The Gandhi-Irwin Pact included which of the following? 1. Invitation to Congress to participate in the Round Table Conference 2. Withdrawal of Ordinances promulgated in connection with the Civil Disobedience Movement 3. Acceptance of Gandhiji's suggestion for enquiry into police excesses. 4. Release of only those prisoners who were not charged with violence Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Contents12
- A1 only
- B1, 2 and 4 only
- C3 only
- D2, 3 and 4 only
Show answer
Answer: (B) 1, 2 and 4 only
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on March 5, 1931 between Mahatma Gandhi (for Congress) and Lord Irwin (for the British Government).
What was INCLUDED in the pact:
Invitation to Congress for Round Table Conference — YES, INCLUDED: Gandhi agreed to participate in the next Round Table Conference.
Withdrawal of Ordinances — YES, INCLUDED: The government agreed to withdraw the emergency ordinances it had issued during the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Bhagat Singh's death sentence commutation — NOT INCLUDED: Gandhi requested this, but Lord Irwin REFUSED. This was one of the two demands that were rejected.
Release of political prisoners not convicted of violence — YES, INCLUDED: The government agreed to release political prisoners who were not convicted of violent crimes.
Answer: B (1, 2 and 4 only).
Key Takeaway: Gandhi-Irwin Pact included: prisoner release, ordinance withdrawal, Round Table Conference participation. It did NOT include commuting Bhagat Singh's death sentence (Irwin refused) or inquiry into police excesses.
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was the compromise that temporarily ended the Civil Disobedience Movement in March 1931, allowing Gandhi to attend the Second Round Table Conference in London.
Statement 3 is the trap - Gandhi requested an inquiry into police excesses, but Lord Irwin refused this demand along with commuting Bhagat Singh's death sentence.
Students must distinguish between what Gandhi requested versus what was actually accepted in the final pact - only prisoner release, ordinance withdrawal, and Round Table Conference participation were included.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact 1931
Modern Indian History Gandhi-Irwin Pact Round Table Conference Ordinances Civil Disobedience Movement
Gandhi-Irwin Pact 1931: Terms & UPSC Traps
Signed on March 5, 1931 between Gandhi and Lord Irwin
Led to suspension of Civil Disobedience Movement and Gandhi's participation in Second Round Table Conference
Bhagat Singh's commutation and police excesses inquiry were NOT included - Irwin refused
Called Delhi Pact by critics who saw it as Gandhi's compromise
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed after intense negotiations to end the Civil Disobedience Movement. Gandhi agreed to suspend the movement in exchange for British concessions, but two key demands were rejected by Irwin.
Pact Terms: Included vs Rejected
Demand | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
Congress participation in Round Table Conference | ✓ INCLUDED | Gandhi agreed to attend Second RTC in London |
Withdrawal of Emergency Ordinances | ✓ INCLUDED | Government withdrew ordinances issued during CDM |
Release of political prisoners | ✓ INCLUDED | Only those not convicted of violence |
Bhagat Singh's death sentence commutation | ✗ REJECTED | Irwin refused despite Gandhi's appeal |
Inquiry into police excesses | ✗ REJECTED | Government declined investigation demand |
Key Outcomes & Reactions
Civil Disobedience Movement suspended - Gandhi called it off as per agreement
Bhagat Singh executed on March 23, 1931 - just 18 days after the pact
Youth wing criticized Gandhi for 'compromise' - called it betrayal of revolutionaries
Second Round Table Conference (Sep-Dec 1931) - Gandhi attended as sole Congress representative but failed
Trap: Statement about police excesses inquiry - this was Gandhi's demand but NOT included in the pact
Trap: All prisoners were NOT released - only those not charged with violence
Trap: Bhagat Singh's commutation was Gandhi's demand but Irwin refused - not part of final pact
Date confusion: Pact signed March 5, 1931 but Bhagat Singh executed March 23, 1931
Civil Disobedience Movement
Modern Indian History Civil Disobedience Movement
Civil Disobedience Movement 1930-34: Phases & Impact
Started with Dandi March (March 12 - April 6, 1930) and salt law violation
Had two phases: 1930-31 (ended with Gandhi-Irwin Pact) and 1932-34 (after pact failure)
Involved mass participation including women, students, and peasants unlike earlier movements
CDM Timeline & Key Events
%%{init: {"flowchart": {"wrappingWidth": 460}}}%%
flowchart TD
s1["`****Purna Swaraj** Declaration**
January 26, 1930 - Congress declared complete independence as goal`"]
s2["`****Dandi March** begins**
March 12, 1930 - Gandhi's 240-mile march from Sabarmati to Dandi`"]
s3["`****Salt Law** broken**
April 6, 1930 - Gandhi picks salt at Dandi beach, nationwide salt satyagraha`"]
s4["`****Mass arrests** & repression**
1930-31 - Over 90,000 arrested including Gandhi and Congress leaders`"]
s5["`****Gandhi-Irwin Pact****
March 5, 1931 - CDM suspended, Gandhi attends Round Table Conference`"]
s6["`****CDM resumed****
1932 - After RTC failure, Gandhi relaunches movement`"]
s7["`****Movement ends****
1934 - Gandhi calls off individual satyagraha due to communal tensions`"]
s1 --> s2
s2 --> s3
s3 --> s4
s4 --> s5
s5 --> s6
s6 --> s7CDM vs Earlier Movements
Aspect | Non-Cooperation (1920-22) | Civil Disobedience (1930-34) |
|---|---|---|
Main strategy | Boycott of institutions | Breaking unjust laws + boycott |
Mass participation | Limited women participation | Massive women participation |
Symbolic beginning | Khilafat issue support | Salt Satyagraha - universal issue |
Government response | Arrests, Chauri Chaura incident | Emergency ordinances, severe repression |
Outcome | Suspended after violence | Negotiated end with Gandhi-Irwin Pact |
Round Table Conferences
Modern Indian History Round Table Conference
Round Table Conferences 1930-32: Constitutional Negotiations
Three conferences held in London (1930, 1931, 1932) to discuss constitutional reforms
Congress boycotted first and third; Gandhi attended second alone as Congress representative
Led to Government of India Act 1935 - longest act in British parliamentary history
Three Round Table Conferences
Conference | Date | Congress Participation | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
First RTC | Nov 1930 - Jan 1931 | Boycotted (leaders in jail) | Discussed provincial autonomy, communal problem emerged |
Second RTC | Sep - Dec 1931 | Gandhi alone attended | Failed due to communal deadlock, minorities issue |
Third RTC | Nov - Dec 1932 | Boycotted (CDM resumed) | Federal structure finalized, led to GOI Act 1935 |
Why Second RTC Failed
Communal representation deadlock - Muslims, Sikhs, Christians demanded separate electorates
Gandhi's position - refused separate electorates, wanted joint electorates with reserved seats
Minorities united against Congress - saw Gandhi as representing only Hindu interests
British strategy - used communal differences to show Congress doesn't represent all Indians
Trap: Gandhi attended Second RTC only - not first (Congress boycott) or third (movement resumed)
Trap: RTCs led to GOI Act 1935, not immediate independence or dominion status
Common confusion: Communal Award (1932) was separate from RTCs but related to communal deadlock
Political Prisoners in Colonial India
Modern Indian History prisoners violence
Political Prisoners & British Detention Policies
British classified prisoners as violent vs non-violent based on charges, not actual conviction
Emergency ordinances during movements allowed detention without trial
Gandhi-Irwin Pact released only non-violent political prisoners, not revolutionaries
Categories of Political Detention
Civil Disobedience prisoners - arrested for breaking salt law, boycotts, picketing
Revolutionary prisoners - charged with bomb-making, assassinations, sedition with violence
Preventive detention - under ordinances, no trial required during emergencies
Sedition cases - under Section 124A IPC, for anti-government writings/speeches
Prisoner Release Patterns in Pacts
Agreement | Prisoners Released | Excluded Category |
|---|---|---|
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) | Non-violent political prisoners | Revolutionaries charged with violence |
Poona Pact (1932) | Not about prisoners | Dealt with separate electorates |
Lucknow Pact (1916) | Not about prisoners | Hindu-Muslim political cooperation |
Key distinction: Released prisoners not charged with violence - this means not even accused, not 'convicted'
Bhagat Singh trap: He was charged with violence (Lahore Conspiracy Case), so not covered by pact
Emergency ordinances: These were withdrawn but normal laws like sedition remained