Assertion(A): Khilafat Movement started in India after the Second World War. Reason (R): Gandhiji had been one of the Presidents of the All-India Khilafat Conference.

The Assertion (A) is false because the Khilafat Movement started in 1919, immediately following the First World War (1914-1918), not the Second World War [4]. The movement was a response to the perceived harsh treatment of the Ottoman Empire and the Caliphate by the Allied Powers after their victory in WWI [4]. The Reason (R) is true; Mahatma Gandhi was indeed elected as the President of the All-India Khilafat Conference held in Delhi in November 1919 [1]. Gandhi viewed the Khilafat issue as a unique opportunity to unite Hindus and Muslims in a common struggle against British rule, eventually linking it with the Non-Cooperation Movement [4][t3]. Since the Assertion is factually incorrect regarding the timing of the war, but the Reason correctly identifies Gandhi's leadership role, option 4 is the correct choice.

Sources

1. [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 16: Non-Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan > Non-Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan > p. 328
2. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 16: Non-Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan > Development of the Khalifat-Non-Cooperation Programme > p. 330
3. [3] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > What was the Khilafat Movement? > p. 290