Challenging The Empire 20th Century India D. Smith/History 12

INDIA The “Jewel in the Crown” of the British Empire India fought as a British colony in WW1, suffering high casualties and taking on significant debt. Influenza & inflation increased human suffering. Independence movements became more militant & extreme. March 1919- The Rowlatt Act- gave the colonial gov’t powers to silence the press, arrest without warrants, detention without trial, and try people “in-camera”

AMRITSAR Indian leaders called for protests against the Rowlatt Act, which led to many disruptions of rail & telegraph services. April 10, 1919, a protest left 5 Europeans dead in Amritsar After more protests & some more Europeans died, the British implemented Martial Law on April 13. Martial Law limited civil liberties, including the right to assemble, limiting groups to 4. April 13, 1919- A large crowd gathered near the Golden Temple of Amritsar; some to protest, but many for a festival happening on the same day, (possibly unaware of the decree of Martial Law).

AMRITSAR Massacre A British officer set about to teach the Indians a lesson and sent 90 soldiers into a large walled garden where thousands of civilians had assembled. They shot for 10 minutes; until they ran out of ammunition. The civilians could not escape; many were trampled at the narrow gates, while others drowned jumping into a well. British estimates were 379 dead and 1,000 injured, while other estimates are as high as 1,500 dead. Because of the curfew, the dead & wounded were not moved until the next day. This tragedy galvanized the independence movement.

Gandhi "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." A lawyer, he returned from South Africa in 1915 and began to work for the independence movement. 1921: He became leader of the Indian National Congress, but resigned in 1925. His greatest cause was independence Satyagraha (truth/soul force), was his policy of peaceful resistance, non-cooperation, and non-violence. Gandhi spent a number of years in jail. He was shot Jan. 1948 by a disappointed Hindu nationalist.

Indian Leadership Indian National Congress: political party which led the independence movement Mohandas Gandhi: provided spiritual & strategic leadership for the INC. Jawaharlal Nehru: also a leader in the INC; Nehru and Gandhi disagreed over goals and philosophy, but were a powerful team. Muhammad Ali Jinnah: Leader of the Muslim League, originally supported a united India for all Indians, but would later advocate for separate Muslim & Hindu nations.

Swadeshi Movement The Swadeshi (self-sufficiency) movement involved boycotting British products in favour of domestic-made products. Gandhi suggested Indians should use home-spun cloth to become self-reliant. Pictures of him often include an iconic spinning wheel which later became part of the Indian flag.

SALT MARCH 1930, Gandhi led his most famous act of disobedience. To protest British taxes on salt, Gandhi led a 400km march to the sea where he made salt without paying the tax. Extensive news coverage brought world attention to the independence movement. Acts of disobedience broke out across India, leading to 80,000 arrests, including Gandhi.

Quit India Among many campaigns of civil disobedience, the “Quit India” Movement was a high profile example. In 1942, after Britain rejected independence for India, Gandhi and the INC opposed the war effort and called for wide ranging acts of civil disobedience. For about a year, significant acts of defiance occurred.

Independence June 1947:  Gov. General Louis Mountbatten announced India was to be partitioned into India & Pakistan. August 14, 1947: Pakistan became an independent nation (New G.G.- Jinnah) August 15, 1947: India became an independent nation. (New P.M. –Nehru; New G.G.- Mountbatten) Mass migrations & violent clashes between Hindus & Muslims followed.

Nationalist Conflict Indo-Pakistan War of 1947-48 After partition, the maharaja of Kashmir (Muslim majority) hesitated to join Pakistan, prompting threats from Pakistan. The maharaja sought British help & joined India in response. Indian troops began to drive Muslims out & war occurred. 1948: the UN mediated a cease fire & called for a referendum which didn’t happen, straining India-Pakistan relations. Kashmir remains partitioned & the border still contested. Wars in 1965 & 1999 failed to resolve the issue. Sikh Discontent Sikhs, the 3rd largest ethnic group in India, saw partition divide their traditional homeland, The Punjab. They faced violence & persecution on both sides of the border. Many Sikhs continue to fight for an independent homeland.

Post-Independence India PM Nehru ‘47- ‘64 Economic development was a major goal. India had problems of hunger, disease and mortality. Nehru introduced three 5 year plans. Success was limited, but attracted foreign aid. The gov’t played a major role in the economy, forcing industrial development at huge costs. He is best known for promoting “non-alignment”, keeping India free from superpower dependency.

Post-Independence India PM Indira Gandhi ‘66- ‘77, ‘80- ’84 Development continued with two more 5-year plans, (69-74 & 74-79). Growing socialist emphasis led to bank nationalizations & economic controls. 1971: Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan. 1974: India detonated a nuclear device. Lack of social reform led to unrest. She was assassinated in 1984.

Post-Independence India PM Rajiv Gandhi ‘84- ‘89 The son of Indira, he promised reform, but was unable to deliver. His defeat signalled the end of INC dominance of Indian politics.