Key Component 3: British policy 1931-42 Flashcards
(80 cards)
1
Q
When was the first RTC
A
Nov 1930- Jan 1931
2
Q
Who chaired the first RTC
A
Labour PM, Ramsay MacDonald
3
Q
How many British delegates were there in RTC1
A
16 delegates who represented the 3 British political parties
4
Q
Who was the Conservative group led by in RTC1
A
Sir Samuel Hoare
5
Q
Who was the Liberal group led by in RTC1
A
Lord Reading (Indian Viceroy 1921-1926)
6
Q
How many delegates were there who represented general Indian opinion
A
58 Indian delegates (all viceroy nominees)
-no formal mandate
7
Q
How many representatives were from princely states
A
princes sent 16 representatives
8
Q
Who did not participate in RTC1
A
Congress
9
Q
What conclusion did RTC1 come to (3)
A
- India would run as a type of dominion
- Dominion would take the form of a federation that would include Princely states and the 11 British provinces
- Indian participation in all levels of government
10
Q
When was the inauguration of New Delhi
A
Feb 1931
11
Q
When was RTC2
A
September - December 1931
12
Q
What made it possible for Congress to be represented
A
Gandhi- Irwin Pact 1931
13
Q
How many delegates from Congress were there in RTC2
A
Gandhi SOLE representative
-symbolise the UNITY of the Indian nationalist movement
14
Q
What did Gandhi claim
A
Claimed the Congress alone could represent the whole of political India
-Alienated all groups seeking separate electorates, especially Muslims
15
Q
What did Gandhi support at this point
A
-Supported Purna Swaraj
-Could not accept any solution that involved a form of dominion status
16
Q
Who represented Muslims in RTC2 (2)
A
- Iqbal- the Aga Khan
- Muhammed Jinnah
17
Q
Who represented Sikhs in RTC2
A
Master Tara Singh
18
Q
Who represented the Untouchables
A
Dr Ambedkar
19
Q
What did ALL minority groups demand
A
Separate electorates
20
Q
Result of RTC2
A
Failed- couldn’t agree on a workable constitution
21
Q
When was RTC3
A
Nov- Dec 1932
22
Q
Why did RTC3 FAIL (2)
A
- Only 46 delegates (none form INC or Labour)
- Couldn’t reach any definite conclusions
23
Q
What was the government of Britain 1931
A
-Aug 1931, the Labour government had resigned
-REPLACED by a Tory dominated coalition (the National Govenmnet)
24
Q
Why did the British government pay less attention to Indian nationalist demands in this period (3)
A
- the great depression
- mass unemployment
- economic collapse
25
Who became Secretary of State for India in 1931
-Sir Samuel Hoare
-had even more reservations about granting self-government than his predecessor William Wedgewood
26
What did Winston Churchill campaign against
- Campaigned against Congress and Indian self-government
- joined the Indian Empire Society
27
What did Churchill set up
-The Indian Defence League
-had support from 50 conservative MPs
28
Why was Congress not at RTC1
Nehru and Gandhi were in jail
29
Who became Viceroy in 1931
Willingdon became Viceroy
-adopted stricter measures against protestors and alienated nationalist opinion
30
Willingdon repression (4)
* 4 Jan 1932, Gandhi arrested/imprisoned
* Congress outlawed
* ALL of Congress Working Committee were imprisoned
* Youth organisations banned
31
Within 4 months of Willingdon how many were imprisoned
80,000 indians, mostly members of Congress
32
What was Indian reaction to Willingdon repression
- Reaction was swift, but w/o Congress lacked organisation
- Authorities were able to keep control
33
What did Indians do in response to Willingdon repression (4)
- Boycotts
- non-payment of taxes
- youth organisations became popular
- terrorist activity increased
34
What angered Churchill and how did he show his discontent (1931)
- Angered him that Baldwin and other conservatives supported Dominion
- 1931 Churchill resigned from shadow cabinet
35
When was the Communal award announced
1932
36
What did the Communal Award set out
- designated minority groups as separate classes, entitled to separate electorates in any new Indian constitution
37
How did Gandhi react to the Communal Award (3)
- Furious- especially the inclusion of Untouchables
- Gandhi saw this as the British government trying to weaken Congress by separating the Untouchables/ fragment Hindu society
- **launched a fast-unto-death**
38
What was the Yeravda Pact
- In response to Gandhi's fast:
- Hindu leaders and representatives of Untouchables hammered out a set of proposals to counteract the Communal Award
39
What did the Communal Award initially set out for Untouchables
allocation of 71 seats on the provincial legislatures to Untouchables
40
What did Gandhi and the delegation settle on for Untouchables in the Yeravda Pact (5)
* 148 seats
* elected by a system of primary and secondary elections for seats allocated to Untouchables
* only Untouchables being able to vote in the relevant primary elections
* Untouchables would be allocated 18 percent of the Central Assembly seats
* money set aside by every provincial assembly for the education of Untouchables
41
British government and the Yeravda (Poona) pact (3)
- Accepted the pact
- made the necessary changes
- the new Communal Award would be incorporated into the new Indian Constitution
42
What was the 1935 Government of India Act
- Final British- written constitution to be imposed on India
- BUT only the clauses dealing with provincial governments were actually implemented
43
Main features of the 1935 GOIA (6)
* India divided up into 11 provinces-each with a legislative assmebly and provincial government
* Each province would have a governer, retained the power to act in an emergency
* Dyarchy abolished
* Separate electorates continue
* Burma spearated from India
* Sindh and Orissa created
44
What would the provinces NOT control in the GOIA 1935
-Defense and foreign affairs
45
Why did Congress object to the Act 1935 (3)
- Party wanted Purna Swaraj
- could not support provincial governments because some provincial governments would be Muslim
- also objected against reserving seats for minority groups
46
Why did the AIML object to the Act 1935 (2)
- did not offer enough power to muslims in central or provincial legislatures
- no guarantees were offered for the protection of rights of Muslims
47
Why did the princes object to the Act 1935 (2)
- An all India federation would result in the diminution of the power of the princes
- Prepared to bargain to protect their fiscal rights
48
What did Conservative gov. fear of the princes after 1935 Act
Afraid that the princes would join Tory-diehards, such as Churchill and prevent the complete implementation of the Act
49
Riots resulting from the 1935 Act
rioting in Hyderabad and Khasi
50
What did Congress want for the princes (2)
- Opposed the idea of princes' nomination to any federal legislature
- wanted to end their autocracy
**BUT afraid of splinter groups**
51
Why did the RTC fail (5)
* British political context changed
* Gandhi's refusal to co-operate
* issue of separate electorates
* communal divisions
* Only offering dominion status
52
Churchill: "I hate Indians...
...they are a beastly people with a beastly religion"
53
Robert Pearce on the GOIA 1935
"had no wish to leave India: they wanted to buy off Indian nationalists with the minimum reforms they would accept"
54
John Keay quote on the GOIA 1935
"raised the spectre of provincial devolution, leading to the possible fragmentation of British India and its as yet unthinkable partition"
55
How did the 1937 elections show the strength and success of Congress (2)
- Congress was the largest party in 7/11 provinces
- Congress controlled the provincial governments in 7/11 provinces
56
The weakness of the Muslim League in 1937 elections (3)
-3 provinces, the AIML won 0 seats
-in the Punjab the AIML won 2/86 reserved seats for Muslims (2%)
-AIML won 22% of the seats reserved for Muslims
57
Failure of Congress to gain muslim support in 1937 elections
2% of Congress representatives were Muslim
58
What was Jinnah's strategic leadership (2)
- Established the AIML as a mass movement
- established vital strategic alliances with local Muslim parties to strengthen the AIML in Key provinces
59
Examples of Jinnah trying to establish the AIML as a mass movement (4)
- 'Tipu Sultan Day' was inaugurated in honour of the Muslim Sultan, heightened Islamic pride
- targeted University students: set up the AIM student's federation
- reduced price of membership to 2 annas
- promoted muslim identity through the promotion of Urdu and traditional clothing that overcame regional divisions
60
How did the the conduct of Congress help revitalise the AIML (3)
- appointing relatives and fellow caste members to jobs they controlled created resentment
- ignored minority interests and behaved spitefully
- Congress were increasingly divided and distracted by in-fighting
61
INC ignored minority interests and behaved spitefully
- Introduced fiscal policies that harmed Muslim landowners,
- Cow-slaughter banned in Bihar
62
When did Britain declare war on germany
3 Sepetember 1939
63
Congress reaction to Britain's decision to enter ww2
Shock and horror- weren't consulted in the decision, no power-sharing
64
Nehru's reaction to the outbreak of War
- Sympathised with the Britain but weren't prepared to commit themselves to support a government that had not consulted them.
- not prepared to fight unless they were granted immediate swaraj
65
What did Congress do in reaction to WW2
Withdrew the ministries where it had a majority to disassociate India from the war.
-Congress leaders ordered all Congress members to resign from provincial ministries throughout India
66
What did Jinnah do in response to Congress resigning
- Jinnah designated 22 December 1939, as Muslims India "Day of Deliverance"
- suggested that the AIML should hold public meetings and offer prayers of Thanksgiving for deliverance from the Congress regime
67
When was the Lahore Resolution and how many attended
March 1940- 100,000 attended
68
The Lahore Resolution proposals (2)
- where Muslims were in the majority should be grouped to form independent states
- that minorities should be protected, whether the people concerned were living in Muslim- or Hindu dominated states
- AIML became a genuine mass movement that spoke for Muslims across India
69
Congress's reaction to the Lahore Resolution
- Both Gandhi and Nehru denounced the idea of a separate Muslim state
- Mini-satyagrahas broke out protesting against the Lahore Resolution
70
August Offer 1940 proposal (4)
- 'Representative' Indians would join his Executive Council
- A War Advisory Council would be established that would include princes and other interested parties
- Assurance that the government would not adopt any new constitution without the prior approval of Muslim India
- Dominion status
71
What did Subhas Chandra Bose do in 1939
-Left Congress
-Formed the Forward Bloc Party (terrorist organisation aimed at getting the British to Quit India)
72
The Forward Bloc conference
Conference in Nagpur 1940
-Passed a resolution urging militant action against British colonial rule
73
How did Britain react to the Forward Bloc (4)
- Banned the Forward Bloc and its publications
- attempted to destroy seditious material
- HOWEVER anti-British activities continued but without central direction
- e.g in Bihar Forward Bloc members were involved in underground resistance groups and distributed anti-British propaganda
74
What did Bose do in Japan
formed the Indian National Army (INA) from Indian POW
75
What did the Indian National Army do in 1944
6,000 INA soldiers went into action with Japanese troops
400 were killed, the rest surrendered
NOT SUCCESFUL
76
Why was Congress divided in itself in 1938-9 (3)
- Congress's central leadership was uncertain as to how much control it would delegate to provincial leaders
- torn by infighting over its presidency
- divided on what extent they should support Britain during the conflict
77
How was Congress torn by infighting (3)
- Considerable pressure for Bose to quit
- BUT Jawaharlal Nehru refused to stand in his place and Bose himself refused to stand aside for the Gandhi faction nominee Pattabhi Sitaramayya
- Party could not function due to huge rifts
78
What did Linlithgow's unilateral decision suggest about the GOIA
Suggested that the power sharing promise in the GOIA was meaningless.
-Further undermined any trust between Congress leaders and the British
79
What was the Lahore resolution evidence of (4)
- Jinnah's successful leadership
- how WW2 strengthened the League; more radical and confident
- deteriorating relations between Hindus and Muslims
BUT
- the resolution was unclear and was never properly clarified by Jinnah or the League
80
Jinnah quote on WW2
“war which nobody welcomed proved to be a blessing in disguise"
