Indian Nationalist Movement

Mahatma gandhi (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi)

A central figure/leader of the INC and overall, the indian independance movement. Led protests against the british raj, sacrificed his entire life towards the cause of freedom for the indian state, led diplomatic talks with the british government.

Advocated only for non-cooperation, non-violent resistance, and civil rights.

Core concepts of Gandhi’s movement:

• Non-Violence: The principle of achieving political and social change through peaceful means, central to Gandhi's philosophy and strategy.

• Satyagraha: Gandhi's philosophy of non-violent resistance, emphasizing truth, moral force, and civil disobedience. “SOUL-FORCE”

• Non-Cooperation: A strategy of boycotting British institutions, goods, and services to undermine British rule through CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE.

• Partition: The division of British India into the independent nations of India and Pakistan in 1947, resulting in mass displacement and communal violence.

• Self-determintation: the idea that a country should have the ability to govern itself without interfence from other nations. Indians had little say on how their country was governed by the British Viceroy.

Rowlatt Act

During the First World War, the rights of citizens such as freedom of speech,the right to hold protest meetings were temporarily suspended in India. Indians accepted this during wartime.

However when a similar act was passed in 1919 by the British government to increase grip and decrease autonomy amongst the common Indians, it gave the British Raj the power to arrest any person without any trial.

Congress launched a campaign against the measures put in palce by the Rowlatt Act.

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Done on April 13 1919 in the north-western city of Amritsar when public meetings had been banned in all cities across india by the British commander, Brigadier-General Dyer.

A large, unarmed crowd gathered in an area known as the ‘Jallianwala Bagh’. General Dyer lined up his men on a bank overlooking the area and ordered them to fire on women, children, and men of all races and ethnicities.

Winston Churchill’s account explains that 379 people had been killed and 1200 had been injured from the firing.

The troops whom not even a stone had been thrown, swung round and marched away. They were all Indian from all kinds of backgrounds and regions within India. They were trained to follow orders without question.

MOBILIZED THE NATION DUE TO THE HORRORS EXPERIENCED

Gandhi & Non-Cooperation Movement

(1920) The Amritsar Massacre became a turning point for Gandhi’s leniancy.

He declared the British government as “evil” and “satanic” for using “arms against unarmed subjects.”

Gnadhi focused on self-governance for India and self-control for each individual with the action of non-cooperation.

Believed that non-cooperating will help indians achieve “satyagraha” or soul force wherein each individual will learn how to take control of their passions and live a simple life.

The British would be defeated with the help of this soul force in the form of non-violence.

So, he advocated for a campaign of non-cooperation

Non-cooperation took many forms for indians participating:

• Indians renounced titles and honors.

• Indian Lawyers refused to work for the British

• Students boycotted schools and universities established by the British.

• People refused to buy British cloth; Gandhi encouraged men (as opposed to just women) to make their own cloth at home and wear clothing made from this homespun cloth. This cloth was called khaddar or khadi which means ‘rough’.

Salt March

In 1922, gandhi was put in jail for sedition post non-cooperation movement. The sentence was for a maximum of 6 years but he was released within 22 months.

After his release in 1930, Gandhi started a campaign of non-violent, yet active, civil disobedience.He marched with thousands of followers 400 kilometres to the coast where he picked up salt on the seashore.This challenged the hugely unpopular British law that taxed salt and forbade Indians to avoid this tax by making their own salt. (SALT TAX=CIVIL DISOBEDIANCE)

Captured the imagination of millions and received massive publicity. Gandhi, along with 100,000 other Indians, was arrested and put in jail.

First Round Table Conference : Diplomacy (RESPONSE OF THE BRITISH TO CIVIL DISOBEDIANCE)

There was concern about Britain’s use of force in retaliation for non-violent protests in both Britain and India, which harmed Britain’s international image. As a result, Gandhi was released from prison and invited to attend a series of meetings in 1930 with the Viceroy. He was then invited to attend a conference in London. NO SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS

1931 - GANDHI-IRWIN PACT - Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931): This agreement between Gandhi and the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, aimed to resolve the civil disobedience movement and led to the release of political prisoners, showcasing Gandhi's influence in negotiations.

Government of India Act

In 1935, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act. This handled over the government of the 11 provinces of British India to Indian ministers subject only to the veto of the British provincial governors.

It did not include any plans for independence

Quit India Movement (IMPACT OF WW2 ON INDIAN NATIONALIST MOVEMENT)

In order to fight the war effectively, economic controls were introduced and labour was conscripted, political rights were repressed.

When Britain declared war on Germany, the Viceroy of India, without consultation with the Indians, also declared that India was at war.

The leaders of the Indian National Congress were outraged at this arrogant treatment of India. They decided to cooperate with Britain, but only to promise that India would become independent after the war. Demands were rejected so INC ministers give up their roles.

Without the support of India in the war against the Axis powers in ww2, negotiations with Congress broke down.

At this point, Gandhi called for another civil disobedience campaign. He announced that the time had come for Britain to ‘quit India’.

On August 8, 1942, the ‘Quit India’ motion, which demanded that the British leave India immediately.

The British arrested Gandhi. The Congress party was banned. Demonstrations and violent protests followed in all of the major cities.

Included the blowing up of railways lines, attacks on police stations and sabotage on telegraph lines.

Indian Independence Act

When Gandhi and the other nationalist leaders were released in 1944-45 they could continue to agitate for independence in circumstances that were becoming more favorable to their demands.

Clement Attlee, the new prime minister, wanted India to become independent as soon as possible so he could concentrate on rebuilding Britain.

It was not in a strong position to maintain the resources necessary to put down the future Indian rebellions.

India was more of a financial liability now due to the direction of taxpayers money going into india rather than britain.

(1947): This act, passed by the British Parliament, granted independence to India and Pakistan, formally ending British rule.

Partition of India

1. Jinnah claimed india had never been one nation and so demanded for the creation of a ‘Muslim State’. This went against the position of Congress leaders, who believed that they represented all Indian people.

The British were pleased to be able to weaken Congress, which they believed was ANTI-BRITISH as well as follow through with the conquering ideology of “divide and rule”.

2. In the new election, congress gained a massive victory. But in Muslim areas, the League won overwhelmingly.

Lord Mountbatten, was sent to India to arrange the handover of india.

By the summer of 1947,Congress was beginning to accept the idea of giving Jinnah some of what he wanted.

Mountbatten soon decided that there was no alternative but to partition India into two countries – India and Pakistan.

INC

1885 - JAWAHARLAL NEHRU & GANDHI

All India Muslim League

1906 - MUHAMMED ALI JINNAH

What factors led to India gaining independence in 1947?

With high hopes after the support of the Indian army integrated into the british army for WW1, India thought it would be granted indepdance as a reward. Instead the Rowlatt act of 1919 and Amritsar massacre of 1919 would break this notion.

British India

Beginning 1858, India was the ‘jewel in the crown’ (quite literally with the Indian and stolen Kohinoor diamonds for the British crown) for the British empire due to the important economic and strategic benefits that it brought Britain.

Was ruled by a British Viceroy,

Seeking to gain independence from Britain, India was the first colony to gain independence from Britain.

The role of national identity, the nationalist movement, and strong nationalist leaders (INC) were key to its decolonization by 1947.

Montagu-chelmsford Reforms

Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms: Enacted in 1919, these reforms expanded the legislative councils and introduced a system of dyarchy in provinces, allowing Indians to have a greater role in governance, though still under British oversight.