Interwar years - India Flashcards
manpower India provided for empire in WW1
1.4 million soldier
When was the Rowlett Act
1919
What was the Rowlett Act’s other name
Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act
What did the Rowlett Act do
Lengthened the time period of the implementation of the Defsense of India Act (1915) - extending ‘emergency measures’ that were in place in ww1 to control public unrest
What did the Rowlett Act allow to happen
- Close down newspapers suspected of anti-British attitudes for the duration of the war
- unlimited detention without trial
- trail without jury
- two years imprisonment for having a seditious newspaper
What was the backlash of the Rowlett Act
- Jinnah resigned from the Imperial Legislative Council (the body which passed the act)
- Gandhi declared it a betrayal of wartime support by Indians and (Congress) declared national hartal in April 1919
How did the Rowlett Act pass
All 22 Indian members of the Imperial Legislative Council opposed the bill - however, was still ensured passage by British members
What led to Amritsar
The hartal turned to widespread violence
Significance of Amritsar
Holy city for Sikhs
Events of the hartal
10 April - mob killed 5 Englishmen - Punjab provincial gov requested military assistance - Dyer’s troops arrived
13 April - Ban of public meetings
Why did Amritsar turn violent
despite the ban of public meetings - 10,000-20,000 Punajbis met in the Jallianwala Bagh
Amritsar stats
- 10,000-20,000 people
- Dyer used all ammunition = 1600 bullets
- 379 killed and 1200 wounded
Dyer’s actions after Amritsar
Martial law
- public floggings
- Indians forced to crawl on the ground after English woman attacked
Backlash for Dyer’s actions?
Had a court-martial - famous people condemning his actions included Asquith, Montagu, Churchill ‘a monstrous event’ however people did still support him - Kipling ‘the man who saved India’ Morning Post raised £26,000 inc 50 from Kipling
When was the Lucknow Pact
1916
