India and Pakistan Independence Vocabulary

Vocabulary practice cards covering key terms, historical figures, acts, and concepts related to the Indian independence movement and the Partition of India and Pakistan.

Amritsar Massacre (1919)

An event in 1919 where British military forces opened fire on over 5,000 unarmed Indians gathered in Amritsar following protests and a hartal, resulting in 379 deaths and 1,000 wounded.

British East India Company (BEIC)

A joint-stock company created in 1600 that traded in indigo, saltpetre, and textiles, gradually took control of local Indian governance and tax structures, and ruled until stripped of power in 1857.

Caste System

A social class hierarchy in India that demonstrated how internal social divisions could alienate groups from one another despite a common struggle against British rule.

Winston Churchill (his India policy)

British Prime Minister and political figure (1930–1945) who opposed Indian self-rule, exploited religious tensions, and fought to retain British imperial control over India.

Cripps Mission

A British offer made to Indian nationalists proposing independence after World War II in exchange for military support during the war, which Indian leaders rejected.

Communalism

Religious and social division between Muslim and Hindu communities in India, which was exploited by British authority and ultimately led to the partition of India and Pakistan.

Dominion Status (1947–1950)

A transitional political status held by India between 1947 and 1950 where it was largely free and self-governing while remaining nominally under British authority.

Reginald Dyer

The British officer who led troops into an enclosed garden in Amritsar and ordered them to open fire without warning on unarmed peaceful protesters while martial law was imposed.

Ethnic Cleansing (Partition of India)

Widespread sectarian violence between Hindu and Muslim populations as millions migrated across newly established borders during the 1947 Partition of India.

Extractive Colonialism vs. Settler Colonialism

Extractive colonialism focuses on taking natural and economic resources (practiced by the BEIC), whereas settler colonialism involves direct administrative rule and settlement (practiced under the direct rule of the British Crown).

Mahatma Gandhi (Mohandas K. Gandhi)

Indian political leader and activist who led the independence movement through nonviolent protesting, launched the Salt March, and advocated for a united India.

Ghadar Movement

An armed revolutionary and militant movement organized to violently overthrow British colonial rule in India.

Government of India Act (1919 & 1935)

Acts passed by the British Parliament that established initial steps toward self-government in India by transferring authority over agriculture, education, and health to Indian ministers.

Imperialism / Colonialism

Imperialism is a broad system of power where a metropolitan center controls distant regions; colonialism is the physical act of settling and establishing direct administrative rule.

Indian National Congress (INC)

An organization formed in 1885 representing the Indian political elite that initially maintained cooperation with the British before becoming a primary driver for Indian independence.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948)

Leader of the Muslim League and a key leader in the Indian freedom movement, recognized as the founding father and creator of Pakistan.

Kashmir (Partition of India)

A region in northern India whose territorial status sparked war between India and Pakistan and remains a source of ongoing dispute.

Militarism

A political system in which a government prioritizes military power, resources, and expansion over civilian needs.

Morley-Minto Reforms (1909)

The Indian Councils Act of 1909 which increased Indian participation in British India's legislative council from 16 to 60 members.

Louis Mountbatten

The final British Viceroy sent to oversee British India, who facilitated and governed the implementation of Partition.

Mughal Empire (1526–1857)

The ruling imperial power in India prior to British dominance, which gradually lost authority and was officially overthrown by the British in 1857.

Muslim League (1906–today)

A political political party founded in 1906 to represent Indian Muslims, which pushed for separate electorates and ultimately advocated for the creation of Pakistan.

Nationalism (1800–1950)

The political ideology asserting that a nation should possess total self-rule and political autonomy from foreign rule.

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964)

A prominent lawyer and nationalist leader within the Indian National Congress who played a primary role in the Indian independence movement.

Neo-colonialism

The practice of wealthier nations exerting control over less-wealthy nations through economic and political pressure rather than direct military occupation.

Partition of India / Pakistan (1947)

The 1947 division of British India into two independent nations, India and Pakistan, based primarily on religious majority populations.

Princely States vs. Provinces

Princely States were territories ruled by local Indian princes who recognized British supremacy, while Provinces were directly administered by the British government.

Quit India Movement (1942)

A nonviolent mass civil disobedience movement launched in 1942 by Gandhi and the INC demanding an immediate end to British rule.

Cyril Radcliffe

The British lawyer appointed in 1947 to chair the boundary commissions responsible for drawing the border lines between India and Pakistan.

The British Raj (1858–1947)

The period of direct rule over India by the British Crown following the dissolution of the British East India Company.

Rowlatt Act (1919)

British legislation allowing the colonial government to imprison political dissidents without trial, triggering mass public protests across India.

Salt March (1930)

A 24-day nonviolent protest led by Gandhi against the British salt monopoly, where marchers harvested salt from the sea in violation of colonial law.

Satyagraha & Non-cooperation

Satyagraha is Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance; Non-cooperation involved refusing to participate in British-controlled economic, legal, and educational institutions.

Sepoy Mutiny / Great Revolt 1857

A major anti-colonial uprising against the East India Company initiated by Indian soldiers (sepoys) in 1857, leading directly to Crown control.

Swadeshi & Homespun Movement (1905–1911)

An economic nationalist campaign aimed at boycotting British imports, encouraging Indian-made products (Swadeshi), and wearing hand-spun cloth.

Swaraj / Purna Swaraj

Swaraj translates to self-rule, while Purna Swaraj refers to complete independence from British colonial rule, adopted as the official INC goal in 1930.

Total War

A warfare state in which a nation mobilizes its total military, economic, industrial, and civilian resources, such as in World War I and World War II.

Viceroy (1858–1947)

The principal British administrator appointed to represent the British monarch and govern India throughout the era of the British Raj.