1930

Salt March organised by Gandhi in India

Under British rule since 1858, India was considered the jewel of the empire. The economy was controlled and put at the service of the British monarchy. This was particularly true for the salt trade, over which the colonial administration held a monopoly that prohibited Indians from harvesting it while also imposing consumption taxes.

In spring 1930, Gandhi left his monastery in Northern India and walked nearly 300 km, during which he was joined by thousands of Indians. Upon reaching the Indian Ocean, he symbolically harvested a handful of salt, thereby encouraging the population to violate the state monopoly, making this action a means of opposition to British domination.

This march became a symbol of peaceful resistance and was part of India’s conquest of independence.