Indian Independence 1914-1947 Revision

Paper 2 Revision: Indian Independence 1914-1947

Page 2: Essay Questions

• Question 1: ‘In the years 1922–32, the position of Congress was strengthened’. How far do you agree with this statement?

• Question 2: How accurate is it to say that Gandhi was more of a hindrance than a help in the progress of India towards independence in the years 1920–42?

Page 3: Indian National Congress (INC) 1920-1930

• First and Second Satyagraha:

  • First Satyagraha (1920) initiated non-violent resistance.

  • Second Satyagraha (1921) led to violence, notable events include the Moplah Rebellion and Chauri Chaura incident.

• Response to Violence: Gandhi called off protests in 1922 but was imprisoned by the British a month later.

• Gandhi’s Release: Upon release in 1924, he withdrew from active leadership of INC but established the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

• Nehru Report (1928):

  • Brought together nationalist factions, proposing:

  • Abandonment of separate electorates after 10 years.

  • No official state religion.

  • Dominion status, with India referred to as the “Common Wealth of India”.

  • Radical factions, including Nehru and Bose, pushed for stronger measures, challenging Gandhi’s strategies.

• Calcutta Congress (December 1928): INC demanded British response on reforms within a year.

• Lahore Congress (December 1929):

  • Dissatisfied with British response, INC declared Independence Day on January 26, 1930, initiating Gandhi’s third Satyagraha and the Salt March.

Page 4: Muslim League

• Jinnah’s Opposition to Gandhi:

  • Distrust of mass movements and mixing of religion with politics.

  • Jinnah left the INC in 1920 and opposed the Khilafat Movement.

• Gandhi's Perspective:

  • Supported the Khilafat Movement as a means to unify Hindus and Muslims in protests, although they were largely unsuccessful.

• 1927 Delhi Proposals: Jinnah aimed for Muslim representation in exchange for abandoning separate electorates, but INC rejected proposals, leading to tensions about Muslim rights.

• 14 Points: Jinnah’s outlines presented at the Lahore Congress in December 1929 included a federal constitution to protect Muslim rights but were refused by INC and Muslim League. Jinnah then withdrew from Indian politics.

Page 5: British Raj

• 1921 Reading Offer:

  • Proposed a Round Table Conference (RTC) and provincial autonomy by the Viceroy to prevent unrest; rejected by INC.

• Gandhi’s Imprisonment: Due to the first and second Satyagrahas, Gandhi was imprisoned in 1922, after the second was called off due to violence.

• Government Reactions:

  • Birkenhead and Irwin rejected the Montagu Declaration, reaffirming British control over India.

• Muddiman Committee (1925): Investigated the effectiveness of Diarchy; resulted in a split report, minority report favoring reforms.

• Simon Commission (1927): Investigated Diarchy, with restricted terms of reference leading to general disapproval by INC and Muslim League, although some minor groups engaged.

• Round Table Conferences: Proposed in response to the Nehru Report and INC’s demands at the end of 1928, signaling the British attempt to negotiate.

Page 6: Structure for Examination Essay

• Introduction: Set the context of events from 1920-1930 concerning the INC and Muslim League, examining their roles in the independence movement.

• Theme 1: Discuss the impact of Gandhi’s strategies and Satyagrahas on the movement.

• Theme 2: Analyze the rising tensions between INC and the Muslim League, focusing on Jinnah’s opposition and response.

• Theme 3: Examine the British Raj’s strategies and responses, including offers made and how they were received by Indian leaders.

• Conclusion: Summarize the complexities of the independence struggle during the 1920s, drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of the INC and the Muslim League, as well as Gandhi's influence.