What was the importance of the idea that colonial rule depended on Indian cooperation in non-cooperation?

Correct answer: It turned withdrawal of cooperation into a political weapon

The governing idea was that colonial power operated through Indian participation in its institutions, services, schools, courts, and markets, not through force alone. If people withdrew cooperation in an organised and peaceful manner, the authority of that system could be weakened. Hence option A is correct. The other choices describe outcomes contrary to the movement’s purpose.