Changing political relationships, 1920-30 Flashcards
What happened at the 1929 Lahore congress (Congress reorganised) (2,7)
-To go to the London based conference would be political suicide, as they would be overwhelmed and leave unhapppy
-On the other hand, not going would lead to a resolution they were unhappy with
-Coming into 1929, there was beginning to be a moderate extremist split in congress
-On one hand, a campaign of mass civil disobedience could lead to more bitterness and bloodshed
-On the other hand, the young hooligans had considerable support, especially with younger people
-Congress had to unite on a way forwards, dominion or full independence
-Gandhi decided he would ally with the young hooligans
-Purna Swaraj was to be Congress’ new aim, starting with a series of satyagraha’s
-Gandhi could now control the CWC, and steer policy to this new purna swaraj
What was the Irwin declaration (British response) (2,2,2)
-In 1929, a labour government was elected to power in Britain
-The new prime minister, Ramsey Macdonald was more sympathetic to Indian demands
-The Irwin declaration was a reiteration of the Montague declaration, but adding on that the attainment of dominion status was a natural development
-Irwin invited Indians to London to a round table conference, to hammer out details of a new constitution
-Congress welcomed the declaration, and called for a measure of goodwill by declaring an amnesty for all Indian political prisoners (this did not happen)
-Congress knew to attend the conference would be political suicide
What were Jinnah’s 14 points (The Muslim league) (1,4,3)
-Jinnah’s 14 points were his final attempt at reconciling congress’ and the Muslim leagues relationship, sent over in march 1929
-There would be a federal constitution with provincial powers
-Muslim representation in the central legislatures would be no less than 1/3
-2 new Muslim majority states would be created
-There would be adequate safeguards of Muslim language and culture in an independent India, with full religious liberty for all provinces
-This offer was rejected by congress
-For many Muslims, this is when they stopped trying to cooperate with congress, and started thinking of an independent state
-Jinnah gave up, and moved back to England to be a barrister
What was agreed as a result of the Gandhi Irwin pact (British response) (4,4)
-The civil disobedience campaign would be suspended
-This benefitted the British, since it meant they could go back to ruling as normal
-Gandhi would attend a second round table conference
-This benefitted Irwin, since now he could hammer out the details of a new constitution
-19,000 Indian political prisoners would be released
-This benefitted congress, since many of their imprisoned supporters would now be free
-Any land confiscated during the civil disobedience would be returned
-This benefitted Indians, since they now got their land back
What was ‘back to basics’, and who were the young hooligans (Congress reorganised) (5,4)
-On his release in 1924, Gandhi went ‘back to basics’
-He set up the all India spinners association, to promote self sufficiency
-Gandhi believed the system should be dismantled
-Gandhi got congress to embark on campaigns of mass literacy and sanitation
-Congress were emerging as a responsible political party
-The young hooligans were Jawaharlal Nehru, S. Bose and
-They were young radicals, who wanted full independence from Britain
-They lobbied the All India Congress committee and the congress working committee
-They were nicknamed the young hooligans by Gandhi, due to their extreme socialist beliefs
What were the successes and failures of the first non-cooperation movement (Gandhi and his civil disobedience) (5,5)
-Many parts of the non-cooperation went well, campaigns in tax and administration brought the government to a halt
-People closed shops when the duke of Connaught visited in 1921
-200 lawyers stopped work
-large numbers boycotted the 1920 elections
-students boycotted exams
-Some elements, such as lawyers leaving well paid posts, unrealistic
-violence broke out
-53 died from looting and rioting when the prince of wales came
-Many didn’t understand satyagraha and what it meant
-The fragile Hindu-Muslim alliance was in jeopardy
What did the first non-cooperation movement entail, and why did it end? (Gandhi and his civil disobedience) (5,4)
-People would stop paying tax and refuse to buy imported goods
-People would boycott the upcoming 1920s elections and refuse to help in administrative structure
-People would leave any government jobs, such as lawyers
-All titles given by the Raj would be handed back
-Students would boycott exams, people would take their kids out of British schools
-In February 1922, rioters set a police station in Chauri Chaura on fire, killing 22 people
-Gandhi was outraged, and instantly called an end to the campaign
-Gandhi went off politics, and returned to helping small communities in their campaigns
-Gandhi was arrested and imprisoned for 6 years for inciting violence
How did Gandhi and Jinnah respond to the Khilafat movement (The Muslim league) (3,3)
-Gandhi gave his utmost support to the Muslim league
-With Gandhi came the other Hindu followers, who also supported the league
-Although, it can be questioned how much Gandhi actually supported the movement, and how much he wanted to just mobilise it for his non-cooperation campaign
-Unlike Gandhi, Jinnah was not in support of the Khilafat movement, viewing it as causing divisions between Muslims
-Jinnah disliked the militant based approach of the movement, preferring more moderate terms
-Jinnah, alongside many Muslims’, felt uncomfortable with Gandhi’s involvement within it
What was the Simon commission (British response) (2,3,4)
-The 1919 Government of India act proposed a review in 10 years time of Indian self government
-However there was an upcoming election, which labour would win, so the conservatives decided to hold the commission earlier in 1927
-Lord Simon and his group of 7 men arrived in India in 1927
-Instantly the majority disliked the commission, greeted with booing and black flags
-None of the 7 men were Indian
-Wide range of Indian political opinion opposed to the commission
-Boycotted by congress, Muslim league and key Hindu leaders
-Minorities such as Muslims and untouchables cooperated, hoping for better conditions
-The commission eventually did little more than reassert the status quo
How did differences in belief and festivals lead to increasing separateness of Hindus and Muslims (The Muslim league) (3,4)
-Hindus did not eat beef, and Muslims did not eat pork
-Hindus prayed with loud gongs and music, Muslims prayed in silence
-Hindus believed in the caste system, Muslims didn’t
-In Bakr’ld, Muslims slaughtered cows as a sacrifice, obviously illegal in Hinduism
-In Holi, Hindus parties loudly, and drank a beverage most likely filled with alcohol and drugs
-Neither side were willing to cooperate in these festivals
-These festivals provided moments to increase discontent, and decrease faith that both could live amongst each other
How significant was the first non-cooperation movement (Gandhi and civil disobedience) (3,3,3)
Judith Brown
-The movement was of significance
-Showed Gandhi could no longer be ignored, and could rile up support
-Showed a shift in strategy to widespread non-violent direct action
Lawrence James
-The movement did little to threaten British rule, as the protests ran out of steam
-Ultimately Swaraj was not achieved, and the Rowlatt acts remained
-However, it did show Congress could gain significant political support
Shuter and Rees
-Many Indians became disillusioned with the Swaraj and Satyagraha concepts
-Gandhi concluded Indians were not ready for satyagraha yet
-Congress gained the ability to understand minorities’ needs
How did the British raj increase separateness between Hindus and Muslims (The Muslim league) (3)
-Protected rights for minorities by making provisions for separate elections
-These ensured minorities had a voice in local/national affairs
-Separate electorates emphasised the concept of separateness, ensuring Hindus and Muslims stayed in conflict
How did congress change whilst Gandhi was in jail (Congress reorganised) (4)
-Congress started appealing to more peasant communities
-Congress learnt how to exploit local grievances and link them to the broader goal of swaraj
-Congress became more moderate, going for positions in the Raj’s council
-The British raj returned from suppression to normal rule whilst giving out concessions
How did people react to the Nehru report (Congress reorganised) (5,2)
-Congress supported the notion, and demanded instant dominion with these terms
-Nehru JR and Bose, however, wanted more
-The young hooligans called for the British to completely leave India by 1930
-Congress supported both notions
-This shows the split in congress between moderates and radicals, and how they would have to make a choice
-Muslim league were unhappy with it
-They wanted their separate electorates guaranteed
What was the salt march, and the British response (Congress reorganised) (1,4,3)
-Salt was a commodity everyone, rich or poor, used in daily life, but one monopolised and taxed by the Raj
-Gandhi set out on March 12th, 1930, intending to walk the 240 miles from Ahmedabad to the Gujurati coast
-Originally with 78 followers, the crowd reached up to 75,000 followers
-The march took the form of a peaceful pilgrimage, as media broadcast the scenes
-Gandhi got to the sea (April 6th, 1930), picked up salt and urged everyone to do the same
-The British responded by arresting 20,000 Indians in the subsequent non-cooperation movement
-In May, Gandhi was arrested
-In June, the entire congress working committee was arrested
What were Gandhi’s aims and beliefs (Gandhi and civil disobedience) (5)
-Satyagraha was a concept based on ‘pure soul force’, the non-violent resistance to evil
-Gandhi believed in non-violent direct protest as a means of achieving swaraj, either with or without the British
-He believed the suppression of any socioeconomic/religious group was wrong
-Gandhi believed following Indian independence, the state should be dismantled and people should return to self-sufficient communities
-Gandhi believed Indians should rid themselves of western culture, and return to their roots
What was the Lucknow pact (The Muslim league) (3,4)
-There should be separate electorates for all communities unless they request a joint one
-The number of Muslims in provincial legislatures should be laid out state by state
-‘Cooperation should be the guiding principle’
-With this pact, the Muslim league felt they had been given adequate reassurances by congress
-Congress felt it had healed the rift between itself, its own members and the Muslim league
-However, this agreement was not for all Muslims and congress
-the Muslim league at this point only had about 600 members
Why was/wasn’t the salt march a success (Congress reorganised) (5,5)
-A national wide civil disobedience campaign broke out following the march
-In Bengal, initial salt satyagraha’s turned into riots and tax refusals
-Mass defiance of government salt as congress produced its own
-Increasing involvement of students and women
-Media picked up on the British overreaction as a propaganda win
-By 1932, the movement had lost steam and the British had regained control
-Congress was unwilling to coordinate/finance long term once anger let out
-20,000 Indians arrested
-In May 1930, Gandhi was arrested, and the CWC was arrested the following month
-Muslims didn’t cooperate, and bought their own salt
What were some clauses of the Nehru report (Congress reorganised) (7)
-India’s constitutional status will be the same of other British dominions
-Freedom of conscience and freedom of religion guaranteed to every individual
-There should be freedom of expression of opinion, and the right to assemble peacefully
-There shall be a parliament which contains the king
-There will be a governor-general, appointed by the king
-There should be no reservation of seats in the house of representatives except Muslims in Muslim-minority states and non-Muslims in Muslim majority states
-There should be joint mixed electorates
What was the Khilafat movement, and why did it collapse (The Muslim league) (4,4)
-The Khilafat movement was a Muslim nationalist movement set up in 1919
-The movement aimed to protect the caliphate based in turkey following the breakup of the ottoman empire
-The movement repudiated British rule in India
-The movement legitimised Muslim nationalist participation
-However by 1923, the movement had all but collapsed
-Turkey had rejected the Caliph and gone secular, so the movement had no-one to protect
-Many felt uncomfortable with Gandhi’s participation
-Many western oriented politicians felt alienated, such as Jinnah
What were Gandhi’s actions from 1917-1920 (Gandhi and Civil disobedience) (3,1,4,3)
1917
-Forged relations with many leaders, such as Jawaharlal Nehru
-Campaigned in many local situations
-For example, he fasted in Gujarat in response to mill workers being paid little
1918
-Made many speeches in support of British involvement
1919
-Called for a satyagraha in response to the Rowlatt acts
-These failed, as they descended into violence
-Amritsar massacre changed his perspective on nationalism
-Gandhi realised India needed independence (swaraj)
1920
-By 1920, Gandhi was the leading Indian nationalist
-Gandhi had relations with many groups others didn’t, such as businessmen, the poor and muslims
-As a result, congress had little alternative but to ally with him
How did organisations lead to increasing separateness between Hindus and Muslims (The Muslim league) (4,3)
-The Hindu organisation Aryasam aimed to convert non-Hindus to Hindus, and create a Hindu India
-They wanted to change the administrative language to Hindi
-The cow protection society aimed to ban the sale of beef, harming Muslim butchers
-In 1906 the Mahasabha was created, a militant Hindu nationalist group which fought all non-Hindus
-The Muslims had organisations Tanzeem and Tabligh, who aimed to promote Islam and convert non-believers
-They wanted a mosque in every town, to educate people on Islam
-They wanted an Anjuman-Tabligh-Ul-islam in every town
How did the membership and organisation of congress develop between 1922-29 (Congress reorganised) (5,5)
-Membership grew from about 100,000 to 2million by 1922
-Congress started appealing to areas they previously hadn’t done
-New supporters widely came from peasants
-More conservative elements objected the transformation
-Many Muslims left, feeling their needs not adequately represented
-The structure of the party was revitalised in 1920
-About 100 extra provincial committees were created, as cooperation with the Raj ended
-Gandhi intended congress to develop an alternative administrative structure to the British
-When Gandhi came out of prison in 1924, he created the congress working committee
-The CWC would formulate policy, similar to a cabinet
What was the background to the Lucknow pack (1914-20) (Growth of Nationalism) (3,4)
-Although congress claimed to be an umbrella organisation, Muslims were not adequately represented (1905 Lahore = 5/243 Muslims)
-This led to Muslims creating the Muslim league in 1906, to campaign for their rights
-The 1909 Indian councils act created separate electorates
-In 1915, both Congress and the AIML made self-rule their aim
-The following year, both sides sought an agreement
-Jinnah worked tirelessly to reach a compromise, being a member of both
-The Muslim league, following the declaration of war on the ottomans, believed the Raj were no longer sympathetic with Muslims, and therefore were willing to cooperate with Hindus
What were Jinnah’s Delhi proposals (Muslim league) (1,4,2)
-In 1927, Jinnah convinced the Muslim league to make a bold offer to congress, to try to revitalise their alliance
These included
-Dropping separate electorates
-2 new Muslim majority provinces being created in the NW
-Muslim representation in the central legislatures being no less than 1/3
-Assurances in Punjab and Bengal that the number of Muslims elected was proportional for the % of Muslims
-These were endorsed by the league, and seen as reconciliation, leading to the Nehru report
-Jinnah told congress sympathetic statements weren’t enough, and action was needed, an argument congress rejected
What dilemmas did Irwin and Gandhi face in 1930 (British response) (3,3)
Gandhi
-To attend the London conference would be political suicide
-He would be forced to listen to a British agenda, with minority voices
-However, not going would lead to a statement he would be unhappy with
Irwin
-Congress wanted all Indian political prisoners released
-He needed Gandhi/congress at his conference for it to realistically have an effect
-He needed to end the satyagraha, but he couldn’t be seen negotiating with a ‘terrorist’
