India's Salt Economy
The Salt Tax and the Dandi March
How the British salt tax and monopoly burdened poor Indians, and how Gandhi's Dandi March of 1930 turned salt into a symbol of the freedom struggle.
The British taxed salt heavily.
The salt tax
- The British controlled salt production and sale.
- Indians couldn’t make their own salt legally.
- The tax hit the poor hardest, since everyone needs salt.
Dandi March
- On 12 March 1930, Gandhi began walking from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi on the Gujarat coast, about 390 km.
- On 6 April 1930, he made salt from seawater, breaking the law.
Civil disobedience
Millions joined, and tens of thousands were arrested.
Why salt?
Salt united all Indians, rich and poor, making it a powerful symbol.
Abolition
The salt tax was abolished after independence.
The handful of salt
Gandhi picked up a lump of natural salt at Dandi, an act that inspired a nationwide movement.
Thinking the salt tax was minor
It burdened the poor and sparked a movement.
Key takeaways
- The British salt tax hit the poor.
- The Dandi March began on 12 March 1930.
- Gandhi made salt on 6 April 1930.
- Salt united Indians in protest.
No recording for this one yet - EconReader can read it aloud for you.