India 1919-1947 Flashcards
What acts were introduced in the inter war years
Nationalist demands for self government after WW1 had resulted in the gov of India act 1919. This allowed a system of self government for India based on the sharing of powers between Indian ministers and the British viceroy. This was made to try and satisfy the Indian nationalists. However the British were concerned that these reforms might strengthen nationalist aspirations for faster change. As a result they adopted a twin track strategy which was a combo of reforms and a determination to make them work combined with a clear signal that any resort by the nationalists would be dealt with ruthlessly. This second tougher strand was placed in the rowlatt act 1919 which gave the authorities harsh powers to arrest and imprison anyone protesting against British rule
What was the result of the Rowlatt act
It was counterproductive in the short term producing much resistance including the Amritsar massacre of April 1919. Nationalism grew but negotiations on moves towards dominion status for India at the round table conference 1930 failed.
What did the government of India act 1935 allow Indians to do and what effect did this have
This act increased the number of Indians eligible to vote and strengthened the elected provincial assemblies. However the weight of nationalist opinion still favoured complete Indian independence. During the 1930s the British increasingly retreated to their divide and rule policy where they played on the growing divisions within the nationalist movement
What happened between the Indians and British in the Second World War
The nationalists suspended their protests in 1939 and supported the British war effort. However British defeats in South east Asia in 1942 emboldened the Hindu congress which demanded immediate reforms. British annexities were multiplied by the emergence of the Indian national army. The British therefore adopted a policy of repression improving congress leaders and blatantly leaning in favour of the Muslim league. In March 1942 the British pm Churchill aware of the vulnerability of the British empire in Asia sent Sir Stafford Cripps to promise the Indians full dominion status. However this wasn’t enough in August 1942 Gandhi and other congress leaders launched a quit India campaign calling for the British to leave entirely. Gandhi and others were arrested and spent the rest of war in prison.
What were the reasons for British withdrawal in India
After the labour gov concluded it was no longer feasible or desirable to keep India they decided to grant India independence as soon as possible. This was for a number of reasons they feared if they tried to keep India there would be a widespread violent resistance which would stretch military resources to the limit, the activities of INA and the strength of pro independence feeling meant that the Indian army might not be reliable and large numbers of British troops might have to be deployed which would be expensive and unpopular, India was no longer the great market for British cotton exports it had once been so the cost of holding onto it would massively outstrip any economic benefits
How did the process of Indian independence take place
In 1947 the government sent a new viceroy Lord Louis Mountbatten with instructions to bring about Indian independence as soon as possible and no later than June 1948. In April 1947-May it was decided that India would be partitioned independence for Pakistan as well as India would be granted. The deadline was met but violence between Muslims and Hindus escalated as millions of people of both faiths fled their homeland. At least 1 million people died in the violence leaving bitterness between Pakistan and India. Therefore Britain’s attempt to keep India in the empire failed.
What were Gandhi’s campaigns
He began his career practising in S.A for 20 years from 1893. He campaigned against racism and segregation, championing the rights of Indians who had settled in the area and challenging both the British and from 1910 the dominant afrikaners. In 1915 he returned to India where he became president of the Indian national congress and began to immerse himself in political affairs. He travelled the country supporting protests against British rule. In 1917-18 he championed the downtrodden indigo workers of the state of Bihar and mediated in a textile industry dispute in Ahmedabad. Such activity established him as a national figure. However it was only after the Amritsar massacre that his national campaigns for full Indian independence began. He helped organise the non cooperation movement of 1920 and the quit India movement in 1942 along with others. He was clear about the importance of political non violence but vague about his goals. He was imprisoned by the British on several occasions
What were Gandhi’s beliefs
He expressed his basic principles in Hind Swaraj in 1909 and remained true to them throughout his life.
- Gandhi favoured peaceful resistance to British rule based on the principles of satyagraha
- Gandhi preached harmonious relations between Hindus and Muslims arguing that tolerance between the two communities should be cemented with equal rights for both religions in an independent India.
- Gandhi wanted an independent India which built on its spiritual and social traditions. He wanted India to remain predominantly agricultural and rural and to reject industrialisation.
What was Gandhi’s importance
He reconciled western ideas about democracy with the notion of a distinctive Indian culture and national identity based on the principles of Hinduism, religious tolerance and a vision of a traditional rural India. This offered the benefits of western liberalism without endangering the character of Indian society and values. His methods made it difficult for the British to respond. The British saw themselves as peaceful and democratic and committed to the well being of the colonial peoples they ruled. Non violent resistance proved effective in hurting their economic interests and forced the British to use violent repression to break up demonstrations and imprison nationalist leaders. This was embarrassing for the British internationally as it demonstrated that imperial rule ultimately rested not on peaceful methods but on the exercise of ruthless might.
How did administration change to the new circumstances
Administration responded to the changed circumstances at both imperial and colonial levels. In 1925 the colonial office was split into 2 departments: the dominion office, with its own Secretary of State and the colonial office itself. This meant that 3 cabinet members were responsible to parliament for the good governance of the commonwealth and empire: the Secretary of State for the colonies, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for the dominions. Beneath the 3 secretaries were the permanent officials at Whitehall and below them the administrative service which backed up imperial power. The colonial services were unified in 1930 so that individuals were no longer appointed directly to individual colonial governments. The quality of recruits generally improved. Administrators were expected to be honest and responsible but they could also be smug and narrow minded even if the white racial attitudes that had characterised nineteenth century administrators had been considerably softened by the 1920s and 30s. Changes in imperial administration reflected in part the developing idea that colonial administration in the less developed parts of the empire should be a form of trusteeship administrators were there to protect native interests, foster the colony’s economic growth and nurture it towards self rule.
Who was Edwin montagu
He was Secretary of State for India from 1917-22. He was responsible for reforms which led to the gov of India act 1919 which gave Indians a limited degree of political representation.
Who was sir Harry haig
He was a lifelong colonial administrator in India following his appointment as a member of the viceroys executive council in 1932. He was coming to terms with the idea reluctantly of Indians as partners in empire. He was however an opponent of Gandhi’s campaign
Who was lord Linlithgow
He served as viceroy of India from 1935-43. His seven year tenure was the longest in the history of the raj. He actively promoted the further enfranchisement of Indians in the gov of India act 1935. He believed that further reform would weaken the more radical elements of nationalism and give rise to more responsible Indian politicians. His appeal for unity in WW2 brought a promise of greater rights in the governance of India for the Indian people but this was rejected by most politicians
How did Indian nationalism develop
The Indian congress movement which was well established before WW1 grew in the post war years in reaction to Britain’s failure to offer the Indians a satisfactory constitutional arrangement in 1918. After 1918 leadership fell under Gandhi who guided it towards peaceful protest. However Jawaharlal Nehru a fellow lawyer who became a close ally and friend had a different view on India’s future. Nehru sought modernisation and industrialisation and also diverged from Gandhi over his support for the British during WW2 and he was only reluctantly pulled into Gandhi’s quit India campaign.
Who disagreed with Gandhi’s views
There were divisions over strategies and tactics. Nehrus rival for the leadership of the congress party in the 1930s Chandra Bose wanted the INC to adopt a more militant line. In 1939 Bose aligned himself with Britain’s enemies Germany and Japan and in 1943 formed the Indian national army. A second nationalist group the all India Muslim league also promoted nationalism in the inter war years. Under Muhammad Ali Jinnah it’s leadership grew. Jinnah disagreed with Gandhi’s tactics and campaigned for the establishment of safeguards for the Muslims in the movement for independence.
