ResearchNext International Multidisciplinary Journal

This paper examines the ideological architecture of India’s Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22), foregrounding Gandhi’s leadership, the ethic of ahimsa (non-violence), and the goal of Swaraj (self-rule). It situates the campaign in its immediate context—post-Rowlatt Act repression and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre—arguing that Gandhi transformed scattered discontent into a disciplined, mass-based politics that delegitimized colonial authority without recourse to force. Conceptually, ahimsa is treated not as passive abstention but as an active method—satyagraha—that integrates moral restraint with collective action, enabling broad participation while seeking conversion rather than coercion of opponents. The analysis traces how Swaraj functioned both as ethical self-mastery and as a constitutional horizon, informing Congress strategies of boycott, resignation from councils, and constructive work. The paper also maps the social breadth of mobilization—peasants, workers, students, and especially women and youth—and explores organizational shifts within the Indian National Congress that reoriented an elite forum into a popular vehicle. Critiques are addressed, including intraCongress dissent, communal tensions, and the suspension after Chauri Chaura, to assess limits and unintended effects. Finally, the study appraises legacies: consolidation of mass nationalism, reinforcement of local self-governance imaginaries, and a transnational afterlife in civil-rights and anti-apartheid struggles. It concludes that the Movement’s enduring significance lies in pairing ethical means with political ends, establishing a repertoire that reshaped both Indian nationalism and global repertoires of non-violent contention.