1J British Empire Chapter 16 v2

How did Sir Phillip Mitchell support the development of Uganda as a colonial administrator in 1935?

Expanded Makerere College which became the prime centre for higher education in East Africa as a technical college offering courses in nursing, agriculture, veterinary science and teacher training.

By 1925, how many Offices existed, each with their own Secretary of State (cabinet positions), to help administrate the Empire?

- Colonial Office - India Office - Dominions Office

What did Lord Linlithgow do as Indian Viceroy from 1935-43?

- Government of India Act 1935 which enfranchised 35 million Indians - Opposed Gandhi in favour of more cooperative and responsible Indian politicians - resorted to suppression during the Indian Civil Disobedience Campaign. 20,000 Indians were imprisoned in a year. Increased press censorship and ordered surveillance on Congress - 1942 Congress leaders were arrested in response to the Quit India campaign - It is felt that his reactionary and repressive approach accelerated the end of the British Raj

How was satyagraha carried out practically to undermine British authority and cause maximum social and economic impact?

- Worker Strikes - Salt March 1930 in defiance of British law - Swadeshi Movement (boycotts of British goods) to hurt British economic interests - Mass marches and peaceful protests - Fasting campaigns in prison - forced the use of violent repression to break up demonstrations and imprison nationalist leaders

What did Sir Donald Cameron promote as Governor of Tanganyika and Nigeria?

- export of ground nuts and palm oil - building of harbours and railways - entrance of native peoples into civil service

What were Gandhi's main beliefs?

- satyagraha (non violent protest) - religious toleration between Hindus and Muslims - rejection of the caste system - rejection of industrialisation and urbanisation - India to be predominately agricultural and rural

When was the Indian National Congress formed?

1880

What were Gandhi's main campaigns for Indian Independence?

1915 returned to India and became leader of Indian National Congress - 1919 Amritsar massacre pushed him to campaign for independence. - 1920 - Non-Co-operation Movement - 1930-31 and 1932-34 - Civil Disobedience Movements 1942 - Quit India Movement

When did Gandhi become president of the Indian National Congress?

1925

When did the British Crown stop appointing Governor-Generals for the Dominions?

1931 after the Statue of Westminster

How popular was the Indian National Congress by 1938?

4.5 million members in 1936. Elections it won 63% votes in Central Provinces and 59% in United Provinces. Britain had to concede it had a mandate to rule.

What was the concept of the ''dual mandate' as expressed by Lord Passfield in 1931?

A colonial power had the responsibilities: - to develop the colony morally towards self-government - support the development of its economy and exploitation of its own natural resources

Why did Britain withdraw from India in 1947?

Anti-colonial activity. Role of WWII. Indians showing themselves to be capable of self-rule. Served British interest to leave.

What did Gandhi think about swadeshi?

Believed that, in a country where manual labour was looked down upon, it would bring the high and low classes together and celebrate the dignity of hand-labour.

How did it serve British interest to leave India?

Br getting worried about safety of their rule each time they reacted to a protest, they made more enemies. US supported Indian independence. Britain wanted to leave on good terms. Atlee's Labour government came into power and wanted to fix domestic situation; his promise re independence of India.

What does the rushed nature of Indian withdrawal suggest?

Britain wanted to give a governmental structure to Indians so it didn't descend into anarchy but the rushed nature demonstrates that they were not in control of the passage of leaving, and the structure they would leave, suggesting that they were pushed out rather than willingly withdrew.

What was the significance of non-violent protest?

Forced the British to respond with violent action which destroyed the 'civilising' idea of the British Empire in India. Hurt Britain economically which was the main driver of the Empire. Made the 'Jewel' of India less significant.

What happened during the Anti-salt tax campaign (Salt March) in 1930?

Gandhi led a 24 day march to Dandi where he made salt from seawater to go against the British monopoly of salt. Gandhi was arrested and more than 80,000 Indians jailed for the civil disobedience action

Why might some argue that Gandhi was a failure?

Gandhi was rarely involved in the handover negotiations. On the day of independence he was not even present at the celebrations: his vision of a united India was in tatters...Gandhi will remain the preeminent figure of Indian nationalism, but the man himself was left behind in the desperate scramble for power and saddened by the final outcome of Partition.

What were the methods of swadeshi?

Gandhi would encourage Indians to increase their reliance on domestic goods, especially cloth and boycott British goods. 1918- Gandhi began his movement for a relief programme for the poor masses living in villages. He elevated ideas of spinning and weaving to self-reliance and self-government (promoting self-sustenance using bottom-up methods).

Who was Sir Donald Cameron?

Governor of Tanganyika - built harbours and railways. Governor of Nigeria (1931-1935) - promoted exports of ground nuts and palm oil. Promoted the economic advancement of colonies and bringing the indigenous people into the civil government with an eventual advancement to self-rule.

Why was Gandhi significant in the rise and success of Indian nationalism?

He was prepared to talk with the British to share his vision of an independent India. He helped organise the civil disobedience campaign which led to India being ungovernable. He was involved with the peasants of India (ryots)- rallying the masses to his cause. His leadership brought increased support and direction to the nationalist movement. His methods made it hard for the British to respond as they believed in the 'civilising mission' of the empire. Breaking up non-violence with violence hardly fulfilled this. 'Gandhi was both a positive and an undermining influence. He forced Britain to listen to Indian demands but also create a platform for internal dispute'.

What were Gandhi's beliefs?

Home rule for India (Hind Swaraj) - established in 1909. Favoured peaceful resistance to the British, based on the principles of Satyagraha Campaigned for equality between all religious groups and castes, in particular to stop discrimination of the untouchables. Wanted an independent India based upon spiritual and social traditions which included rejecting industrialisation and urbanisation.

What were the changes to the Empires administration?

In 1925 the Colonial Office was split into 2 departments; the Dominions Office, with its own Secretary of State and the Colonial Office.Now there were three cabinet members responsible to the maintaining of the Empire; Secretary of States for the Colonies, for India, and the Dominions.On a local level, the Dominions recruited and appointed their own civil services, but the Crown still appointed a governor-general - however after 1931 Statute of Westminster this simply became a position for representing the Crown. Colonial Services were unified in 1930 - individuals no longer appointed to individual governments - the quality therefore improved. By 1945 there were more Indians in the Indian Civil Service than British.

What were other non cooperation groups pressuring Britain to leave?

In 1930 Bengali extremists raided the Chittagong armoury and killed the District Magistrate of Midnapore. In 1932, Jhan's Redshirts seized control of Peshawar and set up a parallel government. In 1935, the Communist Party of India agreed to join with nationalist rivals in a 'united front' vs imperialism.

How had India had showed themselves capable of self-rule?

Increased Indian influence in government- by 1939 almost as many Indians in Indian Civil Service as Europeans and by 1947, Indians outnumbered the British by 514 to 587. 10% of officer corps Indian in 1939 vs 25% in 1947. INC proved to be efficient administrators esp with police force. Friendly relationships between provincial governors and ministers.

Why was the idea of 'Trusteeship' beneficial and effective to the British Empire?

It was effective because it kept both imperialists and anti-imperialists quiet as it anticipated the end of empire, but not too soon. Both the left and the right of the political spectrum strongly endorsed doctrine of trusteeship. Such beliefs helped to cushion the shock of the eventual loss of empire for many British people and enabled them to see the granting of independence as the fulfilment of mission, not as the collapse of British power. It invested the will to empire with an ethical purpose which helped to sustain it beyond the Second World War. It implied that Britain was in Africa and Asia for the Africans' and Asians' benefit: that her aim was to develop them to a stage where they could fend for themselves

What were the changes in Colonial Administration from 1919-47?

It was their job to collect taxes and maintain stability and order in the face of growing nationalist movements seeking more representation of full independence from colonial rule. In 1925, the Colonial Office was split into two departments: the Dominions Office, with its own Secretary of State (this also took responsibility for the small number of other territories, most notably Southern Rhodesia) and the Colonial Office itself. Three cabinet members were responsible to Parliament for the good governance of the Commonwealth and Empire: the Secretary of State for the colonies, the Secretary of State for India and the Secretary of State for the Dominions. Beneath the three secretaries of state were the permanent officials at Whitehall, and below them, spreading across the Empire, the administrative services which backed up and exercised imperial power

What examples exist of decolonising willingly strengthening the argument that Britain was not pushed out of it's Empire?

Jordan (1946), Palestine (1947), Sri Lanka (1948), Myanmar (1948), Egypt (1952) and Malaysia (1957)

What was the Cripps Mission offer?

Labour MP, sympathetic to Indian independence, sent by Churchill in March 1942 to secure full Indian cooperation for the war effort. He promised full self-government after the war. The Muslim League (led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah) and Indian National Congress both rejected the offer and his mission was halted. His proposals hadn't even been confirmed by Churchill

What was the role of WWII in causing Indian decolonisation?

Lack of Indian support: many of the 60k captured by Japanese after fall of Singapore sided with them. Indian navy at Bombay mutinied in Feb 1946 (20k Indians). Stress on Indian administration: By 1941, India was already a vital conduit for military supplies to Russia, and with the Japanese advance, India became a vital stronghold. This put a lot of stress on Indian Civil Service who had to organise this. Economic problems: by 1940, there was inflation and shortage of key commodities. By end of war, weekly ration= 1.2k calories. 2.1 million died in Bengali Famine (1943) and by the end of the war, UK owed 1.3 million to India (almost half their GNP).

How had colonial administrator attitudes changed by the 1930's?

Less white racial superiority and more focused of native interests

What were the attitudes of colonial administrators in the interwar period?

Lord Lugard of Nigeria represented the narrow minded type of administrator when he claimed in 1922 that public schools have created 'English Gentlemen' who are exceptional at 'playing the game'. A 'Trusteeship' in African nations was established and was furthered after the Second World War. In 1927, Leo Amery, Colonial Secretary wrote a White Paper arguing in favour of 'trusteeship'. 1931 Lord Passfield argued in favour of a 'dual mandate'

What were the differences between Gandhi and Nehru?

Nehru seemed much more interested in the future of India, citing the Japanese model and socialist model in Russia as models that an independent India could base themselves on. Nehru became India's first PM, while Gandhi's influence diminished post-WWII and his assassination.

How did the Quit India Movement cause chaos for Britain?

Quit India supporters murdered 93 policemen and blew up 208 police stations and 332 railway stations in 1942 alone.

Who was Sir Ralph Furse?

Responsible for the 1930 reform of appointments to colonial service and became the director of recruitment of a new personnel division in 1931 - led to him being called the 'father of the modern Colonial Service'

Who was Edwin Montagu?

Secretary of State for India from 1917 to 1922. With Lord Chelmsford, Viceroy of India, he imposed the reforms which led to the Government of India Act 1919 which gave the Indians a limited degree of political representation and control of some aspects of affairs within India itself.

What were the positive aspects of Gandhi?

Stayed true to principles- maintained ahimsa to the best of his abilities; even wanted Britain to be non-violent during the war. The principle of self-growth: khadi (homespun cloth)- intended to eradicate evil perception of poverty and purification. Personal practices (celibacy and constant fasting).

What did Edwin Montagu do as Secretary of State for India from 1917-22?

Supported reforms which led to the Government of India Act 1919 which gave provincial autonomy and very limited self government

What was the idea of 'trusteeship' as applied to less developed colonies in the 1920's and 30's?

There was a developing idea that colonial administration in the less-developed parts of the Empire, practically in Africa, should be a form of trusteeship. Administrators were there to protect native interests, foster the colony's economic growth and 'nurture' it towards greater self-rule. It was the duty of colonial government, before it thought of giving self-rule to any colony, to work to establish the infrastructure of 'good' government there which meant educational, welfare, medical and administrative services but chiefly the economic prosperity which would make these things possible. In 1927, a White Paper written by the Colonial Secretary, Leo Amery, argued in favour of trusteeship with colonists and promoting their interests. A Royal Commission under Sir Edward Hilton Young in 1929 ruled our self-government and federation in East Africa in favour of a policy of 'trusteeship

What was the British reaction to Gandhi?

They were confused by him. Released him out of prison early after non-cooperation movement because they saw how angry Indians could become. His humility put them into a punitive dilemma- how do you punish him/should you? Made Britain lose international prestige (eg Salt March). Rejected Cripps offer- prevented British political rule. Swadeshi was effective- serious decline in British goods, particularly cloth. Arrested 6 times.

Where were colonial administrators chosen from?

Traditional English public schools such as Oxford, Cambridge and Eton

Who was Lord Linlithgow?

Viceroy of India from 1935 to 1943. Actively promoted the enfranchisement of Indians in the Government of India Act of 1935. Believed that more reforms would undermine nationalists and give way to more 'responsible' Indian politicians. Opponent of Gandhi and resorted to repression during the civil disobedience campaigns. Oppose Gandhi and resorted to suppression during the Indian Civil Disobedience Campaign. 20,000 Indians were imprisoned in a year. Increased press censorship and ordered surveillance on Congress. 1942 Congress leaders were arrested in response to the Quit India campaign. It is felt that his reactionary and repressive approach accelerated the end of the British Raj.

What were the weaknesses in Gandhi's vision for India?

Was mainly concerned about independence and spoke little of a future political construction of India. Focused on moral improvement of Indians and wanted a return to an agrarian society society and rejected industrialisation. Believed if 'a village perishes, India will perish too'- village republics can only develop through decentralisation of social and political power. Decentralised policy = decentralised economy so he believed in rural self-sufficiency. Maintained that industrialisation would only help a few. More moral than practical. Attached supreme importance to moral values over material conditions; saw the rural system as a way to transform men morally.

What were Gandhi's intentions with the Salt March 1930?

Wasn't meant to overcome British monopoly; he wanted to convert British people through non-violence Gandhi not making a political statement about industry but an assertion re Br suppression of Indians