Decolonisation of India/role of Gandhi

Question 1

Gandhi’s philosophy re politics

Answer 1

Believed it was a means to the moral bettering of domestic India
Was mainly concerned about present situation and spoke little of a future political construction of India

Question 2

What was swadesh?

Answer 2

Gandhi would encourage Indians to increase their reliance on domestic goods, especially on cloth
1918- Gandhi began his movement for Khadi as a relief programme for the poor masses living in villages.
He elevated ideas of spinning and weaving to self-reliance and self-government
Ie promoting self-sustenance using bottom-up methods

Question 3

What did Gandhi think about swadeshi?

Answer 3

Believed that, in a country where manual labour was looked down upon, it would bring the high and low classes together and celebrate the dignity of hand-labour

Question 4

What were his intentions with the Salt March

Answer 4

Wasnt meant to overcome British monoply; he wanted to convert British people through non-violence
Gandhi not making a political statement about industry but an assertion re Br suppression of Indians

Question 5

Gandhi v Nehru?

Answer 5

Nehru seemed much more interested in the future of India, citing the Japanes model and socialist model in Russia as models that an independent India could base themselves on
Nehru became India’s first PM, while Gandhi’s influence diminished post-WWII and his assassination

Question 6

Gandhi’s views on village development?

Answer 6

Believed if ‘a village perishes, India will perish too’- village republics can only develop through decentralisation of social and political power
Decentralised policy = decentralised economy so he believed in rural self-sufficiency
Maintained that industrialisation would only help a few
MORE MORAL THAN PRATICAL? ATTACHES SUPREME IMPORTANCE TO MORAL VALUES OVER MATERIAL CONDITIONS; SAW THE RURAL SYSTEM AS A WAY TO TRANSFORM MEN MORALLY

Question 7

Gandhi conclusion?

Answer 7

Attached superior importance to moral values over material conditions

Question 8

Gandhi :)?

Answer 8

Stayed true to principles- maintained ahimsa to the best of his abilities; even wanted Britain to be non-violent during the war, written in an article in the Harijan
The principle of self-growth: khadi (homespun cloth)- intended to eradicate evil perception of poverty and purification is shown through his personal practices (eg celibacy and constant fasting)

Question 9

Gandhi :(?

Answer 9

Not a great political organiser : 2nd round table issues, lack of Muslim support for Salt March, activity from his campaigns which undermined nonviolence; his principles didn’t reach the mass activists or the top nationalists

Question 10

Britain reaction to Gandhi?

Answer 10

They were confused by him
they let him out of prison early after non-cooperation movement because they saw how angry Indians could become
His humility put them into a punitive dilemma- how do u punish him/should uou?
Made Br lose international prestige (eg Salt March)
Rejected Cripps offer- prevented British political rule
Swadesh was effective- serious decline in British goods, partiuclarly cloth.
Arrested 6x

Question 11

What was Cripps offer?

Answer 11

Labour MP, sympathetic to Indian independence, sent by Churchill in March 1942 to secure full indian cooperation for the war effort
He promised full self-governemnt after the war
The ML (led by Muhammed Ali Jinnah) and INC both rejected the offer and his mission was halted
his proposals hadnt even been confirmed by Churchill

Question 12

Why did Britain withdraw from India in 1947?

Answer 12

Anti colonial activity
Role of WWII
Indians showing themselves to be capable of self-rule
Served British interest to leave

Question 13

Congress popularity by 1938?

Answer 13

it had 4.5m payed up members
in 1936 elections it won 63% votes in Bihar and Central Provinces, 60% in Orissar and 59% in United Provinces - IE BRITAIN HAD TO CONCEDE IT HAD A MANDATE TO RULE

Question 14

Quit India chaos for Britain?

Answer 14

QI cadres murdered 93 policemen and blew up 208 police stations and 332 railway stations in 1942 alone

Question 15

Other non cooperation groups pressuring Br to leave?

Answer 15

In 1930 Bengali extremists raided the Chittagong armoury and killed the District Magistrate of Midnapore. In 1932, Jhan’s Redshirts siezed control of Peshawar and set up a parallel government
in 1935, the Communist Party of India agreed to join with nationalist rivals in a ‘united front’ vs imperialism
Rural militancy in the countryside- 1938 Bihar Sibha had 250k members
Golwalkar, leader of the RSS (hard right Hindus) had 100k troops by 1940..he was an admirer of Hitler

Question 16

limitations to influence of these groups?

Answer 16

they were never united in struggle for freedom- in 1941, the Communist Party of India became de facto supporters of govrrnment after Nazis invaded Russia

Question 17

Role of WWII in causing Indian decolonisation?

Answer 17

Lack of Indian support: many of the 60k caputred by Japanese after fall of Singapore sided with them. Indian navy at Bombay and other western Indian ports mutinied in Feb 1946 (20k Indians; ML and INC)
Stress on Indian administration: By 1941, India was already a vital conduit for military supplies to Russia, and with the Japanese advance, India became a vital stronghold. This put a lot of stress on Indian Civil Service who had to organise this
Economic problems: by 1940, there was inflaction and shortage of key commodities. by end of war, weekly ration= 1.2k calories. 2.1m died in Bengali Famine (1943) and by the end of the war, UK owed 1.3m to India (almost half their GNP)

Question 18

India had showed themselves capable of self-rule?

Answer 18

Increased Indian influence in government- by 1939 almost as many Indians in ICS as Europeans and by 1947, Indians outnumbered the British by 514 to 587
10% of officer corps Indian in 1939 vs 25% in 1947
Congress impressing- they proved to be efficient administrators esp with police force, who Britain could have no doubt over competence
Friendly relationships between provincial governers and ministers

Question 19

Served British interest to leave?

Answer 19

Br getting worried about safety of their rule
each time they reacted to a protest, they made more enemies
US supported Indian independence
Britain wanted to leave on good terms
Atlee’s labour gov came into power- wanted to fix domestic sitch; his promise re independence of India ALSO JUST HIS ELECTION DEMONSTRATES THE PUBLIC= LESS IMPERIAL?

Question 20

Evidence re other colonies strenghthening argument that Britain were not pushed out?

Answer 20

After WWII Britain left many other holdings too inc Jordan (1946), Palestine (1947), Sri Lanka (1948), Myanmar (1948), Egypt (1952) and Malaysia (1957)

Question 21

Rushed nature of Indian withdrawal?

Answer 21

• 8th May Mountbatten went to get parliamentary approval re complete separation of India and Pakistan
• 15th July: HoC announced that in 1 month the 2 separate dominions of I and P would form Indian subcontinent
• Army division process (as it was no longer a national body) should have been given 2-3 years, instead Auchinleck was given 4 weeks
• Boundary comission, led by Sir Cyril Radcliffe, was given 5 weeks and old resources to draw the boundaries betw India and pakistan

Question 22

What does the rushed nature of withdrawal suggest?

Answer 22

Britain wanted to give a governmental structure to Indians so it doesnt descend into anarchy BUT the rushed nature demonstrates that they were not in control of the passage of leaving, and the structure they would leave, suggesting that they were pushed out rather than willingly withdrew