Independence Movement in India

1. Independence Movement in India

2. Indian Nationalism • India nationalism had been growing in the country since the mid-1800s • Nationalism: belief that people should be loyal mainly to their nation—to the people who they share a culture & history with • Many upper-class Indians studied in Britain where democracy & the right of the people were fundamental • They began to apply those political ideas to their own country • Two groups formed to rid India of foreign rule: the Congress Party, which was mostly of the Hindu religion… • And the Muslim League • Deep divisions existed between the Muslim & Hindu faiths, but getting rid of the British was their common ground

3. World War I Sparks Anger • Until World War I (1914-1918) most Indians didn’t really have much interest in nationalism • The situation changed as over 1 million Indians enlisted in the British Army • They were promised by the British govt. that they would get to run their own govt. in return • Indian leaders expected gains as soon as the war was over • Later in the war Parliament passed resolutions adding more Indians to govt., which they saw as a positive sign • In 1918 the troops returned from the war & found themselves treated like 2nd class citizens • Radical nationalists carried out random violence to show their displeasure with British rule

4. British Violence • To stop the violence, the British passed the Rowlatt Act • This law allowed the govt. to jail protesters for 2 years w/out a trial • To Western educated Indians the denial of trial by jury violated individual rights • To protest the Rowlatt Act 10,000 Hindus & Muslims went to Amritsar to fast, pray & listen to speeches • Most in attendance were unaware that the British has banned public meetings • British soldiers felt they were defying the ban & fired on the crowd • The shooting lasted 10 minutes, with 400 Indians killed & 1200 wounded • Overnight, millions of Indians changed from loyal British subjects to revolutionaries & nationalists

5. Gandhi’s Civil Disobedience • The massacre @ Amirtsar set the stage for Mohandas Gandhi to emerge as the leader of the independence movement • His strategy for battling injustice evolved from his religious beliefs • His teachings blended the ideas from all major religions including his own (Hindu) • When the British failed to punish the soldiers @ Amirtsar, Gandhi urged the Congress Party to follow a policy of non-cooperation • Gandhi believed in passive resistance or civil disobedience • Civil disobedience = deliberate public refusal to obey an unjust law • In 1920, the Congress party endorsed Gandhi’s civil disobedience strategy as a way to achieve independence

6. Gandhi’s Ways • Gandhi urged Indians to refuse to give $ to the British by paying taxes, buying goods, voting, & attending schools • Throughout 1920, the British arrested thousands who participated in strikes & demonstrations • Gandhi’s strategy took a toll on the British • They struggled to keep trains running, factories operating, & overcrowded jails from bursting • In 1922, rioters attacked a police station & set officers on fire

7. Salt March • In 1930, Gandhi organized a demonstration to defy the hated Salt Acts • The Salt Acts said that Indians could only buy salt from the govt. & they had to pay sales tax • Gandhi & followers marched 240 miles to coast • They began to make their own salt by letting the seawater evaporate in their hands • The peaceful protest was called the Salt March • Soon afterward, some planned to march to a British salt processing site • They wanted to shut it down • Police officers with steel tipped clubs beat the demonstrators • Newspapers around the world carried an American journalists account of the gruesome beatings creating more support • Eventually about 60,000 protestors were arrested including Gandhi

8. Movement Towards Independence • Gradually the work of Gandhi & his civil disobedience helped get more political power for Indians • In 1935, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act • It provided local self-government & limited democratic elections • India began moving towards independence, but caused mounting tension between Muslims & Hindus • The two groups had different visions for India’s future • Indian Muslims, outnumbered by Hindus feared that Hindus would control India after independence

9. India Gains Independence • The leader of the Muslim League, Muhammad Ali Jinnah had once been a member of the Congress Party • However, he said that only the League spoke for Muslims • The Muslim League stated it wouldn’t accept independence if it meant rule by the Hindu dominated Congress Party • The British encourage the division between Hindus & Muslims because they thought it would increase their power • The Muslim League proposed a partition of India into separate Hindu & Muslim states in 1940 • Gandhi was deeply hurt • He opposed a two-nation theory based on this political, cultural & moral beliefs

10. Partition of India • When World War II ended the British were ready to transfer power • But the questioned remained on who should get the power • In 1946, rioting of Hindus & Muslims against each other broke out in cities throughout India • May were killed & hurt • Gandhi did his best to stop the violence by walking through the worst areas of Calcutta • Lord Louis Mountbatten was the last viceroy (governor) of India for the British • He feared that Hindus & Muslims would never be able to live in peace • He began to accept the idea that a partition – or division of India into two nations—would be best

11. Division of India • Mountbatten proposed a division of India in which the northwest portion of India would be Pakistan where a large # of Muslims lived • The rest would be mostly Hindu India • On July 16, 1947 the British House of Commons approved the two nation partition independence • The actual independence and division would take place in one month • Native princes had to decide what nation they would divide • Everything from the courts, military, railways, police & even office supplies had to be divided • Millions of Hindus, Muslims & Sikhs suddenly found themselves in hostile nations

12. Violence in India • During the summer of 1947, 10 million people were on the move • Hindus were leaving Pakistan, Muslims out of India, while Sikhs the 3rd major religion were caught in between • Whole trainloads of refugees were killed by the opposition • Refugee = One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution • Over 1 million died • Gandhi felt terrible that what should have been a joyous time was instead ruined by violence • He personally went to New Dehli to plead for his fellow Hindus to treat Muslim refugees fairly • While there he became a victim of violence • January 30, 1948 he was killed by a Hindu extremist who felt he was too protective of Muslims