Theme 3 1930-42 Flashcards

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1
Q

What did Viceroy Irwin suggest on the 31st of January 1929?

A

He suggested a round table conference to discuss the status of the constitution of India however the newly elected Labour government did little about it. Jinnah in fact convinced the government to implement them showing his influence within the UK.

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2
Q

Why did the INC reject the first roundtable conference invite in June 1929?

A

They had recently began to call for Purna Swaraj and most of their core membership had been arrested in June 1930 and in turn they had little interest in attending.

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3
Q

When did the first roundtable conference begin?

A

12th November 1930

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4
Q

What was the composition of the 89 representatives?In the First RTC

A

16 From the three main British political parties
16 Provincial princes
57 nominees of the viceroy to Represent British India.

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5
Q

What was decided at the congress?

A

That India would be democratic in its accountability of power.
British India and the Princely States should be linked federally. It was also successful in reassuring the minorities and the princes that they would receive representation within a future India.

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6
Q

Who was missing from the first roundtable conference?

A

Gandhi, as well as both of the Nehru’s were not present. Most of the core INC membership was in Prison.

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7
Q

Why were the INC unwilling to cooperate with the first round table conference?

A

Gandhi was still imprisoned which created a focal point for protest and rejection.

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8
Q

What radical step did Irwin take to appease the INC after the roundtable conference?

A

He decided to free Gandhi which led to the creation of the Gandhi Irwin pact which allowed the conference to continue. The pact saw the release of political prisoners and an end to zero tolerence approach to nationalism and also reduced a number of harsh taxes on salt. The depression had worsened and Britain needed Indian cooperation.

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9
Q

Why did Winston Churchil retire to the back-benches in June 1931.

A

He became isolated within the party as he took a very imperialist stance on India.

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10
Q

What happened in August 1931 in Britain?

A

The Labour government collapsed due to the Great depression which in turn led to the creation of the National coalition.

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11
Q

Who was made secretary of state for India as well as chair of the 2nd Conference?

A

Sir Samuel Hoare, the Conservative. Although Labour technically led the new Coalition government many of it’s members were Conservatives meaning that they were far less willing to provide concessions.

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12
Q

What date did the 2nd Roundtable conference begin

A

7th September 1931.

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13
Q

Why did Gandhi anger other Indians at the 2nd conference?

A

Gandhi claimed to speak for the rights of all Indian’s but blatantly questioned the rights of other Indians to be present at all. He also claimed that the untouchables should not be given separate electorates as they were Hindu’s. Gandhi had been selected as the sole INC representative despite him not being the political leader of the organisation.

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14
Q

Who represented the Muslims at the 2nd Roundtable conference?

A

Jinnah , Iqbal and the Aga Khan.

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15
Q

Why did the Second Roundtable conference have disagreements over separate electorates for minorities?

A

Gandhi believed that the INC represented all Indians politically and that untouchables should not be treat as a minority. He believed that there should no separate electorates or special safeguards for other groups.

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16
Q

Why did the Second Roundtable conference have issues regarding Muslims and how did Ramsey McDonald try and solve it?

A

Gandhi and the Muslims could not agree on special provisions and electorates for Muslims. At the end of the conference Ramsey MacDonald offered a Communal Award for minorities with the provision that any free agreement made between the parties could overrule it.

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17
Q

Why did Gandhi clash with the untouchables in the Second Roundtable conference.

A

He believed that they should not be treat as a minority separate from other Hindus and clashed extensively with Dr Ambedkar over this.

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18
Q

Why did Britain appear distracted during the Second Roundtable conference?

A

They were more focused on the worsening economic situation rather than providing concessions to Indian Nationalists.

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19
Q

Why was the second roundtable conference a failure?

A

The Muslim league and Gandhi could not agree on anything.

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20
Q

When was the third Roundtable conference held?

A

November - December 1932.

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21
Q

What Problems did the Third Roundtable conference face from the beginning?

A

Only 46 delegates attended non of whom were from the INC or the Labour party. Jinnah had also refused to attend meaning no one of any significance was present.

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22
Q

What conclusion did the third roundtable conference result in?

A

No definitive conclusion could be made as Britain felt the need to create it’s own future legislature in India which arrived with the 1935 Government of India Act, as a whole nothing major was achieved by the RTC’s as the parties refused to cooperate and Britain became increasingly distracted by the depression.

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23
Q

What was the situation in Britain like during the third roundtable conference?

A

The great depression had hit the UK and many felt that economic issues were more important than situation in India. Ramsey Macdonald had also lost the support of the Labour party who withdrew from the coalition.

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24
Q

Who became viceroy in April 1931?

A

Viceroy Willingdon

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25
Q

What was viceroy Willingdon’s stance on Gandhi?

A

Willingdon stated that he would only negotiate with people that were willing to cooperate with the Raj administration and therefore refused to tolerate Gandhi.

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26
Q

What Repressive acts did Willingdon carry out in 1931?

A

Gandhi was imprisoned within Yeravda jail, Emergency powers similar to DOIA were put in place, he then rounded up and imprisoned all members of the congress working committee, Banned youth organisations, 80000 Indian activists imprisoned.

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27
Q

When and who announced the Communal Award?

A

Ramsey Macdonald announces the communal award on the 16th August 1932

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28
Q

What did the communal award do?

A

Recognised Muslims, Sikhs, Anglo-Indians, Indian christians and untouchables as separate and therefore deserving of a separate electorate. Gandhi was outraged as he believed that minorities did not need separate electorates. However, Britain believed it was necessary due to the constant complaints by minority groups.

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29
Q

What did Gandhi do in response to the Communal award?

A

He went onto a fast unto death in order to blackmail the British government from removing the untouchables from the list of separate electorates as he saw them as Hindus.

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30
Q

What was the Poona pact and who signed it?

A

The Poona pact went back on the communal award and instead made Untouchables part of the wider Hindu electorate, signed by members of the INC and Dr Ambedkar who represented the untouchables. The act was signed in Yeravda as Gandhi had been jailed after returning to India.

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31
Q

What percentage of the vote and how many seats would the Untouchables get as set out by the Poona pact?

A

The number of seats given to untouchables in a future government went up from 71 - 148 and at least 18% of seats in a future general assembly

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32
Q

What did the British government announce in 1933?

A

The creation of an Indian constitution.

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33
Q

How long did it take to pass and apply the new constitution?

A

Was not passed until 1935 and was not applied until 1937.

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34
Q

What was the IDL and which newspaper supported them?

A

The IDL also known as the Indian Independence League was set up by Winston Churchill and aimed to oppose Indian independence, the daily mail supported them.

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35
Q

What opposition did the 1935 government of India act face in parliament?

A

The IDL obviously opposed the act however so did Clement Attlee albeit for different reasons.

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36
Q

How many people voted against the 1935 act?

A

In the end only 50 MP’s voted against the act.

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37
Q

When did the 1935 Government of India act come into law?

A

August 1935.

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38
Q

How many provinces was India split into in 1935?

A

11 provinces including the creation of a new state of Sindh which was split from Bombay as well as the creation of Bihar and Orissa after the two were divided. Furthermore, the state of Burma was separated from India and became a separate colony.

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39
Q

How much authority would provincial councils get? 1935 GOIA

A

It granted huge levels of autonomy to the provinces as it saw the abolishment of dyarchy in turn giving Indians full control at local level. It was now also to be made so that all members were now elected Indians and in turn could form their own governments and coalitions. However, provincial governors did retain some important powers and Britain had the right to suspend councils.

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40
Q

How did the 1935 Government of India Act change the process of elections?

A

It introduced a system of direct elections and in turn increased the electorate from seven million to 35 million people.

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41
Q

What changed about the role of the viceroy in the 1935 GOIA act?

A

The viceroy retained control over defence and foreign affairs however now had to take advice from the advisory council which was mostly made up of Indians.

42
Q

Why did the INC oppose the 1935 GOIA act ?

A

The INC were now committed to achieving Purna Swaraj and didn’t want this halfway house, INC wanted a strong government ran by Hindus and therefore opposed Muslim dominated states.

43
Q

Why did the Indian federation proposed by the act never truly materialise?

A

It faced opposition from the rulers of the princely states who believed that the act was undermining their powers and rights.

44
Q

Why did the Muslim League oppose the act?

A

They believed that the act did not give them enough power in national government or provincial councils.

45
Q

When did Jinnah return to India?

A

1934

46
Q

What Group of people left the INC in 1935?

A

The remaining Muslims joined the Muslim league after leaving the INC

47
Q

In what way did the 1935 Government of India act benefit India?

A

Elections were set in place which would transfer most of the day to day powers away from the British to elected Indians. Although the British had some safeguards the Indians would technically be governing themselves domestically.

48
Q

How did many Indians view the 1935 Government of India act?

A

Many Indians viewed the act poorly with most resenting it to an extent. Nehru described it as “a machine with strong brakes but no engine” as well as describing it as a “Charter of Slavery”. Jinnah in turn described it as “thoroughly rotten, fundamentally bad and totally unacceptable”.

49
Q

Why did the INC and the ML feel the need to participate in the 1937 Provincial elections?

A

They both realised despite their opposition that if they don’t run they’d have no way of shaping the country. The Muslim League was also in a poor position as as it had dwindled without Jinnah. He did return and worked hard to revitalise but it was too late.

50
Q

How did the INC perform in the election?

A

They gained control of the central and united provinces and became the largest party in the country,8/11. However, they faced major setbacks as it failed to form a government in any province although they did engage in power sharing in some.

51
Q

In what three states were the INC outvoted?

A

Bengal, Punjab and Sindh

52
Q

How many seats were available in the election and how many did the INC win?

A

1585 seats were available and the INC won 716

53
Q

Why did the Muslim League perform poorly in the elections?

A

Jinnah had only returned to India in 1934 which gave him very little time to reorganise the party into a proper political movement. Jinnah was also unable to mobilise enough suitable candidates for election.

54
Q

How many Muslim delegates did the INC have by 1930?

A

only 26 out of 1500 delegates.

55
Q

What exact date did Jinnah become leader of the Muslim League again?

A

4th March 1934

56
Q

What was the name of the holy day that Jinnah reinstated to create a strong Muslim identity?

A

Tipu Sultan Day

57
Q

Why did tensions begin to flare up again following the provincial elections?

A

Many INC led councils began to govern in a very narrow minded fashion and in turn neglected Muslim representation. Jinnah once again attempted reconciliation but the INC once again stated that they would represent Muslims fairly.

58
Q

What problems did the INC face at the end of 1938?

A

Bose was running for a second term as president which Gandhi as well as many of the INC Old Guard opposed as they didn’t trust him.

59
Q

How many votes did Bose win the 1938 vote by and why did he win so many?

A

He won by over 200 votes in part because Nehru refused to stand against him.

60
Q

How did the Gandhi faction react to Bose winning?

A

They resigned leaving Bose with an incredibly fractured party. Furthermore both Nehru and Gandhi worked to undermine Bose for example they removed the support of the CWC making it much more difficult to govern. In turn he had to resign as he had very little support within the party.

61
Q

Who replaced Bose once he resigned?

A

Rajendra Prasad who was a key member of the congress working committee.

62
Q

What did Bose do after he resigned?

A

He returned to his home province of Bengal and formed the all India Forward Block with his brother Sarat Chandra. This party took a much more radical stance and in turn highlights the internal differences within the INC and perhaps reinforces Britain’s concern surrounding granting them full control.

63
Q

What did Lord Linlithgow do in 1939 that angered the Indian Population?

A

He declared war on Germany without consulting any Indians on the matter meaning that 300 million Indians were now forced into the war.

64
Q

How many soldiers was India expected to hand over to fight the Axis?

A

2 and a half million.

65
Q

What did Gandhi urge the British to do in regards to Germany?

A

He urged the British to negotiate with Germany.

66
Q

What did the INC want in return for cooperation in the war?

A

The Congress Working Committee suggested that it would be willing to cooperate if a central Indian National Government was founded and that the British would grant Purna Swaraj in the aftermath of the war.

67
Q

How did the INC respond to the refusal of Purna Swaraj during the war?

A

On the 22nd of October, they ordered all of their members to withdraw from provincial ministries across India and in turn a major renewal of hostilities between Indian Nationalists and the British authorities.

68
Q

What did the 22nd of December 1939 become known as?

A

On the 2nd of December Jinnah appealed to Muslims to celebrate The day of Deliverance on the 22nd as proclaimed by Jinnah as the INC had voluntarily given up their political power, he perceived it to be the collapse of what he saw as their regime.

69
Q

What date was the Lahore Muslim congress held on and how many people attended?

A

It was held in March 1940 and approximately 100000 Muslims attended. In this congress Jinnah formally announces the goal of an independent Pakistan and the idea of separateness was championed.

70
Q

What did Jinnah set out in the Lahore resolution?

A

1) That those areas in the sub continent where Muslims were in the majority should be grouped together to form Independent states?
2) That minorities had to be protected, whether the people concerned were in Muslim or Hindu states.

Jinnah began to truly fight for an independent Pakistan.

71
Q

What did the 23rd of March 1940 become known as?

A

Pakistan Resolution Day

72
Q

How did Gandhi and Nehru respond to the Lahore resolution?

A

Gandhi denounced it and frequently argued with Jinnah. Nehru on the other hand stated that it was a mad scheme.

73
Q

How did the British respond to the Lahore resolution?

A

In May 1940 Linlithgow promised that a new constitution would require approval from Muslim India

74
Q

On what day was Bose arrested by British authorities and when did he escape?

A

He was arrested on the July 1940 and was imprisoned in Calcutta. He escaped in January 1941

75
Q

Who were the two leaders Bose visited after his escape from India?

A

Bose attempted to rally support from Stalin so he instead went to Hitler who also refused him support

76
Q

What did Bose do once he reached Japan?

A

He formed the Indian national army which was made up of captured Indian POW’s

77
Q

What did Churchill do in order to maintain control of India in 1942?

A

He sent Sir Stafford Cripps to lead a delegation to India in order to ensure full Indian cooperation. Churchill wanted to get the INC back onside and encourage cooperation with the war effort. Churchill also wanted to appease FDR was critical of Britain’s position in India.

78
Q

What did Sir Stafford Cripps do on 23rd March 1942?

A

He invited all Indian parties to join an interim government of national under the viceroy and his council until the end of the war. It would operate in a tripod fashion under the Hindus, Muslims and British.

79
Q

Why did Churchill chose Sir Stafford Cripps to run the delegation?

A

Cripps was a key member of the Labour party, he was also a supported of Purna Swaraj as well as being close friends Nehru and Gandhi. Churchill also found Cripps to be an annoyance so by sending him to India he was making governance in the UK easier.

80
Q

What did Gandhi think of the Cripps mission?

A

Gandhi was furious with the idea of India not getting a say in its own defence. Therefore Cripps returned on the 12th April 1942 without any sort of resolution with the INC. It ultimately led to further instability in India.

81
Q

What did the viceroy try and do to all INC leaders for the duration of war?

A

He tried to send them to Africa however the details could not be arranged.

82
Q

What did Gandhi propose in regards to Japan?

A

Gandhi proposed creating a peace deal however Nehru refused to support fascism.

83
Q

On what day did Gandhi give his quit India speech?

A

8th August 1942 and was immediately arrested afterwards which in turn spiralled as the British arrested all INC members. Gandhi wanted to make India ungovernable he also wanted to make it do or die.

84
Q

What did Gandhi call for in his Quit India speech?

A

He called for the INC’s followers to make India ungovernable, which led to violent riots across the country.

85
Q

Why did Quit India present such a major threat to the British?

A

The British had very few resources available to them at the time and redirecting troops was incredibly difficult as they had to commit extensively to fighting in North Africa.

86
Q

How did some members of the INC view Quit India?

A

Many believed it to be completely unprecedented and many were wary of it believing that it was a serious crime to the raj at such a precarious moment.

87
Q

What damage was caused in the three months of the Quit India Campaign?

A

Thousands of miles of railway lines and telegraph poles were destroyed, government buildings were torched and much to the British concern signal posts and border fences were destroyed.

88
Q

By what month had quit India died down?

A

November 1942

89
Q

How many Indians were arrested or killed during Quit India?

A

Over 100’000 arrested and over 1000 were killed with around 3000 injured.

90
Q

How did the British restore order in India?

A

They deployed around 35’000 soldiers to help quell Indian protestors and some bombers were even deployed and used to attack marches.

91
Q

What major setback did quit India face in its aim of paralysing the Raj?

A

The Indian military remained loyal to the British and therefore prevented a military uprising. Many key members of congress remained in prison for the rest of the war.

92
Q

Who did Churchill replace Linlithgow with in October 1943?

A

General Wavell due to the fact that Churchill wanted someone militarily experienced in charge of India especially due to the Japanese threat on the border. The Chaos of Quit India also required a more militaristic approach according to Churchill.

93
Q

How did Wavell try to increase cooperation within India?

A

Soon after becoming viceroy he began to tour across India especially to perceived trouble spots such as punjab, he also began to regularly meet with the 11 provincial governors.

94
Q

Why was Churchill so unwilling to deal with the Bengal famine?

A

The War was still going poorly for the British meaning that they lacked the resources to provide significant aid. Furthermore, Churchill worried that Japan may occupy the region by the time the resources arrived.

95
Q

What factors caused the 1943 Bengal famine?

A

Poor harvests, failure in distribution of supply, loss of imports, war time price inflation and weather conditions.

96
Q

How did Wavell respond to the Bengal famine?

A

He deployed the British army to effected areas in order to distribute rations and prevent profiteering.

97
Q

How many people died in the Bengal famine?

A

Over 3 million people died with some villages being completely wiped out.

98
Q

What did Churchill’s scientific advisor say about the famine?

A

He claimed that the famine was a statistical invention.

99
Q

How did the INC and the Muslim League respond to the Bengal Fammine?

A

The INC claimed that the supplies were being diverted to British troops whilst Jinnah accused the British of incompetency. The British feared that this would lead to Indian defections to the Japanese, many Muslims felt betrayed.

100
Q

How many tonnes of grain did Wavell request, how many did the British government offer and how much did Wavell extract?

A

Wavell asked for over 1 million tons of grain, the British government offered 25000 tons and Wavell was able to extract 450000 tons of grain in the end.

101
Q

What was the impact of the second world war on Indian nationalism?

A

Many became confident that India could successfully function as an independent state. India had begun importing less and less from Britain, It had a large and modern army and the Reserve bank of India established in 1931 had set a strong Rupee.