2.1 Flashcards
What were the effects of war on British rule
Montagu Declaration
Rowlatt Acts
Amritsar massacre and political aftermath
Montagu-Chelmsford Report and the gov of India act
Explain Montagu declaration
1917, Montagu agreed to change the political geography of India
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Evidence of self gov or not for Montagu declaration
Committed the British gov to granting some form of self-gov to India
Montagu visited India and criticised those who wanted more British participation in government
..No timescale was given for the declaration
No legal backing, only a declaration
Explain the Rowlatt Commission and Rowlatt Acts
Mr ST Rowlatt (a Scottish judge appointed by the Gov) set up a Commission to investigate claims of conspiracies
Bengal, Bombay and the Punjab accused of being centres for revolutionary activity
Proposals of the Committee were incorporated into the Anarchical and
Revolutionary Crimes Act (aka Rowlatt Acts)
Evidence of self-gov and not for Rowlatt acts
Jinnah resigned from his position in the Council
Led to riots - e.g. hartals in the Punjab and Amritsar
The British lost control of Amritsar
Act eventually repealed in 1922
British Raj accused of focusing on repression
Imposed acts such as imprisonment without trial, no juries, censorship
The Acts went ahead despite opposition from the Indian Legislative Council
What was the Amritsar massacre
British sent in troops to stop the rioting
General Rex Dyer warned against the holding of ‘meetings and assemblies’ and established a curfew
400 Indians in the crowd were shot and killed
Dyer then introduced martial law in Amritsar
Evidence of self gov or not for Amritsar
Some Britons were furious at Dyer’s actions
His actions were condemned, and was forced to resign and return to England
Indian National a Congress set up its own enquiry - findings arose deep feelings of anger and frustration at the British Raj
Some Britons felt that Dyer had acted within his line of duty
Michael O’Dwyer (governor of Punjab) was only gently reprimanded for his involvement
Explain the Montagu-Chelmsford Report and the Government of India Act
Edwin Montagu and Viceroy Lord Chelmsford had been working on the Montagu Declaration Became law (gov of India act) in 1919
Evidence of self gov or not for Montagu-Chelmsford report and gov of India act
The intention of the Act was to shift more and more decision making from the centre to the provinces, therefore involving more Indians in decision making
The Act created a dyarchy (a division of power)
Province councils were given control over education, agriculture, health and public works
Dyarchy remained unequal
British kept control of military matters, foreign affairs, currency, communications and criminal law
Act was controversial in Britain, right wing MPs were convinced that the British would lose India - they protested the reforms
What was involved in the growth of nationalism
Indian National Congress and emergence of Gandhi
Lucknow Pact and role of Jinnah
Home Rule Leagues
Response to British Legislation and the significant of Amritsar
Explain the Indian National Congress and the emergence of Gandhi
Gandhi forged relationships with regional leaders, such as the Bihari lawyer and young Jawaharlal Nehru
Developed connections with two important communities that had been largely neglected by Congress politicians: Muslims and businessmen
Explain the Lucknow Pact 1916
ML and INC came together -
Muslim Leagye began to demand separation from the Raj, similar to Congress
British declaring war on turkey angered ML
Jinnah wanted Congress and the ML to work together
Agreed that there should be separate electorates for all communities (unless they requested a joint one)
Urged the British to issue a proclamation stating that their aim was to confer self-government on India in near future. The temporary alliance signalled to the British that the Indian Nationalist movement was growing in strength
Explain Home Rule Leagues
Bought the idea of home rule to the masses of Indian people who were otherwise disinterest3d
Bal Tilak - 32000 members
Annie Besant - All-India Home Rule League
Did public lectures and petitions - hundreds of thousands of Indians signed petitions that were presented to the British authorities, demanding home rule and other concessions. Also spread political awareness in previously unpoliticised provinces
Explain the response to British legislation and the significance of Amritsar
INC rejected the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms and boycotted the first elections held under the 1919 Act
Gandhi called for a satyagraha in 1919 post Amritsar, and held a series of hartals
However it failed as the hartals weren’t nationally consistent and resulted in disruption and violence
Many Indians had turned against the Raj
