Civil Disobedience Movement in India: Important Dates, Causes and Limitations

Q: When was Civil Disobedience Movement started?

The Civil Disobedience Movement was started on 12th March 1930. It began with the Dandi March in Gujarat.

Q: What is Dandi March?

Dandi March or Salt Satyagraha was Gandhi’s Non-violent protest against the unjust British salt law.

Updated on September 29, 2026Author:NEXT IAS Contributors

The Civil Disobedience Movement (सविनय अवज्ञा आंदोलन ) was a Non-violent mass protest against British colonial rule launched in 1930 under Mahatma Gandhi's leadership. The movement was inaugurated by Dandi March to protest the unfair British monopoly over salt law, boycotting British goods, and refusing to pay taxes. It aimed for complete independence (Purna Swaraj) & spread rapidly throughout the country through manual salt making and not obeying the colonial laws. Various methods were applied like Salt satyagraha, refusing to pay taxes, boycotts and picketing which for the first time forced the British authorities to hold negotiation, and resulted into the famous Gandhi Irwin pact of 1931.

This movement unified diverse sections of Indian society, gained international attention, and intensified the freedom struggle. Further the movement demonstrated an unprecedented regional participation as North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) under Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan & leaders like Rani Gaidinliu in Manipur and Nagaland actively participated in the movement.

Timeline of Civil Disobedience Movement

S.No.	Period	Event	Significance
1	December 1929	Lahore Session of INC	The Congress adopted Purna Swaraj or complete independence as its objective and authorized preparation for civil disobedience.
2	26 January 1930	Independence Day observed	The Congress called upon Indians to observe the day as Independence Day. They also took the pledge for complete independence.
3	2 March 1930	Gandhi's letter to Viceroy Lord Irwin	Gandhiji sent 11 demands which included the abolition of salt tax. He also warned that civil disobedience would begin if these demands were not accepted.
4	12 March 1930	Dandi March began	Gandhiji left Sabarmati Ashram with 78 volunteers for Dandi and turned salt into a symbol of resistance against colonial rule.
5	6 April 1930	Salt law broken at Dandi	Gandhiji picked up natural salt at Dandi and formally inaugurated the Civil Disobedience Movement.
6	April to May 1930	Movement spread across India	Indians prepared and sold salt, boycotted foreign cloth and liquor, and picketed shops.
7	4 to 5 May 1930	Arrest of Gandhi	Gandhiji was arrested and imprisoned at Yerawada Jail. However, the movement continued under other leaders.
8	21 May 1930	Dharasana Salt Works raid	The volunteers led by Sarojini Naidu and others marched toward Dharasana Salt Works.
9	November 1930 to January 1931	First Round Table Conference	It was held in London to discuss constitutional reform. The Congress boycotted the conference because its leaders were engaged in the movement or few were imprisoned.
10	25 January 1931	Release of Gandhi	The government released Gandhiji and other leaders. Thus, it was a favourable condition for negotiations with the Viceroy.
11	5 March 1931	Gandhi-Irwin Pact	Congress agreed to suspend the movement and join the next Round Table Conference. The government agreed to release non-violent political prisoners, withdraw repressive measures, and allowed coastal people to make salt for personal use.
12	September to December 1931	Second Round Table Conference (RTC)	Gandhiji attended the second RTC in London but the talks failed, particularly over the communal question and constitutional arrangements.
13	December 1931	Return of Gandhi to India	Gandhiji returned disappointed after the failure of the Second RTC.
14	4 January 1932	Movement resumed and Gandhi arrested	The British government issued repressive ordinances and arrested Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and other Congress leaders.
15	16 August 1932	Communal Award announced	Ramsay MacDonald proposed separate electorates for the Depressed Classes. It created a major political controversy during the second phase of the movement.
16	20 to 24 September 1932	Gandhi's fast and Poona Pact	Gandhiji fasted in Yerawada Jail against separate electorates for Depressed Classes. As a result, the Poona Pact was signed between Gandhiji and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and substituted joint electorates with reserved seats.
17	17 November to 24 December 1932	Third Round Table Conference	The final conference was held in London. Congress boycotted the 3rd RTC.
18	May 1933	Mass civil disobedience movement was suspended	Gandhiji suspended the mass phase. Although, the individual civil disobedience continued in a limited form.
19	April 1934	Movement formally withdrawn	Gandhiji had formally withdrew the Civil Disobedience Movement which ended its second phase.

Causes of the Civil Disobedience Movement

Demand for Purna Swaraj: After the Lahore session of 1929, Congress urged for complete independence and not just dominion status. They mobilized mass movement for their demand to be fulfilled by the Britishers.
Simon Commission (1927 to 1929): It was an all-British commission to review and suggest the constitutional reforms for Indian people. It sparked widespread nationwide agitation and revived national unity among Indians.
Rejection of Nehru Report: The British denied the acceptance of dominion status mentioned in the report.
Economic Distress: The great depression where agricultural prices were falling down, high land revenue and the salt tax altogether increased the grievances of peasants and traders against the British colonial rule.
Gandhi’s 11 demands were ignored: Lord Irwin rejected the 11 demands prepared by Mahatma Gandhi.

11 Demands of Gandhiji

S.No.	Demands
1	Total prohibition of intoxicants (liquor, drugs).
2	Reduce rupee-sterling ratio from 1s 6d to 1s 4d.
3	Cut land revenue assessment by 50%.
4	Abolish salt tax and government salt monopoly.
5	Reduce military expenditure by at least 50%.
6	Cut civil service salaries by 50%.
7	Impose protective tariffs on foreign cloth.
8	Pass Coastal Reservation Bill for Indian shipping.
9	Release political prisoners not convicted of murder.
10	Abolish or subject CID to popular control.
11	Issue firearms licences to citizens for self-defence.

Gandhi Irwin Pact

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on 5th March 1931 between Mahatma Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin. It ended the 1st phase of the civil disobedience movement.
The government agreed to withdraw emergency ordinances, allow peaceful picketing, and allow the making of salt in coastal villages for personal use, and release numerous political prisoners which are not convicted of violence.
Also, the fines were remitted and lands were returned to many people. In return, Gandhiji suspended the civil disobedience movement and agreed to attend the 2nd Round Table Conference in London.
However, Lord Irwin refused a public inquiry into police excess and also the commutation of the death sentence of Bhagat Singh.

Karachi Session of 1931

The session was held in March 1931 and presided over by Sardar Vallabhai Patel. It endorsed the Gandhi-Irwin pact and reaffirmed the goal of Purna Swaraj. The Karachi session was important for the resolution of fundamental rights and National Economic Programme.
The Fundamental Rights guaranteed free speech, free press, equality before law, universal adult franchise, secularism and free primary education.
The National Economic programme demanded reduction in land revenue, relief in debt, daily wages for living, reduced working hours, right to form union, and state control of important industries and mines.
These demands or resolutions taken at the Karachi Session in 1931 formed the basis of the future constitutional reforms and socio-economic policies in India.

Limitations of the Gandhi's Disobedience Movement

The Civil Disobedience movement was a nationwide mass protest but it had some limitations.

Uneven participation of social groups: The involvement of muslim people was relatively lower except the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) under the leadership of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. The surge in communal tensions ultimately led to weakening of Hindu and Muslim unity which was seen during the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat movements.
Non-Participation of Industrial Workers: The industrial workers did not participate as strongly as students, women, peasants and urban middle class. This non-involvement of the labour class was primarily due to the absence of linking the movement with the demands of laborers. Additionally, the peasant involvement in the movement was also less in few regions due to a lack of local agrarian grievances that were not included as the cause of the movement.
Disruption in the movement: The movement depended entirely on the leadership of Gandhiji. There was a continuous disruption in the movement such as lathi charges, arrest, and ban disrupted the coordination. The movement was suspended after the Gandhi-Irwin pact in 1931 which led to the reduction in the movement's popularity.
Lack of Purna Swaraj Objective: The civil disobedience movement did not meet its immediate objective of Purna Swaraj. The movement was formally withdrawn in 1934 without achieving India independence.

Although there were some limitations in the civil disobedience movement, it laid the base for the upcoming mass struggle against colonial rule to gain independence.