Why were the people dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s?
There was great dissatisfaction with British rule in the 1870 and 1880 some of the reasons for dissatisfaction are as follows:
a) They thought that the British were exercising control over the resources of India and the lives of its people.
b) The Arms Act which was passed in 1878, disallowing Indians from possessing arms.
c) In the same year, the Vernacular Press Act was also enacted in an effort to silence those who were critical of the government. The Act allowed the government to confiscate the assets of newspapers including their printing presses if the newspaper published anything that was objectionable.
d) The Ilbert Bill was passed which provided for the trial of British or European individuals by the Indians and sought equality between British and Indian judges in the country. However, the white opposition forced the government to withdraw the bill. This enraged the Indians further.
Who did the Indian National Congress wish to speak for?
The Indian National Congress wished to speak for the good of all countrymen. It speaks for all the Indians irrespective of class, colour, caste, creed, language, or gender. It stated that India, its resources and systems were not of any class or community of India but of all different community of India. As through a newspaper report, we come to know that Badruddin Tyabji said that Congress is composed of the representatives of all the different communities of India.
What economic impact did the First World War have on India?
What did the Muslim League resolution of 1940 ask for?
In 1940, the Muslim League resolution asked for “Independent States” for the Muslims in the North-Western and Eastern areas of the country. The resolution did not mention partition for Pakistan.
Who were the Moderates? How did they propose to struggle against British rule?
In the first twenty years of its existence, the Congress was “moderate” in its objectives and methods or we can say that “Moderates” were the leaders of the Congress who presented their demands to the British in a moderate way and they wanted gradual reforms. They aimed at better and friendly association with the British. They proposed to struggle against British rule in a non-violent manner which the radicals called “politics of petitions”. The moderates included leaders like Surendranath Banerjee, Pherozeshah Mehta and Gopal Krishna Gokhle.
Proposed methods to struggle against the British government:
a. The demands were presented to the British through petitions, meetings, speeches and resolutions.
b. They published newspapers, wrote articles and showed how the British rule was leading to the economic ruin of the country.
c. Their whole attitude was of reconciliation and not confrontation.
d. They would do nothing which would offend the British rulers.
How was the politics of the Radicals within the Congress different from that of the Moderates?
The politics of the radicals within the Congress was different from that of the moderates. The radicals were proposed to the “politics of prayers” followed by the Moderates within the congress. They explored more radical objectives and methods.
Radicals:
a. The radicals opposed the moderate’s ‘policy of petitions’ and ‘resolutions’.
b. They laid stress on self-reliance and constructive work.
c. Radicals demanded ‘Swaraj’ from the British rule.
d. The extremists advocated the radical methods of strikes and boycott for the fulfillment of their demands.
Moderates:
a. Wanted self-government or Swaraj within the British Empire.
b. Their whole attitude was of reconciliation and not confrontation.
c. They would do nothing which would offend the British rulers.
d. The demands were presented to the British through petitions, meetings, speeches and resolutions.
Discuss the various forms that the Non-Cooperation Movement took in different parts of India. How did the people understand Gandhiji?
During the 1921 and 1922 the non-cooperation movement gained momentum. Students left their schools. Lawyers gave up their practices, British titles were surrendered and people lit public bonfires of foreign cloths.
I. The Non-Cooperation movement gained momentum differently in different parts of India:
a.) In Kheda, Gujarat, Patidar peasants organized non-violent campaigns against the high land revenue demand of the British.
b.) In coastal Andhra and interior Tamil Nadu, liquor shops were picketed.
c.) In the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, tribals and poor peasants staged a number of “Forest Satyagrahas”, sometimes sending their cattle into forest without paying grazing fee.
d.) In Bengal, the Khilafat-Non-Cooperation movement alliance gave enormous communal unity and strength to the national movement.
e.) In Punjab, the Akali agitation of the Sikhs sought to remove corrupt mahants supported by the British from their gurudwaras.
f.) In Assam, tea gardens labourers demanded in a big increase in their wages.
II. The way in which the people understood Mahatma Gandhi:
Gandhi Ji was thought of by people as a messiah, someone who could help them overcome their misery and poverty. Peasants were hopeful that Gandhiji wished to build their fight against Zamindars. For instance, at the end of a powerful movement, peasants of Pratapgarh in the United Provinces managed to stop illegal eviction of tenants but they felt it was Gandhiji who had won this demand for them. Agricultural labour felt that he provide them with the land.
Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?
According to salt law, the state had a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of salt. Mahatma Gandhi thought it was sinful to tax salt since it was such an essential item of our food. He led a march to the coastal town of Dandi, where he broke the salt law by gathering natural salt found on the seashore and boiling sea water to produce salt. This march related to the general desire of freedom to a specific grievance shared by everybody.
Discuss those developments of the 1937-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan.
i. The Congress’ failure to mobilize the Muslim masses in the 1930s allowed the League to widen its social support.
ii. From the late 1930s, the Muslim League began to viewing the Muslims as a separate nation from the hindus.
iii. The provincial elections of 1937 seemed to have convinced the Muslim League that Muslims were a minority, and they would always have to play second fiddle in any democratic structure.
iv. In 1945, the Rift between the Congress, and the League saw itself the sole spokesperson of India’s Muslims.
v. The League success in the seats elections of 1946 encouraged them to demand for Pakistan.
vi. After the failure of the cabinet mission, the Muslim league decided on mass agitation for winning its Pakistan demand. It announced 16th August 1946 as “direct action day”.
All the above factors led to the creation of Pakistan.