India - Unit 1 Flashcards
The Montagu Declaration
1917
Promised some form of self governence to India
Provided no timescale
Montagu stated he would visit India
Who were Montagu and Chelmsford?
Edwin Montagu (Secretary of State for India) Lord Chelmsford (Viceroy of India)
Montagu’s trip to India
1917-1918
Thought the British Indian admin was slow and complex
Critisized O’Dwyer, governor of the Punjab, who believed in keeping Indians out of governemnt
Defence of India Act
1915
Forbade protest
Granted the viceroy emergency regulations to “secure public safety” since most British enforcements had moved out of India due to the war
Rowlatt Committee
1917
Rowlatt (a judge) headed a committee to investigate revolutionary activities in India
Report isolated Bengal, Bombay and the Punjab as the centres of revolutionary activity
Rowlatt Act - What did it do and when was it?
1919
Implemented old wartime controls in Bengal, Bombay and the Punjab
Included trial without jury, imprisonment without trail and censorship
Rowlatt Act - What were the opinions on it?
- Montagu reluctantly sanctioned the act but warned Chelmsford against it
- All 22 members if the Indian Legislative Council opposed it
- Jinnah and several of his colleagues resigned from the council
Rowlatt Act - What was it’s impact?
- Broke down trust and showed the Raj as duplicitous
- Gandhi began a Satyagraha campaign in April 1919 in the form of hartals (strikes, but for political protest) which occurred in places such as Amritsar, showing Hindu-Muslim solidarity
- This escalated into violence and Gandhi tried and failed to call them off
- Two organisers were arrested, Kichlew and Pal, triggering anti-Raj rioting
- Three Europeans killed, mission doctor Marcia Sherwood beaten and saved by Hindus, banks were stormed
Amristar Massacre - Leading up to
- April 1919
- O’Dwyer sent General O’Dyer and 1000 soldiers to Amritsar, were met with jeering crowds
- Next day, was Baisakhi Day, an important religious festival that meant thousands of pilgrims came to Amritsar
- Dyer prohibited assemblies and established a curfew, which was ignored
What happened during the Amritsar massacre?
Fired on the Jallianwala Bagh square with no warning
1,650 rounds
Around 400 deaths and 1500 casualties
Dyer reported this and General Beynon approved his actions
What did Dyer do following the Amritsar Massacre?
Established martial law
Any Indian passing a European had to salaam (a bowed greeting)
Public floggings
Crawling Order - Indians who passed where Marcia Sherwood had been beaten had to crawl on all fours (particularly offensive to Hindu’s)
Reaction of the British to Dyer
House of Commons - wanted Dyer to be punished
House of Lords - supported Dyer
Montagu pushed for an inquiry
The Hunter Commission
Led by Lord Hunter
Dyer admitted he would’ve used machine guns if he’d been able to get them into the square and that he had considered razing Amritsar
O’Dyer was censured (formal statement of dissaproval) and forced to resign
O’Dwyer was only gently reprimanded
Punjab Sub-Committee Inquiry
Part of the INC that set up their own inquiry
Examined 1700 witnesses and 650 verified statements
Increased feelings of anger and resentment towards the Raj
The Montagu-Chelmsford Report
Published in 1918
Led to the Government of India Act
Worked on to flesh out the 1917 Montagu Declaration
Governemnt of India Act
1919
Creates a dyarchy
- Viceroy advised by a council of 6, 3 of which were Indians (could inforce laws despite the councils opinion and could choose their own officials)
- Provincial and central legislative councils were enlarged
- Provincial councils were given control over education, health and local self-government
- British retained their control of military matters, foreign affairs, criminal law and currency
- Franchise was extended but still linked to tax payments, after 1919 around 10% of Indian men could vote
- Provinical assemblies could enfranchise women if they chose to
- Provincial Assemblies had reserved seats for different religious groups
How did WW1 help strengthen the development of nationalism in India?
Indian soldiers fighting with British troops raised their self-esteem
Soldiers fought for ideals of freedom and democracy, which brought these concepts forward in Indian society
Who did Gandhi work on building connections with when he arrived in India? And why was this significant?
Muslims and Businessmen, who had been previously ignored by congress and supported his takeover of congress in 1920
What lead to the Lucknow Pact?
The Muslim League believed the British not partitioning Bengal showed they were no longer sympathetic to separate electorates, and so they took an anti-Raj stance
Declaration of war against Turkey (1914), many Muslims considered the Sultan of Turkey as an important spiritual leader (the Caliph), caused resentments
Jinnah was a member of Congress and the Muslim League and was determined to bring the groups together to work towards self-government
What and when was the Lucknow Pact?
1916 Separate electorates Joined together to demand swaraj Was only an agreement, they had no power to impose this Showed unity between Muslims and Hindus
Who were the Home Rule leagues?
Tilak’s Home Rule League - Western India - 32,000 members
Besant’s All-India Home Rule League - grew more slowly, committee networks covered most of India
What did the Home Rule leagues do?
Supported each other
Public lectures
Pamphlets
Petitioned the Raj (signed by hundreds of thousands)
Spread political awareness to different provinces and lower castes
What was the British response to the Home Leagues, and why was this a stupid reaction?
Tilak - Arrested for sedition
Besant - Interned
Both the INC and ML supported them, so this simply fuelled nationalist sentiment more
Indian Response to the 1919 Government of India Act
Many Hindus believed reserved seats were undemocratic
Angered by the time gap between the Montagu Declaration and Government of India Act
Angered by the recent Rowlatt Act’s contrastingly quick enforcement
The INC rejected the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms and boycotted the first elections held as a result of the act
When was the Rowlatt Act repealed?
1922
Religious composition of India
Hindu - 70%
Muslim - 20%
Sikh, Christian & Other - 10%
