RTC's Flashcards
when was the 1st RTC opened?
The first RTC was opened by Lord Irwin in the House of Lords, November 1930.
what happened prior to the 1st RTC?
Simon Commission
what was the Simon Commission?
- a group appointed in Nov 1927 by the British Conservative government to report on the working of the Indian constitution as established by the Government of India Act 1919
- it consisted of seven members: 4 tories, 3 labourites and 1 liberal, notedly no Indians present causing huge uproar and political violence
- it proposed for provincial autonomy in India but rejected parliamentary responsibility at its centre
- was not supposed to review until 1929, but brought back two years
what was the Government of India Act 1919?
- it was passed to expand participation of Indians in the government of India
- set to be reviewed 10 years later in 1929 by the Simon Commission
- the act provided a dual form of government ( a ‘diarchy’) in the major provinces
who attended the 1st RTC?
- the 3 British political parties were represented by 16 delegates
- 58 delegates represented the spectrum of India political opinion, though they were all nominated by the Viceroy and Gandhi and Nehru were in jail so could not attend
- the princes also sent 16 representatives, strengthening their case for dominion status
what was decided in the 1st RTC?
- it was decided that India would be run as a type of dominion
- it would take the form of a federation that would include the princely states, as well as the 11 British provinces
- there would be Indian participation in all levels of government
what is a federation?
‘a group of states with a central government but independence in internal affairs’
what were the conservatives reaction to the outcome of the 1st RTC?
the conservatives were disgusted:
‘ the whole conference was manipulated and manoeuvred by the Socialist Party to achieve the result they had set before themselves from the beginning, namely the conferring of responsible government at the centre upon Indians.’
-Winston Churchill
what was the consequence of the 1st RTC?
In February 1931, the British formally inaugurated New Delhi as the administerative capital of the Raj
when was the 2nd RTC held?
Sep - Dec 1931
how was Gandhi able to attend the 2nd RTC?
due to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact
what was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact?
- a political agreement signed in March 1931 marking the end of the civil disobedience campaign of proposed conditions, such as:
- discontinuation of the salt march
- participation of congress in the 2nd RTC
- removal of tax on salt
- release of all political prisoners, totalling 90,000 altogether
what was gandhi’s role in the 2nd RTC?
no progress was made whatsoever as he mostly focused on reserving seats for racial and religious minorities and how this would effect the resulting balance of powers
- Gandhi, a hindu, wanted to speak on behalf of muslims too - to establish Congress as an umbrella organisation
- instead, this alienated all the groups seeking separate representation
what was happening back in Britain at the time of the 2nd RTC?
In August 1921, the first Labour government resigned after splitting and subsequently was replaced by a Tory-dominated coalition facing a depression, unemployment and the collapse of the economy.
what were the consequences of the 2nd RTC?
- India Defense League
- Communal Award
- Yeravda Pact