Topic 3: Consultation and Confrontation Flashcards

1930-42

1
Q

When was the first RTC

A

12 November 1930 until January

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2
Q

Who attended the first RTC

A

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, representative for the Untouchables
16 representatives from the three main British political parties
Provincial Princes
Unionist Party
57 people the Viceroy nominated to attend
Jinnah
Indian Liberal Party
King George V
89 representatives

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3
Q

What was the state of the British government during the 1st RTC

A

Labour: Ramsay MacDonald
Committed to progressing India (not Dominion status)
Lord Irwin as Viceroy
William Wedgewood-Benn as SoS

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4
Q

What was happening in India during the 1st RTC

A

Gandhi’s salt satyagraha: undermined negotiations
Gandhi was in prison

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5
Q

Why were the INC not in attendance at the first RTC

A

Had rejected the offer to attend after declaring purna swaraj at the June 1929 Lahore congress

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6
Q

What was the plan for the RTC

A

To provide long-term reassurance to nationalists and co-operate with the Simon Commission
For India to be democratic and accountable to itself
For the Princely states to be federally linked as one nation

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7
Q

What was decided at the 1st RTC

A

Princely states agreed to join the British Union, which would strengthen the Raj and British control over India
Separate electorate for Untouchables and religious minorities (Communal Award 1930)

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8
Q

How successful was the 1st RTC

A

Generally cooperative between all parties as they had a similar goal
Not fully successful as the INC, affiliated with 80% of the population were not in attendance
Did not clear up the plan for the future

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9
Q

When was the 2nd RTC

A

7 September 1931

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10
Q

What was the situation of the British government during the 2nd RTC

A

Viceroy changed from Irwin to Willingdon, who was repressive and strict
Sir Samuel Hoare as SoS, a Conservative imperialist
Great Depression forced MacDonald to accept a coalition government
Economic struggles made India a crucial asset for Britian

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11
Q

Who attended the second RTC

A

Sir Samuel Hoare chaired
Gandhi as the sole INC representative, despite not being the leader of the INC at the time
Iqbal, the Aga Khan and Jinnah for the ML

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12
Q

Gandhi during the 2nd RTC

A

Claimed to speak for all of India, questioning the need for the other representatives
Angry about the outcome of the first RTC, especially since his Back to Basics campaign in which he sought to bridge the gap with the Untouchables

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13
Q

Outcome of the 2nd RTC

A

Showed to the SoS that there would be clashes in leadership as not only did the INC and the ML disagree, the Hindus disagreed among themselves
Gandhi and Jinnah clashed on the 14 points, representation and the movements in the ’20s

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14
Q

How successful was the 2nd RTC

A

No next steps planned
Communal Award announced

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15
Q

What did Gandhi do in Britain

A

Visited working class cities (East London and Lancashire) to justify the nationalist cause and advocate for the Labour party
Visited C.P Scott <333, editor of the Manchester Guardian

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16
Q

What happened upon Gandhi’s return to India

A

Immediately imprisoned by Willingdon, among Nehru, the CWC and other INC members
Placed in the Yeravda prison in Poona
Enacted ‘Emergency Powers’, similar to the Rowlatt Acts and the DOIA

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17
Q

When was the Gandhi Irwin Pact

A

Agreed March 1931
First approached Gandhi in July 1930, but he didn’t meet Irwin until February 1931

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18
Q

What was the Gandhi Irwin pact

A

Irwin’s move after realising the futility of holding RTCs without the INC
Agreed to release him from prison, as well as 19,000 members of the INC if he attended the 2nd Conference
Fellow Indians, especially businessmen, encouraged Gandhi to take the pact

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19
Q

Gandhi’s response to the Communal Award

A

Fast unto death
Declared the separate electorate a betrayal to his cause
Wrote to Hoare, who refused to change the legislation
Pressured Ambedkar to negotiate
Willingdon was prepared to let him die, though he was planning to release him so he wouldn’t die in prison

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20
Q

Poona Pact

A

Increased the no. of seats to be awarded to the Untouchables from 71 to 148, as well as guaranteeing at least 18% of the seats in future elections if they won the votes
Abandoned the separate electorate for the Untouchables
Ambedkar proposed a revisal clause, in which this could be changed if the Untouchables felt under-represented, though Gandhi did not budge
Set aside funding for the Untouchables

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21
Q

Communal Award

A

August 1932
Recognised Sikhs, Christian, Anglo Indians and Untouchables as separate classes, creating separate electorates for them

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22
Q

British response to the Poona Pact

A

Made necessary amendments to the Communal Award
Still unhappy about the divisions within India

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23
Q

What did Churchill refer to Gandhi as in response to seeing him ascend the steps to the Viceroy’s palace for the Gandhi-Irwin pact

A

A half-naked fakir

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24
Q

British Press on India

A

The Daily Mail- emphasised India’s importance to the British economy
Published fake photos of Indian violence, deeming them unfit to govern and in need of British control
Labelled Gandhi and the INC as insignificant and semi-educated

25
Q

When was the 3rd RTC

A

November to December 1932

26
Q

Who attended the 3rd RTC

A

No Labour and no INC
Only 46 delegates

27
Q

What was the purpose of the 3rd RTC

A

The role of the Princely states and their taxation
Franchise

28
Q

How successful was the 3rd RTC

A

Collapsed in confusion
No definite conclusions

29
Q

Context of the GOIA 1935

A

Failure of the RTCs to find a compromise for a constitution
Simon Commission’s failure to renew the 1919 GOIA
1931: Statute of Westminster, passed by Labour which gave white members of the empire Dominion status
IDL vs progressive Labour MPs
Desire to appease Indian nationalists, as Britain could not afford another satyagraha
Coalition government

30
Q

Who were the main contributors to the 1935 GOIA

A

Hoare- SoS
Wedgewood-Benn- former SoS, MP
Baldwin- PM
Attlee
Churchill
Linlithgow

31
Q

Baldwin’s goals with the 1935 GOIA

A

Gain support of moderate nationalists, after accepting he couldn’t satisfy the demands of the extremists (purna swaraj)
Retain control over Foreign Affairs, Defense and Finance
Less non-cooperation
Foster a positive relationship with the ML (granting much of Jinnah’s 14 points)
Persuade the Princely states to join an All-Indian Federation
Limit the overall power of Congress, never allowing them to govern alone or bring down government)
Satisfy the differing opinions in Parliament

Baldwin passed the act despite the imperialist opposition (Churchill and the IDL) and the progressive opposition (Attlee and other Labour MPs)

32
Q

Terms of the 1935 GOIA

A

Ending diarchy established by the 1919 GOIA by granting autonomy to the provinces
Split India into 11 provinces
Establishment of a federation, still having the Viceroy and the SoS at the highest ranking
Introducing direct elections
- Increased franchise from 5m to 35m
Partial reorganisation of the provinces
Created separate states of Sindh and Orissa
Separated Burma completely
Established a Federal Court

33
Q

Hoare’s statement on the GOIA

A

Indian nationalists can either accept this or no legislative power at all
No one has practical alternatives

34
Q

Negatives of the 1935 GOIA

A

Viceroy still held significant reserve powers (Foreign affairs, Finance and Defense)
Could overrule provincial decisions
Still held paternalistic threat
No guarantee of Muslim victories in elections outside of the separate states due to population

35
Q

When was the 1935 GOIA passed

A

July

36
Q

Significance of Burma

A

Was a necessary line of defense for India against Japan during WW2

37
Q

Significance of Sindh and Orissa

A

Showed the capacity for separate states
Part of Jinnah’s 14 points

38
Q

When did Jinnah return to India

A

August 1935, after the GOIA passes

39
Q

Jinnah’s response to the 1935 GOIA

A

Feared the provincial elections would favour the INC despite the many concessions relating to his 14 points
Sceptical of the act

40
Q

INC’s response to the Act

A

INC’s commitment to purna swaraj
‘Charter of Slavery’
‘Machine with strong brakes and no engine’

41
Q

Why was the nationalist opposition to the act irrelevant to some extent

A

Both major parties stood in the 1937 provincial elections as they risked political power if they didn’t

42
Q

Result of Princely states

A

Ultimately refused to join the federation after Linlithgow received weak backing from the Home government

43
Q

When did Linlithgow declare India to be at war with Germany

A

3rd September 1939

44
Q

Why was the inclusion of India in WW2 so controversial

A

Was constitutionally correct (Foreign Affairs and Defense)
Did not consult the elected officials
The Raj was experiencing a period of stability until this, shown by a boom in ICS recruitment

45
Q

1937 Provincial elections

A

INC won in 8 of the 11 provinces, with considerable seats in the remaining 3
ML failed to win a majority in any, struggling to gain support

46
Q

Why did the ML struggle in the 1937 Provincial Elections

A

Lack of overall goal
Decline of the party in the early 30s

47
Q

Response to the declaration of war

A

Gandhi: urged a negotiation, though some knew this would be futile. Refused to enlist and resigned from office, leaving the British in power

ML: cooperated and went to war. Mass INC resignation allowed the ML to exert more influence

Jinnah focused on forming the ML’s constitutional objectives

48
Q

When did the INC declare they would not support the war

A

14 September 1939

49
Q

Day of Deliverance

A

22 December 1929
By this date, all INC ministers had left their positions

Jinnah called for all Indian Muslims to celebrate their freedom from Hindu dominance

50
Q

What was the purpose of the Lahore resolution

A

To propose separate Muslim states
Ensure the protection of minorities regardless of religious domination

51
Q

Pakistan Resolution day

A

23 March 1940
The key idea was now for separate independent states, paving the way for East and West Pakistan

52
Q

When was the coalition formed in Britain

A

24th August 1931
25th August: Hoare becomes SoS

53
Q

When was the IDL formed

A

June 1933

54
Q

Significance of the ICS in 1937-1939 (until WW2)

A

Boost in recruitment, which was significant as they had previously been boycotting it

55
Q

What did Jinnah do after losing the 1937 elections

A

Attempted a final rapprochement with the INC, failing to show that they don’t have the Muslims’ best interests at heart

56
Q

When does Churchill become PM

A

10th May 1940
Meant that freedom discussions would be pointless

57
Q

Lahore Resolution/Pakistan resolution day

A

23rd March 1940, just several months after the INC left their positions

Announced to 100,000 Muslims that their destiny was a separate independent state

58
Q

August Offer

A

7 August 1940
Linlithgow tells Jinnah that the formation of any future constitution would consult him
Jinnah declines this because he planned for a separate state anyway

59
Q

Atlantic Charter

A

14 August 1941
Stated that nations deprived of self governance would have it restored to them
Only signed to gain America’s support in the war