India- key events Flashcards
What were the Rowlatt Acts?
The result of a 1918 report that singled out the Punjab, Bengal and Bombay as centres of revolutionary activity. The Act imposed wartime controls over these provinces, including imprisonment without trial or jury.
What was the Indian Councils Act 1909?
Outcome of a series of reforms agreed between viceroy Minto and John Morely, secretary of state for India. The Act ensured that:
- 60 Indian representatives were elected onto the viceroy’s executive council, 27 of which had to be from special interest groups.
- Separate electorates were provided for Muslims and Hindus.
- Provincial councils were enlarged to create non-official majorities.
What was the Montagu Declaration of 1917?
Secretary of state for India Edwin Montagu announced in the HOC a fresh approach to the governance of India. The declaration committed the government to granting some form of self-government to India, but gave no time frame.
What was the Amritsar Massacre of 1919?
Several thousand pilgrims and other Indians ignored the ban against large gatherings in Amritsar and gathered for a religious festival. Fearing trouble, General Dyer sent in his troops, and ordered them to open fire on the peaceful crowd. 400 were killed.
Describe the martial law Dyer imposed in Amritsar.
The martial law Dyer imposed was designed to be particularly humiliating for Hindus, as Hinduism was a religion based on purity and pollution. The crawling order was enforced, which forced Indians to crawl in the filth along the narrow street where a European woman had been beaten and left to die. Indians also had to salaam to any Europeans they passed.
What was the Government of India Act 1919?
The Act created a dyarchy- unequal power sharing. The viceroy was to be advised by a council of six, three of whom had to be Indian. The viceroy could enforce laws even if the legislative councils rejected them. The Act gave provincial councils control over Indian education, agriculture, health and public works. The franchise was extended, although it was still linked to tax payments. About 10% of the adult male population was enfranchised. Finally, seats were reserved for special interest groups in the provinces.
What was the partition of Bengal in 1905?
Viceroy Curzon split the province along religious lines . Hindus opposed the partition, but Muslims supported it because it freed them from Hindu control in one of the new provinces. In 1911, Bengal was reunited.
Describe the non-cooperation campaign of 1920-22
Students boycotted their exams. Taxes were not paid. A large number of voters stayed away from the 1920 elections. 200 lawyers stopped work. During a royal visit to Calcutta in 1921, shops were closed throughout the city and few Indians attended the ceremonies. However, violence also broke out. In Bombay, a hartal turned into four days of rioting, leaving 53 dead. In February 1922, Congress supporters torched a police station, killing 22.
What was the Nehru Report of 1928?
The first draft of a constitution for India, produced by Motilal Nehru. The report recommended dominion status for India, and suggested that the princely states and British India be joined in a federation. There would be no further devolution of power to the provinces, meaning that Hindus would form a permanent majority within central government. This made Muslims unhappy.
What was the salt march of 1930?
A 240 mile walk undertaken by Gandhi and 78 untouchables to protest against the British salt tax, in which Gandhi and thousands of other Indians illegally collected salt from the shores.
What was the Khilafat movement of 1919?
The movement legitimised Muslim participation in any nationalist movement, including non-cooperation campaigns organised by Congress. This came about as a result of the weakening of Turkey by the Versailles Treaty.
What was the Simon Commission?
A parliamentary delegation sent to India in 1928 to investigate the effectiveness of the 1919 GOI Act and make any recommendations for review. The review was originally scheduled for 1929, but this was an election year. Conservatives feared that if Labour won the election they would use the review to give Congress exactly what they wanted. However, the commission was badly received, as it contained no Indian members. The report was abandoned before publication.
What was the Irwin Declaration of 1929?
The declaration re-emphasised the Montagu declaration of 1917, and added that dominion status would be a natural development of this. Indian representatives were invited to a conference in London, where details of a new constitution would be produced.
What was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact of 1931?
Irwin was afraid that Congress would find a way out of the stalemate by resorting to violence, and instead wanted to create a situation where Gandhi could leave prison and attend the Round Table Conferences as Congress’ representative. A meeting between Gandhi and Irwin led to the following agreements:
- Civil disobedience was suspended
- Gandhi agreed to attend the second RTC
- 19,000 Congress supporters were released from jail
Describe the first RTC
The three British political parties had 16 delegates. 58 delegates represented Indian opinion. Congress had no delegates. The princes sent 16 delegates, and their support for dominion status strengthened its argument. Therefore, the conference reached the conclusion that:
- India was to be run as a a type of dominion
- This would take the form of a federation including the princely states as well as the 11 British provinces
