Lord Chelmsford (1916–1921)
1916
Dec 1916
Lucknow Pact. Gandhi meets Rajkumar Shukla, who invites him to Bihar.
II. The Three Experiments (CAKE) (1917–1918)
1917
1917 – Champaran Satyagraha (Bihar): First Civil Disobedience. Against the Tinkathia system.
Mar 1918
Mar 1918 – Ahmedabad Mill Strike (Gujarat): First Hunger Strike. Industrial dispute over the Plague Bonus.
Jun 1918
Jun 1918 – Kheda Satyagraha (Gujarat): First Non-Cooperation. Against tax collection despite crop failure.
III. The Bridge: The Great Divorce & Betrayal (1918–1919)
Aug 1918
Aug 1918: Montagu-Chelmsford Report published. Surendranath Banerjee leaves Congress to form the INLF (Liberal Split).
Mar 1919
Mar 1919: Rowlatt Act passed. Gandhi forms the Satyagraha Sabha.
Apr 6, 1919
Apr 6, 1919: First All-India Hartal.
Apr 13, 1919
Apr 13, 1919: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
May 1919
May 1919: Hunter Committee (Disorders Inquiry Committee) formed by the British.
Nov 1919
Nov 1919: Gandhi elected President of the All India Khilafat Conference in Delhi.
Dec 1919
Dec 1919: Amritsar Session of Congress (President: Motilal Nehru). Congress still “unsatisfied” but undecided on a total break.
IV. The Shift to Mass Struggle (1920)
May 1920
May 1920: Treaty of Sevres (Dismemberment of Turkey) and the Hunter Report (White-washing General Dyer) are published. These are the final nails in the coffin.
Aug 1, 1920
Aug 1, 1920: NCM Launched. Lokmanya Tilak passes away.
Aug 31, 1920
Aug 31, 1920: Khilafat Committee formally begins Non-Cooperation.
Sep 1920
Sep 1920: Calcutta Special Session (Lala Lajpat Rai). NCM proposal “Accepted.”
Dec 1920
Dec 1920: Nagpur Annual Session (C. Vijayaraghavachariar). NCM “Ratified” and Congress goal redefined to Swaraj. Jinnah, Besant, and B.C. Pal leave (The Method Split).
Lord Reading (1921–1926)
1921
August 1921
Moplah Rebellion (August).
1922: The Collapse of the Movement
February 4, 1922
Chauri Chaura Incident: A mob sets fire to a police station in the United Provinces, killing 22 policemen.
February 12, 1922
Withdrawal of Non-Cooperation: Gandhi, shocked by the violence, abruptly calls off the movement at the Bardoli Working Committee meeting.
March 1922
Arrest of Gandhi: With the movement losing steam, Reading seizes the opportunity. Gandhi is arrested and sentenced to six years of imprisonment for sedition by Judge Broomfield.
1922
Visva-Bharati University: Founded by Rabindranath Tagore, it receives a central charter under Reading’s administration.
1923: Political Realignment
Dec 1922 / Jan 1923
Gaya Session: Dispute leads to the formation of the Swaraj Party by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru. They decide to “wreck the reforms from within” by entering the Legislative Councils.
November 1923
Success of Swarajists: The Swaraj Party wins a significant number of seats in the Central Legislative Assembly and provincial councils in the 1923 elections.
1923
Decision on ICS: Recommendations for the simultaneous conduct of ICS examinations in London and Delhi.
1924: Communalism and Revolutionary Rise
February 1924
Release of Gandhi: Gandhi is released early from jail on health grounds (appendicitis).
December 1924
Belgaum Session: The only Congress session ever presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.
1924
Reformation of HRA: The Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) is founded by Sachindra Sanyal and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee in Kanpur.
1925: Economic and Revolutionary Milestones
August 9, 1925
Kakori Train Robbery: Members of the HRA loot a train carrying British treasury money near Lucknow. This leads to a massive crackdown on revolutionaries.
June 1925
Death of C.R. Das: A massive blow to the Swaraj Party, leading to its eventual decline.
September 1925
Formation of RSS: K.B. Hedgewar founds the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Nagpur.
December 1925
Communist Party of India: The first All-India Conference of Communists is held in Kanpur (Satyabhakta).
1924–1925
Vaikom Satyagraha: A movement against untouchability in Kerala; Lord Reading’s administration watches closely as the Travancore state is pressured to open temple roads to all.
1926 Irwin
1926
Trade Union Act (1926): Provided for the registration and protection of trade unions.
1926
Royal Commission on Agriculture to study the rural economy.
1927
March 1927
Delhi Proposals: A conference of Muslim leaders (led by Jinnah) at Delhi proposes four demands (including joint electorates with reserved seats) as a basis for a constitutional settlement.
November 8 1927
Appointment of the Simon Commission: The British government announces an all-white commission to review the 1919 reforms.
December 1927
Harcourt Butler Indian States Committee: Appointed to examine the relationship between the Paramount Power (Britain) and the Princely States.
December 1927
Madras Session of Congress: INC resolves to boycott the Simon Commission “at every stage and in every form.”
1928: The Challenge and the Response
February 3, 1928
The Simon Commission arrives in Bombay, met with black flags and “Simon Go Back” slogans.
Feb 1928
Birkenhead Challenge: The Secretary of State, Lord Birkenhead, taunts Indians to produce a constitution that all parties could agree upon.
August 1928
Nehru Report: Motilal Nehru submits a draft constitution at the All-Parties Conference, demanding Dominion Status and a federal structure.
October–November 1928
Anti-Simon protests peak. Lala Lajpat Rai is injured in a lathi charge (Oct 30) and dies on Nov 17.
December 17, 1928
Bhagat Singh and Rajguru assassinate ASP John Saunders in Lahore.
1929: The Shift to Radicalism
March 1929
Jinnah’s Fourteen Points: Jinnah rejects the Nehru Report and issues 14 points as the minimum Muslim demand.
April 8, 1929
Assembly Bombing: Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt throw smoke bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly to protest the Public Safety Bill.
July 16, 1929
Establishment of the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research (now ICAR).
September 13, 1929
Jatin Das dies after a 63-day hunger strike in Lahore Jail.
September 28, 1929
Sarda Act (Child Marriage Restraint Act): Signed into law, fixing the marriage age at 14 for girls and 18 for boys.
October 1929
Hartog Committee Report: An auxiliary committee to the Simon Commission submits its report on the “wastage and stagnation” of the Indian education system.
October 31, 1929
Irwin Declaration (Deepavali Declaration): Irwin formally states that the “natural issue of India’s constitutional progress… is the attainment of Dominion Status.”
December 23, 1929
An attempt is made to blow up Irwin’s train near Delhi; he escapes.
December19 1929
Lahore Session & Purna Swaraj resolution: Under Jawaharlal Nehru, the INC declares Complete Independence as its goal and resolves to start Civil Disobedience.
December31 1929
tricolor unfurled
1930: Civil Disobedience
January 26, 1930
div class=”event inc”>
January 31, 1930
The first “Independence Day” is observed across India.
Gandhi 11 demands
March 12 – April 6, 1930
Salt Satyagraha: Gandhi begins the Dandi March, marking the start of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
April 18, 1930
Chittagong Armoury Raid: Led by Surya Sen (Masterda), revolutionaries seize the police and auxiliary force armouries.
April 23, 1930
Peshawar Uprising: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s Khudai Khidmatgars lead a massive protest; the Royal Garhwal Rifles refuse to fire on the crowds.
May 1930
Gandhi and other top leaders are arrested.
November 12, 1930
First Round Table Conference: Opens in London. The INC boycotts it, making the conference largely ineffective.
1931: The Pact and the End
February 13, 1931
1931 (The Inauguration): New Delhi was officially inaugurated as the capital on February 13, 1931, by the Viceroy, Lord Irwin. (20 years after 1911 Declaration).
February 27, 1931
Chandra Shekhar Azad is martyred in a shootout at Alfred Park, Allahabad.
March 5, 1931
Gandhi-Irwin Pact: A political agreement where the INC agrees to suspend CDM and attend the 2nd RTC, while the government agrees to release political prisoners and allow salt collection for personal use.
March 23, 1931
Execution of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru: Despite the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, the three revolutionaries are hanged in Lahore Jail.
March 26-31, 1931
Karachi session headed by vallabh bhai Patel endorsed Gandhi Irwin pact
April 18, 1931
Lord Irwin’s term concludes.
Lord Willingdon (1931–1936)
1931: Resumption of Struggle
Sept – Dec 1931
Second Round Table Conference: Gandhi attends as the sole representative of the INC; it fails due to the deadlock over separate electorates.
Dec 1931
Civil Disobedience Resumed: Upon returning from London, Gandhi restarts the movement as the government resumes repression.
1932: Communal Award & Poona Pact
August 16, 1932
Communal Award: British PM Ramsay MacDonald announces separate electorates for ‘Depressed Classes’ and other minorities.
Sept 20, 1932
Fast Unto Death: Gandhi begins a fast in Yerwada Jail to protest the fragmentation of Hindu society through separate electorates.
Sept 24, 1932
Poona Pact: An agreement between B.R. Ambedkar and Gandhi (signed by M.M. Malaviya) to abandon separate electorates in favor of reserved seats.
Nov – Dec 1932
Third Round Table Conference: Held in London; ignored by the INC and British Labour Party.
1933–1934: Institutional Shifts
1933
White Paper on Constitutional Reforms: Issued by the British government, forming the basis for the 1935 Act.
May 1934
Congress Socialist Party (CSP): Formed within the INC by JP Narayan, Acharya Narendra Dev, and others.
May 1934
Civil Disobedience Withdrawn: The movement is officially called off by Gandhi.
1935: The Great Charter
August 1935
Government of India Act 1935: Provided for Provincial Autonomy, a Federal Court, and a proposed (but never realized) All-India Federation.
1935
Separation of Burma: Under the provisions of the 1935 Act, Burma is formally separated from British India.
1936: Rural Focus
April 1936
Lucknow Session of INC: Presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru; emphasis on socialism and the plight of the peasantry.
1936
All India Kisan Sabha: Founded in Lucknow with Sahajanand Saraswati as President.
Lord Linlithgow (1936–1943)
1937
1937
First General Elections: Held under the 1935 Act; INC forms ministries in 7 out of 11 provinces.
1938
1938
Haripura Session: Subhash Chandra Bose elected President; National Planning Committee set up.
1938
pirpur committee by Muslim league
1939
1939
Tripuri Session: Bose re-elected but resigns due to differences with Gandhi; Rajendra Prasad becomes President.
Sept 3, 1939
World War II Breaks Out: Linlithgow declares India at war with Germany without consulting Indian leaders.
Oct 22, 1939
Resignation of Congress Ministries: INC ministries resign in protest against India’s forced participation in the war.
Dec 22, 1939
Day of Deliverance: Observed by the Muslim League to celebrate the resignation of Congress ministries.
1940
March 23, 1940
Lahore Resolution: Muslim League formally demands a separate state for Muslims (Pakistan).
August 8, 1940
August Offer: Linlithgow offers Dominion Status and expansion of Viceroy’s Council; rejected by INC.
Oct 17, 1940
Individual Satyagraha: Launched by Gandhi; Vinoba Bhave is the first satyagrahi, followed by Nehru.
1941
Jan 17, 1941
Escape of Bose: Subhash Chandra Bose escapes from house arrest in Calcutta.
March 28, 1941
Bose Reaches Berlin: Arrives via Moscow.
Nov 2, 1941
Free India Centre: Bose founds the center at Berlin, which operated Azad Hind Radio.
1942
March 23, 1942
Cripps Mission: Sir Stafford Cripps arrives with a proposal for Dominion Status after the war; Gandhi calls it a “post-dated cheque.”
May 29, 1942
Meeting with Hitler: Bose meets Adolf Hitler in Germany.
August 8, 1942
Quit India Resolution: Passed at Gowalia Tank, Bombay. Gandhi gives the slogan “Do or Die.”
August 9, 1942
Operation Zero Hour: British arrest all top Congress leaders overnight.
August 26, 1942
Indian Legion Formed: Created in Germany.
Sept 1, 1942
INA Formed: Indian National Army formed by Mohan Singh.
1942
Parallel Governments: Formed in places like Ballia (Chittu Pandey), Tamluk, and Satara.
1943
Feb 1943
Bose Departs for Japan: Leaves Germany via U-180 submarine[cite: 6].
Feb 10, 1943
Gandhi’s Fast: Begins 21-day fast in Aga Khan Palace[cite: 27].
May 16, 1943
Bose Reaches Tokyo: Arrives to seek direct Japanese support[cite: 23].
July 4, 1943
Leadership of INA: Netaji becomes the leader of INA at Singapore[cite: 18].
August 1943
Bengal Famine: Reaches its peak; millions die due to food shortages.
Lord Wavell (1943–1947)
1943: The Rise of Azad Hind
October 21, 1943
October 21: Provisional Government of Free India formed by Netaji in Singapore.
December 30, 1943
December 30: Netaji visits Port Blair and hoists the Tricolor.
1944: INA Offensive & Political Parleys
January 1944
January: INA launched Operation U-GO.
March 1944
March: INA crosses the Indo-Burma border.
March 18, 1944
March 18: INA reaches the Indian soil.
April 14, 1944
April 14: Battle of Imphal and Kohima; the Tricolor is hoisted at Moirang, Manipur.
July 6, 1944
July 6: Netaji moves headquarters to Rangoon; in a speech from Azad Hind Radio in Singapore, he calls Gandhi the “Father of the Nation”.
September 1944
September: Gandhi-Jinnah talks regarding the Rajaji Formula.
November 1944
November: Sapru Committee is formed.
1945: The End of War
January 1945
January: Desai-Liaquat Pact.
March 1945
March: Sapru Committee Report is released.
June 1945
June: Wavell Plan and the Simla Conference.
July 1945
July: Clement Attlee becomes the leader of the Labour Party.
August 1945
August: World War II ends.
November 1945
November: Red Fort Trials of the INA begin.
1946: Transition and Turmoil
February 18, 1946
February 18: Royal Indian Navy (RIN) Mutiny.
March 24, 1946
March 24: Cabinet Mission arrives in New Delhi.
May 16, 1946
May 16: Cabinet Mission Plan is announced.
July 1946
July: Elections for the Constituent Assembly take place.
August 16, 1946
August 16: Direct Action Day and the “Great Calcutta Killings”.
September 2, 1946
September 2: Swearing-in of the Interim Government.
October 26, 1946
October 26: Muslim League joins the Interim Government.
Lord Mountbatten (1947)
1947: Independence
February 20, 1947
February 20: Atlee Declaration regarding the transfer of power.
June 3, 1947
June 3: Mountbatten Plan is announced.
July 5, 1947
July 5: Indian Independence Act is passed.
July 18, 1947
July 18: Indian Independence Act receives Royal Assent.
August 15, 1947
August 15: India gains Independence.
August 17, 1947
August 17: Radcliffe Line (boundary commission award) is published.