q&a

• The Arms Act of 1878 disallowed Indians from possessing arms
• The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 allowed the government to confiscate the assets of newspapers, including their printing presses, if they published anything objectionable
• The Indian National Congress wished to speak for all the people of India, regardless of class, color, caste, creed, language, or gender
• The economic impact of the First World War on India included:

  • A huge rise in the defense expenditure of the Government of India
  • Increased taxes on individuals and businesses
  • Price increase of all commodities, causing hardship for the common man
  • Great demand for industrial goods due to the war, leading to the decline of European goods being imported into India
  • Indian industrialists had a chance to expand their production
• The Muslim League resolution of 1940 demanded "Independent States" for Muslims in the north-western and eastern areas of the country
• The Moderates were leaders who proposed a non-violent struggle against British rule. Some Moderate leaders were Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, W.C. Banerji, Surendra Nath Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutt, and S. Subramania Iyer. Their proposed actions against British rule included:

  • Developing public awareness about the unjust nature of British rule through newspapers, articles, and speeches
  • Criticizing British rule and mobilizing public opinion
  • Believing that the British would accept just demands due to their respect for freedom and justice
• The politics of the Radicals within the Congress differed from the Moderates as they believed in relying on their own strength, fighting for Swaraj, and not on the "good" intentions of the government. The Radicals included Bipin Chandra Pal, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Lala Lajpat Rai, known as the Triumvirate or "Lal Bal Pal"
• Developments of the 1937-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan:

  • In 1937, the Congress won in 7 out of 11 provinces in elections to the provincial legislatures
  • A new phase of civil disobedience movement started by Gandhiji with the 'Quit India' initiative
  • In 1940, the Muslim League passed a resolution demanding "Independent States" for Muslims in the north-western and eastern areas due to fears of suppression by the Hindu majority
  • After the Second World War in 1945, talks for India's independence were opened with the Congress and the League
  • In 1946, elections to the provinces showed a clear divide between Congress and the Muslim League, leading to the League persisting with its demand for "Pakistan"
• After the failure of the Cabinet Mission, the Muslim League resorted to mass agitation for an independent state of Pakistan
• On 16 August 1946, the Muslim League announced "Direct Action Day", leading to riots in Calcutta resulting in numerous deaths
• By March 1947, violence had spread to different parts of northern India, causing deaths, atrocities against women, and forcing millions to flee their homes, culminating in the birth of the state of Pakistan