Section Three-Colonial Policy and Administration in India, Africa and the Middle East

Question 1

What was British colonial policy concerned with between 1919 and 1947?

Answer 1

Concessions in order to keep the Empire together and resist the rise of nationalism

Question 2

How did Britain attempt to grant concessions to India?

Answer 2

Dyarchy-A system of limited self-government (or ‘responsible government’)

Question 3

What was the Government of India Act, 1919?

Answer 3

• Viceroy retained control of major areas e.g. defence and foreign affairs however had to defend actions before Legislative Council
• Provincial councils run by elected Indian ministers who took responsibility for local government, health, education and agriculture

Question 4

What did the British hope the reforms would do?

Answer 4

A concession to critics of British rule in the Indian Congress and hoped the reforms would weaken support for them

Question 5

What was the Simon Commission (1929-30)?

Answer 5

Sir John Simon reviewed the India Act and recommended that:

• A federal system of government be created across India
• The provinces be given more power
• Defence, internal security and foreign affairs should remain in the hands of a British Viceroy ensuring overall British Control

Question 6

What were the Round Table Conferences (1930-31)?

Answer 6

Opposition from independence movements led to these which were held in London. No agreement was reached and Britain rejected self-governing status for India due to doubt about competence of non-white leaders and India’s strategic and economic importance to Britain

Question 7

What was the Government of India Act, 1935?

Answer 7

• Made provinces completely self-governing

- Expanded the franchise from 7m to 35m people

Question 8

Why did the Government of Act (1935) fail and what was the aftermath of it?

Answer 8

• Congress party opposed it because it fell short of the independence of the white dominions and because they wanted to be completely free of British rule
• Princely states also rejected as they wanted to maintain independence from rest of India
• In 1939, members of Congress-controlled ministries in provinces resigned from office, in opposition to Indian participation in the war
• By 1947 clear British colonial policy failed and India became an independent state

Question 9

What two categories did British African colonies fall into?

Answer 9

• Colonies which were ruled ‘indirectly’ by British through existing local rules including most colonies in West Africa
• Colonies where substantial numbers of Europeans had settled, and where British ruled directly through own officials e.g. Kenya, Southern Rhodesia

Question 10

What happened to colonies under ‘indirect’ British rule?

Answer 10

• In Sudan, in 1920, British gov allotted £3million for Gezira Cotton Scheme to increase cotton production
• In East Africa, in 1925, British gov allocated £10 million for improving rail and dock facilities
• In West Africa, investment in schools and educational facilities

Question 11

What was the Colonial Development Act of 1929?

Answer 11

Allocated £1m of British Treasury funds for development projects which helped several of the African colones; ineffectual however and not nearly enough money for development needed

Question 12

What happened to White settler colony in Kenya?

Answer 12

• White settlers in Kenya put pressure on British gov. to give Kenya a degree of self-government in 1920 and given to 20-30,000 white settler community and used influence to exclude Kikuyu tribe from Northern Highlands and grew rich by growing tea and coffee; taxed Kikuyu heavily and banned them from growing commercial produce to reduce competition
• This led to African nationalism among the tribe and alarmed Colonial Office in London which issue the ‘Devonshire Declaration’ in 1923

Question 13

What was the Devonshire Declaration?

Answer 13

Stressed that interests of Africans had to be respected

Question 14

What happened to Southern Rhodesia?

Answer 14

Similar to Kenya and white population had taken political power and won what was effectively self-government in 1923

Question 15

What happened to South Africa?

Answer 15

• Promises made to protect rights of ethnic minorities that had been build into grant of Dominion statues in 1910 were eroded
• White minority established control over internal affairs by the 1930s
• Statute of Westminster of 1931 which gave Dominions legislative autonomy enabled this white dominance to continue

Question 16

What were aims for Palestine?

Answer 16

-To ensure Palestine’s strategic importance as buffer state against threats to the Suez Canal and internal stability in country is maintained

Question 17

Why was keeping the aims in Palestine not an easy task?

Answer 17

• Reconciling growing Jewish population and Arabs was difficult
• Disagreement between pro-Jewish British government pro-Arab British authorities in Palestine
• Richer Jews began to buy up land with help from Jewish National Fund and growing numbers of Palestinian Arabs evicted

Question 18

What were key developments in Palestine between the wars?

Answer 18

1929- Enquiry called for Jewish policy of land acquisition to be curbed and another in 1931, recommended restrictions on Jewish land acquisition; however pro-Jewish feeling in Britain and USA forced government to back down

1933-Nazi persecution in Germany accelerated Jewish immigration into Palestine creating more problems for British control

1936- British sent 20,000 troops to Palestine to deal with Arab rioting and attacks on Jews

1937-39; British adopted policy of repression to deal with escalating violence; over 100 Arab terrorists hange

Question 19

What occurred to Palestine during 1939?

Answer 19

• With war imminent and fears of an Italian attack on Egypt - Britain changed its policy; it called for a Palestinian state in which Jews currently living in the country would enjoy the right to a ‘national homeland’
• Jewish immigration restricted to 15,000 per year for 5 years and ensured that Arabs would be majority when independence came
• Jews had to accept this and saw it as a short term strategy of expediency

Question 20

What were the problems in Iraq?

Answer 20

• Widespread Muslim demonstrations in 1920 against British rule in Baghdad turned into a full-scale revolt which forced Britain to intervene militarily
• Kurds in the north wanted independence from Iraq and also rebelled

Question 21

What occurred at the Cairo conference and when was it?

Answer 21

1921-British meeting with limited Arab representation; decided to allow for some local self-gov while retaining full British control of military and foreign affairs

Question 22

What then occurred at the Anglo-Iraqi treaty 1922?

Answer 22

Confirmed Faisal I as king- renowned Muslim and Arab leader who was on good terms with British and so ideal compromise; British advisors still appointed to most gov. departments to ensure continued British control over Iraqi affairs

Question 23

What was the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty 1930?

Answer 23

Promised full consultation between the powers on matters of foreign policy

Question 24

How was giving Iraqi independence successful?

Answer 24

• Britain retained influence in area
• Independence granted with good terms
• Treaties led to gradual transfer of power and had virtual monopoly on oil there