INDIA (1947)
Role of Leaders
➔ Jawaharlal Nehru
◆ President of INC
◆ Helped develop international connections + foreign allies
◆ Central role in negotiations
◆ One of first to realise that people in princely states were suffering →
included them in nationalist movement
◆ Disagreed that nonviolence was the answer
➔ Mohandas Gandhi
◆ Hartal (countrywide strike/inaction) + satyagraha (nonviolent resistance)
● Still led to violent outbreaks
◆ Spread movement across country through travels - mass movement instead
of just intellectual elite + upper class
◆ 1930 Salt March: televised, gained momentum → effectively used
media
◆ Critics suggest that without nonviolence, independence could have been
achieved much sooner (Dennis Dalton)
◆ 1942 Quit India Movement
● Civil disobedience on a large scale → shops, schools,
workplaces closed
● Population was extremely involved
➔ Muhammad Ali Jinnah
◆ 1916: became president of Muslim League → united front with INC
◆ Initially moderate but became more radical after British didn't grant
independence after WWI
● Along with Tilak + Annie Besant, he supported British war efforts in
hope that India would be rewarded with political freedoms
● 1916 All India Home Rule League
○ Lots of pressure on British, widespread protests, spread
political awareness throughout country
◆ Resigned after Gandhi’s non-cooperation campaign in 1920
◆ Promoted two-state solution unlike INC; supported British during WWII to
strengthen their position
, ◆ 1946: called for ‘direct action’ → strikes, protests, violence
◆ His pressure on Cripps for two-state solution helped British exploit tensions
● Motivated Britain to leave due to rising tensions + division
➔ Vallabhbhai Patel
◆ Driving force of independence, organised + directed civil disobedience
movements
➔ Subash Chandra Bose
◆ Helped incite nationalism but ties to Nazi Germany were poorly received
◆ Turned to Hitler to help liberate India
◆ Indian National Army → violent protests
● Disagreed with ahimsa
Impact of Wars + Other Factors
➔ World War I
◆ Judith Brown !!
◆ 1.5 million Indians involved during the war → heavy casualties
◆ It highlighted that Britain was not invincible or very powerful
◆ Undermined moral high ground of Western superiority who were fighting for
self-determination + independence too
◆ Moderates like Jinnah turning more radical → had supported British
hoping for more political freedom / independence
◆ 1917: announced they would encourage gradual development of self-
governing institutions
● They didn't → once crisis was over, less incentive to do so
● Britain was dependent on India for war - pressure to meet demands +
provide autonomy
● By end of WWI, change is speeding up BUT lack of legislation made
nationalist leaders more radical
➔ Economic impact
◆ 146 million pounds of Indian revenue contributed to war effort →
ordinary Indians taxed
◆ Price of grain increased 93% + imported goods by 190% → soaring
inflation rates
◆ Failure of monsoons + grain shortages exacerbated famine + economy
, ◆ Disruption of trade
➔ Underlying factors
◆ Indian population rapidly rising
◆ Education + literacy increasing
◆ Great Depression affecting world economic conditions
● India’s economy developing independently of Britain
◆ Industrialisation → India has surplus trade with Britain
◆ Influenza pandemic - 12 million dead
◆ Urbanisation → easier to organise around towns
◆ India is very far from Britain → hard to control
◆ Running India is less profitable to British
➔ World War II
◆ Britain committed India to fight without consultation →
strengthened nationalist movement
◆ Sped up independence → British empire weakening, need for
decolonisation
● Many undergoing independence movements
◆ India had a large army → Britain needed to come to an agreement
with them
● Influential leaders like Nehru were opposed to fighting without being
independent
◆ Britain did not have resources to suppress potential uprisings →
made concessions
◆ Japan’s victories → they needed India
● Cripps makes an agreement: fighting in return for independence after
war
● Britain now owed India money due to economic resources
◆ 1943 Bengal famine
◆ British mismanagement → partition
Government Figures + Policies
➔ Mountbatten
◆ Commander of forces + viceroy
◆ Brought date of independence forward because Hindu/Muslim tensions were
so bad
Role of Leaders
➔ Jawaharlal Nehru
◆ President of INC
◆ Helped develop international connections + foreign allies
◆ Central role in negotiations
◆ One of first to realise that people in princely states were suffering →
included them in nationalist movement
◆ Disagreed that nonviolence was the answer
➔ Mohandas Gandhi
◆ Hartal (countrywide strike/inaction) + satyagraha (nonviolent resistance)
● Still led to violent outbreaks
◆ Spread movement across country through travels - mass movement instead
of just intellectual elite + upper class
◆ 1930 Salt March: televised, gained momentum → effectively used
media
◆ Critics suggest that without nonviolence, independence could have been
achieved much sooner (Dennis Dalton)
◆ 1942 Quit India Movement
● Civil disobedience on a large scale → shops, schools,
workplaces closed
● Population was extremely involved
➔ Muhammad Ali Jinnah
◆ 1916: became president of Muslim League → united front with INC
◆ Initially moderate but became more radical after British didn't grant
independence after WWI
● Along with Tilak + Annie Besant, he supported British war efforts in
hope that India would be rewarded with political freedoms
● 1916 All India Home Rule League
○ Lots of pressure on British, widespread protests, spread
political awareness throughout country
◆ Resigned after Gandhi’s non-cooperation campaign in 1920
◆ Promoted two-state solution unlike INC; supported British during WWII to
strengthen their position
, ◆ 1946: called for ‘direct action’ → strikes, protests, violence
◆ His pressure on Cripps for two-state solution helped British exploit tensions
● Motivated Britain to leave due to rising tensions + division
➔ Vallabhbhai Patel
◆ Driving force of independence, organised + directed civil disobedience
movements
➔ Subash Chandra Bose
◆ Helped incite nationalism but ties to Nazi Germany were poorly received
◆ Turned to Hitler to help liberate India
◆ Indian National Army → violent protests
● Disagreed with ahimsa
Impact of Wars + Other Factors
➔ World War I
◆ Judith Brown !!
◆ 1.5 million Indians involved during the war → heavy casualties
◆ It highlighted that Britain was not invincible or very powerful
◆ Undermined moral high ground of Western superiority who were fighting for
self-determination + independence too
◆ Moderates like Jinnah turning more radical → had supported British
hoping for more political freedom / independence
◆ 1917: announced they would encourage gradual development of self-
governing institutions
● They didn't → once crisis was over, less incentive to do so
● Britain was dependent on India for war - pressure to meet demands +
provide autonomy
● By end of WWI, change is speeding up BUT lack of legislation made
nationalist leaders more radical
➔ Economic impact
◆ 146 million pounds of Indian revenue contributed to war effort →
ordinary Indians taxed
◆ Price of grain increased 93% + imported goods by 190% → soaring
inflation rates
◆ Failure of monsoons + grain shortages exacerbated famine + economy
, ◆ Disruption of trade
➔ Underlying factors
◆ Indian population rapidly rising
◆ Education + literacy increasing
◆ Great Depression affecting world economic conditions
● India’s economy developing independently of Britain
◆ Industrialisation → India has surplus trade with Britain
◆ Influenza pandemic - 12 million dead
◆ Urbanisation → easier to organise around towns
◆ India is very far from Britain → hard to control
◆ Running India is less profitable to British
➔ World War II
◆ Britain committed India to fight without consultation →
strengthened nationalist movement
◆ Sped up independence → British empire weakening, need for
decolonisation
● Many undergoing independence movements
◆ India had a large army → Britain needed to come to an agreement
with them
● Influential leaders like Nehru were opposed to fighting without being
independent
◆ Britain did not have resources to suppress potential uprisings →
made concessions
◆ Japan’s victories → they needed India
● Cripps makes an agreement: fighting in return for independence after
war
● Britain now owed India money due to economic resources
◆ 1943 Bengal famine
◆ British mismanagement → partition
Government Figures + Policies
➔ Mountbatten
◆ Commander of forces + viceroy
◆ Brought date of independence forward because Hindu/Muslim tensions were
so bad
