Section Three-Colonial Policy and Administration in India, Africa and the Middle East Flashcards
What was British colonial policy concerned with between 1919 and 1947?
Concessions in order to keep the Empire together and resist the rise of nationalism
How did Britain attempt to grant concessions to India?
Dyarchy-A system of limited self-government (or ‘responsible government’)
What was the Government of India Act, 1919?
- 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
What did the British hope the reforms would do?
A concession to critics of British rule in the Indian Congress and hoped the reforms would weaken support for them
What was the Simon Commission (1929-30)?
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
What were the Round Table Conferences (1930-31)?
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
What was the Government of India Act, 1935?
- Made provinces completely self-governing
- Expanded the franchise from 7m to 35m people
Why did the Government of Act (1935) fail and what was the aftermath of it?
- 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
What two categories did British African colonies fall into?
- 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
What happened to colonies under ‘indirect’ British rule?
- 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
What was the Colonial Development Act of 1929?
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
What happened to White settler colony in Kenya?
- 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
What was the Devonshire Declaration?
Stressed that interests of Africans had to be respected
What happened to Southern Rhodesia?
Similar to Kenya and white population had taken political power and won what was effectively self-government in 1923
What happened to South Africa?
- 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
What were aims for Palestine?
-To ensure Palestine’s strategic importance as buffer state against threats to the Suez Canal and internal stability in country is maintained
Why was keeping the aims in Palestine not an easy task?
- 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
What were key developments in Palestine between the wars?
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
What occurred to Palestine during 1939?
- 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
What were the problems in Iraq?
- 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
What occurred at the Cairo conference and when was it?
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
What then occurred at the Anglo-Iraqi treaty 1922?
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
What was the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty 1930?
Promised full consultation between the powers on matters of foreign policy
How was giving Iraqi independence successful?
- Britain retained influence in area
- Independence granted with good terms
- Treaties led to gradual transfer of power and had virtual monopoly on oil there
