Access to History. Britain and India 1845-1947

169 Pages·2011·3.164 MB·English

by  Tim Leadbeater

access to history
Britain and India
1845–1947
Tim Leadbeater
PART OF HACHETTE LIVRE UK
Study guides written by Angela Leonard (Edexcel).
The publishers would like to thank the following individuals, institutions and
companies for permission to reproduce copyright illustrations in this book:
AKG-Images/Ullstein Bild, page 96 (bottom); © Austrian Archives/Corbis, page 63;
© Bettmann/Corbis, pages 70, 87, 145; Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos,
page 128; © CORBIS, page 77; © Dinodia Images, pages 38, 110; Getty Images,
pages 78, 83, 98, 111, 132; © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis, pages 32, 127;
By permission of Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru/National Library of Wales/Solo
Syndication, pages 105, 119, 144; David Low, The Daily NewsandThe Star,
16th December 1919/British Cartoon Archive, University of Kent/Solo Syndication,
page 53; Paul Popper/Popperfoto/Getty Images, page 104; Private Collection, Archives
Charmet/The Bridgeman Art Library, page 39; Private Collection, Ken Welsh/
The Bridgeman Art Library, pages 11, 13; Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images,
pages 28, 84, 106.
The publishers would like to acknowledge use of the following extracts:
Basic Books for an extract from Empire: The British Imperial Experience from 1765 to the
Presentby Denis Judd, 1996; Basic Books for an extract from Empire: The Rise and
Demise of the British World Orderby Niall Ferguson, 2003; Cambridge University Press
for an extract from The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empireby P.J. Marshall,
1996; Little Brown & Co. for an extract from The Rise and Fall of the British Empireby
Lawrence James, 1994; Oxford University Press, USA for an extract fromModern India:
The Origins of an Asian Democracyby Judith M. Brown, 1994; Penguin Books, India for
extracts from India’s Struggle for Independenceby Bipan Chandra, 1988; Trafalgar
Square Publishing for an extract from Liberty or Death: India’s Journey to Independence
and Divisionby Patrick French, 1997; Vikas Publishing House for extracts from Towards
India’s Freedom and Partitionby S.R. Mehrotra, 1978.
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© Tim Leadbeater 2008
First published in 2008 by
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Cover photo shows a cartoon by Johnson in Kladderadatsch, 13 August 1933, ‘Seated on
the Indian elephant, whose tusks are blunted by the policy of non-violence, Gandhi
defies the violence of the British Lion’, courtesy of Mary Evans Picture Library
Typeset in Baskerville 10/12pt and produced by Gray Publishing, Tunbridge Wells
Printed in Malta
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ISBN: 978 0340 965 979
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Contents
Dedication v
Chapter 1 The Subcontinent 1800–1900 1
1 Introduction to the Land and People 2
2 The Indian Mutiny 1857 10
3 Raj and Renaissance 14
4 Imperialism and Nationalism 20
Study Guide 28
Chapter 2 Discontent to Outrage 1901–19 30
1 Reorganisation 31
2 Reconciliation in Conflict 42
3 The Amritsar Massacre 49
4 The Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms 54
Study Guide 57
Chapter 3 Campaigns and Concession 1919–39 60
1 Gandhi and Non-cooperation 61
2 Lord Simon and the Salt March 67
3 Talks 74
4 Elections and Relations Between Congress and the Muslims 80
Study Guide 89
Chapter 4 Quit India 1939–45 91
1 Patriotisms 92
2 Quit India Campaign 99
3 Viceroy Wavell 105
Study Guide 112
Chapter 5 Independence and Partition 1945–7 115
1 Options 116
2 Setbacks 123
3 Full Speed Ahead 126
4 Decisions 133
5 Aftermath 143
6 The Final Constitution(s) 150
Study Guide 151
iv | Contents
Chapter 6 Surveying the Transfer of Power 153
1 Character 153
2 Gandhi and Churchill 154
3 Jinnah and Pakistan 154
4 Partition 155
5 Looking to the future 155
Viceroys of British India 156
Glossary 157
Index 160
Dedication
Keith Randell (1943–2002)
The Access to History series was conceived and developed by Keith, who created a series to
‘cater for students as they are, not as we might wish them to be’. He leaves a living
legacy of a series that for over 20 years has provided a trusted, stimulating and well-
loved accompaniment to post-16 study. Our aim with these new editions is to continue to
offer students the best possible support for their studies.
Note
Historical anglicised names of cities and locations have been used in this book unless a
specific modern reference is made. For example, Bombay is used rather than Mumbai
but a modern international airport is at Kolkatta rather than Calcutta, the historical
capital of British India.
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1
The Subcontinent
1800–1900
POINTS TO CONSIDER
At the stroke of midnight between 14 and 15 August 1947,
the nations of India and Pakistan came into existence. They
gained or were granted, depending on the point of view,
their independence from the British Empire. Three hundred
million subjects of the King-Emperor George VI became
citizens of modern democracies. The population of the
Empire instantly shrank to one-fifth of its size. It was the
largest peacetime transfer of power in history.
However, since then the two countries have gone to war
with each other several times, usually over the disputed
province of Kashmir, an unresolved problem of
independence and partition. Both nations now possess
nuclear weapons and the United Nations has identified the
Kashmir conflict as the one most likely to escalate to
nuclear war in the world today. In this context, the study of
Indo-Pakistani independence could hardly be more
important.
This chapter sets out the context of the nationalist
movements for independence. The nineteenth-century
period covers the most troubled and then the most
confident time for the British Raj (rule). The British would
not seize more territory after 1850 and treaties were
negotiated with the Indian rulers of hundreds of
independent states. In 1857–8, a mutiny or rebellion broke
out which traumatised the British in India and Britain itself.
In consequence, radical changes were made to the
government of India. The system which was created would
essentially stay the same until a few years before
independence.
This chapter examines in more detail:
• The land and the people
• The Indian Mutiny
• The Raj and renaissance
• Imperialism and nationalism
2 | Britain and India 1845–1947
Key dates
1600 Charter granted to East India Company by
Elizabeth I
1857 Indian Mutiny began
1858 Crown control of India
Royal Proclamation
1875 Foundation of Aligarh College
1877 Queen Victoria declared Empress, British
territorial control in India at its greatest
1883 Ilbert Bill
1885 Formation of Congress Party
1892 Indian Councils Act
1919 Amritsar Massacre
1 | Introduction to the Land and People
The nationalist independence movement and the reactions of the
British form a political and constitutional history. It is, however,
important to understand something of the geographical, social,
cultural and economic factors which underlie and shape this
history. Partition took place as a result of religious pressures and
K
along religious demographic lines and a basic understanding of Demographic e
this is crucial to what follows. Relating to y
t
population. e
r
Geography m
Punjab s
The subcontinent, sometimes referred to as South Asia, covers a
Meaning five rivers.
landmass equivalent to Europe (excluding Russia) or about half
the USA.
Three distinct geographical areas are customarily identified. By
far the most significant is known as the Indo-Gangetic plain. This
is an arc of extremely fertile, and swelteringly hot, territory
running up the huge valley of the river Indus, now in Pakistan,
across the area of the Punjab and down the equally huge valley of
the river Ganges. The Ganges meets the river Brahmaputra
flowing round from the north side of the Himalayas to form the
largest delta system in the world in the area of Bengal, now
Bangladesh. This region has been settled and farmed since
prehistory and has been the territorial base of almost all the
rulers of India. Both of the historical capitals of India, Delhi and
Calcutta (modern Kolkatta) lie within that arc.
To the north lie the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in
the world and still rising as a result of the collision of tectonic
plates. The political effect of this barrier, combined with the
peninsular form of the subcontinent, has been that foreign
invasions have come overwhelmingly from the Islamic north-west,
the north-eastern approaches being even more difficult as a result
of mountains, Burmese jungle and the Bengal delta swamp.
To the south of the plains, coastal strips provide opportunities
for ports, cities and trade. Behind them rise the hills of the
Western and Eastern Ghats creating inland the Deccan plateau.
Areas over 10 per cent Muslim
Areas over 50 per cent Muslim
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