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The Road to Independence

The Road to Independence. An epilogue of sorts. Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, Oh My!. Hinduism (Hindus): the majority religion in India; followed by Gandhi and most members of Congress.

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The Road to Independence

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  1. The Road to Independence An epilogue of sorts

  2. Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, Oh My! Hinduism (Hindus): the majority religion in India; followed by Gandhi and most members of Congress Islam (Muslims): the majority religion in present-day Pakistan; followed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and most members of the Muslim League Sikhism (Sikhs): the majority religion in the Punjab (a province in northwest India); concerned with protecting their political power and religious freedom

  3. Some Key Terms • Congress Party • Formed 1885; Gandhi takes over in 1920 • Primarily Hindu political party dedicated to independence • Unified Indians across castes, backgrounds, and (sort of) religions in the name of independence • Muslim League • Formed 1906 • Primarily Muslim political party aimed at advancing the interests of Muslims in British India • Successfully advocated the partition of India and Pakistan into separate states

  4. Two Conflicts • British vs. Indians • Political independence + repressive rule • Economic independence • Hindus vs. Muslims (and Sikhs) • Muslims are a minority in British India, but heavily concentrated in a few areas • Initial demand: more powerful local government  more power for Muslims • Eventual demand: Pakistan as homeland for Muslims

  5. Satyagraha, and other hard-to-spell terms • Satyagraha: Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent non-cooperation; literally “truth-force” • Ahimsa: non-violence (according to Gandhi, absence of violent thought as well as violent actions) • Swadeshi: strategy of achieving economic independence from the British Empire by refusing to buy British-made goods • Khadi: a hand-spun, hand-woven cloth that replaced British-made, imported clothing • Swaraj: “self-rule,” or strategy of achieving political independence from foreign domination

  6. World War I • 1914: World War I begins • 1.4 million soldiers of the British Indian Army (both British and Indian) fight in the war • 1917: Britain announces plan to give Indians more rights • 1918: WWI ends • 1919: Government of India Act gives Indians power in local government, but keeps national affairs in British hands

  7. You’re halfway through! • Here are some hamsters dressed as dinosaurs

  8. The Amritsar Massacre • April 13, 1919 • British army fires on a nonviolent, defenseless crowd of protesters and pilgrims, killing hundreds • Galvanizes Indian resistance and the first non-cooperation movement under Gandhi • British failure to punish General Dyer further angers Indians

  9. The Salt March • March-May 1930 • 240-mile march to illegally produce salt, followed by a raid on the Dharasana Salt Works • Significance • Sparked large-scale resistance against the salt tax and British rule • Drew international attention to the Indian independence struggle • Did not lead to major concessions from the British

  10. World War II • Britain joins WWII in September 1939 • British Governor-General brings India into war • Muslim League supports war • Congress debates whether to support war • March 1942: Cripps Mission – failed attempt to convince Congress to support the war • India sends over 2 million volunteers to fight in the war

  11. Quit India • August 1942 through roughly 1944 • Campaign led by Congress Party to force the British out of India by massive, nonviolent resistance • British respond harshly • 60,000 Congress leaders imprisoned immediately after start of movement • Mass arrests and public flogging of demonstrators • Ultimately failed to change much

  12. The End of the Raj • WWII ends in 1945; Britain is economically devastated • July 1945: Labour Party wins elections in Britain and rapidly moves toward independence • Ongoing dispute between Congress and Muslim League over how to achieve independence • Mohammed Ali Jinnah: calls for separate Muslim state • Hastily drawn borders between India and Pakistan

  13. Partition • August 14 and 15, 1947 • Two components: • Independence of the British Indian Empire • Division of India (mostly Hindu) and Pakistan (mostly Muslim) • Represented a victory for both Congress and the Muslim League • Mass migration, riots, and deaths – 10 million migrants • Left border disputes unsettled

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