UPSC CORE · NCERT HISTORY · BIPAN CHANDRA CH 13-15: FROM CDM TO WWII — SALT MARCH + COMMUNALISM RISE + 1937 ELECTIONS
CDM + Communalism + Princely States (1922-39) 🇮🇳
NCERT-aligned UPSC Core History topic from NCERT Class 11/12 + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar). Every item is anchored to a real location on India's map — built for boards (CBSE, ICSE, state) and UPSC aspirants.
📚 NCERT TEXTBOOK ALIGNMENT
Class UPSC History — NCERT Class 11/12 + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar) — Chapter: Bipan Chandra Ch 13-15: From CDM to WWII — Salt March + Communalism rise + 1937 elections.
6LOCATIONS
56QUESTIONS
UPSC CORENCERT LEVEL
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Key locations covered (6)
- Swaraj Party + Constitutional Politics (1923-29) — Sabarmati Ashram · Civil Disobedience launch 1930
- Lahore Congress + Purna Swaraj (Dec 1929) — Punjab
- SALT MARCH + Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34) — Pan-India
- AMBEDKAR + COMMUNAL AWARD + Poona Pact (1932) — Pan-India
- Government of India Act 1935 + Provincial Autonomy — Delhi · GoI Act 1935 + 1937 provincial autonomy
- Communalism Rise + Princely States Movement — Delhi · Hindu Mahasabha + Muslim League rise 1930s+
Sample questions (12 of 56)
What was the SWARAJ PARTY?
Founded JANUARY 1923 at ALLAHABAD by MOTILAL NEHRU + CHITTARANJAN DAS — after Gandhi's call-off of NCM (1922) had divided Congress between PRO-CHANGE (those wanting to enter legislatures + obstruct from within) + NO-CHANGE (Gandhi's line — focus on constructive programme). Swaraj Party = the PRO-CHANGE faction. Goal: ENTER colonial legislatures + OBSTRUCT British work from inside.
Swaraj Party's 1923 election performance?
NOVEMBER 1923 elections to Imperial + Provincial Legislative Councils. SWARAJ PARTY: WON 42 of 145 elected seats in Central Legislative Assembly + majority in Central Provinces + key positions in Bengal + Bombay legislatures. ENTERED with strategy of OBSTRUCTION: voted against budgets, delayed bills, demanded resignation of Indians from civil service. INSIDE the system but disrupting it.
What did Swarajists achieve?
NOTABLY DEFEATED PUBLIC SAFETY ACT (1928) + several budget proposals. (i) Forced government to APPOINT Indian + Muslim members to Central Public Service Commission; (ii) Won concessions in Bengal Tenancy Acts; (iii) Made nationalist EYES + EARS in colonial legislatures. BUT: weakened by death of CR DAS 1925 (huge loss); MOTILAL NEHRU's gradual exhaustion; many Swarajists drifted back to CONGRESS or to communal politics. By 1928-29 Swaraj Party was over.
NEHRU REPORT (1928)?
After SIMON COMMISSION boycott (1927-28), the British challenged Indians to "produce a constitution". MOTILAL NEHRU led a committee (Tej Bahadur Sapru, Subhash Bose, M.S. Aney, Mangal Singh, Madhav Shrihari Aney, M.R. Jayakar, G.R. Pradhan) — submitted NEHRU REPORT August 1928. Key proposals: (i) DOMINION STATUS for India (NOT full independence); (ii) UNITARY government with provincial autonomy; (iii) JOINT electorates with reserved seats for Muslims (NO separate electorates); (iv) FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS guaranteed. JINNAH proposed his "FOURTEEN POINTS" 1929 demanding stronger Muslim safeguards — REJECTED by Congress. Nehru Report became the BASIS for Indian constitutional thought.
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE 1930 — main events?
(i) DANDI SALT MARCH (12 Mar - 6 Apr 1930) — Gandhi + 78 satyagrahis walked 240 miles; broke salt law; (ii) NATIONWIDE salt-making at coasts; tax non-payment; bonfires of foreign cloth; (iii) DHARASANA SALT WORKS RAID May 1930 — Sarojini Naidu + 2,500 satyagrahis beaten by police (Webb Miller's reports shocked world); (iv) ~80,000 ARRESTED including Gandhi May 1930, Nehru, Patel; (v) Lord IRWIN-Gandhi PACT March 1931 SUSPENDED CDM; Gandhi attended 2nd Round Table.
POONA PACT 1932 — what + impact?
POONA PACT 24 SEP 1932 — agreement between GANDHI + AMBEDKAR. CONTEXT: Ramsay MacDonald (UK PM) issued COMMUNAL AWARD (Aug 1932) — granted SEPARATE ELECTORATES to Dalits ("Depressed Classes"). GANDHI launched FAST UNTO DEATH at Yerwada Jail 20 Sept 1932 against this. Ambedkar reluctantly conceded — replaced separate electorates with RESERVED SEATS for Dalits in joint electorates (148 reserved seats). Foundation of modern Indian RESERVATION system. AMBEDKAR later expressed regret — felt Gandhi's fast was COERCIVE.
Nehru Report was prepared in?
1928
Nehru Report was authored by a committee chaired by?
Motilal Nehru
Nehru Report recommended which form of government?
Dominion Status with full responsible government
Jinnah's response to Nehru Report was?
'Fourteen Points' (March 1929)
What did the LAHORE CONGRESS (1929) declare?
31 DECEMBER 1929 — under Jawaharlal NEHRU's presidency (his FIRST), the INC declared PURNA SWARAJ (complete independence) as its goal. Tricolour FLAG hoisted on the banks of the RAVI river at MIDNIGHT on 31 Dec 1929. Demanded full INDEPENDENCE — NOT Dominion Status (which the Simon Commission + the British had vaguely offered). REVOLUTION in Congress thinking — first time INDEPENDENCE was officially the goal.
26 JANUARY 1930 — first Independence Day?
CONGRESS asked all Indians to OBSERVE 26 JANUARY 1930 as INDEPENDENCE DAY (Purna Swaraj Day). Across India — meetings + processions + hoisting of national flag + public reading of the Independence Pledge: "It is the inalienable right of the Indian people to have freedom + to enjoy the fruits of their toil." LATER chosen as the date for REPUBLIC DAY (1950) — to honour this commitment. Started the tradition of public political celebration that culminated in 15 August 1947.
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About this topic
This topic is part of the NCERT UPSC Core History syllabus, specifically the textbook NCERT Class 11/12 + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar), drawn from the chapter Bipan Chandra Ch 13-15: From CDM to WWII — Salt March + Communalism rise + 1937 elections. Content is cross-referenced against the latest NCERT textbook editions + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar, Satish Chandra for history; G.C. Leong, Savindra Singh for geography; the UPSC Civil Services prelims + mains syllabus).
Use the interactive India map to learn cdm + communalism + princely states (1922-39) the way memory works best — by spatial location. Each pin opens a flashcard. Mark "Knew it" or "Didn't know" to track your mastery over time.
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