making salt from seawater, formally launching the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Q3) Explain the role of women in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Answer:
· The Civil Disobedience Movement saw large-scale participation of women for the first time.
· During Gandhi's Salt March, thousands of women came out of their homes, participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops.
· Many women went to jail; they came from high-caste families in urban areas and rich peasant households in rural areas, seeing service to the nation as their sacred duty.
Q4) How did the Civil Disobedience Movement spread after Gandhi broke the salt law?
Answer:
· After Gandhi broke the salt law on 6 April 1930, thousands of Indians across the country started making salt from seawater.
· People boycotted foreign cloth, picketed liquor shops, refused to pay taxes, and village officials resigned in many places.
· The
movement soon involved millions of Indians, and British authorities arrested
more than 60,000 people.
Confused why the Balkans were called the “Powder Keg of Europe”?
Long Answer Questions (PYQ)
Q1) Explain the main features of the Civil Disobedience Movement. How was it different from Non-Cooperation Movement?
Answer:
· The Civil Disobedience Movement was launched by Gandhi on 6 April 1930 after his historic Dandi March from Sabarmati to Dandi (240 miles, 24 days, starting 12 March 1930).
· Gandhi broke the salt law by making salt from seawater, and thousands across India followed, making salt and breaking colonial laws.
· The movement spread with people boycotting foreign goods, picketing liquor shops, refusing to pay taxes, and violating forest laws.
· Large-scale participation of women was a new feature—thousands of women joined protests, manufactured salt, picketed shops, and went to jail.
· Unlike Non-Cooperation Movement which focused on withdrawal of cooperation, Civil Disobedience involved actively breaking unjust colonial laws and demanded Purna Swaraj (complete independence) instead of just Swaraj.
Q2) Describe the Dandi March and its significance.
Answer:
· On 12 March 1930, Gandhi started the historic Dandi March from Sabarmati Ashram with 78 trusted volunteers to break the salt law.
· The march covered 240 miles to the coastal village of Dandi, taking 24 days with volunteers walking about 10 miles daily.
· Thousands of people gathered at every village where Gandhi stopped; he explained the meaning of Swaraj and urged peaceful defiance of British rule.
· On 6 April 1930 at 8:30 am, Gandhi broke the salt law by picking up a fistful of salt from seawater at Dandi beach, becoming a "criminal" in British eyes.
· The
Dandi March had great symbolic power as it demonstrated how British controlled
even basic necessities, sparked the Civil Disobedience Movement involving
millions, and showed the effectiveness of non-violent resistance against colonial
oppression.
Visualising the Nation - Complete NCERT Notes
Case-Based Questions — CBSE Latest Pattern
Read the passage and answer:
"Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation. On 31 January 1930, he sent a letter to Viceroy Irwin stating eleven demands. The most stirring of all was the demand to abolish the salt tax. Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it was one of the most essential items of food. The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production revealed the most oppressive face of British rule."
(i)
What was the most stirring demand in Gandhi's letter to Irwin?
Answer:
To abolish the salt tax.
(ii)
Why did Gandhi choose salt as a symbol?
Answer:
Salt was consumed by both rich and poor alike and was an essential item of
food. The salt tax and government monopoly revealed the oppressive face of
British rule.
(iii)
When did Gandhi send the letter to Viceroy Irwin?
Answer:
31 January 1930.
Conclusion
Section 4 "The Salt March and
Civil Disobedience Movement" marks one of the most iconic moments in
Indian freedom struggle. Gandhi's strategic choice of salt as a symbol of
British oppression, the historic 24-day Dandi March covering 240 miles from
Sabarmati to Dandi, and the symbolic breaking of salt law on 6 April 1930
sparked a mass movement that involved millions of Indians. The Civil
Disobedience Movement was more militant than Non-Cooperation, involving active
law-breaking, and saw unprecedented large-scale participation of women. For
CBSE board exams, students must remember key dates (12 March 1930, 6 April
1930, 5 May 1930), numbers (240 miles, 24 days, 78 volunteers, 60,000 arrests),
understand why salt was chosen, and describe women's role. This section
typically carries 5-8 marks through MCQs (2-3 marks), short answers (3 marks),
and long-answer questions (5 marks).
Download Class 10 Social Science Notes PDF
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