Why did Mahatma Gandhi choose salt as the medium for the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930? 1. The state had a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of salt. 2. Salt was an essential food item, linking the rich and the poor. 3. The salt tax was seen as sinful. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

The correct option is (d). Explanation The Civil Disobedience Movement was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi with the historic Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha) in 1930. The selection of salt as the central issue was a strategic decision designed to transform a political agitation into a mass struggle by addressing a grievance that affected every Indian. Statement-wise Analysis - Statement 1 is Correct: The British colonial government maintained a strict monopoly over the manufacture and sale of salt under the India Salt Act of 1882. Private manufacture was banned, and the government controlled the supply, making it a potent symbol of imperialist exploitation. - Statement 2 is Correct: Salt is a daily necessity for human survival, required by everyone regardless of caste, creed, or economic status. By choosing salt, Gandhi linked the abstract political demand for Purna Swaraj with the concrete daily life of the common man, thereby bridging the gap between the rich and the poor. - Statement 3 is Correct: Gandhi viewed the tax on such a vital commodity as morally indefensible. He argued that taxing a basic necessity, which nature provides freely (via seawater), was "sinful" because it disproportionately burdened the poorest sections of society. He famously described the salt tax as the "most inhuman poll tax" of all. Key Takeaway: The choice of salt allowed Gandhi to mobilize a diverse population around a single, emotive, and universal issue, effectively challenging the moral authority of British rule while uniting the masses.

NCERT Class 8 History — Chapter 7: The Making of the National Movement: 1870s-1947

mcqeasy

Why did Mahatma Gandhi choose salt as the medium for the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930?

The state had a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of salt.
Salt was an essential food item, linking the rich and the poor.
The salt tax was seen as sinful.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Official previous-year question

Verified 1 Aug 2026.

Options

A1 and 2 only
B2 and 3 only
C1 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3

Did you get this right?

Solution

The correct option is (d).

Explanation

The Civil Disobedience Movement was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi with the historic Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha) in 1930. The selection of salt as the central issue was a strategic decision designed to transform a political agitation into a mass struggle by addressing a grievance that affected every Indian.

Statement-wise Analysis

Statement 1 is Correct: The British colonial government maintained a strict monopoly over the manufacture and sale of salt under the India Salt Act of 1882. Private manufacture was banned, and the government controlled the supply, making it a potent symbol of imperialist exploitation.
Statement 2 is Correct: Salt is a daily necessity for human survival, required by everyone regardless of caste, creed, or economic status. By choosing salt, Gandhi linked the abstract political demand for Purna Swaraj with the concrete daily life of the common man, thereby bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.
Statement 3 is Correct: Gandhi viewed the tax on such a vital commodity as morally indefensible. He argued that taxing a basic necessity, which nature provides freely (via seawater), was "sinful" because it disproportionately burdened the poorest sections of society. He famously described the salt tax as the "most inhuman poll tax" of all.

Key Takeaway: The choice of salt allowed Gandhi to mobilize a diverse population around a single, emotive, and universal issue, effectively challenging the moral authority of British rule while uniting the masses.

Your note

More from Chapter 7: The Making of the National Movement: 1870s-1947

Who among the following leaders was NOT part of the "Radical" group in the Congress?

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Who among the following was the first Indian woman to preside over a session of the Indian National Congress?

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Veer Lakhan Nayak is best known for his participation in which of the following movements?

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Which one of the following events occurred earliest in the history of the Indian freedom struggle?

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What was the approximate distance covered by Mahatma Gandhi during the Dandi March?

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Solution

The correct option is (d).

Explanation

Statement-wise Analysis

Statement 1 is Correct: The British colonial government maintained a strict monopoly over the manufacture and sale of salt under the India Salt Act of 1882. Private manufacture was banned, and the government controlled the supply, making it a potent symbol of imperialist exploitation.
Statement 2 is Correct: Salt is a daily necessity for human survival, required by everyone regardless of caste, creed, or economic status. By choosing salt, Gandhi linked the abstract political demand for Purna Swaraj with the concrete daily life of the common man, thereby bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.
Statement 3 is Correct: Gandhi viewed the tax on such a vital commodity as morally indefensible. He argued that taxing a basic necessity, which nature provides freely (via seawater), was "sinful" because it disproportionately burdened the poorest sections of society. He famously described the salt tax as the "most inhuman poll tax" of all.