These notes cover the colonial policy in India in the inter-war period and the administration of the African empire, British policies in the Middle East and the relationship between Britain and the Dominions between . They are for the new a level specification and are to an A*standard.
Section 3: Imperialism Challenged Chapter 14: Colonial Policy and Administration
Chapter 14: Colonial Policy and Administration
To What Extent Had India Achieved Self-Government before 1947?
What was Diarchy?
• A system of double government introduced by the Government of India Act in 1919 for the provinces of India
• It marked the first introduction of democracy into the British governance of India
• It was introduced by Edwin Montagu (The Secretary of State for India) and Lord Chelmsford (Viceroy)
• It separated responsibilities between the provincial governors and elected Indian ministers. But the Indians
didn’t really have any power because finances were controlled by the provincial governors
• Provincial governors controlled: law and order; justice; police; land revenue (tax) and irrigation. Indian
ministers controlled: education; public health; public works; agriculture; forests and fisheries
How did the Government of India Act 1919 change India?
• The Viceroy retained control of major areas e.g. defence and foreign affairs. His councils remained a purely
appointed body but it had to defend its actions before the legislative council
• The legislative council was split into: a lower house (the legislative assembly) 104/144 were elected, and an
upper house (the Council of State) 34/60 were elected
• Provincial councils run by Indian minister took responsibility for local government, health, education, and
agriculture
• The Viceroy could legislate by decree for 6 months in an emergency
• The British regarded the reforms as a concession to critics of British rule in the Indian Congress and hoped that
the reforms would weaken popular support for them – it was viewed as the first step towards the system of
self-government
• It was seen as a key turning point because independence was denied meaning demands grew but it was also the
first introduction of democracy
What did the Simon Commission recommend?
• It was a review of the 1919 act in 1927. It had no Indian members
• It recommended: a federal system of government to be created across India, incorporating both provinces and
the princely states; the provinces to be given more power; defence, international security, and foreign affairs
should remain in the hands of the British Viceroy, ensuring overall British control
What happened at the Round Table Conferences in 1930 and 31?
• They were held in London
• Gandhi represented the Congress at the second
• No agreement was reached
• Britain rejected self-governing status for India because of doubts about the competence of non-white leaders
and people as well as concern for India’s strategic and economic importance to Britain
How did the Government of India Act 1935 change India?
• It made the provinces completely self-governing (this could still be suspended in an emergency and provincial
governors were still appointed by the British)
• It expanded the franchise from 7 to 35m people
• It envisaged an all-India federation which included the princely states
• There was to be an elected Indian parliament. 1/3 would be appointed by the princes and the rest elected. 1/3 of
elected seats were reserved for Muslims
• The Viceroy remained the head of state and had the right to veto laws and suspend the constitution
Why did Indians oppose the India Act?
• The Congress Party opposed it because it fell short of the independence of the white dominions and because
they wanted to be completely free of British rule
• Princely states rejected federal India because the wanted to retain their independence from the rest of India
• It was criticised in India for not going far enough, and in Britain for going too far
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