The implications of First World War on the economic and political situation of India are discussed below :
Economic
(i) It led to a huge increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes: customs duties were raised and income tax introduced.
(ii) Through the war years prices increased-doubled between 1913 and 1918-leading to extreme hardship for the common people.
(iii) Villages were called upon to supply soldiers, and the forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.
Political
(i) Forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.
(ii) The failure of the crops in many parts of India had created food shortages, leading to the added misery of the people.
(iii) There was the outbreak of the great influenza epidemic. Millions of people perished due to influenza and starvation.
Conclusion : As a result nationalist movements grew in the country.
OR
The roles of poor peasantry in the 'Civil Disobedience Movement' are discussed below:
(i) Mahatma Gandhi found in salt a powerful symbol that could unite the nation. The idea was to make the demands wide ranging, so that all classes within Indian society could identify with them and everyone could be brought together in a united campaign. The most stirring of all was the demand to abolish the salt tax.
(ii) Salt was something consumed by the rich and the poor alike, and it was one of the most essential items of food. The tax on salt and the government monopoly over its production, Mahatma Gandhi revealed the most oppressive face of British rule.
(iii) The poor peasantry was asked to pay more taxes when they could hardly afford to meet their ends. This infuriated poor peasants and they came in huge numbers to support Gandhiji and his followers. It was because of them that Civil Disobedience Movement could become a mass movement.