India before the First World War

Great Rebellion 1857

Context

• The connection between Britain and India began through trade, and the growth in prosperity of the East India Company 

Key features

• The Indian Mutiny was a mutiny of Indian soldiers (sepoys) serving in the EIC's army 

Links to events after

• 1858 Government of India Act disbanded the East India Company and placed India directly under British rule 

Indian National Congress founded 1855

Key features

• In 1885, 73 individuals, representing every province of British India, met in Bombay for the first annual meeting of the Indian National Congress 

• Membership increase steadily, from about 600 in 1888 to about 100,000 in 1914 

Significance

• In the early days, Congress was simply a forum for discussion and was dominated by Hindus, most of whom were high-caste 

• They were initially intent on working with the Raj in order to enable Indians to play a greater role in running their country 

Links to events after

• In the years after the First World War, it became more of a political part and the national vehicle for India's first great nationalist movement 

Partition of Bengal 1905

Context

• Bengal was large, unruly and difficult to administer 

Key features

• Viceroy Curzon decided to partition the province along religious lines with Muslims controlling East Bengal and Hindus in West Bengal 

Significance

• The partition led to violent protests and was reversed a few years later 

All-India Muslim League founded 1906

Key features

• In December, the All-Indian Muslim League was founded at the annual Muhammedan Educational Conference held in Dhaka 

• About 3000 delegates attended with numbers growing steadily at each annual meeting 

Significance

• All delegates supported the establishment of a political party, primarily to protect Muslim interests in a Hindu-dominated country 

• They were initially intent on working with the Raj in order to enable Indians to play a greater role in running their country 

Mahasabha founded 1906

Context

• Muslims and Hindus had led an uneasy co-existence for hundreds of years, but this began to break down in the 20^th century, partly due to the position of strict neutrality officially adopted by the Raj 

Key features

• Hindu 'ginger group', Mahasaba, was established with the aim of making the Hindu community powerful and independent. It was quite prepared to use force against people they thought were diluting the Hindu faith 

Significance

• Exacerbated tensions between Muslims and Hindus and contributed to the emerging concept of separateness 

Links to events after

• A member of this group was to murder Gandhi in 1948 

Congress split 1907

Morley-Minto reforms 1909

Key features

• The Indian Councils Act was the outcome of a series of reforms agreed between secretary of state John Morley and viceroy Lord Minto, reflecting an understanding of the problems faced by Hindus and Muslims as they moved to have a greater say in their country's affairs 

• Sixty Indian representatives were to be elected to serve on the viceroy's Executive Council; 27 of these were to be elected from territorial constituencies and special interest groups. However, officials remained in the majority 

• The provincial councils were to be enlarged so as to create non-official majorities 

• Separate electorates were provided for Muslims and Hindus in order to allow the minority Muslims to have a voice in the various councils 

Significance

• Morley appointed two Indians to his London-based group of advisors. When he urged Minto to do something similar, he appointed Satyendra Sinha, the advocate-general of Bengal, to be his advisor on his Executive Council 

• Minto and his officials in Calcutta, although believing reforms to be essential, thought of them as a defensive action. Morley, on the other hand, regarded them as a significant step toward self-government 

Links to events after

• The Act was in force when India went to war in 1914. As a result of the war, the political landscape underwent tremendous change 

• These reforms greatly influenced the 1919 Government of India Act and the objectives of Indian nationalists