India- Unit 2.2 Flashcards
(71 cards)
1
Q
What does Mahatma mean?
A
- means ‘great souled’
- usually refers to any great person in India, title of love and respect
2
Q
What were Gandhi’s aims?
A
- Satyagraha- truth and non-violence
- respect for parents
- not to touch meat or wine
- improve the life of ‘untouchables’
- adopt a peasant lifestyle and reject western technology
- Hindus and Muslims to work together
- cleanliness and good habits as important as prayer
3
Q
What were Gandhi’s methods?
A
- set up Ashram
- led the people’s protest= shops closed, people stopped going to work, bonfires with clothes
- chakras
- fasting
- Swaraj/ ‘Quit India’ Movement
- defines British making salt= went on salt March
- educated- studied law in Britain- threat to British
4
Q
What is Satyagraha?
A
⚡️Sanskrit words meaning ‘truth’ and ‘obstinacy’. The word described Gandhi’s philosophy; he argued that every single individual was created to search for the truth
5
Q
What is ashram?
A
🌾These were rural communities of fellow believers and followers. Living in an ashram involved renouncing all sexual relationships
6
Q
What is charka?
A
🎯a spinning wheel. Gandhi believed that daily spinning by India’s leaders would bring them into closer contact with peasant life
7
Q
What is fasting?
A
🍞The refusal to eat. Gandhi understood this 17 times.
8
Q
What is dhoti?
A
🥻Gandhi discarded western clothes and began wearing a traditional Indian men’s garment, emphasising that all Indian clothes should be made from locally made cloth
9
Q
What is ahimsa?
A
-a Sanskrit word meaning ‘not to harm’. Describes the non-violence used by Gandhi and his followers
10
Q
What is swaraj?
A
-a Sanskrit word which generally means self-governance or “self-rule”. The word usually refers to Gandhi’s concept for Indian Independence from the British.
11
Q
What is Jihad?
A
Arabic word meaning ‘struggle’ or ‘resisting’. It has come to mean a Muslim holy war.
12
Q
How did Gandhi campaign?
A
- boycotting the law courts
- withhold taxes
- refusal to buy imported goods
- leave all government posts
- refuse invitations to social events run by the Raj
- remove children from government schools
- hand back all titles and decorations awarded by the Raj
- boycott elections to the new legislative assemblies
= all ahimsa (nonviolent protests and Satyagraha but NOT YET SWARAJ (self-rule))
13
Q
What were the successes of the campaign?
A
- some realistic eg: mass refusal to pay taxes-would eventually stop most government departments functioning
- some methods of Satyagraha eg: some SUCCESSFUL boycott of student examinations, 200 lawyers stopped work, voters stayed away in 1920 elections, Indians didn’t attend official ceremonies such as in Calcutta 1921
- congress acquired deeper understanding of peasant’s needs through Satyagraha
- more “excitement” of change, growing ability to understand local grievances
- broader campaign for Swaraj
- Gandhi focused on areas of India where he knew campaigns would not fall to mobs
14
Q
What were the failures of congress campaigns 1920-22:
A
- unrealistic eg: lawyers are not likely to leave practices- want children to have an education
- million’s of Indians unwilling/ unable to do concept of Satyagraha= followed own agendas and attempted to drive through new initiatives
- violence in provinces eg: in Bombay, hartal turned into 4 days of looting and rioting-53 dead and hundreds injured
- people not ready for self-discipline to make Satyagraha effective or concept wrong?
- Gandhi was arrested and charged with promoting disaffection. He was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment.
- feb 1922- mob of congress supporters torched a police station- killing 22
- in Punjab, Hindus forced Muslims to ‘purify’ themselves
- Muslims declared a jihad, killing British people. Forced conversion to a Islam
15
Q
What should be the purpose of fighting back be according to Gandhi? What should it not be?
A
- fight for change and for justice
- better ways then violence
-punishment= leave to God
16
Q
Why does Gandhi leave his Ashram? What are the problems?
A
-British landlords still charging rent- buying British cloth instead of Indian- no money for food- starvation
17
Q
How does Gandhi defeat the British in the courts?
A
- gets rid of all British in Home Rule League- need to show can do by themselves
- refuses to co-operate= accepts charges willingly, boycotts eg: won’t lay for bail and boycotts any of court decisions
18
Q
How does Gandhi choose to travel? Why do you think he does this?
A
- preferred food walk instead of drive
- Goes to Jinnah’s house
19
Q
Why is Nehru anti-terrorist tactics?
A
- justify British repression
- following
20
Q
What does Gandhi suggest to protest against the British Rule?
A
-active- make day of prayer and fasting= no administration, work…= hartals
21
Q
What is the British reponses to Gandhi’s Civil Disobedience Campaign?
A
-clubbing and killing Indian people back
22
Q
Did Gandhi’s campaigns stay non-violent? What was his response to this?
A
-no riots breaking out
23
Q
What is the British Army’s response to Indian meetings in Amritsar ?
A
- 1919
- Mass shootings
- sepoys (Indian Soldiers) doing it
- 1516 casualties, 1600 bullets
24
Q
What is General Dyer’s reason for the massacre?
A
- had chance
- no provision for casualties
- divided response
25
What are Gandhi’s successes with these early campaigns?
- some of British consented to demands
- hartals, boycotts
- growing Indian following and unity of Home Rule Leagues (working together)
- prayer and fasting= new ideas and methods
- not just Gandhi but division in Raj itself- some signs of sympathy
26
What are Gandhi’s failures with these early campaigns?
- divide in Indian people- violent and non-violent= radicals and moderate
- consequences (violence)=Amritsar, British authority and control
- keeps being put in prison
- at first people don’t get him/ideas= not yet widespread/ methods understood eg: not wearing western clothes, judging Nehru themselves (caste system)
- long term
- misunderstood= not all following, population- get ‘not ready’
- long term= more power Gandhi gets, Jinnah more resentful, wants own ideas and agendas
27
How has Gandhi dressed himself on his return to India? What is his reason for this?
- same as comrades- traditional clothing-dhoti
| - in prison, appealing to Indian people, against British clothing
28
Why is Gandhi a hero on his return to India? Is he ready for this role?
- congress party
- challenged British Empire
- not ready for concepts and philosophies
29
What is life like for the ordinary Indians in India?
- poverty, homeless, famine, overcrowded, wild animals
| - slums= poor sanitary conditions
30
How does this compare to the lifestyle of the people involved in the struggle for Home Rule?
- luxurious, elitist, western clothing
| - Nehru, Jinnah... are appealing to people living in slums, act and wear western clothing
31
What does Gokhale say the British try to do to the Indians?
- repress
| - appear on side eg: legislation
32
What is Gokhale’s advice to Gandhi on his return to India?
- learn more about India- go to the people= fund out what want
- use experience in South Africa
- needed
33
How does Gandhi travel around India? What does that tell us about the positives of British Rule?
- railway
| - industrialisation
34
What form of protest did some Indians resort to in fighting for independence?
- killed English soldiers - use violence (some)
| - Gandhi recognising wouldn’t be effective
35
What were the Indians demanding by the end of WW1?
-Home Rule
36
What does Gandhi suggest is the problem with the nationalist movement?
- divided
- make speeches for each other= not listening, not appealing to the masses, can’t represent India when only places like Punjab demanding change
- split in classes
37
What could Gandhi do to make more successful?
1) Appoint officials in different areas to spread ideas= go to each provenance (help understanding of Satyagraha)
2) More controlled
3) Not remove all British support?= have authority- use it?
4) Do more to work with Muslim League and United (less religious rivalry)
5) Get rid of ideas like Dhoti-use ideas people understand and will be more effective
38
What could you use as your criteria for a “strengthened” congress?
- widespread
- more public support/ members
- media
- increased recognition of Indian aims/ clarity
- experience limited opposition from the Raj/ repression and reaction= overcome
- Include all religious groups, appeals to all
39
The work of Gandhi and congress from 1922-1930:
| 1)Extending the appeal:
- 10,000 to 2 million by end of 1921
- some objected to the changing attitudes of congress eg: pressure group to open defiance of Raj
- Muslims left= lack of support from Gandhi after break up of Islamic Ottoman Empire
- greater emphasis in re-occurring women and untapped groups eg: trade unions
- structure of congress revitalised in 1920
- started non-violent non co-operation
- setting up structures which could be used after Raj eg: congress working committee (co-originate and formulate policy)
1) Spread appeal to other geographical areas throughout subcontinent
2) Focused on interest groups previously neglected
3) More people eg: railway workers, peasants... but new commercial caste and ‘richer peasantry’
40
2)’Back to Basics’
- set up the All-India Spinners’ Association = promotion self-sufficiency
- whole belief to return back to simpler, self-sufficient communities of the past
- mass literacy
- improvement of village sanitation
- campaigned for ‘untouchables’
- more represented in Indian society
- Gandhi abandoned programme of non-violence
41
3)Young Hooligans:
- energetic, charismatic young men
- British government set up and sent out the Simon commission
- two events not unconnected
- they were Subhas Chandra Bose, Jayaprakash Narayan and Jawaharlal Nehru
- lobbies All-India Congress Committee and Congress Working Committee (CWC)
- wanted renewed action
- impatient wanted full independence and freedom for all Indian people
- saw congress as reluctant to confront Raj
- congress considering dominion status-opposed, independence
42
4)Nehru Report:
- 1928
- All-parties conference
- first draft constitution for India
- recommended dominion status for India on same terms as those of white self- governing countries like Canada in the British Empire
- suggested princely states and British India should join a federation (government made up of states)
- no further devolution of power to the provinces
- X Hindus permanent majority in central government= Muslims (alienated significantly) unhappy as loss protection of their separate electoral status (Lucknow Pact 1916)
- Fragile Hindu-Muslim alliance hung independence, balance only
- said would achieve quickly- no timescale but next few years)
(➡️Dominion status= monarch still needed, internationally overseen but nationally in control eg domestic affairs)
43
5)Lahore Congress:
- 1929
- congress members divided and over what to do about Raj
- young hooligans gaining supporting
- Need for congress to re-assert its authority and re-emphasise it’s claim to speak for all of India
- Purana Swaraj (total Independence) was India’s new political demand
- not clear on how going to do it
- more in line with young hooligans demanded
44
6)SALT
- 1930 March
- did a “pilgrimage” and walked 240 miles to Dandi on the Gujarat Coast, attracted 75,000 people
- Gandhi took with him 78 chosen supporters
- good publicity and challenged Raj
- salt was an ideal issue over which to oppose the Raj as completely controlled by it- commodity everyone needed
- Triggered strikes
- arrest of a Gandhi
- urged Indians to help themselves (breaking law) to tax-free salt
- declaration of war against tax and government that produce it
- in June, entries congress working committee arrested
- peasants arrested and imprisoned and mass arrests of congress leaders including Waharal Nehru
- Raj continued with their repression (massive over-reaction to a peaceful pilgrimage)
- x hard- no central organisions to take out
- led to further ‘civil rights disobedience’- campaigns locally
- by end of 1930 historians claim the Raj had reached a stalemate
45
Gandhi in British- cover BBC Soundbite
-READ OR RE-LISTEN, GOOD FACTS, IN FOLDER, UNIT 2
46
Some of Ghandi’s greatest strengths:
-knowledge about Britain- several visits- understood people, support from some areas and important individuals,built an international profile, University education in law- knew how British political system operated and how he might subvert them, use of media
47
Some of Gandhi’s greatest limitations:
- people not understanding his methods such as Satyagraha (but did become key manifesto for his campaign)
- inability to unite all groups eg: religious rivalries
48
What did Gandhi learn from his visits to Britain and his he used this to shape his campaigns, what was he able to do successfully in 1931?
- widely recognised- greatest anti-colonial leader of 20thC
- inspired eg: suffragettes
- skills- trainee in first aid in FWW
- Hind Swaraj- reject western ways of living
- Assassinated
- educated- law and qualified barrister
- petitions, letters, propaganda and important ideas eg: meeting opponents face to face
- able to judge Britain from afar meaning he developed a unique analysis of imperial and racial injustices
- arrested- South African prison
- already recognised for successes in South Asian community
- new internationally but Indian didn’t recognise as a great national leader
- understood racial discrimination and imperial misuse
- knew how British political system operated and how to subvert it
- philosopher of non-violence
- media- propaganda
- unifying and repressing all Indians
- admiration from working classes- friendly greetings and new alliances with the poor
- Britain shaped Gandhi’s politics
49
YOUNG HOOLIGAN FACTFILE- LOOK OVER!
In notes- LEARN SOME FACTS FOR EACH! 🐔
50
Why was Gandhi reluctant to support the young hooligans at first but then why was he forced to change his mind?
- Gandhi viewer them as radical- young hooligans attracted to socialism (anti-imperialist sentiments) while Gandhi was conservative
- some young hooligans believe in more militant ideas eg: Bose= more radical- took some convincing on Gandhi’s ideas
- opposed congress (YH) in meditations with British Raj and dominion status
- Gandhi didn’t what to risk dividing congress anymore-needed to re-asset its authority- needed to re-establish its claim for speak for all of India
- created the Working committee- decided how and when non-confrontation was to take place
- didn’t want a replication of the ‘Divide and Rule’ which played Indians off each other
51
What was the Khilafat movement?
- regarded Turkish Caliph as their spiritual leader
- Turkey supported Germany in FWW therefore Muslims wanted to go against British Empire
- The Khilafat Movement legitimised Muslim participation in any nationalist movement
- supported by Gandhi but Jinnah was suspicious
- 1923= movement had collapsed- similar to Young Hooligans, difference- not accepted
52
Explain the re-emergence of Muslim values:
- 1920s- Tanzeem (organised) and the Tabligh (religion- make sure in agenda) movements came to the force
- each town was to have their own association (anjuman) responsible for preaching, Islamic education, regular observance of religious duties and construction of mosques
- suppose to be pro-Islam but became more anti-Hindu sentiment- grew rapidly, then became anti-congress
- congress was no longer seen by Muslims as the body that would push for independence
- don’t have Hindu aspect in congress- different way of going about it
- more about religion then Independence
53
How did the Muslims start to promote separateness:
- British Raj had actually encouraged togetherness. In 20thC there is separateness
- worship eg: noise (Hindus) vs silence (Muslims)
- festivals eg: Hindu festivals of Holi
- organisations eg: Hindu organisations- Arya Smaj and Mahasabha and the Muslim Tabligh and Tanzeem movements
54
Breakdown with congress:
- Jinnah had hoped to get congress and the Muslim league to work together again
- 1927- offered to end the League’s support for separate electorates in exchange for 1/3 of the seats of the Assembly. Congress rejected the offer
- 1929- Jinnah tried again with his 14 points= offer was again rejected by congress
- Jinnah left for England
- idea of a separate Muslim state began to develop
Congress rejected because....
- Muslims become too dominant/ power
- fearful of violence and its use
- don’t want congress to be about religion- if male action on religious basis- defeats what fighting for- Independence
55
- How successful were the Muslim League in their campaign in the 1920s-30s?
- successful:
- creation of movements- Khilafat (which Gandhi endorsed)
- effective and detailed organisations even at a local Level (problem congress faced), Anjumann- promote ideology, gain surprit from some people eg: setting up of mosques
- Jinnah’s personality appealed to lots of people
56
Unsuccessful:
- congress rejected offers eg: Jinnah offered to end his support for electorates in exchange for 1/3rd if seats in the Central Legislatibe Assembly-failed to unite with other nationalist groups)
- massive differences in religion- congress predominantly Hindu-different aims and beliefs
- absence of Jinnah’s philosophies- lack of direction- not clear-knows what doesn’t want but enough?
- collapsed 1923-Khilafat movement ended
- more anti-Hindu then pro Muslim-less about independence and uniting groups
- British response= Muslim league history of working with enemy= Turkey, Gandhi and mass of support- more likely to support congress- threat
57
- how did the British respond to events in India, 1920-30?
| 1) Why did the conservatives bring forward a review of the Government of India Act?
- in 1929 the Government of India Act (also known as Montagu Chelmsford reforms-promised some independence split into province) - embodied Montagu Chelmsford reforms was under review (10 year condition)
- same year for a general election
- conservatives afraid that if Labour Party won= would conservatives afraid that if Labour part won= would give congress what wanted- policies of India veer to the left- congress push through what wanted
58
2)What did the government do in 1927 and why was this received badly?
- sent a parliamentary delegation- headed by Sir John Simon- find out if Government of India Act was working and make recommendations
- Clement Attlee (Labour MP) won 1945 election
- NO INDIA MEMBERS- no part in deciding own future, would be decided in Westminster
- Delegates arrived in Bombay- booing, crowds, slogans
- same in other areas- Calcutta, Delhi, Lahore...
- Demonstrations, police hardly control
59
How did Hindus and Muslims respond to the Simon Commission?
-congress, Hindus leaders, liberal thinkers, Muslim league= boycott commission and refused to give evidence
-BUT Muslims were majority decided to help commissions enquiry and Anglo-Indians, Sikhs, untouchables (minority groups)- hoped for better future then under Hindu-dominated congress
BUT
-Simon Report- did little to reassert status quo-abandoned before publication
60
How did attitudes to India change under the Labour government?
-prime minister, Ramsay MacDonald was sympathetic to demands of congress and so was new Secretary of State for Indian= William Wedgewood Benn
61
What was the Irwin Declaration and why was this received badly?
- reiterated the Montagu Declaration of 1917 and added attainment of dominion status
- CWC= welcomed announcement
- Indian frustration- British stubbornness- terrorist attacks eg: bombing of viceroy’s train and destruction of carnage next to one in which was travelling
- pledging but no time frame
- won’t give amnesty or release political prisoners
62
What was Gandhi’s dilemma?
- forced to follow British agenda
- chances of congress getting what wanted could be compromised- wanted all representatives of Indian opinion at London conference- Gandhi viewed eg: princes as pawns for British
- but if didn’t go to London- result in a settlement being made in which congress (and Gandhi) wouldn’t have agreed on
63
What were the details of the Gandhi- Irwin pact, 1931?
- congress’ civil disobedience campaign was suspended
- Gandhi agreed to attend a second London conference
- 19,000 congress supporters were released from jail
- confiscated property was returned to its owners
- Irwin and Gandhi met face to face (1931)- both wanting to find a way out of the impasse
64
How did Wintson Churchill respond to the Gandhi- Irwin Pact?
- dislikes Gandhi
- thinks that Gandhi is causing ‘spectacle’ and making situation in India worse- unrest and danger
- didn’t understand Irwin
65
Extra details on the Irwin pact:
- Irwin wanted to create a situation where
1) Gandhi could leave prison and participate in London Conference (but couldn’t openly negotiate with a terrorist)
- needs to support Indian Civil Service
- had to persuade Gandhi that presence at around Table Conference was in congress’ best interests
- meeting brokered by Indian businessmen= worried civil disobedience affecting Indian economy
66
To what extent did a change to the Labour government affect the campaign for Indian Independence:
- attitudes different but didn’t achieve much more than conservatives
- huge religious divides still
67
FACTFILE- MUHAMMAD ALI JINNAH:
-LOOOOOK IN FOLDER 🐯
- key:
- Indian National Congress (1906-1920)
- All India Muslim League (1913-1947)
- Pakistan Muslim League (1947-48)= first Governor General of Pakistan- new Muslim state
68
More detail- response and consequences of Simon Commission:
- Bombay-booing, jeering crowds, banners, flags, shouting...= widespread as also in Calcutta, Delhi, Lahore, Lucknow, even in London:
- Workers’ Welfare League of India and branch of National Congress organised a demonstration against commission, Shapurji Saklatvala led 200 demonstrators from Trafalgar Square to Victoria station- some removed by police. Saklatvala also raised the issue in parliament and Home Secretary Joynson Hicks sanctioned the police operation
- Prominent Indian Nationalist- Lala Lajpat Rai led protest in Lahore-suffered a police beating and died of injuries 17th Nov 1928
- congress, Hindu leaders, liberal thinkers, Muslim league -boycott commission, refused to give evidence
- minorities- Anglo-Indians, Sikhs, untouchables, Shafi League-hoped for a better future but when released the Simon report did little to reassert status quo and was abandoned before publication
Therefore because of the report, it led to...
- congress-boycott
- Gandhi-started Civil Disobedience Campaign
- Jinnah and All-India Muslim league remarked as ‘unacceptable’
- prominent Legislative Assembly members eg: Jayakar rejected it
- Lord Irwin- no chance of acceptance in India
- led to discussion at Round Table Conferences (1930-32)
- Government of India Act 1935
- Ended dyarchy eg: Burma separated from India, Sind from Bombay , Orissa from Bihar
69
What is the significance of Gandhi’s imprisonment?
- reflect an appropriate way forward
- releases Jan 1942-only 2 years of sentence
- during captivity congress had:
1) More involved in peasant communities- greater understanding of needs and aspirations
2) more ready to understand and exploit local grievances and how could be linked to broader campaign of Swaraj
3) Leadership of congress- CR Das and Motilal Nehru, took advantage of 1919 Government of India Act- stand for election to councils set up by Raj. Successful locally and aid of respectability boosting popularity
4) Middle class Indians returned to fold as alienated by Gandhi’s non-operation campaign
5) Raj returned to traditional policy of attempting to balance the need to keep control but also make concessions. Support given to local assemblies where cholera and smallpox inoculation started
70
What was the civil disobedience campaign?
- not mater minded and directed centrally- authorised provincial communities to organise own Satyagraha, including nature and timing
- did recommend priority- boycott of foreign cloth, non-payment of taxes, refusal to co-operate with authorities
- wanted to demonstrate- universal umbrella organisation ☔️ and sensitive to local needs
- meant reduced potential divisions among members on how civil disobedience should be- large degree of local autonomy
- no central organisation to take out
71
What were the successes and limitations of the civil disobedience campaign?
✅Formidable psychological weapon and actual physical threat in some places eg: Bombay and Gujarat- no go area for police
✅Level of disturbance impressive
✅Midnapore- salt Satyagraha, attacks of police and magistrates, refusal to pay local taxes
✅whole range of people, students, middle class businessmen- more politically aware and articulate
✅women (especially since men in families imprisoned), Nov 1930 nearly 360 women put in Jail for participation in Satyagrahas
✅expresses local grievances eg: Central a Provinces- politicians forced to back opposition to forest laws and encourage peasants to fell trees and graze animals
✅United Provinces- peasant and anti-land tax campaign
✅level of disturbance impressive
❌by 1931 Raj restores law and order, 60,000 people passed through India’s jails in 1930- immense strain on civil service, police and magistrates of the Raj- intolerable crowding
❌By end of 1930 still 29,000 people in India’s jails, 300 women and around 2000 youths under age of 17
❌congress felt strain by end, local Satyagraha - initially successful but not sustained once local grievances settled
❌Viceroy Irwin considered imposing martial law but Amritsar put him off
❌Economic upturn in 1930- more anxious to return to normal business- ran out of steam and had reached a stalemate
