What were Churchill's views on India? Flashcards
What were the two main strands of resistance against British rule?
- educated elite - had been campaigning for political reform since at least 1880s
- wider mass population who had increasingly applied pressure under Gandhi’s leadership from 1920s onwards
What was founded in 1885 and what did they want?
Indian National Congress/Congress Party - initially demanded greater political autonomy but by early c.20 calling for full independence
What helped strengthen the independence movement?
The fact that World War 1 had left Britain virtually bankrupt
How many Indian troops had fought for Britain in World War 1?
Over 1 million
What did the British war cabinet estimate in August 1917?
It would take 500 years for Indians to learn to rule themselves
What did the Imperial Legislative Council introduce in March 1919?
The Rowlatt Act
When was the Rowlatt Act introduced?
March 1919
What 3 key things did the Rowlatt Act permit?
- Certain political cases could be tried without a jury
- Suspects could be imprisoned without trial
- Restrictions placed on press
What other act did the British introduce in 1919, what did this do and what did British conservatives/Indians think of it?
Montagu-Chelmsford Act - gave provincial governments increased autonomy over some issues
For many conservatives - step too far
For many Indians - reforms did not go far enough
What was Gandhi’s response to the Rowlatt Act?
In April 1919, Gandhi called for people to engage in nonviolent protest
In Amritsar, what did the arrest of Indian nationalist leaders spark and what was the response?
Riots
British Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer sent to restore order.
He banned all public meetings and announced he would use force to disperse them if necessary
What did the rioters do after Dyer’s warning and what did he do as a result?
Thousands gathered in a walled enclosure called Jallianwala Bagh. Dyer marched 90 Gurkha and India soldiers and without warning opened fire for 10-15 minutes.
How many were killed/wounded at the Amritsar Massacre?
379 killed
1,200 wounded
What did Churchill say about the Amritsar Massacre?
‘monstrous event’
What did the pro-Empire newspaper, The Morning Post, do?
Started a Dyer Fund which raised £26,000
What was the result of the Amritsar Massacre?
Before - some hope that Britain would grant India dominion status like it did to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa
After - Many Indians now saw British rule as evil and violent and many new supporters flocked to cause of independence
Why did Churchill see India as important?
- Prestige - Churchill believed Britain’s greatness was bound up in its Empire, and India was the “jewel in the crown”
- Violence between Hindus and Muslims - Churchill believed rule of British Raj protected Muslim minority from Hindu majority (e.g. In a 1931 speech, Churchill told Indian Empire society “To abandon India to the rule of the Brahmins would be an act of cruel and wicked negligence”)
- Racial superiority - Churchill believed in racial superiority of Anglo-Saxons and they should rightfully rule over less-developed, non-white populations
- Counter to communism - Churchill believed communism was principal threat to world peace and British Empire was best means of keeping it in check. Weakening Empire in India would be a significant blow to its power, not least because India occupied an important geo-strategic location to the south of the Soviet Union
What happened in October 1929?
Lord Irwin, Viceroy of India, gave a speech promising India “dominion status”
What did Churchill do when he found out about Irwin’s declaration of a series of Round Table Conferences to determine how dominion status would be achieved?
By mid-November 1929, he had written a long piece in the Daily Mail stating his opposition to the principle of greater autonomy
“the extension of Dominion status to India is not practicable at the present time”
When was the Salt March?
March and April 1930
By the end of 1930, how many people involved in the Salt March had been jailed?
60,000
When were the Round Table Conferences?
November 1930 - December 1932
Who was Secretary of State for India from 1931-1935?
Sir Samuel Hoare
What did Churchill do in January 1931?
Resigned from shadow cabinet over his party’s India policy so he could speak freely
What did prime minister Ramsay MacDonald say about Churchills’ views?
He said publicly in The Times, Churchill’s mind encompassed “nothing except an antiquated relationship between Imperial authority and the people who come under its sway”
What did Churchill do in the spring of 1933?
Publicly split with Stanley Baldwin over India policy
What did Churchill do in the summer of 1933?
Made a speech claiming that an independent India “would darken the lives of the enormous mass of [its] people”
When was the Government of India Act passed?
1935
When did the Government of India Act come into effect?
1937
Who did Churchill launch bitter attacks on in the House of Commons in 1934 and what did Leo Amery MP say about this?
Sir Samuel Hoare
Leo Amery - it was “Churchill’s unique achievement to stir up a hornets’ nest where there were no hornets”
What did Churchill say in 1930 and 1935 about Indianisation and Indians entering the central government?
1930 - it would be a “crime against civilisation”
1935 - it would be “a catastrophe which will shake the world”
What was the final vote for the Government of India Act?
386 to 122 (minority comprising around 80 Tory MPs and 40 Labour MPs who believed Bill did not go far enough)
