India - Unit 2B Flashcards
(28 cards)
The salt tax brought in very little revenue for the Raj, so why oppose it?
Salt was something every Indian needed from every caste, and a natural resource that was plentiful in India, but it’s production was controlled by the Raj. This made the salt tax an emotive issue.
Salt Satyagraha
1930
240 mile walk to a costal location called Dandi
Gandhi initially was to set off with 78 untouchables
Thousands also joined before and during the march
Reporters followed and reported Ganhi’s message of non-violence
When he arrived he picked up salt from the ocean, and urged other Indians to do the same and to take tax free salt
British reaction to the salt satyagraha
Hundreds of peasants arrested
Congress members arrested, including Jawaharal Nehru and Gandhi
Further civil disobedience after the salt satyagraha
- Many moderates began to sympathise with Gandhi more
- Congress authorised provincial committees to organise their own satyagraha’s, but recommended priority salt, boycotting goods and not cooperating with the authorities
Why was the second civil disobedience campaign more successful than the first?
- Larger autonomy for provincial committees meant people felt local needs were being more listened to
- Because there was no central organised it was more difficult for the Raj to stop
- Women were more involved, with around 360 women jailed by the end of 1930 for protest related reasons
In what ways did the second civil disobedience movement have a negative impact?
- Some areas of Bombay fell into the hands of mobs
- In Bengal some violent clashes with police had occurred
- Many people used civil disobedience as an excuse to act out because of minor grievances, such as opposing forest laws that protected the interests of landowners by encouraging peasants to chop down trees wherever they wanted to
The Khalifat Movement
Set up by Muslims in 1919 to support the Caliph
United diverse Muslim communities
Legitimised Muslim participation in the nationalist movement
Muslim leaders backed Gandhi’s 1920-1922 civil disobedience campaigns and Gandhi endorsed the Khalifat movement
Jinnah’s attitudes towards Gandhi’s support of the Khalifat movement
- Believed Gandhi’s support of the movement was opportunistic
- Believed Gandhi’s support created division among Muslims
- Jinnah had spoken out openly against non-cooperation due to the Muslim-Hindu violence that had accompanied civil disobedience
Why did the Khalifat movement collapse?
- Turkey rejected the caliphate
- The religious mass-appeal aspects alienated some members, such as Jinnah, who resigned from Congress
- Many Muslims became uncomfortable with Gandhi’s leadership
Why did Hindu and Muslim relations begin to break down by 1923?
Once the non-violence campaigns ended and the Khalifat Movement dissolved the relations between Congress and Muslims began to break down
Many Hindus in the INC began to regret the separate electorates agreed on in the Lucknow Pact
Muslims began to lose faith that Congress would set up a government that would properly represent them if independence was achieved
What two Muslim movements came to the forefront in the 1920’s?
Tanzeem
Tabligh
What did the Muslim movements in the 1920’s do?
Promoted better Muslim religious education and regular observance of religious duties and preaching.
They also highlighted the economic plight of many Muslims due to Hindu dominated commercial communities, and anti-Hindu sentiment grew.
What three things emphasised the concept of separateness?
Worship and festivals
Organisations
The Raj
How did worship and festivals emphasise separateness?
Hindu’s use loud music for religious festivals while Muslims worship in silence.
Muslims slaughter cows for some festivals, and cows are sacred to Hindus.
How did organisations emphasise separateness?
The Hindu organisation Arya Samj aimed to convert Muslims to Hinduism. Many wealthy Hindus whom lower class Muslims depended on economically funded them, which fuelled tensions further.
Hindu’s formed a Cow Protection Society.
The Tanzeem and Tabligh movements were seen as provocative by Hindus.
How did the Raj emphasise separateness?
The Raj continually defended protectorate electorates, which defended the rights of the Muslim minority but also reaffirmed the concept of separateness.
Jinnah’s 1927 Proposal
1927 ML meeting in Delhi
Offered to end separate electorates if Muslims could be guaranteed 1/3 of all seats in the Central Legislative Assembly and if Sind could be separated from Bombay to form it’s own Muslim dominated province
Congress Rejected this
Jinnah’s 1929 Proposal
The propsal outlined that:
- Any future constitution should be federal
- Full religious liberty was to be granted to all communities
- In the central legislation Muslim representation should be no less than 1/3
- Any constitution should protect and promote Muslim language, religious practice and institutions
- Any territorial redistribution should not effect Muslim majority provinces such as the Punjab and Bengal
It was once again rejected by Congress, and the idea of a separate Muslim state began to come to the minds of some
Jinnah’s beliefs and aims
Determined to protect election quotas for Muslims
Disapproved of mass non-cooperation campaigns, preferred to deal with educated Indians
Began to wear traditional Muslim clothes after the rejections of his 1927 and 1929 proposals and began to support separatist demands more
1929 General Election - Britain
The 1919 Government of India act was due for review in 1929, after the elections
The conservative government were worried that if labour won then the policies in India would veer towards the left
India’s secretary of state therefore brought the review forward, this review was the Simon Commission
The Simon Commission - What and when was it?
1927
Parliamentary delegation headed by Sir John Simon
To review the GOI 1919 Act, to see if it was working and if changes needed making
Why was the Simon Commission received badly, and what was this reception like?
The commission consisted of 7 delegates, none of which were Indian
This gave the message that India’s future would be decided by Westminster politicians, not the Indian people
Were met with mass protest and jeering (Shouting ‘Simon, go home!)
Members of Congress, a large section of the Muslim League and many others boycotted the Commission by refusing to give evidence
The Simon Report draft provided little more than an affirmation of the status quo, and was scrapped before publication
Who won the 1929 elections, and who became Viceroy?
The labour government
Lord Irwin
What and when was the Irwin Declaration?
October 1929
Reiterated the 1917 Montagu Declaration and promised India dominion status as an official goal
Invited Indian Representatives to London to a Round Table Conference where the details of a new Indian constitution would be discussed
