Prince of Wales riots

Gandhi had allied the mainly Hindu Congress with the Muslim Khilafat Movement, who were concerned about the possibility that the British might depose the Ottoman Caliph.

Anglo-Indian and Parsi mobs formed in response to the violence and attacked those they suspected of supporting the non-cooperation movement.

The visit of Edward, Prince of Wales to British India came in the middle of the non-cooperation movement protests for self-governance by the Indian people.

The Khilafat supporters were particularly concerned in the immediate post-First World War years as they were worried that the British would depose the Ottoman Caliph, the spiritual leader of Islam.

[2] Hindus and Muslims together comprised a majority of the Indian population and minorities such as Christians, Sikhs, Parsis and Jews felt threatened by it.

[4] Prince Edward hoped that his visit would raise Loyalist sentiment in India and counter the non-cooperation movement.

[5] The Indian National Congress agreed with the proposed strike and bonfires of foreign-made cloth were arranged to be held during the visit.

[5] Future journalist Homai Vyarawalla witnessed the violence and recalled pitched battles in the streets with the marble stoppers of soda bottles and stones used as deadly projectiles.

The campaign continued until the 4 February Chauri Chaura incident where a nationalist procession devolved into an attack on a police station, in which 22 Indian policemen were burned or hacked to death.

Gandhi called an end to the non-cooperation movement, which was implemented despite opposition from fellow nationalist leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose.