This is an in depth timeline of the events regarding India's Road to Independence from the British Raj in the years which looks into different major characters including the leaders within India and Britain such as Viceroys and Prime Ministers.
1857 – Indian Mutiny
1858 – Britain takes full control of India and create the British Raj
1885 – The INC is formed to debate a future Indian constitution and
work with the British to achieve that
1905 – Partition of Bengal
1906 – The Muslim League is formed due to feeling like the minority
in India and feeling underrepresented by the INC
1909 - Indian Councils Act which was where India was given
more freedom that any other British colony; they were given
governing powers and preferential treatment
1911 – Bengal reunites
1914 – First World War begins following the assassination of
Archduke Fraz Ferdinand and the rising tensions throughout Europe
1915 – Defence of India Act gave extended powers to the executive
during the war and meant that India would not have any autonomy
throughout the war; enforced by the Rowlatt Acts arrest without
cause and a restriction on civil liberties
o Gandhi returns from South Africa (1921 he assumes the role of
President)
1916/1917 – The British were struggling with the Battle of the
Somme and the Battle of Passchendaele so to make sure that India
remained loyal throughout the war…
o 1917 – The Montagu Declaration “some form of self-
government at some stage”; perceived to be dominion status
after the war; appeased the Indian Councils Act
1916 – The Lucknow Pact; Hindus and Muslims working together for
the last time to put pressure on the British during the war to achieve
a fixed proportion of seats in a future Indian parliament
1917 – The Montagu Declaration “some form of self-government at
some stage”; perceived to be dominion status after the war;
appeased the Indian Councils Act
1918 – First World War ends
1919 – The Rowlatt Acts; restricted movement, writing and speech
and enforced curfews and the crawling order
o April 13th: The Jallianwallah Bagh Massacre (The Amritsar
Massacre).
379 dead
Approx. 1500 casualties from 1600 bullets
o October 29th: The Hunter Commission
Findings:
, Neither General Dyer nor the Indian people were
in the wrong
The Indian people should have been given a
warning.
Dyer should not have fired for 10 minutes (the
length of time should have been shorter)
o Government of India Act; introduced dyarchy at the provincial
level (50% British Control & 50% Indian Control)
o Not dominion status in any capacity (extremely far removed)
and instead of dominion status, they got, instead, dyarchy and
the Amritsar Massacre
1919 – 1924 – The Khilafat movement; a protest by Muslims to try
and influence Britain to protect the Ottoman Empire post World War
One
1920 – 1922; Gandhi’s second satyagraha; promoted non-violence,
peaceful protest, self-sufficiency (Ashram), rejecting British goods
consumption (swadeshi). The British cannot argue with this as it is
not threatening, its paralysing for them and the only thing they can
do is arrest people.
1921 – small scale riots killing 600 people
o Lord Reading becomes the new Viceroy.
1922 – Chauri Chaura (February) 22 policemen had been burnt and
beaten to death. Gandhi refused to support the violence.
Reading proposed full provincial autonomy to which Gandhi refused
so this ended the second satyagraha as he started his fast-unto-
death to stop the violence and promote Ahisma again.
o The risk of Gandhi’s death while in a British prison may make
the British look bad on an international stage.
o Imprisoned for treason and was only released following an
appendicitis operation and since the INC had become more
moderate again in his absence.
1926 - Viceroy Irwin is appointed
1927 – Delhi Conference; to persuade members to make such an
ambitious decision as to offer the idea of separate electorates being
demolished and to facilitate a meeting to agree on the 14 points
o The Simon Commission: to investigate how the GOIA was
working as the British was afraid of nationalism and the labour
party winning the next general election so the conservative
government wanted to put something in place before their
potential loss of power
1928 – Young Hooligans want ‘Purna Swaraj’.
o The Nehru Report – first Indian Constitution
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