India to Partition & India after Independence (IDS)

Mohandas Gandhi

(1869 - 1948) Independence leader who sought a moral, not simply a political transformation of society. Advocated for Swadeshi (whatever is made or produce in the nation must be used first and foremost by the nation). Swadeshi encourages a sense of self-governing.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah

(1876 - 1948) Leader of the Muslim League founded in 1906. Son of a prosperous merchant; trained as an attorney. Not a practicing Muslim through president of the Muslim League in 1916. First Governor General of Pakistan (1947-1956).

Jawaharlal Nehru

(1886 - 1964) Nehru was the leader of the Indian National Congress which was founded in 1995. Nehru was from an elite family, educated at Harrow and Cambridge. Nehru first Prime Minister of India from 1947 - 1964.

The Rowlatt Act

(1919) it extended "emergency measures" enacted during WWI in order to control public unrest and root out conspiracy. Authorized the government to imprison, without trial, any person suspected of terrorism living in the Raj. Gave British imperial authorities power to deal with revolutionary activities. Mohandas Gandhi was critical of it and argued that not everyone should be punished in response to isolated political crimes. Led to indignation from Indian leaders and the public, which caused the gov't to implement repressive measures. Gandhi and others found that constitutional opposition to the measure was fruitless, so on April 6th, a "Hartal" was organized where Indians would suspend all business and fast as a sign of their hatred for the legislation.

Cripps Mission

(1942) An attempt by the British government to secure Indian cooperation and support for their efforts in World War II. The mission was headed by Sir Stafford Cripps, a senior left-wing politician and government minister in the War Cabinet of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Some congress leaders wanted to support them in hope that the gesture would be reciprocated with independence after the war. Mohandas Gandhi was opposed to Indian involvement in the war as he would not morally endorse a war. He also suspected British intentions, believing that the British were not sincere about Indian aspirations for freedom. Cripps offered India full Dominion status at the end of the war, with the chance to secede from the Commonwealth and go for total independence. There was too little trust between the British and Congress by this stage, and both sides felt that the other was concealing its true plans. Congress stopped talks with Cripps and, guided by Mohandas Gandhi, the national leadership demanded immediate self-government in return for war support. When the British remained unresponsive, Gandhi and the Congress began planning a major public revolt, the Quit India movement (1942), which demanded immediate British withdrawal from India.

"State of Emergency"

Declared in 1975 by Indira after cases of election fraud and use of state machinery for election purposes. Allowed herself to rule by decree until 1977. Indira was arrested and tried, however, she still was re-elected in 1980.

Swadeshi

Gandhi's vision of a free India as a confederation of self-governing, self-reliant, self-employed people living in village communities, deriving their right livelihood from the products of their homesteads. Maximum economic and political power would remain in the hands of the village assemblies. Whatever is made or produced in the village must be used first and foremost by the members of the village. Trading among villages and between villages and towns should be minimal.

Indira Gandhi

(1917-1984) Prime Minster of India, Indira was able to strengthen foreign relations after succeeding in the Indo-Pakistan War in 1971. Then, developing an atomic weapon in 1974.

Amritsar Massacre

(1919) Ten thousand people, including many women and children, gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh, a garden in the city of Amritsar. The people assembled there to conduct a meeting, peacefully protesting against the arrest of two leaders of the Indian National Congress. Peaceful protest, people unarmed. British General ordered his men to open fire on the group of innocent people. Nearly four hundred people killed and more than a thousand injured. Resulted in the mass Indian uprising and insurgence and ultimately led to the Indian Freedom.

Non-Aligned Movement

An international organization of over 100 states which consider themselves not aligned with any major power bloc. Nehru was a leader of NAM in the Cold War. Purpose: to ensure the national independence, sovereignty and security of non-aligned countries in their struggle against imperialism, colonialism and all forms of foreign aggression. Focuses on national struggles for independence, the eradication of poverty and economic development

Centrally Planned Economy/ Emphasis on science

India wanted to apply modern technology to expand agriculture and industry. Gov't adopted a socialist model with five-year plans to set economic goals and manage resources. Under Nehru, India built dams to produce hydroelectric power and poured resources into heavy industries such as steel. Indian gov't built schools and universities to turn out the educated work force essential to developing industrial economy. Nehru took advantage of the Green Revolution to make India self-sufficient in food production (new seeds, chemical fertilizers, and irrigation methods)

The split

Mohammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the Muslim League, insisted that Muslims have their own state, Pakistan. Riots between Hindus and Muslims helped persuade Britain to partition, or divide, the subcontinent. Drawing fair borders were impossible because Hindus Muslims lived side by side. In 1947, British officials hastily created Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan. Pakistan was made up of two widely separated areas in the northern part of the subcontinent that had large Muslim populations. In 1947, millions of Hindus and Muslims crossed the borders of India and Pakistan in both directions. During the mass migration, centuries of mistrust plunged northern India into savage violence. Sikh and Hindu mobs slaughtered Muslims fleeing into Pakistan. Muslims massacred Hindu and Sikh neighbors. An estimated 10 million refugees fled their homes. One million or more, mostly Muslims, may have died.