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Sepoy Mutiny
85 of 90 people refused cartridges and were sent to jail. Indian soldiers rebelled and marched to Delhi; rebellion spread to northern and central India. Fierce fighting, troops vs. troops. The British sent help but it took them more than a year to regain control. -
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Rebellion leads to command
1858 -
Indian mutiny or rebellion led the British government to take direct command of India. -
Gandhi is born
Gandhi is born with the name Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in Porbandar, India. His parents were not educated but had enough to provide education for their son. -
Gandhi marries to Kasturbai Makhanji
May 1883 -
At the age of 13, he was put into an arranged marriage with Kasturbai "Kasturba" Makhanji, with whom he had four children. -
Indian National Congress
1885 -
Founding of the Indian National Congress takes place. This was a nationalist group formed by growing nationalism of the people. Image: This image shows the founders of the Indian National Congress. Gandhi is in the top row, the fourth to the left. -
Gandhi Establishes the Natal Indian Congress
Aug 1894 -
Gandhi realized that what the India urgently needed was a permanent organization to look after their interests. He was not conversant with the constitution and functions of the Indian National Congress. He not only wanted the congress to dedicate itself in politics, but to the moral and social boost of its members. -
Gandhi publishes "The Green Pamphlet"
1896 -
Gandhi writes a pamphlet about the discrimination Indians face in South Africa. After he wrote this anti-government document, the British began to view him as a troublemaker. -
Gandhi establishes the Phoenix Settlement
Nov 1904 -
Gandhi purchased a farm at Phoenix in order to establish a communal settlement, where all people despite their social status and occupation would receive an equal wage. They were to contribute to the common good and welfare of the settlement. Image: This is a picture of Gandhi's home settlement in India. It was turned into a museum after his death but then destroyed in 1985 by Indian riots. -
Muslim League
1906 -
Founding of the Muslim League. This was a nationalist group formed by the growing nationalism of the Muslims. -
Arrested for the first time
Gandhi was one of the first to refuse his register in the government in South Africa, so he was arrested and spent all of his time reading in prison. One year later, when he was arrested again, he read "Civil Disobedience" and is even more committed to peaceful opposition. Image: Here is Gandhi one of the times he was arrested. It demonstrates how he would spend much time reading, which was where he gained a lot of knowledge and thoughts about civil disobedience. -
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The people give him the name Mahatma
Rabindranath Tagore refers to Gandhi for the first time as Mahatma, which is the title that the Hindus give as the "Great Soul" to the holiest men. But Gandhi was not hooked to it because he believes that all souls are equal. -
Gandhi begins “The Great March”
Gandhi begins “The Great March” to gain Indian rights in South Africa. It was led at 6.30.a.m. and consisted of 2,037 men, 127 women and 57 children from Charlestown. At the Volksrust border, Police Superintendent and Immigration Officer interviewed Gandhi and Kallenbach. Marchers broke through Police cordon to crossed border, but Gandhi arrested at 8.30 p.m. and marchers continued their journey. -
Receives Hero's Welcome Upon Returning to India
When Gandhi returned to India in 1915, he was given a hero's welcome. He spoke at the conventions of the Indian National Congress, but was primarily introduced to Indian issues, politics and the Indian people. Image: This image shows Gandhi and his wife upon their return to India in 1915. He was welcomed as a hero after what he had done in South Africa and what he would to in India. -
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Indian troops return from war
1918 -
Indian troops returned home from the war, expecting British to fulfill its promises, but they were surprised to be treated as second-class citizens. Racial nationalists carried out acts of violence to show hatred of British rule. -
British pass Rowlatt Acts
March 1919 -
British passed the Rowlatt Acts. These laws allowed the government to jail protesters without trial for as long as two years. -
Amritsar Massacre
April 13 -
To protest the Rowlatt Acts, 10,000 Hindus and Muslims flocked to Amritsar and intended to fast and pray and listen to political speeches. British were concerned about the alliance of Hindus and Muslims, so troops were ordered to shoot; these killed and injured. Afterwards, Gandhi was set as leader for independence. Image: This drawing illustrates the scene where Hindus and Mulisms gathered to protest the Rowlatt Acts and a large number of them were killed by British troops. -
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INC supports civil disobedience
1920 -
The Congress Party (Indian National Congress) endorsed civil disobedience, the deliberate and public refusal to obey an unjust law and nonviolence as the means to achieve independence. Here, Gandhi launched his campaign. -
Gandhi begins a 21 day fast
Sep 1924 -
Gandhi begins twenty-one day day fast in an attempt to reconcile Hindus and Muslims. He said this was to "purify" himself and " to recover the power to react on the people." The fast had a soothing effect, but only for a while; India had not yet seen the last of communal arguments. Gandhi had declared that "majorities must set the example of self-sacrifice." Image: This is a picture of Gandhi when he was fasting. He was weak at those times which helped relieve the violence in India. -
Gandhi Founds the All-India Spinners' Association
Sep 1925 -
For a few year, while national politics were dominated by communal issues and controversies, Gandhi retired from the political scene in order to devote his time to the task of nation-building "from the bottom up".This became a symbol of national freedom and unity. Image: This image represents the flag with its symbol created by Gandhi: the spinning wheel. -
Publishes the Declaration of Independence of India
As a hero, when Gandhi returned to India in 1915, he leads the movement to become independent from the British. He publishes the Declaration of Independence of India and makes his case for Indian independence. -
Salt March
1930 -
In the anniversary of the Massacre. Gandhi organized a demonstration to defy the hated Salt Acts (only buy British salt, pay taxes for salt...). Him and followers walked miles to the seacoast to make their own salt. This was one of the events in which Gandhi was arrested for his demonstrations. Image: This illustrates one of the scenes where Gandhi and his followers marched to the seacoast (which they claimed as theirs) to make their own salt by letting the ocean water evaporate. -
Government of India Act
Aug 1935 -
British Parliament passed the Government of India Act. This act provided local self-government and limited democratic elections, but not total independence. -
Partition of India
July 16, 1947 -
British House of Commons passed an act that granted two nations: India and Pakistan. This was called the "Partition of India". In that summer, 10 million people were on the move in the Indian subcontinent; but violence erupted. Image: this map shows the way India was divided and how Pakistan was formed. -
Great Britain grants independence
Great Britain grants India and Pakistan their independence.
They called it the "noblest act of the British nation." Unfortunately, the celebration does not last when hundreds of thousands of people die as the result of violence between the Muslims of Pakistan and the Hindus of India. -
Gandhi is assassinated
Gandhi personally went to the Indian capital of Delhi to plead for fair treatment of Muslim refugees. While there, he became a victim of the nation’s violence, when a Hindu extremist (Nathuram Godse) who thought Gandhi too protective of Muslims shot and killed him. Gandhi was assassinated. He was old and was going to do prayers. A lot of people were there for his tribute or funeral.
