Why Did The Round Table Conferences, 1930-1932, Fail?

Question 1

What was a recommendation of the Simon Commission?

Answer 1

A conference of all interested parties should be held in order to discuss possible constitutional reforms

Question 2

When was the First Round Table Conference?

Answer 2

November 1930 - January 1931

Question 3

Who opened and who chaired the First Round Table Conference?

Answer 3

Opened by Lord Irwin
Chaired by the British prime minister and Labour Party leader, Ramsay MacDonald

Question 4

How many delegates represented the three British political parties?

Answer 4

16

Question 5

How many delegates represented most shades of Indian political opinion?

Answer 5

58

Question 6

How many delegates had princes sent?

Answer 6

16

Question 7

What notion had princely states supported?

Answer 7

Dominion status

Question 8

How had the princely states supporting Dominion Status helped the Labour Party?

Answer 8

Strengthened their campaign for granting Dominion Status

Question 9

What was decided at the First Round Table Conference? (3)

Answer 9

• India would run as a type of dominion
• The dominion would take the form of a federation that would include the princely states as well as the 11 British provinces
• Indian participation in all levels of government

Question 10

What was announced as the administrative capital of the Raj?

Answer 10

New Delhi

Question 11

When was New Delhi inaugurated as the administrative capital of the Raj?

Answer 11

February 1931

Question 12

What was the administrative capital of the Raj before New Delhi?

Answer 12

Calcutta

Question 13

When was the Second Round Table Conference?

Answer 13

September 1931 - December 1931

Question 14

Who was represented in the Second Round Table Conference?

Answer 14

Congress

Question 15

What made it possible for Congress to be represented?

Answer 15

Gandhi-Irwin Pact

Question 16

Who represented the Muslim League in the Second Round Table Conference?

Answer 16

Iqbal, the Aga Khan and Jinnah

Question 17

What did the Muslim League, Sikhs and the untouchables demand in the Second Round Table Conference?

Answer 17

Separate electorates

Question 18

Who did Gandhi claim to speak for and why?

Answer 18

Untouchables as they were Hindu and Gandhi should speak for them

Question 19

What was agreed in the Second Round Table Conference?

Answer 19

Nothing

Question 20

When was the Third Round Table Conference?

Answer 20

November 1932 - December 1932

Question 21

Why was the Third Round Table Conference doomed to fail?

Answer 21

Only 46 delegates attended

Question 22

What parties did not show up to the Third Round Table Conference?

Answer 22

None from the British Labour Party nor Congress

Question 23

When did the first Labour government resign?

Answer 23

August 1931

Question 24

Who was the Labour government replaced by?

Answer 24

Tory-dominated coalition

Question 25

Why did the government ignore nationalist movements in the 1930s?

Answer 25

India was facing a depression, unemployment and the collapse of the economy - to the government, this was more important than settling the Indian question

Question 26

What did Winston Churchill set up?

Answer 26

India Defence League

Question 27

How much support did the India Defence League gain?

Answer 27

50 Conservative MPs

Question 28

What did Gandhi maintain he could do?

Answer 28

Speak for all India to establish Congress as an umbrella organisation

Question 29

What support did the Muslim League gain?

Answer 29

Support from the Untouchables

Question 30

Lord Willingdon on Gandhi:

Answer 30

Dangerous Bolshevik

Question 31

When was Gandhi arrested and imprisoned in the 1930s?

Answer 31

January 1932

Question 32

Willingdon on Congress:

Answer 32

Congress was outlawed

Question 33

Congress Working Committee and Provincial Committees after the Round Table Conferences:

Answer 33

Rounded up and imprisoned

Question 34

Youth organisations after the Round Table Conferences:

Answer 34

They were banned

Question 35

Within four months of the Round Table Conferences, under Willingdon, how many Indians were arrested?

Answer 35

Over 80,000 Indians, mostly Congress members

Question 36

Reaction of Indians to the arrests:

Answer 36

Swift but due to the absence of Congress leaders locally and nationally, especially Gandhi, was uneven and disorganised

Question 37

Actions taken by Indians after the mass arrests following the Round Table Conferences: (4)

Answer 37

• Boycotts of British goods
• Non-payment of taxes
• Youth organisations, though banned, were increasingly popular
• Terrorist activity increased

Question 38

Who became more involved with protests?

Answer 38

Women

Question 39

When was the Communal Award announced?

Answer 39

August 1932

Question 40

Who announced the Communal Award?

Answer 40

Ramsay MacDonald

Question 41

1932 Communal Award:

Answer 41

This designed Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Muslims and Untouchables as separate classes, which were entitled to separate electorates in any new Indian constitution

Question 42

What was Gandhi’s reaction to the Communal Award? (2)

Answer 42

• He was furious as he was not in favour of separate electorates and he regarded the inclusion of Untouchables as the final straw
• Launched a fast-unto-death

Question 43

Fast-unto-death:

Answer 43

An individual would refuse all food until they died as a form of extreme protest

Question 44

Why did Willingdon not want Gandhi to die?

Answer 44

In fear of making him a martyr

Question 45

The British government Communal Award Proposal: (3)

Answer 45

• Allocation of 71 seats on the provincial legislatures to the Untouchables
• Gandhi and the delegation settled on a total of 148
• Untouchables would be allocated 18% of the Central Assembly seats

Question 46

Did the British accept the Yeravda Pact?

Answer 46

Yes