India 1919-47

Question 1

What were Gandhi’s beliefs

Answer 1

• Gandhi favoured peaceful resistance to British rule – based on satyagraha principle. Satyagraha was rejecting violence to combat evil, relying on peaceful protests.
  -> strikes, boycotts, protests and peaceful disobedience.
• wanted a united India with tolerance and equal rights for Hindu’s and Muslims. He rejected the caste system.
• independent India build on spiritual and social traditions. He wanted a predominantly
  agricultural and rural society which rejected the urbanisation and industrialisation of the west.
  -> distrusted modern tech which alienated liberal progressives in Congress.

Question 2

• explain how Gandhi’s methods were difficult to respond to

Answer 2

• British saw selves as liberal and fair-minded.
• non-violence was effective in hurting British economic interests.
  -> response: British use violence to break up deconstructions and imprison nationalist leaders.
  -> embarrassment internationally, showed imperial rule rested not on peaceful methods, but on the exercise of ruthless might.

Question 3

what was Ghandhi’s Salt Campaign

Answer 3

• saw his ‘salt Campaign’ as ‘childishly theatrical’.
• Gandhi trusted followers who helped plan the route for the Salt March.
• Was a master of the media and stage management, directed satyagraha with precision.
  -> great at planning with detail.
• promoted sanitation, personal hygiene, abstain ing from alcohol.
  -> against child marriages and untouchability.

Question 4

Explain the flaws of Ghandi’s approach

Answer 4

• own people went against him even when he took them to freedom.
  -> failure of non-violence.
• shocked by the outbreak of violence on the eve of independence.
• Indians repressed hatred + violence towards the British -> this erupted the moment they stopped fearing the British.
  -> Ghandi acknowledge feelings of hatred felt by Indians to the British.

Question 5

What was the 1919 Government of India Act

Answer 5

• viceroy retained control of major areas (defence + foreign affairs).
• Legislative council: lower house (legislative assembly), 104 of 144 members were to be elected.
  -> upper house (council of state), 34/60 members were to be elected.
• Provincial councils were run by elected Indian ministers took responsibility, local gov, health, education and agricultural.

Question 6

What was the 1929-1930 Simon Commission

Answer 6

• Excluded Indian representative, led by Sir John Simon -> reviewed the Indian Act.
• federal system of government created across India, incorporated both provinces and princely states under British rule.
• Provinces were given more power.
• Defence, internal security and foreign affairs remain in hands of British Viceroy, ensuring overall British control.

Question 7

What were the 1930-1 Round Table conferences

Answer 7

• result of opposition from independence movement.
• Gandhi was only represented at the 2nd conference.
• no agreement was reached.
• rejected self-governing Dominion status for India due to prejudice about competence of non-white leaders.
  -> concern for India’s strategic and economic importance to Britain.

Question 8

What was the 1935 Government of India Act

Answer 8

• Made provinces completely self-governing (although provincial governors were still to be appointed by the British, the Viceroy could suspend self-government in emergencies.
• Expanded the franchise from 7-35 million people.
• this was opposed by the Congress Party, fell short of independence enjoyed by Dominions and because of the desire to be completely free of British rule.
• Princely states rejected a federal India as they wanted to maintain independence from the rest of India.

Question 9

Explain how Gandhi was important for Indian independence

Answer 9

• Gandhi helped organise the civil disobedience campaign which led to India being ungovernable.
• Gandhi was prepared to talk with the British to share his vision of an independent India.
  Gandhi was involved with the peasants of India (riots) – rallying the masses to his cause. His leadership brought increased support and direction to the nationalist movement.
• Gandhi’s methods made it hard for the British to respond as they believed in the ‘civilising mission’ of the empire.
  -> Breaking up non-violence with violence hardly fulfilled this.

Question 10

explain how Gandhi was less important/other factors more important

Answer 10

• Developments and choices in/of Britain remained very important.
• Gandhi’s vision for India never came about. Other people’s ideas prevailed.

Question 11

What was the background to the Amritsar Massacre

Answer 11

• By 1918, there were expectations that measures introduced during the war would be eased and India would be given more political autonomy.
• Montagu-Chelmsford Report, presented to the British Parliament in 1918, did in fact recommend limited local self-gov.
• Instead, gov of India passed the Rowlatt Acts in early 1919, extending wartime measures.
• Acts were met by widespread anger and discontent.
• news that prominent Indian leaders had been arrested and banished from that city sparked violent protests on April 10.
• Force of troops commanders by Reginald Edward Harry Dyer given the task of restoring order.
  -> among measures taken was a ban on public gatherings.

Question 12

What was the Amritsar massacre

Answer 12

• April 13th 1919.
• Crowd of 10,000 men, women and children gathered in an open space known Jallianwalla Bagh.
• Dyer and soldiers arrived and sealed off the exit. Without warning, troops opened fire on the crows until running out of ammo.
  -> estimate of 379 killed, 1200 more were wounded (according to British stats). Troops immediately withdraw and leave behind dead + wounded.

Question 13

What was the impact of the Amritsar massacre

Answer 13

• provoked huge reaction -> Indian view British as having no moral authority.
• Galvanised Gandhi’s non-cooperation Movement of 1920-22.
• Chauri Chaura incident (1922)
• House of Commons debates displayed serious divisions within politics regarding Empire.
  -> led to crisis of confidence.

Question 14

What was the Chauri Chaura incident

Answer 14

• event following Amritsar
• violence among large group of protesters participating in a non-cooperation movement, police opened fire.
  -> demonstration set fire to a police station, 3 civilians + 23 policemen were killed.
• at least 379 nationalist martyrs.

Question 15

Who was Jawaharlal Nehru

Answer 15

• educated in Britain -> Harrow and Cambridge.
• supported Britain in 1939 -> reluctant support to Gandhi’s 1942 ‘Quit India’ Campaign -> imprisoned until 1945.
• committed socialist, aimed to industrialise/modernise India through economic planning.
• Career: 1919 -> joined Indian National Congress -> strong ally of Gandhi.
  -> elected as INC president in 1928 and was imprisoned during the anti-salt tax campaign.

Question 16

who was Subhas Chandra Bose

Answer 16

• wanted INC to become more militant.
  -> allied self with British enemies: Germany and Japan.
  -> 1943: formed the Indian National Army.
• was the Indian Congress president in 1938-39 but broke with leadership over Indian support for British in 1939.
• Established Indian National Army to fight the British but was killed in a plane crash in 1945.
• Intended to lead forces to free India but died.

Question 17

who was Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Answer 17

• Disagreed with Gandhi’s tactics -> campaigned for the establishment of safeguards for muslims in a movement for independence.
• was a prominent member in the Congress Party and the Muslim League.
  -> initially favoured Hindu-Muslim co-operation but left congress in 1920 after disagreeing with non-violent protest.
• was a lead figure in the creation of a separate Muslim State, Pakistan, in 1947.

Question 18

explain the Communists Party of India‘s Involvement in the Independence Struggle

Answer 18

• The League Against Gandhism was a political organisation in Calcutta, founded by the underground
  Communist Party of India in the early 1930s
• When Britain and the Soviet Union became allies against Germany in 1941 the CPI was legalised.
  -> It strengthened their control over the All India Trade Union Congress.
  -> Communists were politically concerned for their opposition to the Quit India movement.

Question 19

Explain how Indian nationalism was united/effective

Answer 19

• achieved independence in 1947 and gained other concessions from the British in the interwar years.
• Gandhi inspired the rioters of India to take part in the campaign for independence, turning it into a mass civil disobedience campaign.
  -> However, the last civil disobedience campaign (Quit India) was short-lived and not very effective.

Question 20

Explain how Indian nationalism was divided/ineffective

Answer 20

• disagreement about the methods and goals for independence.
  -> Some Muslims mistrusted Gandhi.
  Passive resistance was fairly easily suppressed and
• because of the disagreements among the nationalist’s violence broke out– making it easier for the British to
  justify the use of force.
  -> Some were not very effective e.g.
  Quit India.
  -> The violence of the Indian national army vs. Gandhi’s non-cooperation.
• Independence was mainly granted on Britain’s terms as a result of other factors, rather than because of the
  nationalist movements.

Question 21

What was the Quit India Campaign of 1942

Answer 21

• All-India congress demand an ‘orderly British withdrawal’.
• proclaimed a mass campaign for civil disobedience.
• British (supported by the All India Muslim League, Princely States and business men) respond by imprisoning almost entire INC leadership until 1945.
• campaign failed because of suppression, weak coordination.