Identifying the Viceroy During the Dandi March

The question asks about the Viceroy of India who was in power when Mahatma Gandhi undertook the famous Dandi March. This event was a crucial part of India's struggle for independence and a key moment in the Civil Disobedience Movement.

The Dandi March, also known as the Salt March or Salt Satyagraha, began on March 12, 1930, and concluded on April 6, 1930. During this period, Mahatma Gandhi and his followers marched from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on the Arabian Sea coast to protest the British salt tax by making salt from seawater.

To answer the question, we need to know who was the Viceroy of India during this specific time frame in 1930.

Let's look at the options provided and the periods they served as Viceroy:

• Lord Irwin: Served as Viceroy of India from 1926 to 1931.
• Lord Linlithgow: Served as Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943.
• Lord Reading: Served as Viceroy of India from 1921 to 1926.
• Lord Willingdon: Served as Viceroy of India from 1931 to 1936.

Comparing the tenure of these Viceroys with the timeline of the Dandi March (March-April 1930), it is clear that Lord Irwin was the Viceroy of India during this significant event.

Lord Irwin's period as Viceroy coincided with important developments in the Indian independence movement, including the Simon Commission, the Nehru Report, the declaration of Purna Swaraj (complete independence) by the Indian National Congress in 1929, and the launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement which started with the Dandi March.

Analysis of Viceroy Tenures and Key Events

Based on the timelines, Lord Irwin was the Viceroy during the entire duration of the Dandi March and the beginning of the Civil Disobedience Movement.

Revision Table: Indian Viceroys and Movements

Additional Information: The Significance of Dandi March

The Dandi March was a pivotal event for several reasons:

• It marked the formal launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement across India.
• It was a non-violent protest against an unfair and widely resented tax on salt, a basic necessity.
• It garnered significant international attention and brought the Indian independence movement to the global stage.
• It mobilized large sections of the Indian population, including women, in the freedom struggle.
• It demonstrated Mahatma Gandhi's leadership and the power of Satyagraha (truth force or soul force) as a method of resistance.

The Viceroy at the time, Lord Irwin, eventually engaged in negotiations with Mahatma Gandhi, leading to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931, which temporarily suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement and allowed the Congress to participate in the Second Round Table Conference.