unit 3 essay plans Flashcards
Repression was the principle method used by the British to maintain their control over India throughout the years 1914-30’. How far do you agree?
PARA 1- REPRESSION
-Nationalist leaders and supporters were interned/ imprisoned regularly, e.g. Annie Besant of the Home Rule League (1917), Gandhi (1917, 1919, 1922, 1930), participants in the Salt Satyagraha (1930
- The passing of the repressive Rowlatt Acts continued the use of wartime controls and suggested that any concessions that were made by the British were meaningless
-Provincial governors had the power to resolve opposition to the Raj by using the most appropriate means, e.g. it was O’Dwyer who sent Dyer to Amritsar and approved his actions, such as the Crawling Order and martial law
Irwin rejected the imposition of martial law as a response to the Salt Satyagraha, suggesting that Britain avoided the use of repression.
PARA 2- CONCILATION
-montagu declaration 1917
-irwin declaration 1930
PARA 3-LEGISLATION
-government of india act 1919
-first round table outcomes
How accurate is it to say that the most significant obstacle to Indian independence, in the years 1935-42, was divisions within India?
PARA 1- DIVISIONS WITHIN INDIA
-congress gave jinnah exactly what he wanted in the sense they neglected minorities and appointed relatives to gov roles and they banned cow slaughter in Bihar (declining support) AFTER 1937 ELECTIONS
-Division within congress itself over presidency
-The continuing rivalry between Congress and the Muslim League had driven them increasingly further apart e.g. the outbreak of war, August Offer meant that they could not put effective pressure on the British
The impact of the 1937 election in highlighting divisions between the Muslim League andCongress limited their ability to challenge the Raj
The inability of the Muslim League and Congress to reach agreement in 1938 because of Congress’ refusal to recognise the Muslim League as the sole representative of Muslims
Silam conference, congress and muslim league wanted to appoint the muslim ppl, leading to the viceroy choosing them
PARA 2- BRITISH ACTIONS/ POLITICS
-The British continued to exercise control over key decisions e.g. the decision by Linlithgow to go to war in 1939
-The nature of the terms that were offered to India by the 1935 Government of India Act and the proposals mooted in the 1942 Cripps Mission showed a reluctance by the British to allow full independence
-Winston Churchill Indian defence league etc
HOWEVER DD INTRODUCE OC OF INDIA ACT
PARA 3- WAR
-congress leaving gave power to british
-also created further hindu muslim divisions by giving muslim leagye importance
The main aim of British policy in India, in the years 1917-39, was always to create a peaceful self-governing state’. How far do you agree?
PARA 1- consultation
-monatgu declaration highlights aim to create a peaceful self gov state, was the first direct statement
LIMITATIONS didn’t give a time period and was vague and ambiguous (distant goal and not priority), arguably to console Indians to keep them at bay, can be seen as Britain ‘papering over the cracks’ as false hope to appease Indians
-HOWEVER did lead to montagu’s tour of india and consultation of public opinion to make montagu Chelmsford report (shows intent to appease Indians) became basis for 1919 government of india act
-gandhi Irwin pact and Irwin declaration can show intent to create a peaceful self governing state, but arguably not full british aim just labour aim as Irwin made this declaration when labour gov came to power
-led to further consultation like round table conferences and reasoning and cooperation with Gandhi in the Gandhi-irwin pact with one of the agreements being that he came to round table conference showing irwins intent to reason with all Indians to create the most balanced gov (invited all kinds of delegates) collaboration with nationalist movement
Round table conferences-Invited all forms of delegates to bring the most peace and balance possible and chairman was macdonald showing importance they gave to matter
PARA 2- legislation
-1919 government of india act established system dyarchy and key features (PROVINCIAL LEGISLATION ENELARGENED AND GIVEN CONTROL OVER HEALTH AND EDUCATION BUT NOT INTERNATINAL AFFAIRS)
-de jure change to involve Indians more in governing
LIMITATIONS can also be seen as an attempt to appease them so they don’t demand full independence)
-accepted poona pact showing willing to reason with india and elements of their terms were placed within change in electorates
-government of india act 1935 more power to provinces as the cld control everything except defence and domestic affairs
PARA 4- repression
-rowlatt acts 1919 giving powers to police to imprison without trial showing desire to repress and control not reason
-Amiritsar massacre KILLED 400 INJURED 1500 on religious festival Baisakhi showing opposition to Indian peace and killing without warning, extreme repressive policy, martial law imposed after by dyer further enforcing BUT this did lead to censureship of dyer showing Britain beliecved this was wrong
-mass arrests after 1920 satyagraha however did release 19000 political prisoners in Gandhi Irwin pact
-Reactions to salt satyagraha intent to repress nationalist aims again despite non violence, arresting leaders taking them out of power and congress, peasents etc showing they wantred control and didn’t adhere to their defiance
-willingdon banning congress etc as soon as he was given position, imprisoning Gandhi congress CWC and more showing repression of nationalist aims and desire to control
-willingdons intent to have Gandhi die out of prison- so he wouldn’t become a matyr meaning he wanted to repress Indian nationalism
-Indian defence league being set up in 1933- to keep Britain in british empire as valuable and thought Indians were racially inferior and could not govern themselves
