The Simon Commission, appointed in 1927 , was intensely boycotted by most Indian political parties because of the complete exclusion of Indian members. The 1930 Report was strategically conservative, failing to grant Dominion Status. The protests against the Commission catalyzed the radicalization of Indian politics and led directly to the Congress’s demand for Purna Swaraj.

The Nehru Report of 1928 , drafted by a committee chaired by Motilal Nehru , was the first major attempt by Indians to draft a comprehensive constitutional framework. It was a direct response to the Simon Commission, but its recommendation for Dominion Status and the rejection of separate communal electorates caused a critical split with both the Muslim League and younger radical leaders (Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Bose).

Jinnah’s Fourteen Points , presented in March 1929 , were a direct, decisive response to the Nehru Report (1928) . They formally crystallized the Muslim League’s demands for constitutional safeguards, becoming the definitive basis for Muslim political strategy and the institutionalization of the communal divide until the Pakistan Resolution (1940) .

The launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in 1930 was the culmination of a three-year period (1927–1930) marked by British constitutional betrayal, nationalist assertion, and the finalization of the Congress’s ultimate political goal. These developments set the perfect political and ideological stage for Mahatma Gandhi to launch his second nationwide mass struggle.

The Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) formally began with Gandhi’s 11 demands (January 1930) and the historic Salt March (March–April 1930) . The demands strategically synthesized economic grievances into a unified political appeal. When Viceroy Lord Irwin ignored them , Gandhi launched the Salt Satyagraha, making the salt tax the central symbol of colonial exploitation and national defiance.

Mahatma Gandhi's decision to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) by breaking the salt law was a stroke of strategic brilliance. Salt, being a universal necessity, transformed the abstract political demand for Purna Swaraj into a concrete act of moral and economic defiance against the colonial state, leading to the rapid proliferation of the movement across India.

The Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) (1930–34) became the broadest-based nationalist movement before independence, successfully integrating diverse sections including peasants, women, students, workers, and merchants. Different regions witnessed diverse forms of struggle, united by the common act of salt law disobedience and no-tax campaigns.

After the Salt March, the British responded with brutal repression. Gandhi was arrested in May 1930 before leading a raid on Dharasana Salt Works. The subsequent Dharasana Satyagraha, led by Abbas Tyabji and Sarojini Naidu, became the movement's defining moment, showcasing the moral power of non-violent defiance against colonial cruelty to the entire world.

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 1931) temporarily suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), acknowledging the Indian National Congress (INC) as the essential negotiating party. Gandhi agreed to attend the Second Round Table Conference (RTC) in London. The First RTC (1930–31), held without Congress participation, failed to achieve any constitutional consensus.

The Second Round Table Conference (RTC) (September–December 1931) was attended by Gandhi as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress (INC) . The conference ended in failure due to irreconcilable differences over the communal question and minority representation, which the British strategically exploited to deny the demand for Purna Swaraj.

The Communal Award (August 1932) by British PM Ramsay MacDonald granted separate electorates to minorities, including the Depressed Classes. Gandhi opposed this, fearing the structural fragmentation of Hindu society, and began a fast unto death in Yerwada Jail. This moral pressure led to the Poona Pact (September 1932) between Ambedkar and Gandhi , which replaced separate electorates with reserved seats in joint electorates.

The Third Round Table Conference (November–December 1932) was held in London with limited Indian participation. The Congress boycotted it as the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) had been revived. The conference failed to achieve consensus but its proceedings paved the way for the Government of India Act, 1935.

The Government of India Act, 1935 , was the longest and most comprehensive Act passed by the British Parliament for India. It introduced Provincial Autonomy and proposed an All-India Federation, but nationalists criticized it as a strategy to offer responsibility without transferring real power, retaining central authority firmly under the British.

The Butler Committee (also known as the Indian States Committee), appointed in 1927, was set up to investigate the relationship between the Indian Princely States and the British Crown (Paramount Power). Its recommendations were crucial for defining the constitutional future of the Princes amidst rising nationalism.

The Irwin Declaration (October 1929), promising Dominion Status as the natural goal for India, was a political maneuver aimed at pacifying nationalist sentiment following the Simon Commission boycott. It was immediately challenged by the Delhi Manifesto (November 1929), which laid down the conditions for Congress’s cooperation with the British.

The Karachi Session of 1931, presided over by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was one of the most significant INC sessions. It was held immediately after the Gandhi-Irwin Pact and the execution of Bhagat Singh and his comrades. It formally endorsed the Pact and, crucially, passed resolutions on Fundamental Rights and the National Economic Programme.