2.1 - india Flashcards
When was the East India Company set up?
1600
What was the aim of the EAC?
To dominate the spice trade and stop the Dutch and french. They did this by setting up their own army bases in India.
Definition of paternalistic attitudes?
Superior attitude shown by the EAC towards the Indians.
What happened in the Indian Mutiny of 1857?
Bc of rumours suggesting the cartilages of ammunition from the British used pigs fat, 400 British men and women were killed by the Indians.
In response, the British killed many Indian villages and the British Raj was set up.
When was the British Raj set up?
1858
What is the policy of ‘divide and rule’ ?
Used by the British which provoked rivalries and bought princes to prevent them from uniting to form a serious opposition.
Definition of paramount power
Britain became the most powerful under the British Raj
Describe the religion and society of India before 1914
- In 1914 there was around 350 million people living in India
- There were three main religious groups: the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. Under the Mughals, there was constant fighting between Hindus and Muslims.
- 80% of the population were Hindu.
How did society and religion before 1914 contribute to difficult Anglo-Indian relationships?
The British struggled to agree with Hindu’s caste system. British believed in upward mobility and asked people Hindus to work outside their caste.
The British were ignorant to religious needs of the Indians e.g Mutiny of 1857
What is the Indian Civil Service?
Within India, a group of individuals who ensured British rules, laws and regulations were implemented in India.
What is the weakness of the ICS?
Indians were in theory allowed to join.
H/E = entry requirements stated they must have a British university education.
In 1905 = 5% of the ICS was Indian.
What does the Secretary of State do?
Based in Britain, this person was chosen by Queen Victoria and Parliament to have responsibility for British affairs.
What was the role of the Viceroy?
Supreme power in India
Did Britain control India completely, if not why?
No
Bc princes governed 35% of the country. There was 565 princely states. where they had their own laws and languages, but under the protection of the British.
How did the British negatively and economically impact India?
British imports was cheaper than domestic goods. So, Indian products suffered.
For example, in 1879 Lancashire cotton flooded the market and famine happened bc Indian cotton farmers couldn’t sell their products.
How did the British positively and economically impact India?
India received 1/10 of all British overseas investment. over half of this way used for railway development, tea and coffee plantations. Which is good for India because it created jobs and networking.
H/E = evidence from today shows that this didn’t benefit the Indians but the British.
Were all British people privileged and did they support the British Raj?
No, business men and merchants didn’t support the paternalistic attitude shown by the Raj.
There were 110,000 Anglo-Saxons
Give an example where the Indians accepted the Raj
The Raj provided millions of Indians jobs in the form of servants.
People accepted the Raj because of the economic security they gave.
How did the English language effect India?
It became a unifying factor between the dozens of languages being spoken.
The language brought words such as democracy and imperialism.
Who were the Indian National Congress?
Delegates in 1885 = mainly high-class Hindus who spoke English
Lawyers, teachers, journalists, landowners and businessmen.
Did other groups join Congress?
There were two muslims in 1885 and 83/600 in 1888
There were some British delegates as well
What was the impact of Congress?
During this time, they were a discussion form and not a political party.
H/E = they became a powerful voice for Indian nationalism
How was congress divided?
They were divided by the moderates such as Gokhale and the extremists Bal Tilak who wanted to use violence for independence.
When did the Muslim League form?
1906, in Dhaka
Why did the Muslim League form?
The muslims were the minority within India. Therefore, the Hindus would outvote their needs.
How did the Indian Councils Act 1909 come about?
This is the outcome of a series of reforms by Secretary of State (John Morley) and viceroy (Lord Minto)
What did the Indian Councils Act 1909 state?
60 Indian representatives would be elected to serve on the viceroy’s Executive council. 27/60 of these representatives would be elected from special interest groups
separate electorates were provided for Muslims and Hindus to allow the minority Muslims to have a voice in councils.
The act was implemented when India went to war in 1914.
What did Morely and Minto do after the Indian Councils Act 1909?
Morely appointed 2 Indians to his London-based groups of advisers.
Minto did the same = the advocate-general of Bengal = law advisor on his Executive council.
How the British react Indian Councils Act 1909?
Morely = saw it as a significant step towards colonial self-governance
Minto and officials in Calcutta = defensive action against the rising Indian nationalism.
How did the Indians react to WW1?
Congress, ML and princely states supported the war effort.
Gandhi + Bal Tilak = supported it.
27 PS = gave their Indian armies and commissioned, fitted and provisioned a hospital ship called loyalty.
What was India’s military contribution to the war?
By the end of the war in November 1918 = 1.5 million Indians have been recruited.
60,000 Indian troops had died.
What was India’s economic contribution to the war?
They had contributed £146 million to the war.
How did WW1 negatively and economically impact India?
There was increased taxation, shortages of fuel and rising prices.
£ of food grains increased by 93% and imported goods increased by 190%
How did WW1 positively and economically impact India?
Domestic products such as cotton, iron, steel and chemical replaced the imported goods.
In Bombay = cloth mill dividends went from 6% (1914) to over 30% in 1917.
How did the British react to the consequences of WW1 in India?
By 1918 = Viceroy Frederic Thesigner received reports on concern of the Raj’s support and power waning. As well as small examples of food riots and violence.
Did WW1 create a chance for the Indians to have self-independence?
Outbreaks of violence and protest was not part of a general campaign.
If it was, withdrawal of troops, ICS men and British to Europe gave the chance to overthrow the British.
By March 1915 = there was not a single British battalion in India. So any uprising would have been difficult to contain.
How did WW1 change British rule in India?
After WW1 = the British acknowledged the sacrifices made by the Indians.
Russian revolution in 1917 = for Indian politicians as a sign for a new change politically in India.
When was the Montagu Declaration?
20th August 1917
How was the Montagu declaration a significant step towards Indian self-governance?
Made the British commit to some form of self-governance
Montagu visited India and criticised those who wanted more British participation in government
How did the Montagu declaration not a significant step towards Indian self-governance?
No timescale was given
How was the Rowlett Commission and Rowlett Acts a significant step towards Indian self-governance?
It led to riots e.g Hartals in the Punjab and Amritsar = Hindu-Muslim solidarity
The British lost control of the Amritsar
The Act was repealed in 1922
How was the Rowlett Commission and Rowlett Acts not a significant step towards Indian self-governance?
The British raj was accused of focusing on repression. imposed Acts such as imprisonment without trial, no juries, censorship.
The act went ahead despite opposition (all 22) for the Indian Legislative Council - which showed the Indians’ opinion didn’t matter to them.
What is the Rowlett Commission and Rowlett Acts?
In 1917 = Rowlett was sent to India to investigate the possibility of revolutionary conspiracies.
July 1918 = report showed Bengal, Bombay, and Punjab was places of revolutionary activity.
They recommended wartime regulations e.g trial without a jury = proposals were put in the Rowlett Act
When was Amritsar massacre?
13th April 1919
What happened in the Amritsar massacre?
One of the most religious festivals in the Punjab = Baisakhi day. 400 died and 1,500 were injured.
Used 1,650 live ammunition
Established marital law to humiliate the Hindus e.g salaam to all Europeans they pass
What was the reaction to the Amritsar massacre in Britain?
Divided opinion = people thought Dyer had stopped Indian nationalists whereas others saw him as a murderer
What was the aftermath of the Amritsar massacre?
11th November 1919 = enquiry arrived at Lahore + concluded there was no conspiracy to overthrow the Raj.
Dyer was censured and O’Dwyer was reprimanded.
Congress set up their own enquiry which created resentment and anger towards the Raj
How did the Amritsar massacre show evidence of significant steps towards self governance?
Some Britons condemned the actions of Dwyer + forced to resign + return to England
Congress set up its own enquiry = 1,700 witnesses + graphic photos findings increased feelings of anger + frustration towards the British raj
Why was the Amritsar massacre not significant towards Indian self governance?
Some Britons felt Dyer acted in his line of duty
Michael O’Dwyer = Governor of the Punjab was gently reprimanded for the incident
How was the Montague Chelmsford Report and Government of India Act 1919 a significant step towards Indian self-governance?
The Act intended to shift more decision making from the centre and British to provincial councils.
The act created a dyarchy
Provincial councils were given control over education, agriculture, health and public works
How was the Montagu Chelmsford Report and Government of India Act 1919 not a significant step towards Indian self-governance?
The dyarchy still remained unequal = the British was in charge of military, foreign affairs, currency, communications and criminal law.
the act was controversial in Britain, right wing MPs = they would lose India and protested.
Summarise the partition of Bengal
1905, viceroy Lord Curzon Bengal was to be partitioned as part of divide + rule policy bc growing educated middle-class who was not part of ICS
West Bengal = Hindu (42 million vs 9 million Muslims)
East Bengal = Muslim (18 million vs 12 million Hindus)
Why did Congress and the ML work together after WW1 in the Lucknow Pact?
After the partition of Bengal = no longer willing to work with the British. 1913 = demanded separation from the Raj + changed objective to be closer to Congress
The declaration of war against turkey in WW1 = resentment bc their Caliph was there.
Jinnah = member of Congress + ML = chief spokesman for ML
What was the response to the partition of Bengal?
Congress = swadesh (boycotted) against Lancashire cotton which was publically burned
Muslims = British raj wasn’t sympathetic to separate electorates.
when was the Lucknow pact?
1916
What did Gandhi do in 1917 before he was the leader of congress?
Intervened in local situations e,g in Gujarat cotton mill workers were earning small amounts of money
Gandhi fasted until the situation was resolved
Which two groups did Gandhi form connections with?
Muslims = supported his takeover of congress in 1920
Businessmen = financially supported non-cooperation campaigns
Forged relationships with up and coming regional leaders e,g Nehru
What is the Lucknow pact?
A pact where it was agreed that there should be separate electorates for all communities unless they requested a joint one
+ no. of Muslims in provincial legislatures = laid down province by province
What happened when the moderates Gokhale and Mehta died?
Extremist Bal Tilak reentered congress + strengthened congress bc solidarity in membership
First resolutions passed by the united congress = urge British to issue a proclamation stating their aim was self-gov on India in the future
What was the significance of the Lucknow pact?
Agreement of separate electorates was not enforced bc they had no power
But, alliance between two organisations = signalled to the British the Indian nationalist movement was gaining strength
When did Home Rule Leagues develop?
1916
Describe Bal Tilak’s and Annie Besant’s home rule league
Operated in western India = gained 32,000 members
Annie Besant = All India Home Rule League = more slowly but network of committee covering most of India
Give examples of what the home rule leagues did
Home rule was focused on domestic affairs
Besant and Tilak = toured India, used newspapers, rallies and speeches
What are the successes of the home rule leagues?
Brought the concept of home rule to the masses of Indian people who were disinterested with the actions of congress and ML. Hundreds of 1000s of Indians signed petitions presented to the British demanding home rule + other concessions
Spread political awareness in areas that were un-politicised. Brit Raj = alarmed by rapid growth
Attracted members in congress + ML = Jinnah joined Besant in 1917
What are the limitations of the home rule leagues?
Tilak was arrested for sedition + required to give 40,000 rupees as a surety of good bhvr
Besant was confounded in June 1917
They did not achieve independence
What does satyagraha mean?
Word made up by Gandhi = meaning seeking truth + non-cooperation with the British
