The following were the causes of the beginning of the Non – cooperation movement:
1. Unsatisfactory Montague Chelmsford Reforms:
During the First World War, the Indians helped their British masters wholeheartedly. The English rulers admired the services and help of the Indians. They also declared that they were fighting to protect democracy in the world. President Wilson’s fourteen principles included the self-determination principle,which would give the right in determining the form of government in all the countries of the world. But the reforms declared in July 1918 gave Indians a shock of dissatisfaction and disappointment.
2. Financial difficulties:
Indians had to face many financial difficulties during 1917 – 1920. These difficulties created the feeling of dissatisfaction. During the war, no attention was paid to the development of agriculture. The result was that prices of food grains shot up. Secondly, the British masters ill-treated the farmers in Champaran (Bihar) and in Kheda (Gujarat).
3. Rowlatt Act:
During the First World War, the English bureaucrats had been given special rights and powers. But even after the war, they did not want to give up those powers. They used those powers to suppress the revolutionaries and to terrorize them. Keeping in view this beneficial situation, the Federal legislature passed two ordinances on the recommendation of the report of justice Sydney Rowlatt.
These Acts are known as Rowlatt acts. The non – government members of the legislative council opposed these ordinances unanimously, but due to the majority of the government, one of the acts was passed. So Gandhiji proposed to start the satvagraha.
4. Jallianwala Bagh massacre:
On 13 th April 1919, an inhuman massacre took place at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. General Dyer ordered the British army soldiers to fire on unarmed men, women and children until the ammunition was exhausted. The whole incident was too horrible and this was done to strike terror and fear among-st Indians. But, it indirectly gave birth to discontentment which took the form of movements.
5. Suppressive policy and inhuman behaviour:
Martial law was imposed in Punjab and the army tortured inhumanly even the old and the sick, the women and the children. No other example of such tyranny and torture can be found in the history of the world. All this inhuman behaviour caused such anger expressed in the form of movement.
6. Disappointment at Hunter Commission’s report:
Due to the repeated pressure of the political leaders, the British government formed an investigating committee to find out the extent of the atrocities and torture perpetrated on the people, under the president ship of Lord Hunter. The report tried to ignore the atrocities committed by the army during the martial law in Punjab. This partiality of the commission enraged the Indians, and their anger erupted in the form of non – cooperation movement.
7. Unrest amongst Indian Muslims on the issue of Khilafat in:
The Sultan of Turkey was the Khalifa, the spiritual leader of Indian Muslims. Great Britain, during the World War, had promised Indian Muslims that after the war it would not take any revengeful action against Turkey. But it did not keep its promise and removed the Sultan of Turkey from the office of Khalifa. The Congress also opposed the British government on this issue and supported the movement.
