Quit India Movement

How did the Brits Respond

1935, British Parliament passed Govt. of India Act.

● Handed govt. of the 11 provinces of British India over to Indian ministers.

● Plan DID NOT include any plans for India’s independence

India’s First Elections

● Following the Govt. of India Act India had its first elections.

● Huge victory for the Hindu Congress Party.

● Muslim League, which represented 25% of India’s population failed miserably.

‘QUIT INDIA’

● Gandhi announced it was time for Britain to ‘Quit India’

● August, 8, 1942, Indian National Congress passed ‘Quit India’ motion, immediately demanding the British leave India.

● British arrested Gandhi & the Congress Party was banned.

GANDHI IS RELEASED

Gandhi & other nationalist leaders were released between 1944 & 1945.

● They continued to push for Indian independence & circumstances in both India & Britain were becoming more favorable for India’s demands.

THE FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE

● Muslim leader Jinnah built up a separate Muslim League to challenge India’s National Congress, which he believed favored Hindus.

● In 1940 Jinnah claimed India had never been one nation & demanded creation of a separate Muslim state when India became independent.

● New state was to be Pakistan.

● In India’s new elections, National Congress gained a massive victory.

● But, in Muslim areas Muslim League won overwhelmingly.

● British prime minister Attlee sent a mission to negotiate terms of independence w/National Congress & Muslim League.

● Negotiations quickly fell through.

● Jinnah launched day of ‘Direct Action’, which was to be a silent day of protest against both the British & National Congress.

● But, in Calcutta, peaceful protest turned violent.

● 4,000 people were killed & 100,000 people lost their homes.

● Increase in violence convinced the British that India needed its independence quickly.

TWO NEW STATES

● In 1947, a new Viceroy was sent to India to arrange for India’s independence.

● National Congress willing to accept giving Jinnah some of what he wanted & the British decided best solution was to partition India into two countries - India & Pakistan.

END OF BRITISH RULE

● British rule ended August 15, 1947.

● After partition, 40 million Muslims remained in India & 8 million Hindus remained in the new Pakistan.

● There were also millions of Sikhs in the Punjab, who felt they belonged to neither country.

● Almost immediately, violence broke out.

● Violence erupted. Trains carrying migrants were stopped & the passengers slaughtered.

● Sikhs & Hindus killed Muslims & Muslims killed Sikhs & Hindus.

● Est. that 1 million people were killed.

● The killings continued into Nov. 1947 & then new govt. were able to restore order & began building their separate new states.

ASSASSINATION OF GANDHI

● Gandhi continued to preach tolerance & work against the cycle of violence.

● He started a fast to death to try to shame those took part in violence.

● Many people disagreed & believed they needed to fight to defend themselves.

● Gandhi was shot by a militant Hindu on January 30, 1948.