Question map
Who provided legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of Chauri Chaura incident?
Explanation
The correct answer is option B - Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant provided legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of the Chauri Chaura incident.
The Chauri Chaura incident occurred on February 4, 1922, when a violent mob attacked and set fire to a police station in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh, killing 22 policemen. This tragic event led to Gandhi's suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement. Following the incident, British authorities arrested hundreds of villagers and conducted mass trials.
Madan Mohan Malaviya, a prominent lawyer and nationalist leader, along with Krishna Kant Malaviya, took up the legal defence of those arrested. They worked tirelessly to defend the accused in court, though many were ultimately convicted. Madan Mohan Malaviya was among the lawyers who gave their full contribution to the non-cooperation movement[1], and his legal defence work in the Chauri Chaura case demonstrated his commitment to justice even when Gandhi had suspended the movement itself.
While C. R. Das was also a prominent lawyer in the nationalist movement, he did not provide legal defence in this particular case. The other options mentioned did not have documented involvement in defending the Chauri Chaura accused.
SourcesPROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a 'Depth' question. While standard texts (Spectrum/NCERT) cover the incident, they rarely detail the specific legal defence team. It rewards students who map 'Leaders to Regions' (Malaviya = UP/Allahabad) or those who study the 'Lawyer-Politician' nexus in landmark trials.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Did C. R. Das provide legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of the 1922 Chauri Chaura incident?
- Statement 2: Did Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant provide legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of the 1922 Chauri Chaura incident?
- Statement 3: Did Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Khwaja Hasan Nizami provide legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of the 1922 Chauri Chaura incident?
- Statement 4: Did M. A. Jinnah provide legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of the 1922 Chauri Chaura incident?
States that the defence of young revolutionaries was organised by Congress leaders — showing a pattern of prominent Congress figures arranging legal defence for political prisoners.
A student could check whether C. R. Das, a leading Congress figure/lawyer, was among those who organised or personally defended the Chauri Chaura accused.
Gives an example where Chittaranjan Das (another eminent lawyer/Congress leader) 'took up the case' of accused revolutionaries (Alipore Bomb case), showing the established practice of prominent lawyers defending political trials.
Use this precedent to investigate whether C. R. Das, similarly positioned, acted as defence counsel in the Chauri Chaura trials.
Notes that C. R. Das was a leading politician who helped found the Swaraj Party in 1922, indicating his prominent political/legal role at the time.
Combine Das's prominence and legal background with the known repression after Chauri Chaura to assess the likelihood he would take up legal defence roles.
Describes the heavy sentences (death and transportation) given to many accused at Chauri Chaura, implying significant trials where legal defence would be relevant and possibly required from notable lawyers.
A student could look for records of who provided defence in these high-profile capital trials, focusing on prominent lawyers like C. R. Das.
Explains that many Indians were jailed during the Non-Cooperation Movement and that incidents like Chauri Chaura led to legal action, reinforcing that political leaders and lawyers often became involved in such cases.
Use this general pattern (political arrests → legal trials → involvement of political leaders/lawyers) to justify researching whether C. R. Das participated in the Chauri Chaura defence.
Lists prominent lawyers who gave up practice and joined the freedom struggle, showing a pattern of lawyers taking active roles in political-legal cases of the period.
A student could check lists of lawyers active after 1921–22 to see whether Malaviya or Krishna Kant appear among those who defended Chauri Chaura accused or gave up practice at that time.
States that 'defence of civil rights became an integral part of the freedom struggle' and cites public outrage at arrests—establishes a general rule that legal defence was commonly mounted for political arrests.
Use this rule to infer it was plausible for prominent public figures and lawyers to provide defence in major cases like Chauri Chaura and then search specific legal records or newspaper reports naming defence counsel.
Identifies Madan Mohan Malaviya as a prominent leader with political positions (favoured cooperation with provincial governments), indicating his public and political orientation during this period.
Given Malaviya's prominence and political stance, a student could investigate whether his political role included courtroom defence or public support for accused in UP in 1922 by consulting contemporary newspapers or court rolls.
Shows Malaviya's political positioning (cooperation/communal mobilization) and activity in United Provinces politics—useful background to judge whether he likely acted as defence counsel in UP trials.
Combine this with a map/timeline (Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur, UP) to assess proximity and political motive for Malaviya to be involved legally, then check regional legal archives for his name.
Provides details of the Chauri Chaura violence and its legal consequences (many accused), implying that major trials would attract prominent lawyers and public attention.
From the knowledge that many were tried and sentenced, a student could search trial reports, lists of defence counsel, or contemporary legal commentary to see if Malaviya or Krishna Kant were involved.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
Lists Saifuddin Kitchlew among 'notable lawyers who gave up their practice' (arrested in 1921 and gave up practice to join movement).
A student could note that if Kitchlew had ceased legal practice by 1921 it makes it less likely (but not impossible) he acted as defence counsel in 1922 and then check courtroom records or biographies for confirmation.
States 'defence of civil rights became an integral part of the freedom struggle' and notes public outrage at arrests leading to legal responses.
Use this pattern to hypothesize that prominent leaders or nationalist lawyers often took up defence of political prisoners and then search for records naming specific counsel in the Chauri Chaura trials.
Gives an explicit example (Chittaranjan Das defending Aurobindo) of national leaders/lawyers defending accused in major political trials.
Apply this example as a model: check whether Kitchlew or Khwaja Hasan Nizami, as contemporaneous prominent figures, appear similarly in trial records or contemporary newspaper accounts of Chauri Chaura trials.
Notes wide repression and punishment of participants after the incident, implying many arrests and subsequent legal proceedings.
Knowing many were tried, a student could look for lists of defence counsel in trial transcripts or official gazettes to see if these two names appear.
Mentions the large number of accused and the harsh sentences handed down in the Chauri Chaura cases, implying high-profile trials that likely involved legal representation.
From the scale and severity of prosecutions, a student could infer there would be documented legal teams and therefore search archival legal reports/newspapers for Kitchlew or Khwaja Hasan Nizami's involvement.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
States that prominent leaders (Gandhi and Nehru) visited accused in jail, showing nationalist leaders directly supported those arrested in high-profile political trials.
A student could check whether other nationalist leaders with legal expertise (using outside knowledge that Jinnah was a lawyer) similarly provided courtroom or legal support in comparable cases.
Notes that 'defence of civil rights became an integral part of the freedom struggle' and public outrage at arrests, establishing a pattern where legal defence and activism were linked.
A student could investigate whether leading figures took up civil‑rights legal defence in specific incidents like Chauri Chaura, by consulting legal records or contemporary reports.
Reports severe sentences handed down to many accused in the Chauri Chaura prosecutions, implying an equally intense need for legal representation and appeals.
A student could look for trial records, appeal documents or newspaper accounts naming who acted as defence counsel in those cases to see if Jinnah was involved.
Describes the Chauri Chaura incident and the resulting deaths and arrests that precipitated trials — providing the concrete event around which legal defence would have occurred.
Using the incident date and location, a student could search court archives or period press coverage from Gorakhpur/United Provinces in 1922 for mentions of defence attorneys, including Jinnah.
Emphasizes that thousands were jailed during the Non-Cooperation Movement and that Chauri Chaura prompted widespread repression — a pattern of mass arrests and high‑profile trials.
A student could compare other mass‑arrest trials from the movement to see whether prominent lawyers routinely defended accused, and then test if Jinnah played a similar role at Chauri Chaura.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
- [THE VERDICT]: Bouncer. This specific fact is absent in standard summaries like Spectrum, though the event is central.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The 'Lawyer-Politician' theme. Every major colonial crackdown (revolt/conspiracy) was followed by a 'Great Trial' involving nationalist lawyers.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Map these Lawyer-Case pairs: 1) Alipore Bomb Case → C.R. Das. 2) INA Trials → Bhulabhai Desai/Sapru/Nehru. 3) Tilak's 1916 Sedition → M.A. Jinnah. 4) Meerut Conspiracy → K.F. Nariman/M.C. Chagla. 5) Bhagat Singh → Asaf Ali.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not stop at the 'Event' (Chauri Chaura). Ask the 'Aftermath' questions: Who was arrested? Where were they tried? Who saved them? The Allahabad High Court appeal led by Malaviya is a legendary legal anecdote.
This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.
Login with Google to unlock study guidance. Available with ExamRobot Pro.
Chauri Chaura (5 February 1922) triggered the abrupt withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement and mass arrests.
High-yield for paper II/modern history: explains a key turning point in Gandhian politics and state repression. Connects to themes of mass mobilisation, limits of non-violence, and colonial legal reprisals. Enables questions on causes/consequences and leadership responses.
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > e) Chauri Chaura Incident and Withdrawal of the Movement > p. 48
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 2. The Making and Unmaking of Non-cooperation > p. 291
- Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > MODERN INDIA > p. 274
Congress leaders frequently took up legal defence of political prisoners and revolutionaries in high-profile trials.
Important for understanding nationalist strategies beyond mass protest — legal-political engagement and public sympathy building. Links to studies of trials (e.g., Lahore, Alipore) and to how party leadership managed repression; useful for essay and source-analysis questions on nationalist tactics.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 17: Emergence of Swarajists, Socialist Ideas, Revolutionary Activities and Other New Forces > Action against the Revolutionaries > p. 351
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles > Lahore Conspiracy Case > p. 64
C.R. Das was a principal leader who co-founded the Swaraj Party in 1922 with Motilal Nehru.
Useful to place individual leaders in the 1920s political landscape — helps answer questions on factionalism and shifts from non-cooperation to legislative entry. Links to broader topics on Congress strategy and role of prominent lawyers-politicians.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > 15. Lord Reading 1921-1926 > p. 821
Chauri-Chaura (5 Feb 1922) triggered Gandhi's decision to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement and produced mass arrests that form the context of the question.
High-yield: understanding this event is essential for questions on mass movements, reasons for tactical shifts by Congress, and the immediate legal/political fallout. It connects to colonial repression, trials, and leadership responses often asked in polity and modern history questions.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 16: Non-Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan > Chauri Chaura Incident > p. 336
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > 15. Lord Reading 1921-1926 > p. 821
- India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > April 1919 > p. 42
Many prominent lawyers abandoned legal practice and were politically active, shaping expectations about legal advocacy and participation after major incidents.
High-yield: questions often probe the nexus between legal profession and nationalism, civil liberties, and courtroom politics. This concept links biographies of leaders to broader patterns of protest and legal resistance.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Appendices ✫ 807 > p. 807
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 11: Indian National Congress: Foundation and the Moderate Phase > Justice Mahadeo Govind Ranade to Gokhale (1891) > p. 254
Leaders such as Madan Mohan Malaviya advocated cooperation with provincial governments, reflecting intra-Congress divisions that affected responses to events and legal strategies.
High-yield: helps answer questions on Congress internal politics, policy choices after crises, communal positioning, and how leadership differences influenced movement tactics and post-event handling.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Swadeshi Movement > p. 806
- Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > THE SWARAILSTS > p. 279
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Communalism in Nationalist Politics > a) Communalism in United Provinces (UP) > p. 77
Arrest of leaders such as Saifuddin Kitchlew triggered large-scale popular protests and violent responses.
High-yield for UPSC: leader arrests frequently precipitated major incidents linking political repression to mass movements; connects to civil disobedience, colonial policing, and causes of uprisings; useful for causation questions and illustrating protest dynamics.
- Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > MODERN INDIA > p. 268
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Satyagraha Against the Rowlatt Act— First Mass Strike > p. 322
Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.
Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts. Unlock micro-concepts with ExamRobot Pro.
The 'Sessions Court' initially sentenced 172 people to death. It was Malaviya's brilliant argument in the Allahabad High Court that reduced this to 19 hangings. This massive reduction is why the case is historically significant.
Apply 'Geographic Mapping'. Chauri Chaura is in Gorakhpur (United Provinces). The appeal goes to Allahabad High Court.
- C.R. Das = Bengal.
- Kitchlew = Punjab.
- Jinnah = Bombay.
- Malaviya = The titan of Allahabad/UP.
Option B is the only geographically logical fit.
Mains GS-1 (History) & GS-2 (Polity): Use this as a case study for 'Rule of Law vs Rule by Law'. Colonial courts were tools of repression, but nationalist lawyers used the same courts to expose the regime's brutality.
Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.
Login with Google to unlock The Vault. Unlock the Mentor's Vault with ExamRobot Pro.