By late 1921, the Non-Cooperation Movement was at its peak. To defuse nationalist sentiment and project a false image of Indian loyalty to the British Crown, the colonial government arranged a royal tour for Edward, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII). The Indian National Congress, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, viewed this visit as a direct political provocation and called for a nationwide hartal (strike) and a total boycott of all official celebrations marking his arrival.
The Outbreak of the Riots (November 17, 1921)
The day the Prince of Wales landed in Bombay (now Mumbai), November 17, 1921, became a major turning point. While the official reception was attended mostly by Europeans, Parsis, Anglo-Indians, and a segment of wealthy Muslims, the rest of the city observed a complete shutdown.
The Trigger and Clash of Communities
- The Meeting at Elphinstone Mill: Mahatma Gandhi addressed a massive, peaceful gathering of nearly 25,000 people at the Elphinstone Mill compound, where a giant bonfire of foreign cloth was lit.
- Clashes with Loyalist Factions: As the crowd dispersed, groups of non-cooperators encountered Parsis, Anglo-Indians, and Christians returning from welcoming the Prince at the harbor. Passions flared, and the interactions quickly degenerated into physical altercations.
- Targeting of Pro-British Symbols: Nationalist rioters attacked those wearing foreign caps or silk garments. Liquor shops, tram cars, and properties belonging to communities perceived as loyal to the British Raj were vandalised and set on fire.
Escalation and Casualties
The violence quickly escalated into five days of intense communal and political rioting across Bombay. The police opened fire on crowds to restore order. The riots resulted in the deaths of approximately 53 people and left over 400 injured.
Mahatma Gandhi’s Response and Penance
The outbreak of raw violence in Bombay deeply shaken Mahatma Gandhi, who saw it as a fundamental failure of his principle of Ahimsa (non-violence) and a sign that the masses were not yet fully trained for disciplined civil disobedience.
The Fast for Peace
- Condemnation of the Rioters: Gandhi rushed to the riot-torn areas, declaring that the aphorism of Swaraj stank in his nostrils. He explicitly condemned the mainstream Hindu and Muslim rioters for attacking minority communities.
- The Hunger Strike: On November 19, 1921, Gandhi commenced an indefinite fast to appeal to the conscience of the rioters, refusing to take food until peace was restored between Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Christians, and Anglo-Indians.
- Restoration of Order: Shamed and motivated by Gandhi’s deteriorating health, leaders from all disputing communities formed peace committees. The riots subsided, and Gandhi broke his fast on November 22, 1921, after a cross-communal consensus was reached.
Colonial State Repression and Political Fallout
The Prince of Wales riots gave the British administration a convenient pretext to launch an all-out assault on the infrastructure of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Nationwide Crackdown
- Declaration of Illegality: The colonial government declared the Congress Volunteer Corps and the Khilafat Volunteer Organizations illegal.
- Mass Arrests: Within a few weeks of the riots, almost all top-tier nationalist leaders—including Motilal Nehru, Chittaranjan Das, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Jawaharlal Nehru—were arrested and imprisoned. Gandhi was intentionally left free by the government at this juncture to avoid a further flare-up.
- Public Meetings Banned: Public assemblies, processions, and nationalist newspapers were heavily censored or banned across major provinces like Bengal, United Provinces, and Punjab.
Impact on the Transition to the Swarajist Phase
The legacy of the November 1921 riots played a significant role in shaping the political debates that eventually led to the birth of the Swaraj Party.
A Precursor to Chauri Chaura
The Bombay riots served as an ominous warning to Gandhi. Though he continued the movement for a few more months and even planned a mass no-tax campaign in Bardoli, the memory of the Bombay violence heavily influenced his decision to abruptly suspend the entire movement just three months later, following the Chauri Chaura incident in February 1922.
The Legal Intelligentsia’s Re-evaluation
- Disillusionment with Street Politics: Future Swarajist leaders like C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru, while imprisoned during the post-riot crackdown, began reflecting on the limits of mass street agitations that easily degenerated into anarchy.
- The Shift toward Constitutionalism: The violence of late 1921 convinced these leaders that a parallel front was necessary. Once released, they argued that instead of exposing untrained masses to police brutality and communal riots on the streets, the battle should be taken inside the controlled environment of Legislative Councils, directly paving the way for the Pro-Changer vs. No-Changer split at the late 1922 Gaya Session.