INDIA 1914-1945 Flashcards
nationalism, interwar, decol
declaration in 1929
irwin declaration
- declaration that the intention of the british government in india was to facilitate india obtaining self government / dominion status
*appeasing india and display that progress was being made
- transparency of british vulnerability
- LINK TO SIMON’S COMMISSION ON DOING SOMETHING FOR POLITICAL SHOW
describe gandhi’s philosophy
- philosophy of hind swaraj (home rule for india)
- idea of satyagraha (idea of civil disobedience, but polite protest through hartals and swaraj)
- idea that uniting and collectively working against the british would erode their authority, hence promoting peace between muslims and hindus
- rejection of western industrialisation and urbanisation
- he promoted toleration of ideas
- use of non violence to harm british economic interests (ultimately forced the british to use violence
what was gandhi in 1930
Time magazine ‘man of the year’
describe the 1932 ottowa conference and its intentions
- an imperial conference which established the principles of imperial self sufficiency and interdependence
- promoted the concept of an insular empire and imperial free trade, closing empire off to the rest of the world
- wanted to spark the idea that it was a privilege to be in the empire, and that people should utilise this privilege
- it wanted to promote stability within the empire after the range of financial problems
- would allow for economic cohesion
- mutual tariff concessions and bilateral trading systems - create an economic network and community
describe how the membership of nationalist organisations by tilak and besant changed
- within 1 year = 60,000 more members (shift in popular opinion post WWI)
why was the salt march so clever (6)
- it was relatable (it was an ‘indian’ issue)
- the british could not use violence
- attracted mass media attention (displayed a unified india and villainised Britain)
- the british would not be able to profit from the tax because it was stopped - halt economic benefit
- the march was authentic
- the british were powerless (salt taxes were banned in europe, why should they be allowed in india)
list the 5 key treaties from the interwar period and their significance / what they did
- balfour definition 1926
- defined what it would mean to be a dominion within empire by clairfying the relationship britain had with its dominions (ie equal in status)
- contradicts the montagu chelmsford declarations and government of india act 1919 - strict definition - subordinates india - statute of westminster 1931
- gives dominions overarching legislative power, and the ability to legislate themselves out of empire - halibut fisheries treaty 1923
- canada negotiating a fishing treaty with the us, without the involvement of britain – dominion exercising independence and control in foreign matters
- symbolised that the strength of empire was dissolving - treaty of locarno 1925
- a german fronteir is established, but dominions were given the power to opt out
- empire is recognising the authority that dominions have in dictating what affairs they become involved in
(india was not given this autonomy to dictate this, but its lack of ability to only sparked more anger)
- idea that britain should not have the influence and ability to make such decisions - treaty of lausanne 1923/1924
- an agreement is made between turkey and the allies, in which canada and ireland refuse to accept the agreement and responsibility
- established the borders of turkey and the ottmans
describe the london talks and april conference
- key leaders of partition assemble in london
- muslim league enforces the may statement, which does not happen
- a constituent assembly was formed on 7th december 1946
- wavell is fired and replaced by mountbatten - desperate to leave
april conference: april 1947
- mountbatten and 11 provincial governors attempt to fix violence in india
- decides that only INC can stop the violence (co-operate w INC)
how did britain not dictate world trade from 1914
- share of world trade declined from 52% in 1914 to 40% in 1936
what events was britain preoccupied with, that it could not focus on india
- financial problems
- wall street crash
- great depression - foreign expansion and development
- 1935 abyssinian crisis - italy attempt to take ethiopia
- appeasement toward germany - dominions wanted to minimise any form of political involvement in order to promote peace
- austria becomes part of the german reich - support of smuts, forces britain to shift its foreign policy needs
- germany invades czechoslovakia 1939 (symbolise start of wwII - dominions and india wanted to prevent any involvement in foreign conflicts because it would drain resources and leave them vulnerable) - wars
- second world war - dominions want to take more independent diplomatic decisions, only wanted to do the minimal amount to protect their state
- munich crisis 1938 - sudatenland is allowed to be annex, as long as hitler promises peace
how did the british lose control of india after WWII, under the catagories of:
- financially
- globally
- politically
- in a military sense
- financially
- can no longer provide financial support for shorages of food in 1940 + 1943 (bengal famine)
- britain was in 13 billion pounds to India (link back to WWI about being financially dependent, yet not giving any return) - in terms of foreign powers
- pressure from the USA
- alliances of Indians with Japan, because Japan would ‘liberate’ India
- soviet and communist powers form a front against imperialism - politically
- congress was dominating elections and would not co-operate in government - the british can no longer use this argument of competency
- displayed a common and widespread dislike for the british
- growth of communism (Communist Party of India) 1925
- political influence of gandhi
- 1939 = british members of areas which are congress controlled resign
- congress won 90% of seats in 1946
- muslim league win 75% of all muslim votes - militarily
- association of national volunteers - Golwalkar controlled 100,000 troops (directly threatened british)
- Khan’s redshirts = Peshawar
give examples of british exports and imports with the empire strengthening in the interwar years
british imports from empire and india increased from 24% in 1931to 37% in 1937
british exports to empire increased from 32% in 1931 to 39% in 1937
describe the 1935 government of india act, BUT what was the negative impact of this on relations with the muslim league
- an act which expanded the indian electorate to 35 million (from 10 million)
- it ENDED dyarchy
- devolved power to provinces and princely states
- provinces were delegated a provincial government, leg and exec
- section 93 allowed for measures and powers to be returned to government if in a state of emergency
impact:
- the muslim league did less well in negotiations and consequentially abandoned any hope of negotiating with congress (polarization between muslim and hindu league
what was the cripps mission and its impact
11th march 1942 - cripps was sent by churchill to promise indians full dominion status, after burma falls
- it was an attempt by Churchill to make a wartime concession, in order to obtain support and enthusiasm from indians during the war
-triggers 1942 quit india movement (when war ends)
- british try to delay actions by promising and not fulfilling - irritates indians
- the indians think britain will lose the war (desperately want to leave)
- the british obv cannot deliver on this, which only further agitates the cause
describe the round table conferences
- 1930-1931
- triggered by opposition from nationalists
- indian nationalist attempts to campaign for the dominion status of india, and even wanted complete independence
CONFERENCES WERE A FAILURE**
- british reject dominion status on the basis that they thought that the indian leaders lacked competency
speech by bose in 1944
‘give me blood and i shall give you freedom’
- it was a speech used to support the use of violence to fully eradicate the british and completely push them out of India
- claimed that violence was a critical way to obtain freedom from the british
(note Bose had orchestrated the Foward Block in India to achieve military dominance)
describe the 1919 amritsar massacre and its consequences
description:
- there was a protest on 13th august 1919 demanding for the release of Satyapal and other nationalists (after they had been captured by the british)
- the british retaliated by opening fire and killing multiple protesters
- this triggered the anger of indians (esp sikhs) who retaliated
- british women were targeted - launched mass violence
consequences:
- 1500 are killed
- hunter inquiry is launched into dyer
- rowlatt acts are repealed
- 1919 government of india act (key concessions)
- increases nationalist anger against the british, the indian nationalists have no incentive to work with the british - creates a state of hostility and gridlock
give specific statistics and detail about the impact of WWII on the british presence in india (3)
- 1945 colonial development and welfare act
- gandhi launched a civil disobedience campaign in october 1940 (14,000 prisoners were taken, 900 were killed)
- 42,000 members of the Indian National Army defected to Japan**
what was the 1941 atlantic charter and what did it claim
a charter between the british and americans which was seen as hypocritical from the british
- the charter promoted people to choose their form of government and be sovereign
- it supported the idea that people all have access to the fruits of their own labour and having unrestricted liberty and freedom
- it supported global co-operation and collaboration
- it condemned the use of force and promoted DISARMAMENT OF NATIONS
*america at this time was semi anti-imperialist
- gandhi used this as an opportunity to reinforce how claiming a need for world peace was key, despite india being exploited by britain
response in bengal to the simons commission and round table conferences
- 1930
- extremists raid the chittagong armoury and kill the district magistrate of midnapore
what was the problem with empire by 1925
- empire was split, there was no unity and there were increasing demands for independence
- the british had been FORCED to change to conserve and adapt their policies in order to maintain relations
display the political dominance of congress in the 1936 elections (3)
- congress won over 74% of the vote in Madras
- Nehru obtained crowds which accumulated to 6 million
- the size of congress had grown to 4.5 million members
how many troops did india commit in WWII
2.5 million
describe the lucknow pact 1916 and its details
details:
- no muslims were allowed to contest seats outside a reserved amount
- if only 25% of the population supported a bill, it could not be continued - no law could be passed if the community if impacted opposed it
- central legislative councils had membership of 150 members, 80% elected
- increases representation of muslims (ie in Bihar, muslims are 13% of pop, but have 25% of seats, or bombay = 20% muslim, 33% of seats)
- indians would now make up 50% of members in the executive council
- reduces british responsibility
description / significance
- a pact created to fuel co-operation between the INC and All India Muslim League, to unite in their demand for self-government from British
- united the nationalist movement
- eroded overarching british power
- INC promise to give more provincial control to muslims, because they know when independence occurs, it will be a hindu majority state
- depolarized indian politics, apply pressure to british to enforce self government
when was the indian national army founded
1943, by singh + bose
what did congress release in 1942
- 1942 = the ten duties
they claimed:
- people should not do business with the british and the government
- enforce indian culture and nationalism
- boycott (in general) - administration costs went to the government
- economic boycott
- boycott cities and go to villages etc
when was Tilak arrested
1908
give 3 examples of indian mutinies and rebellions during WWI, and what were their impacts
- 1915 = singapore mutiny - sepoys rebelled
- pathans mutiny of 1915 - mutiny between muslims and hindus
- 1914 - sikhs enter calcutta, in which 22 were shot and others arrested
impact:
- increased hostilities and polarisation
- religious differences widened
- accelerated the nationalist movement - condemned the british for allowing this to happen
- accelerated internal, territorial divisions in india
- british use this as an excuse to promote a police state
describe the 1931 statute of westminster
- 1931
- provided dominions with legislative authority, and only with the consent of the dominion, can britain legislate for them
- claimed that laws passed by a dominion parliament could not be invalidated, despite it violating english law - provided legislative independence and it broke overarching british power
- symbolised a shift in legislative power dynamics and allowed dominions to distinguish themselves away from britain
- britain no longer controls the legislative environment (dominions can establish legislative freedom)
significance:
- it sets precedents for india – if india became a dominion (which nationalists were demanding to happen), they could legislate themselves out of the empire
- DISPLAYING A CHANGE TO CONSERVE
describe british economic problems after WWII
- debt
- 20 billion pounds of overseas debt
- forced to sell 1/3 of overseas assets - lack of financial / economic dominance
- british exports fall to 1/3 of their pre-war level
- stirling crisis of 1947 - financial dependence
- britain becomes financially dependent on the USA with a loan of 3.75 billion
bullet point how WWI weakened the empire
- sparked nationalism / challenged British authority
- challenged power dynamics and equilibrium - british are no longer viewed as superior
- exposed to Britain’s weak financial position, and were opportunistic in their timing in exploiting / fragmenting this - angered Indian soliders
- felt they were being used for british military gain (britain only relied on them for military purposes)
- angered at racial divisions (ie taranto) - exposed indians to more of the negative aspects of empire
- exposed to massacres, more racial divisions etc
describe the simon commission
1929-1930
- reviewed the india acts and advocated for a federal system (enlarge provincial power, but british retain power over security and foreign affairs) – purely for political show (pressure exerted)
- angered the nationalist cause because it had NO indian representation
- leads to hartals
- indian nationalists propose an alternate constitution
describe the cabinet mission
- a delegation of MPs under Wavell in 1946 went to india to decide what the best way was to leave india
- they supported the idea that pakistan needed to be created, because there was extensive support for the idea of a safe, designated muslim state, which cannot be taken by hindus
- it was unsucessful - inability to decide on what todo with the interim gov
what do the british do which harms their reputation in India in 1945
- britain refuses to take accountability for mistreatment of indians under lord Wavell
- britain evacuates its representatives – refusing to reconcile, just leave when they want
- the british use repression
what were some of the key terms of british withdrawal from india
- creation of 2 fully sovereign dominions of india and pakistan
- office of govenor-general in india and pakistan
- british lose control over princely states
- abolition of emperor and empress of india
- boundary commission would establish territory
- no act of parliament would extend to india or pakistan
- britain lose all responsibility to india and pakistan
by 1914, what percentage of india’s imports came from britain
66%
describe KEY violent events leading up to partition
- calcutta killings 1946
- rioting in Bengal and Bombay
- 20,000 bihari muslims died in 1947
- british evacuate british individuals in india from Calcutta
describe the 1935 elections in india, after the government of india act 1935 (3)
- congress won 6/11 provinces
- 15.5 million indians / 30 millions voted (political engagement + enthusiasm)
- INC won 707/1585 seats
physical impacts of partition
- 500,000 people killed
- 100,000 forcibly converted to islam
- 12 million people made homeless
- 15 million people migrate from india to pakistan
- all 561 princely states end up under indian control
when were the round table conferences
1st: jan 1931 (gandhi is in prison)
2nd: sept - december 1931
3rd: 1932
economic events during the interwar period
- 1929 wall street crash
- 1932 great depression
*indian nationalists use these opportunities and exploit the lack of british power – using it to fragment their influence within the colony itself
- britain lacks the financial flexibility and authority now to impose strict control
describe the 1919 government of india act and its impact (would it help the nationalist cause?)
- establishes the principle of DYARCHY
- eventual self government and an indian parliament within 10 years - stops short on declaring independence
- british retain control of defence and foreign affairs
- created 2 legislative councils (upper and lower house, of which the lower house had 104/144 elected members) and upper house (with 34/60 elected members)
- more provincial control - devolved – responsibility for local gov, health etc
- balance of power between indian ministers and the viceroy
- british have power over defence and foreign affairs
nationalist cause:
- provincial power - enable nationalists
- british delay action - temporary appeasement
- concessionary - advance / accelerate popular support
what was agreed on the 5th march 1931, and describe this (main terms), and was this a success for british or indians
- what does this show about political attitudes
gandhi-irwin pact
- 8 meetings of 24 hours - sincerity
the main terms were:
- all prisoners (except violent ones) were released
- removal and ban of a salt tax
- congress was no longer banned
- gandhi should be at the second round table conferences (legitimacy)
success for??
- success for indians
- the main objective of the salt march was achieved
- it displayed an attempt between both parties to heal relations
political attitudes:
- conciliatory and willing
- sense of guilt - desire to repatch
- eager and desperate for peace
describe and give examples of nationalist movements by gandhi
description:
- president of the INC in 1915
- promotion of a nationalist movement based around non co-operation and undermining the basis of british rule in india, but using non violent methods todo so
- wanted to promote an ability to work with empire FOR self government
examples:
- 1931 salt march
- 1942 quit india movement
- 1920 non co-operation movement
- 1917 - helping indigo workers in bihar
describe the impact of the second world war on india and the british administration
- indians supported the british in WWII, however, WWII amplified the lack of british successes and overarching power
- this emboldened indian nationalists to exploit these defeats and lack of authority to ask for radical reforms
describe the radcliffe commission 1947 and give the key examples of suffering under the radcliffe boundaries
- the commission was authorised under the government of india act 1947 which ordered the borders of punjab and bengal to be drawn
- a commission of radcliffe (no experience going to india before) to draw up boundary lines and create 2 nations of india and pakistan
- bengal and the punjab were given the power to partition themselves
- it ended up that most of the lines were in favour of india and hindus (due to the close relationship between mountbatten and nehru)
- displays the british want to maintain a good relationship, but leave as quickly as possible
- the british are trying to be a neutral arbiter but failing
- sikhs were effectively enclosed within parkistan, despite their population of 6 million
examples:
1. lahore was a capital of the sikh empire and given to pakistan, despite not being a muslim majority
2. gurdaspur was given to india, despite being a muslim majority, giving india direct access to princely states which they later seize in 1948 (ie kashmir)
bullet point KEY colonial policy by the british in india in the interwar years
- government of india act 1919
- montagu-chelmsford 1917
- government of india act 1935
- simon’s commission
- rowlatt acts 1915 - extended to 1919
- round table conferences 1930, 1931 etc
describe the 1935 government of india act
- the british increased the number of indians eligible to vote
- strengthened elected provincial assemblies
describe the may / june statement 1946
may statement:
- cabinet leave it up to indian parties to agree to simla plan or not
- declared the creation of a constituent assembly of elected representatives which would draft a constitution for the first plan proposed in the Simla conference (unitary state)
- congress refuse to accept plan, despite muslims accepting
- create interim gov, which also could not be created due to tension
june statement:
- gave the viceroy the power to select members for any group in the interim government who didn’t approve of the may statement
- congress accepts plan on 24th june
- but, congress proposes clauses which would fragment pakistan if it was formed by letting smaller regions secede - denied
- on the 27th June, Jinnah claimed failure and the cabinet mission left India because cripps was open to the plans of congress
- an interim gov is formed, with 11 indians (6 congress, 5 muslim) and wavell (muslims app by congress)
- muslims withdraw agreement to may statement
how did the views of indian people to empire change after WWI
- no longer viewed britain as a supreme global empire - used its weakened stance to further the nationalist movement - opportunistic
- bitterness toward the british for using their own problems to sideline and dismiss the indian nationalist cause
examples under each of the 3 bullet points of how WWI strengthened empire
hunter inquiry into dyer
1920
- inquiry into dyer who began the amritsar massacre
- dyer was guilty but only censured - lacked tangible / significant consequence
- gandhi now describes co-operation w british as ‘sinful’ - increase anti-british bitterness
what was the 1922 Empire Settlement Act
- committed 3 million pounds each year to support internal empire migration
describe what was claimed in Milner’s imperial crudo
1925
- milner claims that the UK is no longer a global superpower and is no longer self supporting
- idea of a duty to empire, in that dominions are reliant on the british, and so the empire must be continued
examples under each of the 3 bullet points of how WWI weakened empire
- undermined british authority
- 1914 - indians in Baluchi regiment refuse to fight turks - british lack coercive power
- 1915 = singapore mutiny - sepoys rebelled
- Ghadr newspaper spread - anti-colonial newspaper - angered india soliders
- 62,000 indians died in WWI (more than any other colony group - inc australians, canadians, africans etc) - felt they were too heavily relied on
describe / name british colonial policy during WWI
- 1915 defence of india act
- gives expansive power to the british to give them the power to deal with wartime threats (draconian)
- by 1918, 800 prisoners were detained under these provisions
- the act was supposed to end 6 months after end of wwi - rowlatt acts 1919
- continues the defence of india act 1915 and extends emergency measures
- allows for indefinite detention, incarceration without trial etc
- british attempting to continue draconian legislation and strengthen grip, using foreign hostilities as their justification
- every indian on the central legislative council opposed it
- the british basically completely reversed on everything they promised from the Montagu reforms
- gandhi declares a hartal (strike)
describe the impacts of WWII on the british in india and attitudes by indians toward empire
- supported the british during the war, BUT it united the nationalist movement due to a common dislike on the dependence being placed on india - entrenched the idea of india being committed to radicalism
- tarnishes british legitimacy and their mandate (nationalist institutions massively increase in membership)
- made nationalists bitter because they had not been consulted on Indian commitment to the war (idea that they were fighting for democracy, but couldn’t obtain democracy)
economic points made from the total independence resolution
- indian people were living off 2p a day, with 20% heavy and burdensome taxes being imposed on them
- millions have been drained from the economic efforts of the british, in exploiting people
congress membership in 1921
increased from 100,000 to 2 million by the end of 1921
- congress expanded from becoming less of an elitist institution, into becoming a more national and inclusive institution, to properly amplify nationalist demand
- all india congress committee = membership doubled and 100 more district branches are created
- gandhi used congress to apply pressure to the british in 1928 to have a year to grand india dominion status
*note that congress had a district, provincial and all india level (of which the all india level was expanded to double membership
what was the change in % of tariffs on india, introduced by the british
11% in 1917
25% in 1931
*aimed to protect indian industry from competitors and create a more insular economic environment
what event occured in 1943-1944 and describe its impact
- great bengal famine
- killed 3-4 million bengalis
- british ration of 1200 calories a week
*displayed how the british had lost so much control that they could no longer operate and fix domestic issues – british realise their incapability to have financial capabilities
what happened in 1945 regarding India
- 1945 = WWII ends
- the labour party wins the general election, and promise to provide independence for India
*displays how a political selling point had become india - such a strong home reaction to India - jailed political prisoners are released in 1945
braindump key events leading up to partition from 1945 + dates
- 1946 direct action day
- mutiny at bombay naval base after sailors revolt against british (feb 1946)
- plan balkan
- plan menon
- simla conference 1946
- may / june statement
- radcliffe commission 1947
in one sentence, describe british policies toward india
- the british would introduce a combination of reforms in order to expand representation, however, any attempt by indian nationalists to push for the expansion of these reforms would be ruthlessly suppressed by the british
describe the violence by the british in the salt march
- 2000 protesters in bombay and north west frontier provinces were attacked, with 320 being injured, and 2 killed
what was the total independence resolution and how would this impact the british in india
- a resolution made in jan 1930 of purna swaraj
- it was due to the breakdown in relations between the british and indians over deciding over dominion status
- the resolution claimed that Britain had deprived indian people of their freedom and has exploited indian people, ruining the country (economically, socially, culturally etc)
- claimed that india’s indpendence in the world has been reduced and that individual liberties of indians have been drained, claiming that it is a crime that indian people were treated this way
- indians WITHDRAW ASSOCIATION FROM THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT and this symbolises the start of CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE (ie not paying taxes)
describe the left wing parties in india in the IW years
indian communist party = 1925
all india trades union congress
congress socialist party = 1934
describe and give examples of the diplomatic challenges of empire after WW1
- british lack global authority and superpower status
- ie 1921 Washington Naval Treaty - reduces - british actively acknowledge the influence of Japan in the east - increasing nationalist challenges
- 1916 easter uprising in Ireland - sets precedent to other colonies to go against british (irish home rule bill is passed in 1914)
describe plan balkan and plan menon
plan balkan: may 3rd 1947
- the 11 provinces can decide if they want to merge or remain in isolation
- designation of responsibility to provinces themselves
- creates a fragmented india, which upsets the INC bc there is no unity
- plan is refused by nehru
- bengal and punjab can partition themselves, only with popular support
- princely states were given the power to remain isolated or not
- shown to nehru before
plan menon: june 3rd 1947
- states would choose to be part of india or pakistan
- princely states would be autonomous and forced to join india
- geographic pressure
- bengal and punjab are again given the power to vote on partition
- declared on 3rd june 1947
- india would need to negotiate their state with the princely states
MOUNTBATTEN HAD TO PUSH STATES TO BECOME PART OF INDIA CLAIMING THAT THE KING WOULD BE INSULTED IF SMALL STATES DID NOT JOIN INDIA (princely states joined india)
describe the 1931 salt march and its impact
description:
- gandhi walked 400km to dandi sea to make salt
- it was a publicised boycott against the salt tax and unite indians against the British
- gandhi aimed to convert people through non violence and exemplify british wrongdoings – also cornering the british into not being able to use violence against indians
- the march attracted 10,000 people when it started
- the march obtained mass publicity, with gandhi and 78 representatives partaking in traditional cultural procedures
impact / consequence:
- 60,000 people imprisoned
- INC was banned
describe how british policies and administration of india changed after WWII
- the british felt threatened by the increasing military presence, and adopted tactics of repression in order to exemplify their decisive control
what is the montagu declaration of august 1917
montagu (sec of state) promises eventual and more ‘responsible’ self government in india by the growth of self government institutions
- proposition of more indian power for an indian administration
- published the 1918 Montagu Chelmsford report as a result - conceding british power and supports the idea of eventual home rule
- but, the british fail to implement a satisfactory constitutional arrangement
describe the 1920 non co-operation movement
- promoted indians undermining the principle of british rule and rejecting their authority, through reverting back to traditional indian methods. examples include:
1. political apathy (ie 90% of voters refused to vote in 1920 elections)
2. using traditional economic methods (ie all indian spinners association 1924)
*gandhi suspends this in 1922 after the chauri chaura police station burning down
bullet point how WWI strengthened the empire
- more military unity and cohesion
- forces of empire are all fighting together, which would strengthen the bonds of empire - increased patriotism and enthusiasm toward empire
- over 1 million indians fought for the british overseas
describe the simla conference of 1946 and describe the 2 plans
- the invitation of Indian political leaders to Simla to discuss the options for Indian independence (which had been approved by the cabinet)
- the government proposed two plans, of which the hope was that the second plan would be so bad that the first plan was accepted
- 3 delegates from the UK
- 4 representatives from the Indian National Congress, and 4 representatives from the Muslim League (describes hindus and muslims as equal)
plan one:
- unified state, but with 3 levels (a INC dominated gov)
- there would be a union government which would only collaborate on foreign affairs, defence and communication
- regional groupings of provinces which would have the authority to decide everything else
- these regional groupings would be allowed to break away from the original union and become independent states (democratically) through plebiscites (would allow for pakistan creation)
plan two:
- there would be the creation of two states of Hindustan and Pakistan
- the states would have a treaty to guarantee peace, but no common government powers
describe british attitudes to WWII
- the british were insulated and comforted by empire
- the british were proud that over 6 million of their ‘subjects’ regarded them as a defender of liberties and would fight for them
- however, churchill wanted to rebuild empire - disliked concessions made
describe the divisions between the hindu and muslims within the indian nationalist movement
- mutual distrust between both parties and they found it difficult to co-operate (led to the enforcement of the divide and rule policy)
- there was difference on the state formed: hindus wanting a united indian state, muslims wanting a separate state of pakistan
- it was due to the stark divisions between these bodies that the british felt like they had a duty and justification to continue to stay in india, because they claimed to fear a civil war
describe the work of jinnah in the indian nationalist movement, and describe what his philosophies display about the indian nationalist movement
work:
- 1916 - helped find india home-rule league
- 1923 - became a muslim leader
- president of muslim league in 1928
- published the Nehru report and 14 points
nationalist movement:
- divisive (difference on degree of radicalism)
- all believed in constitutional self government, but the procedure to implement this differed
- the movement was relatively polarized between muslims and hindus (ie jinnah was shouted down, displaying and inability to compromise between indians, yet alone between indians and british - further adds to this idea of the british justifying their rule based on competency)
describe the quit india movement
- a response by indian nationalists in 1942 to the cripps mission
- led by gandhi and nehru to promote complete independence of india from britain
- gandhi gives a ‘do or die’ speech, in which the INC led mass protests demanding Britain to ‘quit’ India - this displays an extremely united India
- gandhi and the nationalist leaders were arrested, and spent the year in prison (draconian measures, default is to rely on repressive measures - feel the need to enforce their power)
- gandhi is released in 1944 (because of his hunger strikes, and could not die under the control of the british)
- 60,000 people are arrested
- was supported by muslims, sikhs and princely states – unity (despite polarization)
when is the imperial war conference, and what does it do
1917
- described strategies for war and the supply of raw materials
- its purpose was to consult dominions and india (appeasement)
describe the bombay naval mutiny
1946
- indian soliders refused to open fire against other indians
- this action of Bose was supported by nehru
- the british government was forced to release colonel nawaz and captain sehgal
- british could not depend on indian subjects
describe and give examples of the economic challenges the empire / britain faced after WWI
- debt
- introduction of geddes axe - reduced defence spending from 185m to 111 million from 1922-1923
- debt increases from 650 million to 7 billion after war
- british liquidate 10% of assets after war - loss of economic bonds
- forced to be more reliant on empire (imports from asia to britain doubled)
- 10.9% unemployment
-
how did WWI negatively impact India, and give examples of this (3)
- not receiving the benefit of their war effort
- india contributed 146 million pounds to WWI, yet post-WWI, india suffered from inflation problems and food shortages
- the british failed to reinvest and thank indians for such efforts
- over 1 million indian soliders fought for the british - 33% of troops in france
- british increase tax in india by 16% - losing economic bonds with britain
- indian imports coming from britain soon began to decline - foreign competition began to erode this partnership
- indian producers would capture more of the domestic market - britain exerted more pressure and expected more out of india
- 1911 = income taxes generated 2% of india’s revenue, 1917 = 12% = high tax burden on india to support war effort
- despite not bringing benefits, and only draining india, this exerted more pressure and increased resentment
what was:
- the 1916 empire resources development committee
- the imperial conference of 1917
- 1917 imperial war cabinet
- a committee to encourage investment and exploitation of internal imperial resources - increase demand
- a conference to endorse veterans to settle into empire and promote the
policy of imperial preference - a group used to align and orchestrate British military policy across empire
what was the Kisan Sabha movement
- started in 1938
- it was a movement which attracted 250,000 people
- it was a united movement, due to british draconian measures of kicking people out of houses for not paying rent
define dyarchy
- a division of responsibility, with matters being transferred from central indian government to provincial administrations
- provinces now controlled land tax, irrigation etc
- the central government would control all other taxes (ie income, customs etc), along with defence and foreign matters
impact of direct action day
- 16th August 1946
- a movement led by Jinnah and the All-India Muslim league to demonstrate support for Indian nationalism and the unity of Muslims, demanding for a separate muslim homeland after independence
- this was a large Muslim protest in Calcutta against British imperialists
impact:
- 6000 died
- 20,000 were injured
- presented the nationalist movement as a movement for incompetent individuals and decreased trust to provide India with independence, given this level of violence
describe british relations with the INA
- the british court-martial a sikh, muslim and hindu
- 42,000 from the INA go to the japanese by 1945
- 20,000 sailors from the royal indian navy took over 80 ships
- a further 30,000 troops from captured in japan join
consequences of the simla conference
- INC refuse to accept either plan, because both would lead to partition
- leads to tensions within government and british force to form an interim government
describe the work of bose
- 1938 = president of congress
- 1939 = broke away form congress to form a more militant indian army in order to use violence to force the british out of india
- he aligned himself in WWII with more axis powers
- 1943 = formed the INA and encouraged defections to japan
describe the work of nehru
- 1919 = joined the INC
- 1928 = becomes president of INC
- 1931 = imprisoned bc of salt march
- 1936 = re-elected as president in 1936
- 1945 = imprisoned again after the quit india movement
describe the work of jinnah
- 1913 = started leading the all indian muslim league
- 1920 = resigned from the INC because he disagreed with non-violent protest
conflicts between indian nationalist leaders
- nehru wanted industrialisation and economic development for india, whereas gandhi wanted to preserve traditional indian roots
- there was a key difference between gandhi and nehru over interference in the war, with gandhi being more happy to interfere in both WWs
- there were also divisions on the degree of militancy which should have been adopted between bose and gandhi
