The Indian Subcontinent Gains Independence CH.18.1 The Indian Subcontinent Gains Independence

Main Idea New Nations emerged from the British colony of India

Why It Matters Now India today is the largest democracy in the world.

Setting the Stage Britain had ruled India for many years The Indians wanted self rule. The Indians were stunned when the British committed India’s armed forces to WWII. In 1942 the Congress Party launched a “Quit India,” campaign designed to drive Britain out of India. The end of WWII, in 1945, brought changes to the Indian subcontinent.

A Movement Towards Independence When WWII broke out many Africans and Asians answered the cried for help from their colonial rulers. They went to fight on distant battlefields. They also guarded bases and resources in their homelands. The war brought soldiers from wide spread colonies into contact with one another. They began to share stories of frustrations dreams of independence, and strategies for achieving it.

“Asia for Asians” During WWII, the Japanese “Asia for Asians,” campaign helped create nationalism throughout the region. It also sparked independence movements which Japan occupied in Southeast Asia. The Japanese defeat of European forces was a sign to nationalist their European colonial masters were not unbeatable.

The Colonial Response Britain was recovering from the enormous costs of the war. It began to rethink the cost of maintaining and governing distant colonies. The new Government in England also began to question the very basis of Imperialism. Was it acceptable to take by force land and resources of another nations in order to enrich the imperial nation?

Independence Brings Partition to India In 1919 the Amritsar Massacre was the beginning of the end of British rule in India This caused million of Indians to become nationalist overnight. A year later Mohandas Gandhi launched his first nonviolent campaign for Indian independence. Gandhi was admired as the Mahatma, or “Great Soul,” of the Indian Independence Movement.

The Congress Party and Muslim League The Indian National Congress, or the Congress party, was a national political party. It claimed to represent all of India. India in the 1940’s had approximately 350 million Hindus and about 100 million Muslims. Most members of the Congress Party were Hindus, but the party at times did have many Muslim members. A Muslim even served as President from 1940 -1945.

The Congress Party and Muslim League The Muslim League was organization founded in 1906 in India to protect Muslim interests. They thought the Hindu dominated Congress party would look out only for Hindu interest. The leader of the Muslim League, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had once been a member of the Congress Party. Jinnah left when he thought the Congress only spoke for Hindus and the Muslim League was the only group who spoke for the Muslims. The Muslim League later announced it would NEVER support Indian Independence if it meant to be ruled by Hinus and the Congress Party.

The Congress Party and Muslim League The British supported the division on Muslim and Hindu, they thought it would strengthen their authority. The Muslim League first officially proposed the partition of India into separate Hindu and Muslim nations in 1940. Most Muslims lived in the Northwest and Northeast areas of India. Gandhi was deeply hurt by this and strongly opposed the two-nation theory.

Partition into India and Pakistan When WWII ended, the British Government had changed. The stage was now set for power to be transferred to India, but who get the power Hindus and Muslims were rioting against each other in Calcutta, East Bengal, Bihar, and Bombay. In 1946 these riots left 5000 dead and 15,000 hurt. Gandhi walked through the worst areas there. He did this to try and reduce the violence.

Partition into India and Pakistan Lord Louis Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India. He believed Muslims and Hindus could never live together peacefully and he began to support partition. Hindu- India and Muslim- Pakistan. On July 16, 1947 the British House of Commons passed an act which granted the TWO nations independence.

Partition into India and Pakistan More than 500 independent native Princes had to decide which nation they would join The administration of the courts, the military, the railways, and the whole civil service had to be divided down to the last paper clip. Millions of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs would soon find themselves minorities in hostile nations. They also had to pick a place to go. Summer of 1947 10 million people were on the move.

Partition into India and Pakistan Whole trainloads of refugees were massacred. Muslims killed Sikhs who were moving to India, Hindus and Sikhs killed Muslims who were headed into Pakistan. In all it is estimated over 1 million dead. Gandhi went to Delhi to plead for fair treatment of Muslim refugees. On January 30, 1948 Gandhi was killed by a Hindu extremist who thought Gandhi was too protective of the Muslims.

Modern India At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, India would become free. It would also become the world’s largest democracy.

Nehru Leads India Jawaharlal Nehru was independent India’s first prime minister. He had been one of Gandhi’s most devoted followers, Nehru won popularity among all groups in India. He emphasized Democracy, Unity, and economic modernization. Nehru assumed several challenges with his office First was the dispute over the territory of Kashmir.

Nehru Leads India Kashmir had a large Muslim population, but its ruler was Hindu. The state bordered both India and Pakistan. Pakistan invaded shortly after their independence, causing Kashmir ruler to align with India. War between India and Pakistan in Kashmir continued until the UN arranged a cease fire in 1949. The cease fire caused many problems.

Nehru Leads India It left 1/3 of Kashmir under Pakistan rule and the rest under Indian rule. In 1963 China seized part of Kashmir too. In 1972 India and Pakistan fought there again. That same year a new truce line was set up between India and Pakistan areas of Kashmir. Today tensions continue to flare up in these regions. Nehru used his leadership to move India forward.

Nehru Leads India He led other newly independent nations of the world in forming alliances of countries that were neutral in the dispute between the USA and the USSR. Nehru also called for the reorganization of the states by language. Pushed for industrialization and social reforms. He tried to elevate the status of the lower casts and expand the rights of women.

The Nehru Family Rules Nehru’s death in 1964 left the Congress Party with no leader strong enough to hold together its many factions. In 1966, Nehru’s daughter, Indira Gandhi, was chosen Prime Minister. Under Gandhi’s leadership, the country increased its production of food grains. Gandhi soon faced a threat from Sikh extremists, who were agitating for an Independent state of their own.

The Nehru Family Rules Sikh terrorists took refuge in the Golden Temple at Amritsar, the most important Sikh religious center. From there, they ventured out to commit many acts of violence. In June 1984, Indian army troops overran the Golden Temple. They killed about 500 Sikhs and destroyed sacred property. In retaliations, Indira Gandhi was murdered.

The Nehru Family Rules This set off another murderous frenzy, causing the deaths of thousands of Sikhs. Gandhi was succeeded by her son, Rajiv Gandhi in 1984. He won the next election by a large margin, but the party lost its leadership in 1989. In 1991 Rajiv was killed by a bomb, it was carried by a female terrorist from Sri Lanka who opposed Gandhi’s policies.

Social Issues Challenge India India faces challenges today. Their Population is over 1 billion. The caste system continues to undermine social equality. It still faces the threat of religious fanaticism and many separatist movements exist in the country. On the positive side, India continues to develop, oil and coal have been discovered. Science and technology education has been expanded.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka Pakistan gained its independence in 1947 and Ceylon in 1948. After independence both countries suffered from religious and ethnic fighting. In 1972 Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka.

Civil War in Pakistan Pakistan began to divide as a nation. Its east and west regions were separated by more than 1000 miles of Indian land. In Culture, language, history, geography, economics, and ethnic backgrounds, the two regions were very different. Only the Islamic religion united them. East Pakistan had a larger population then West Pakistan. It felt neglected by the Government of West Pakistan.

Civil War in Pakistan Rebellion broke out in April 1971. In December 1971, the Indian army lent its support to East Pakistan. The army of West Pakistan which had occupied East Pakistan, withdrew. A new nation, Bangladesh, was formed from East Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah, died shortly after the independence movement.

Civil War in Pakistan This left the nation without strong leadership and Pakistan went through a series of military coups. Ali Bhutto took over leadership following Civil war. A military coup in 1977 led by General Zia removed Bhutto, who was later executed for crimes committed while in office. Benazir Bhutto, Ali’s daughter, was twice elected prime minister.

Sri Lanka Split by Factions 75% of Sri Lanka’s 16 million people are Buddhists, a fifth are Tamils. (a Hindu people of southern India and Northern Sri Lanka) A militant group of Tamils are calling for a separate Tamil nation. Since 1981, when Tamil militants began armed resistance, 1000’s have lost their lives. To try and end the violence Rajiv Gandhi and the Sri Lankan president have tried to reach an accord in 1983.

Sri Lanka Split by Factions The agreement called for Indian troops to enter Sri Lanka and help disarm Tamil rebels. This effort was not successful, and the Indian troops left in 1990. A civil war between Tamils and other Sri Lankans continues today.