The Indigo rebellion in 1859 was caused due to harsh agri-economic conditions under which Indigo cultivators were put by the British planters.

Gandhiji in 1919 decided to launch a nationwide satyagraha against the proposed Rowlatt Act (1919). This Act had been hurriedly passed through the Imperial Legislative Council despite the united opposition of the Indian members. It gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities, and allowed detention of political prisoners without trial for two years. Mahatma Gandhi wanted non-violent civil disobedience against such unjust laws.

Linlithgow announced the August Offer (August 1940) which proposed:
● dominion status as the objective for India;
● expansion of viceroy’s executive council which would have a majority of Indians (who would be drawn from major political parties);
● setting up of a constituent assembly after the war where mainly Indians would decide the constitution according to their social, economic and political conceptions, subject to fulfilment of the obligation of the government regarding defence, minority rights, treaties with States, all India services; and
● no future constitution to be adopted without the consent of minorities.
For the first time, the inherent right of Indians to frame their constitution was recognised and the Congress demand for a constituent assembly was conceded. Dominion status was explicitly offered.

Earlier, in December 1927, a large number of Muslim leaders had met at Delhi at the Muslim League session and evolved four proposals for their demands to be incorporated into the draft constitution. These proposals, which were accepted by the Madras session of the Congress (December 1927), came to be known as the ‘Delhi Proposals’. These were:
• joint electorates in place of separate electorates with reserved seats for Muslims;
• one-third representation to Muslims in Central Legislative Assembly;
• representation to Muslims in Punjab and Bengal in proportion to their population;
• formation of three new Muslim majority provinces— Sindh, Baluchistan and North-West Frontier Province.

A special session was held in Karachi to endorse the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. Karachi session became famous because of the two resolutions that were adopted-one on Fundamental rights and other on National Economic program, both drafted by Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The goal of Purna Swaraj was reiterated. This was the first time the congress spelt out what swaraj would mean for the masses.