India 4.2 (Methods of Achieving Indian Independence)

Satyagraha

This is a nonviolent resistance philosophy that Gandhi followed closely. It requires its followers to emphasize the truth and morality to achieve their goals. It was important to mobilize masss civil disobedience against the British.

Partition (1947)

Partition refers to dividing British India into the two countries of In dia and Pakistan after independence from colonial rule. It occurred overnight, with the final viceroy leaving everything in shambles. There was a lot of mass migration, communal violence, and a lot of people were displaced as a result.

Hindutwa

This is the ideology that sees India as a Hindu nation and that emphasizes the history of Hindu culture in the country. It was important in Indian politics during the independence movement.

Salt March (1930)

The Salt March was a nonviolent protest led by Gandhi against the British tax on salt. It led to nationwide civil disobedience and a lot of press coverage, which galvanized the Indian independence movement.

Government of India Act (1935)

This expanded Indian autonomy for local rulers but the Biritish still had control in emergency situations (they could decide when it was an emergency). It also aimed to created a federal structure, despite this never actually being implemented. Most indians though the act was too little too late.

Khilafat (1919-1922)

The Khilafat movement supported the preservation of the Ottoman Empire post-WWI and was in alignement with Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement. It was started by Muslims but gained support from the Hindu community after Gandhi backed it.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Jinnah was the leader of the Muslim league and a really big advocate for the two-state solution to the problem of independence. He negotiated a lot with the British to eventually allow for partitiojn in 1947.

Motilal Nehru

he was a member of the Indian National Congress and was a very big advocate for self-rule. He published the Nehru Report that proposed reforms allowing for dominion status in India.

Dominion Status

Dominion status was a concept that a lot of moderate leaders fought for that meant India would be a self-governing territory within the British Commonwealth. Eventually, it was abandoned for demands of compelte independence instead.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Dr. Ambedkar was known at the leaders of the Untouchables, a community so 'inferior' to most Indians they were below any class of the standard caste system. He played a big part in writing the Indian constitution.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Indian prime minister and a big figure in the independence movement. He fought for socialism, secularism, and non-alignment.

Subhas Chandra Bose

Subhas Chandra Bose was a racial nationalist who turned to violent resistance. He founded the Indian National Army and allied with Axis powers during the second World War, going against British colonial rules.

"Quit India" Campaign (1942)

The Quit India campaign was a response to the attempted negotiations of the British for an alternate solution to independence. It was a mass civil disobedience movement that Gandhi led to demand immediate British withdrawal from the country.

Stafford Cripps

Stafford Cripps was a British diplomat who offered independence to India post-war only if they would dedicate their full support to the British war effort. This was rejected by Congress, though Jinnah continued negotiations with Cripps.

Winston Churchill

Churchill was the British Prime Minister during WWII. He opposed independence and prioritized British imperial interests, despite signing the Atlantic Charter, which was a global agreement that all nations should have the right to self-determination.

Bengal Famine (1943)

The Bengal Famine was caused by British wartime policies that diverted food to troops and forced Indians to use land for British objectives other than agriculture, leaving thousands starving. It showed clear colonial neglect of the Indian people.

Non-Violent Methods

The non-violent methods of achieving independence in India were mainly led by Gandhi. The satyagraha philosophy as well as civil disobedience and non-co-operation helped galvanize a lot of people to support the independence effort and resist British rule. Events like the Salt March disrupted colonial administration and showed global media the moral strength of peaceful resistance. These methods united a lot of diverse cultures and religions that made up the whole of Indian society to create a mass movement against the British. Also, Gandhi's propaganda during these acts of nonviolence helped the press paint the British as the bad guys and Indians as innocent people just searching for independence from colonial forces.

Violent Methods

Radical leaders like Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose were important figures in the violent independence movement in India. Members of the Indian National Army, founded by Bose, believed that armed struggle was necessary if they were going to overthrow the British rule. There were planned and coordinated attacks to challenge the British. The INA also allied with the Axis powers of Germany and Japan during the second World War in order to fight the British militarily. Violent methods clearly demonstrated how frustrated many Indians had grown with nonviolent approaches to independence and the amount of time they took to materialize.

Influence of External Factors

World War 1 and World War 2 both weakened Britain economically and also politically because the struggles reduced its ability to maintain colonial control. Anti-colonial movements that broke out worldwide and the influence of socialist leaders like Lenin inspired Indians to start questioning imperialism and British colonial rule. The Atlantic Charter, which the British Prime Minister Churchill signed, called for every nation's right to self-determination. This was very important in Indians demanding independence. International support from leaders like President Roosevelt forced Britain to reconsider their colonial policies. The global shift to decolonization also aided in Indian freedom.

Influences of Gandhi vs. Jinnah

Gandhi and Jinnah were both very important but very different figures in the independence movement. Gandhi thought the most important parts of the movement were to have unity and nonviolence, and he wanted an India were Hindus and Muslims would live together in peace. He led mass movements that garnered people from different classes, castes, and religious backgrounds. Jinnah fought for the Muslim identity, though, and believed that Muslims needed a separate country so they could protect their own rights and interests. Gandhi envisioned a united India, but Jinnah's negotiations and advocacy led to the partition and creation of Pakistan.