Administration of India

Question 1

What was Britain’s colonial policy between 1919 and 1947 ?

Answer 1

• engineering concessions in order to keep the empire and resist the rise of nationalism.

Question 2

What did the Secretary of State and the Viceroy create a system of ?

Answer 2

created a system of limited government, establishing a ‘dyarchy’

Question 3

Terms of the Government of India Act 1919 ?

Answer 3

• Viceroy remained control of major areas like defence and foreign affairs and his council remained purely appointed body
• Legislative Council was split into lower house ( Legislative Assembly ) of which 104 of its 144 members were to be elected and upper house ( council of state ) of which 34 of its 60 members were elected
• Provincial councils run by elected Indian ministers took responsibility for local government , health, education and agriculture.

Question 4

Why did the British introduce these reforma in the act ?

Answer 4

• as a concession to critics of British rule in the India Congress and to weaken support for them
• first step towards a system of dominion self government.

Question 5

What was the Simon Commission ?

Answer 5

• did not include Indian representation and reviewed the India Act.

Question 6

What did the Simon Commission recommend ?

Answer 6

• a federal system of government be created across India, incorporating both provinces under direct British rule and the princely states
• provinces be given more power
• defence, internal security and foreign affairs should remain in the hands of a British viceroy, ensuring overall British control.

Question 7

What caused the Round Table Conferences ?

Answer 7

• opposition from the independence movement in India led to the movements

Question 8

Result of the Round Table Conferences ?

Answer 8

No agreement was reached

Question 9

What did the British reject during the Conferences ?

Answer 9

• British rejected self governing Dominion status

Question 10

Why did the British reject self governing Dominion status ?

Answer 10

• due to their prejudice for non’ white leaders and peoples
• concern for India’s strategic and economic importance to Britain.

Question 11

What did the Government of India Act, 1935 do ?

Answer 11

• created a federation of India

Question 12

Terms of the Government of India Act, 1935 ?

Answer 12

• making the provinces completely self governing ( although provincial governors were still appointed by the British
• franchise from 7 to 35 million people.

Question 13

Why was the gov of India Act, 1935 opposed by the Congress Party ?

Answer 13

it fell short of the independence enjoyed by the Dominions and because of a desire to be completely free of British rule

Question 14

Why did the princely states reject the 1935 Act as well ?

Answer 14

as they wanted to maintain their independence from the rest of India

Question 15

What did Congress controlled ministries do in opposition to Indian participation of the war ?

Answer 15

• members of Congress - controlled ministries in the provinces resigned from office

Question 16

What happened as a result of ministries resigning from office ?

Answer 16

Britain imposed direct rule and dealt with independence protests against the war with severe repression - especially the arrest of independence leaders

Question 17

Situation in India by 1947 ?

Answer 17

• clear that British colonial policy had failed
• independence movements had succeeded
• India became two independent states.