1
Q
Who was Viceroy from 1910-1916?
A
Charles Harding
2
Q
What was the Ghadar Movement?
A
The Ghadar Movement was a movement by a group of expatriate Indians to overthrow British rule in India.
The British were worried about the Ghadar movement - in 1915, 5000 arrested, 200 jailed and 46 hung.
3
Q
What was the Indian response to the outbreak of WW1?
A
The outbreak of war was met with instant loyalty to the Raj and support from all sections of Indian society:
- Tilak supported the British war effort ‘our sense of loyalty is inherent and unswerving’
- 27 princely states immediately offered their troops to the Raj
- Hospital ship The Loyalty given by the princes
- Start WW1 - Indian army consisted of 161,000 trained soldiers
4
Q
What were the main events for India during the War?
A
- December 1915 - two Indian infantry divisions were withdrawn from France and sent to the Middle East
- 1915 - Viceroy Lord Harding announed the Defence of India Act, an emergency measure which gave the government of India sweeping wartime powers of arrest and detention without trial.
- Religion became a problem after Turkey joined the war as the British Empire was at war with Muslims - increased rates of desertion by Muslim forces
5
Q
How much did India contribute to WW1?
A
- November 1918 - 827,000 Indians had enlisted as combatants. 64,449 Indians died in WW1.
- December 1919 - 1.5 million Indians had contributed over £146 million to the Allied War Effort, half of which was made up from loans.
6
Q
What were the after-effects of WW1 for India?
A
- Military expenditure had led to increased revenue demands by 16% in 1916-17, 14% by 1917-18 and 10% by 1918-19. Increased taxation therefore affected most people within India.
- Food grain prices rose by 93%, Indian-made goods prices rose by 60%, imported goods prices rose by 190%.
- This was made worse when the monsoon rains failed to arrive in 1918-1919 leading to food shortage and famine.
- Many Indian manufacturing industries e.g. cotton, iron and steel, sugar and chemicals expanded to produce goods which were previously imported.
7
Q
How were ‘Home Rule Leagues’ established in India?
A
Two different Home-Rule Leagues - Home Rule ‘more paletable term than swaraj’
- Tilak’s Home-Rule League had 32,000 members and focused on the regions of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
- Annie Besant’s All-India Home Rule League had a smaller membership but covered all of India.
8
Q
How did the British respond to the Home-Rule Leagues?
A
The British ordered the arrest of Home Rule League members in 1916:
- Tilak was arrested on charges of sedition and forced to pay 40,000 Rupees as a symbol of good behaviour
- Annie Besant was interned
9
Q
When was the Lucknow Pact and what did it entail?
A
December 1916
The Lucknow Pact was an agreement between Congress and the Muslim League whereby it was agreed that Musilms would have a fixed proportion of seats in an Indian parliament and extra seats in areas where they were a minority.
10
Q
Who served as Secretary of State for India between 1917-22?
A
Edwin Montagu
11
Q
What protest action did Gandhi lead in 1917?
A
Gandhi intervened in North Bihar where peasants were being forced by white farmers to grow indigo on disadvantageous terms - Gandhi refused to leave the district.
Gandhi also intervened in Gujurat where cotton mill workers were earning a pittance. He fasted until the situation was resolved.
12
Q
What declaration was given on 20th August 1917?
A
Montagu Declaration: Edwin Montagu (Secretary of State for India and a passionate liberal) gave the declaration.
The declaration ‘commited’ the British Empire to allowing Indians to govern themselves within the British Emipre. However, no timescale was given.
13
Q
What did Edwin Montagu do between 1917 and 1918?
A
He travelled extensively in India, listening to all sorts of opinions. Montagu noted the ‘dead hand’ of British administration and its slow and complex bureaucracy.
14
Q
Which report was written in July 1918?
A
The Montagu-Chelmsford Report (pulling on information from Montagu’s travels in India)
This was the precursor to the Government of India Act, 1919.
15
Q
What were the Rowlatt Acts of 1919?
A
Mr SAT Rowlatt, a Scottish judge was appointed to ‘investigate revolutionary conspiracies’. Saw Bengal, Bombay and the Punjab as centres of revolutionary activity.
Kept wartime controls such as imprisonment without trial, trial without a jury, censorship and house arrest of suspects
Montagu sanctioned the Rowlatt Acts with reluctance. Viceroy Chelmsford pushed ahead with them.
16
Q
What was organised on the 30th March 1919?
A
A series of hartals against the Rowlatt Acts was organised by Dr Pal and Dr Kitchlew.
17
Q
What did Gandhi organise on the 6th April 1919?
A
Another series of hartals against the Rowlatt Acts.
18
Q
What was organised on the 10th Apri 1919?
A
Riots were organised against the detained Dr Pal and Dr Kitchlew who had organised hartals against the Rowlatt Acts on the 30th March 1919.
19
Q
Who was attacked on the 10th April 1919?
A
Marcia Sherwood was brutally beaten by Indian youths and only saved from certain death by Hindus who found her and treated her.
20
Q
What happened on the 11th April 1919?
A
Over 100 terrified and exhausted European women and children took refuge in the Gobindgarh Fort.
21
Q
What happened on the 12th April 1919?
A
Brigandier-General Rex Dyer commanded a force of around 1,000 soldiers into Amritsar, as well as two armoured cars with machine guns.
He sent 400 of these troops and the armoured cars through Amritsar - show of force was met with jeering crowds.
This, linked with news of similar rioting in the Punjab cities of Lahore and Kasur, convinced Dyer that a co-ordinated uprising was under way.
22
Q
What were the events prior to the Amritsar Masssacre on the 13th April 1919?
A
Dyer ordered two proclamations to be read out in 19 different locations across the city, warning against the holding of ‘meetings and assemblies’ and establishing a curfew.
Baisakhi Day - religious festival in the Punjab. Pilgrims flocked to the Golden Temple despite the curfew and public gathering ban.
23
Q
What were the events of the Amritsar Masssacre on the 13th April 1919?
A
Between 10,000 and 20,000 people gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh.
Without warning, Dyer and a posse of infantrymen appeared in the narrow entrance to the Bagh. Once inside, they organised and fired 1,650 rounds of live ammunition into the crown in 10-15 minutes, killing around 400 and wounding 1,500 more.
The troops then quickly dispersed leaving the wounded to fend for themselves.
24
Q
What was the aftermath of the Amritsar Massacre?
A
- Dyer imposed martial law
- Salaam - any Indian who passed Dyer or any other European had to bow or be flogged.
- Transport system was comandeered by the British to restrict movement - this even included bicycles!
- 3rd class railway tickets were withdrawn meaning many Indians could not travel.
- No more than two Indians may walk side by side on the pavement in Amritsar
- Water and electricity supplies were cut off causing hardship
- Crawling Order - in Kucha Tawarian where Marcia Sherwood was assaulted, Indians were forced to crawl along the road. This horrified Edwin Montagu
- Dyer presided over a court in the Ram Bagh where he metered out floggings or punishments.
- Indian lawyers were forced to work as special constables and witness floggings,
25
What were the events of the Hunter Report?
Montagu pushed ahead with plans for an inquiry into the massacre.
On 11 November 1919, Lord Hunter and his colleagues arrived at Lahore to ask questions, listen to evidence and reach a conclusion about the events.
Witnesses were alternatingly booed and cheered by the crowd - censorship had been lifted and martial law ended.
The Hunter Report, after hearing Dyer's statement, censured Dyer, and reprimanded O'Dwyer (Governor of the Punjab) for his part.
The Hunter Report was published in May 1920
26
What did Dyer admit during the Hunter Report?
- He would have used the armoured cars if he had gotten them through the door
- He had not issued a warning to the crowd before beginning to open fire
- He continued to fire until he had ran out of ammunition
- He wanted to use the massacre as an opportunity to punish the Punjabs
27
How did the Government of India Act 1919 affect the Viceroy?
- Viceroy was to be advised by a council of 6 civillians, three of whom would be Indians, and the commander-in-chief of the British Army in India.
- Viceroy could still enforce laws even if the legislative councils rejected them.
- The Viceroy could choose his own officials.
28
How did the Government of India Act 1919 affect the governing of India?
- Dyarchy
- Provincial and central legislative councils were enlarged
- Provincial councils were given control over Indian education, agriculture, healthcare, public works as well as local self-government.
- The British maintained control over military matters, foreign affairs, criminal law, communications and currency
29
How did the Government of India Act 1919 affect Franchise?
Franchise was extended but it was linked to tax paid:
In 1919, only 10% of the adult male population could vote. Former soldiers were automatically given the vote.
Provincial legislatures could give women the vote - less than 1% of the female population was enfranchised
30
How did the Government of India Act 1919 create reserved seats?
Reserved seats in the provincial legislatures wer allocated for different religions - Sikhs, Muslims etc. and special groups like landowners and university graduates.
31
What were the reactions towards the Government of India Act 1919?
Right Wing - criticised the GOI Act for being a step towards independence.
Left Wing - GOI had not gone far enough
The INC rejected the GOI and boycotted the first elections held
32
How did Gandhi emerge as leader of Congress?
- Gandhi captured the popular imaginiation through his style of campaigning - he mixed spiritual strength with political awareness.
- Congress was disunited and unable to create any opposition
- Experienced campaigner from his work to secure Indian minority rights before 1914
33
When was Gandhi's campaign of non-cooperation agreed upon by Congress?
Nagpur Conference, Decemeber 1920.
- Gandhi dominated proceeedings; persuaded delegates to vote for his policy of non-cooperation with (against) the British Raj - suppported by a majority of 2 to 1
34
How did Gandhi change Congress?
- Congress membership had increased from 100,000 to 2 million by the end of 1921
- All-Indian Congressional Committee (AICC) membership increased from 161 to 350 and seats were re-allocated on a regional basis.
- Set up Congress Working Committee to formulate policy, similar to the Cabinet to Parliament
- Developed connections with Muslims and business interests, latter of whom helped to payroll his non-cooperation campaigns. Trade unions and female members - new target groups
35
What was the aim of non-cooperation and what did it entail?
Gandhi aimed to make the ungovernable with the hope that swaraj would follow. However, many of the practices were unrealistic as many Indians didn't appreciate the morality of satyagraha and so it descended into violence.
Gandhi urged Indians to:
- Boycott law courts
- Withhold taxes
- Refuse to buy imported goods
- Leave all government positions
- Refuse invitations to government-created social events
- Remove children from government schools
- Hand back decorations awarded by the Raj
- Boycott the legislative assemblies
- Boycott student exams
36
What statistics / examples show successes of the non-cooperation campaign?
Qualified voters (up to 90% in some areas) stayed away from the 1920 elections
Around 200 lawyers topped work
1921 - Duke of Connaught visited Calcutta - shops were closed, boycott of ceremony
37
What was the Moplah rebellion of 1921 in Malaba?
Moplahs (Muslim descendants of Arab traders) declared a jihad (Muslim holy war)
- Forcible conversion of Hindus to Islam
- Many British people, as well as wealthy Hindu and Muslim landlords were killed
38
What happened on the 6th February 1922?
Supporters of Congress torched a police station and burnt the 22 Indian police inside alive.
After hearing the news, Gandhi retreated into his Ashram to meditate for a few days before returning to call off the campaign - his supporters were horrified
39
Who was arrested on the 10th March 1922?
Gandhi - he was charged by the British authorities with 'promoting disaffection towards the government established by law'.
Gandhi pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 6 years in prison - he only served 22 months due to appendicitis.
40
How did Congress change in 1923?
Gandhi was in prison (1922-24) - INC leadership went to Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das. Many middle-class Indians who had been alienated by Gandhi's satyagraha campaigns returned to the fold.
Members of Congress allowed to stand for election to the councils set up by the Raj. Congress believed that they could use election to the councils to undermine the Raj from within.
41
How much Muslim representation was there in the INC in 1923? And how was this in 1921?
In 1923, only 3.6% of INC members were Muslim.
In 1921, this was 10.9%.
42
When was Gandhi released from prison and what did he do afterwards?
1924 - Gandhi was released from prison due to appendicitis, and returns to his ashram.
- Set up the All-Indian Spinners Association
- Promoted the idea of village self-sufficiency
- Promoted a mass literacy campaign and improvement of village sanitation
- Campaigned on behalf of the untouchables
43
What happened in December 1924?
The Muslim League met separately from Congress, for the first time since 1920. The INC and ML had previously joined together to protest at Amritsar and the Rowlatt Acts.
44
What happened at the Muslim League meeting in Delhi in 1927?
Jinnah persuaded members to make a bold offer towards Congress in the hope of bringing Congress and the ML back together.
- ML offered to end its support of separate electorates
- Congress would then offer a guaranteed 1/3 of the seats in the Central Legislative Assembly and the guarantee of the separation of Sindh from Bombay to create a Muslim dominated province.
Congress rejected this offer as it proved to them the weakness of the ML.
45
What was the Simon Comission and why was it needed?
- A 7-man comission of British Parliamentarians including Clement Attlee, and headed by Sir John Simon.
- The GOI Act (1919) was due for renewal in 1929 but the Conservatives feared the election of a Labour government and so wanted to bring the review forward.
46
What was the reaction to the Simon Comission?
- Poorly recieved; jeered at on arrival, banners and black flags proclaiming 'Go home Simon!'.
- Mass demonstrations which the police could not control.
- Congress, Muslim League and liberal thinkers boycotted the comission.
- Muslims from the provinces where they were in the majority decided to help the commision as did a number of Anglo-Indians, Sikhs and untouchables.
47
What was written in 1928?
The Nehru Report:
Simon Comission Boycotters met to form an All-Parties Conference, where a sub-committee produced a report which was the first draft of a written Constitution for India.
Work of lawyers Tej Bahadur Sapru and Motilal Nehru.
Nehru Report recommendations:
- Dominion status for India in the same manner as white dominions.
- Princely and British India would be joined in a federation
- No further devolution of power to the provinces - Hindus would form a permanent majority within central government.
Muslims were deeply unhappy with this proposal as they would lose their separate election status.
48
What was held in December 1928 and whuch motions were passed?
The Congress annual conference, held under the leadership of Motilal Nehru. Delegates backed two motions:
1) Demanded instant Dominion status as per the Nehru Report
2) Radical motion for the British to completely withdraw from India by 31 December 1929 or else civil disobedience would follow.
49
What happened in July 1929?
A Labour government was elected in Britain
Ramsay MacDonald became PM and William Wedgewood became Secretary of State. He was more sympathetic to the concept of Indian independence than the Conservatives.
50
What did Jinnah offer to Congress in 1929?
Jinnah revised his offer from 1927 as a 14-point compromise plan, known as Jinnah's 14 points. It entailed:
- A federal India with uniform autonomy to each province
- 1/3 Muslim representation in the central legislature and that all elected, state and local bodies should contain adequate and effective Muslim representaton
- Muslim majorities in the Punjab, Bengal and NW Frontier Province must be safeguarded.
- Full religious liberty
- Protections afforded for Muslim education and culture
This offer was rejected by Congress. Jinnah despaired, and left for England to pursue a lucrative career as a barrister.
51
What was given on the 31st October 1929 and what did it entail?
The Irwin Declaration:
- It asserted that the natural issue was to be the 'attainment of Dominion status' - official policy (it reiterated the Montagu Declaration)
- Indian representatives were invited to London for a Roundtable Conference
CWC called upon the British government to declare an amnesty for all political prisoners - step too far for Irwin, who refused.
52
What happened on the 30th December 1929?
Congress met at Lahore:
- Gandhi pledged to support the young hooligans (Bose, J. Nehru and Narayan) over the moderates
- Purna swaraj (total independence) became the official demand
- Pledged a new round of satyagrahas
53
What was the significance of 26th January 1930?
Supposed 'Independence Day' - a new round of satyagrahas were due to start.
54
Why was the Salt tax an important issue to protest against?
- Government tax on salt brought in little revenue for the government (4% total revenue)
- Also cost Indians very little (3 annas a year)
- BUT Salt was an essential comodity - Raj controlled production
- All India needed salt - richest and poorest united over emotive issue
55
What were the events of the Salt March?
11th March 1930 - Gandhi gives prayer speech to 10,000 Indians
12th March 1930 - Gandhi sets put from his home in Ahmedabad accompanied by 78 chosen followers, as well as the general public and the press.
They walked 240 miles to Dandi on the Gujurat coast, where thousands made salt.
Hundreds were arrested and imprisoned.
56
What was the aftermath of the Salt March?
14th April 1930 - Mass arrests of Congress. Jawaharal Nehru got 6 months in prison.
4th May 1930 - Gandhi was also arrested and imprisoned.
June 1930 - entire CWC arrested.
57
What was the second phase of the Salt March camapign, after Gandhi's arrest on 4th May 1930?
Provincial committes were authorised by Congress to organise their own satyagrahas - degree of autonomy. Protests could include the following:
- Salt
- Boycott foreign cloth
- Non-payment of tax
- Refusal to obey authority
Some local campaigns became any opportunity to express local grievances.
58
What were the effects of the second phase of the Salt March camapign?
- Early 1930 - economic slump but had improved by end 1930 as profit motive was restored
- Students, women and middle-class businessmen became mobilised.
- November 1930 - 360 women were in prison.
- 1930 - 60,000 people passed through India's prisons, putting strain on the police and civil service.
- End 1930 - still 29,000 in prison, including 2000 youths under 17.
- Irwin had considered martial law in mid-1930 but needed to avoid another Amritsar
- October 1930 - Jawaharal Nehru released from prison, called for 'conquest of power' and was promptly returned behind bars.
- End 1930 - Congress was also feeling the strain, satyagrahas were difficult to sustain.
Early 1931 - peace restored
59
What was created on the 5th March 1931? What did it agree?
Gandhi-Irwin Pact:
Brokered by Indian businessmen - worried about the impact of the civil disobedience campaigns on the economy
Feb 1931 - Gandhi and Iriwn met
Agreements:
- Suspension of the civil disobedience campaign
- Gandhi to attend 2nd RTC
- 19,000 Congress supporters to be released from prison
- Property that had been confiscated was to be returned
- Emergency restrictions were to be relaxed
60
What did the 1st RTC in 1930 agree on?
First Round Table Conference:
- India would be run as a type of dominion
- India would become a federation including princely states as well as the 11 British provinces
- There would be Indian participation at all levels of government
61
Who was Viceroy Irwin replaced by in April 1931?
Irwin was replaced by Lord Willingdon (Viceroy 1931-36) who was a rigid Conservative and former governor of Bombay.
62
What happened in Britain in 1931?
Ramsay MacDonald's government collapses and is replaced with a Conservative coalition (the National Coalition) with MacDonald as PM.
Sir Samuel Hoare (Secretary of State for India) was more reserved about self-government then Wedgewood Benn.
63
Who attended the 2nd RTC in 1931?
Gandhi (sole Congress representative).
Iqbal, the Aga Khan and Jinnah for the ML also attended.
Master Tara Singh represented the Sikhs and Dr Ambedkar represented the Untouchables.
64
Why was there disagreement at the 2nd RTC in 1931?
Gandh insisted that 'God' was his guide and claimed that he could speak for all India - minority leaders found this very arrogant.
All the minority leaders demanded separate electorates, however there was no agreement on this.
No common constitution was agreed upon
65
What happened on the 4th January 1932?
- Gandhi was arrested and imprisoned on the orders of Viceroy Willingdon on his return to India.
- Congress was outlawed and all members of the CWC and provincial committees were rounded up and imprisoned
- Youth organisations were banned
- In four months, 80,000 Indians were in prison
- Lack of leadership made Congress disorganised
- Boycott of British goods, terrorist activity, more women were involved.
66
What was announced on the 16th August 1932?
Communal Award:
- Announced by PM Ramsay MacDonald - incorporated into any new constitution
- Designated Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Muslims and Untouchables as separate classes and entitled them to separate electorates.
67
What was Gandhi's reaction to the Communal Award?
He was furious - Untouchables would be given a separate electorate even though they were Hindus!
- He launched a 'Fast unto death'
- Government feared Gandhi's death would create a martyr.
- Congress feared a loss of their leader.
68
What did Gandhi agree to with Dr Ambedkar in the Yeravda Pact, following the Communal Award?
- 147 seats would be reserved for the untouchables on provincial councis.
(Note here that this was higher than the 71 proposed by the British government in the communal award)
- Untouchables would also gain 18% of Central Legislative seats.
The Yeravda Pact was accepted by the British government.
69
Why was the 3rd RTC in London, 1933, doomed to fail?
- Ramsay MacDonald had lost the confidence of the Labour Party, the primary organiser for the conferences. No Labour representatives attended.
- Congress did not attend.
- Conference collapsed due to a lack of delegates - only able to discuss finance, franchise and princely states.
70
What was the Government of India Act 1935? Which pieces of it made it into law?
The final British constitution for India:
- Federation of India
- India would be 11 provinces which had control of everything but defence and foreign affairs
- Each province would have a legislative assembly, provincial government and governor - to act in an emergency
- Dyarchy would be abolished
[EVENTUALLY PASSED - NOT UNTIL 1937]
- Separate electorates would continue
- Burma (now Myanmar) would be separated from India and have its own government.
[EVENTUALLY PASSED - NOT UNTIL 1937]
- Sindh and Orissa would be created as separate states [THIS ALSO PASSED AFTER 1936]
- Viceroy would still be appointed by the British government - controlled foreign policy and defence. Executive Committee of Indians to follow.
71
How was the GOI Act 1935 seen in Britain?
- Fought against by Conservatives, civil service, Indian Defence League including Churchill and Kipling, the Daily Mail and Lord Rothermere.
- Steered through Commons by PM Stanley Baldwin - (reform India or lose it).
- Attlee argued the bill didn't reform enough
- Fewer than 50 MPs opposed the bill in Commons.
72
How was the GOI Act 1935 recieved in India?
- Congress rejected the Act as they demanded purna swaraj and a strong central government. Congress objected to reserve seats for minorities.
- Muslim league objected - not enough offered to Muslims
73
How did Congress fare in the 1937 Provincial Elections?
- Virtually swept the board
- Control fo United and Central provinces, Orissa, Bombay and Madras
- Single largest party in Assam and NW Frontier Province
- Congfress won all the provincial legislative seats contested
- Won 59 seats in separate electorates
- Total 716 legislative members
74
How did the Muslim League fare in the 1937 Provincial Elections?
- Poor performance
- Most Muslims gave little support to Congress candidates
- NW Frontier voted strongly for Congress despite being Muslim dominated
75
What was the aftermath of the 1937 Provincial Elections?
- Jinnah realised the need to revitalise the Muslim League - began a series of appearances.
- Congress, once in control of their new offices, began to abuse their power - fiscal policies against Muslim landowners, hoisted the Congress flag on public buildings. This increased Muslim support for the ML.
76
How did Bose fare as president of Congress?
Bose was elected president of Congress in 1938
HOWEVER by end of 1938 there was pressure on him to quit.
Jawaharlal Nehru refused to stand in his place
HOWEVER Bose was ultimately forced to resign - replacedby Prasad who was 'elected' by the CWC.
77
What party was formed in 1939?
Bose formed the Forward Bloc Party - aimed for a revolutionary overthrow of the Raj.
In 1941 it was banned by the Raj and he fled to Afghanistan and then to Berlin.
78
What happened on the 3rd September 1939 and what were the reactions to it?
PM Neville Chamberlain and Lord Linlithgow (for India) announced war on Nazi Germany.
- Indian people were not consulted - reneged on GOI Act
- 300 million Indians were committed to war
Reactions:
- Gandhi wanted the British to negotiate with Hitler
- Jawaharlal Nehru and Indian socialists symapthised with the British
79
What did CWC declare on 14th September 1939?
CWC declared that it would not support the British in war unless self-determination was granted.
80
What happened on the 23rd October 1939?
Congress' ministers / ministries resigned in protest of India's forced entry into WW2, and ordered all its members to resign from the provincial ministries by the end of the month.
This lay the way for the Muslim League to strengthen their position.
81
What did Muslims celebrate on the 22nd December 1939?
Muslim Day of Deliverance from Hindu bondage.
(Congress had sacrificed their political power)
82
What resolution was written in March 1940 and what did it describe?
Lahore Resolution (Muslim League meeting in Lahore)
Set out what ML considered to be the basic principles of any new constitution for India.
- Areas with a Muslim majority should be grouped to form 'separate independent states'.
- Minorities must be protected, whether living in Hindu or Muslim dominated states.
NOTE: Jinnah did not want India to become nationally divided - influence on drafters from Bengali politician Fazul Huq, a strong proponent of an independent Pakistan.
83
What were the reactions to the 1940 Lahore Resolution?
Gandhi maintained that the Lahore Resolution was 'tantamount to the vivisection of India' and tried to appeal to the common sense of Muslims to draw back from partition.
Mini-satyagraha campaigns broke out against the Resolution - protesters swiftly jailed by the Raj.
Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested and jailed for inspecting young Congress supporters with a mock Field Marshall's baton
84
What was the August Offer in 1940?
Jinnah was invited by Linlithgow to Simla to discuss a range of issues.
Linlithgow gave several proposals to Jinnah:
- Representative Indians could join his Executive Council
- War Advisory Council would be established including the princes and other interests.
- Government would not adopt any new constitution without the prior approval of Muslim India.
85
What happened on 7 December 1941?
Pearl Harbour - Japanese attack leads to US entering the war.
86
What happened on 15th February 1942?
Singapore fell to the Japanese
87
What did Linlithgow realise in March of 1942?
He realised he did not have enough forces to fight the Japanese - all he could think of was a scorched earth policy.
88
What was the Cripps Mission, 23rd March 1942?
Sir Stafford Cripps (Lord Privy Seal) -Labour Party Minister and ally of J.Nehru
Arrived in New Delhi on 23/3/1942 with a delegation in order to secure full Indian cooperation and support for the war effort.
89
What did the Cripps Misson, 23rd March 1942, propose?
- India would be offered Domion status after the war
- Indian people could elect an assembly which would frame a new constitution
- Provinces and princely states would be free to dissasociate themselves after the war (opened the door to Pakistan)
- All Indian parties would be invited to form an interim government of national unity under the Viceroy and his Counci until the end of the war.
90
What were the reactions to the Cripps Mission?
Gandhi was furious
Congress rejected the first part of the bargain - they were not willing to accept a situation where states were allowed to opt out of a united India
They were, however, willing to join the Interim government provided it was similar to Westminister, with defense under Indian control (which the British were not happy about).
91
What happened on the 8th August 1942?
An All-India Congress Committee met in Bombay and resolved "the starting of a mass struggle on non-violent lines on the widest possible scale" for Indian freedom and independence.
Gandhi declared it the moment to 'do or die for nothing less than freedom' and called for the British to 'Quit India'.
Congress' leaders called on their supporters to make India ungovernable.
92
What happened on the 9th August 1942, the day after the Quit India campaign began?
- Mass arrests of Congress' members including Gandhi and J. Nehru.
- Congress Working Committee imprisoned in Ahmedanagar Fort near Bombay
(The British had been aware of the 'Quit India' campaign for months in advance.)
93
What was the nature of the 'Quit India' campaign?
Most violent campaign since the Indian Mutiny of 1857!
It included:
- Attacks on government properts
- Attacks on Europeans
- Attacks on revenue offices and police stations
- Destruction of communication infrastructure - stations / signal boxes / railways / telegraph wires
- Over 1000 deaths and 3000 serious injuries
End 1942 - over 60,000 arrests
94
What happened on the 14th August 1942?
- The RAf began flying sorties against crowds threatening railways
- 35,000 troops were made available to support the police.
95
How was the 'Quit India' campaign dealt with by the police?
The police used violent measures to try and contain the campaign:
- They shot those breaking the curfew and used public whippings / beatings.
- Allegations of rape whilst in custody.
- They burnt villages and used aircraft to machine-gun crowds, killing hundreds, and they arrested 500 without trial
96
When did the 'Quit India' campaign end?
November 1942
