Test: History - 12 - UPSC MCQ

• Different opinions were voiced on the question of Indian support to British war efforts.
• Gandhiji, who had all sympathy for Britain in this war because of his total dislike of the fascist ideology, advocated an unconditional support to the Allied powers. He said that he was not willing to embarrass the British government during the war.
• Subhas Chandra Bose and other socialists, such as Acharya Narendra Dev and Jayaprakash Narayan had no sympathy for either side in the war. They thought it was the ideal time to launch a civil disobedience movement, to thus take advantage of the situation and snatch freedom from Britain.
• Jawaharlal Nehru was not ready to accept the opinion of either Gandhiji or of the socialists. He advocated no Indian participation till India itself was free. However, at the same time, no advantage was to be taken of Britain’s difficulty by starting an immediate civil disobedience movement.

Linlithgow announced the August Offer (August 1940) which proposed:

• dominion status as the objective for India;
• expansion of viceroy’s executive council which would have a majority of Indians (who would be drawn from major political parties);
• setting up of a constituent assembly after the war where mainly Indians would decide the constitution according to their social, economic and political conceptions, subject to fulfilment of the obligation of the government regarding defence, minority rights, treaties with States, all India services; and
• no future constitution to be adopted without the consent of minorities.

For the first time, the inherent right of Indians to frame their constitution was recognised and the Congress demand for a constituent assembly was conceded. Dominion status was explicitly offered.

During the course of the Second World War in order to secure the cooperation of the Indians, the British Government made an announcement on August 1940, which came to be known as the ‘August Offer’.
Gandhiji was not satisfied with this offer and decided to launch Individual Satyagraha.
Individual Satyagraha was limited, symbolic and non-violent in nature and it was left to Gandhiji to choose the Satyagrahis.

The main proposals of the mission were as follows.

• An Indian Union with a dominion status would be set up; it would be free to decide its relations with the Commonwealth and free to participate in the United Nations and other international bodies.
• After the end of the war, a constituent assembly would be convened to frame a new constitution. Members of this assembly would be partly elected by the provincial assemblies through proportional representation and partly nominated by the princes.
• The British government would accept the new constitution subject to two conditions: (i) any province not willing to join the Union could have a separate constitution and form a separate Union, and (ii) the new constitution making body and the British government would negotiate a treaty to effect the transfer of power and to safeguard racial and religious minorities.
• In the meantime, defence of India would remain in British hands and the governor-general’s powers would remain intact.

In March 1942, a mission headed by Stafford Cripps was sent to India with constitutional proposals to seek Indian support for the war.
The main proposals of the mission were as follows.

• An Indian Union with a dominion status would be set up; it would be free to decide its relations with the Commonwealth and free to participate in the United Nations and other international bodies.
• After the end of the war, a constituent assembly would be convened to frame a new constitution. Members of this assembly would be partly elected by the provincial assemblies through proportional representation and partly nominated by the princes.
• The British government would accept the new constitution subject to two conditions: (i) any province not willing to join the Union could have a separate constitution and form a separate Union, and (ii) the new constitution making body and the British government would negotiate a treaty to effect the transfer of power and to safeguard racial and religious minorities.
• In the meantime, defence of India would remain in British hands and the governor-general’s powers would remain intact.

• It was in 1942 when the world was going through the havoc caused by World War II. India too was facing the heat and after the Cripps Mission had failed, and on 8 August 1942, Mahatma Gandhi made a Do or Die call through the Quit India movement.
• On August 8, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi made a Do or Die call in his Quit India speech which was delivered in Bombay at the Gowalia Tank Maidan.
• Even though the speech caused some turmoil within the party and even leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Azad were apprehensive and critical of the call, but backed it and stuck with Gandhi’s leadership until the end.

A significant feature of the Quit India Movement was the emergence of what came to be known as parallel governments in some parts of the country. The first one was proclaimed in Ballia, in East UP, in August 1942 under the leadership of Chittu Pande. In Tamluk in the Midnapur district of Bengal, the Jatiya Sarkar came into existence on 17 December, 1942 and lasted till September 1944. Satara, in Maharashtra, emerged as the base of the longest lasting and effective parallel government.

Gandhi’s special instructions were spelt out at the Gowalia Tank meeting but not actually issued. They were directed at various sections of society.

• Government servants: Do not resign but declare your allegiance to the Congress.
• Soldiers: Do not leave the Army but do not fire on compatriots.
• Students: If confident, leave studies.
• Peasants: If zamindars are anti-government, pay mutually agreed rent, and if zamindars are pro government, do not pay rent.
• Princes: Support the masses and accept sovereignty of your people.
• Princely states’ people: Support the ruler only if he is anti-government and declare yourselves to be a part of the Indian nation.

The main personalities taking up underground activity were Rammanohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Aruna Asaf Ali, Usha Mehta, Biju Patnaik, Chhotubhai Puranik, Achyut Patwardhan, Sucheta Kripalani and R.P. Goenka. Usha Mehta started an underground radio in Bombay. This phase of underground activity was meant to keep up popular morale by continuing to provide a line of command and guidance to distribute arms and ammunition.

Lala Lajpat Rai died on November 17, 1928, after suffering grievous injuries during a lathi–charge carried out by the police during the Protests against Simon Commission.

The main proposals of the Wavell Plan were as follows.

• With the exception of the governor-general and the commander-in-chief, all members of the executive council were to be Indians.
• Caste Hindus and Muslims were to have equal representation.
• The reconstructed council was to function as an interim government within the framework of the 1935 Act (i.e. not responsible to the Central Assembly).
• Governor- general was to exercise his veto on the advice of ministers.
• Representatives of different parties were, to submit a joint list to the viceroy for nominations to the executive.

To arrange the historical events in chronological order, we need to understand the sequence in which they occurred. Let's analyze each event:
1. Proposal of Rajagopalachari Formula: This proposal was put forward by C. Rajagopalachari in 1944. It involved the idea of creating an executive council with equal representation from both Hindus and Muslims in order to address the communal tensions in India.
2. Quit India Movement: The Quit India Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942. It called for the immediate withdrawal of British rule from India and aimed to achieve complete independence.
3. Wavell Plan: The Wavell Plan, also known as the Shimla Conference, took place in 1945. It was named after Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India, who proposed the plan. The plan aimed to create a representative interim government for India and resolve the political deadlock between the Congress and the Muslim League.
4. Proposal of Desai-Liaquat Pact: The Desai-Liaquat Pact, also known as the Delhi Pact, was signed between Indian National Congress leader Jawaharlal Nehru and Muslim League leader Liaquat Ali Khan in 1947. This pact aimed to protect the rights of religious and ethnic minorities in the event of India's partition.
Now, let's arrange the events in chronological order:
- Quit India Movement (2)
- Proposal of Rajagopalachari Formula (1)
- Wavell Plan (3)
- Proposal of Desai-Liaquat Pact (4)
Therefore, the correct answer is B: 2-1-4-3.

Bhulabhai Desai, leader of the Congress Party in the Central Legislative Assembly, met Liaqat Ali Khan, deputy leader of the Muslim League in that Assembly, and both of them came up with the draft proposal for the formation of an interim government at the centre, consisting of—

• an equal number of persons nominated by the Congress and the League in the central legislature.
• 20% reserved seats for minorities.

No settlement could be reached between the Congress and the League on these lines, but the fact that a sort of parity between the Congress and the League was decided upon had far-reaching consequences.

Congress Support for INA Prisoners

• At the first post-War Congress session in September 1945 at Bombay, a strong resolution was adopted declaring Congress support for the INA cause.
• Defence of INA prisoners in the court was organised by Bhulabhai Desai, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Kailash Nath Katju, Jawaharlal Nehru and Asaf Ali.
• INA Relief and Enquiry Committee distributed small sums of money and food, and helped arrange employment for the affected.
• Fund collection was organised.

Cabinet Mission Plan—Main Points

• Rejection of the demand for a full-fledged Pakistan.
• A constituent assembly to be elected by provincial assemblies by proportional representation (voting in three groups—General, Muslims, Sikhs).
• Provinces were to have full autonomy and residual powers.
• Princely states were no longer to be under paramountcy of British Government. They would be free to enter into an arrangement with successor governments or the British Government.

Main Points of Attlee’s Statement

• A deadline of June 30, 1948 was fixed for transfer of power even if the Indian politicians had not agreed by that time on the constitution.
• The British would relinquish power either to some form of central government or in some areas to the existing provincial governments if the constituent assembly was not fully representative, i.e., if the Muslim majority provinces did not join.
• British powers and obligations vis-a-vis the princely states would lapse with transfer of power, but these would not be transferred to any successor government in British India.

Mountbatten Plan
(i) independence for princely states ruled out—they would join either India or Pakistan;
(ii) independence for Bengal ruled out;
(iii) accession of Hyderabad to Pakistan ruled out
(iv) freedom to come on August 15, 1947; and
(v) a boundary commission to be set up if partition was to be effected.

• Although the rebels received the sympathy of the people, the country as a whole was not behind them. The merchants, intelligentsia and Indian rulers not only kept aloof, but actively supported the British. Meetings were organized in Calcutta and Bombay by them to pray for the success of the British. Despite the Doctrine of Lapse, the Indian rulers who expected their future to be safer with the British liberally provided them with men and materials. Indeed, the sepoys might have made a better fight of it if they had received their support. Almost half the Indian soldiers not only did not Revolt but fought against their own countrymen.
• Apart from some exceptions like the Rani of Jhansi, Kunwar Singh and Maulvi Ahmadullah, the rebels were poorly served by their leaders. Most of them failed to realize the significance of the Revolt and simply did not do enough.
• Bahadur Shah and Zeenat Mahal had no faith in the sepoys and negotiated with the British to secure their safety. Most of the taluqdars tried only to protect their own interests. Some of them, like Man Singh, changed sides several times depending on which side had the upper hand. Apart from a commonly shared hatred for alien rule, the rebels had no political perspective or a definite vision of the future. They were all prisoners of their own past, fighting primarily to regain their lost privileges. Unsurprisingly, they proved incapable of ushering in a new political order.

The General Service Enlistment Act of 1856 was introduced by Charles Canning in 1856. It required every Indian soldier to go overseas for deployment if required. It was one of the main causes for the Uprising of 1857, as it was a taboo for Brahmins in those days to cross the seas, it was known as Samudrolanghana or Sagarollanghana.

This significant Act was enacted in the wake of the Revolt of 1857. The act known as the Act for the Good Government of India, abolished the East India Company rule, and transferred the powers of government, territories and revenues to the British Crown.
Features of the Act

• It provided that India henceforth was to be governed by, and in the name of, Her Majesty. It changed the designation of the Governor-General of India to that of Viceroy of India. He (viceroy) was the direct representative of the British Crown in India. Lord Canning thus became the first Viceroy of India.
• It ended the system of double government by abolishing the Board of Control and Court of Directors.
• It created a new office, Secretary of State for India, vested with complete authority and control over Indian administration. The secretary of state was a member of the British cabinet and was responsible ultimately to the British Parliament.
• It established a 15-member Council of India to assist the secretary of state for India. The council was an advisory body. The secretary of state was made the chairman of the council.
• It constituted the secretary of state-in-council as a body corporate, capable of suing and being sued in India and in England.

The Act of 1858 was, however, largely confined to the improvement of the administrative machinery by which the Indian Government was to be supervised and controlled in England. It did not alter in any substantial way the system of government that prevailed in India.

Tatya Tope
Also known as Ramachandra Pandurang Tope, he was one of the most notable Indian freedom fighters and a general in the Rebellion of 1857.

• In May 1857, Tatya Tope won the battle over the Indian troops of the East India Company at Kanpur.
• He forced General Windham to retreat from the city of Gwalior.
• He collaborated with Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi to seize Gwalior.

Tatya Tope was defeated by Sir Colin Campbell (later Baron Clyde) on December 6, 1857. He was hanged on April 18, 1859, in General Meade’s camp at Shivpuri.

The final wave of annexations occurred under Lord Dalhousie who was the Governor-General from 1848 to 1856. The Doctrine of Lapse declared that if an Indian ruler died without a male heir his kingdom would “lapse”, that is, become part of Company territory. One kingdom after another was annexed simply by applying this doctrine: Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur (1853) and Jhansi (1854). Finally, in 1856, the Company also took over Awadh. This time the British had an added argument – they said they were “obliged by duty” to take over Awadh in order to free the people from the “misgovernment” of the Nawab! Enraged by the humiliating way in which the Nawab was deposed, the people of Awadh joined the great revolt that broke out in 1857.

• The Malabar rebellion of 1921 (also known as Moplah revolt) started as a resistance against the British colonial rule in Malabar region of Kerala.
• Eka Movement or Unity Movement is a peasant movement which surfaced in Hardoi, Bahraich and Sitapur during the end of 1921.
• Pabna Peasant Uprising (1873–76) was a resistance movement by the peasants against the zamindars in Bengal in the Yusufshahi pargana (now the Sirajganj District, Bangladesh) in Pabna.
• Swami Sahajanand Saraswati organised the Bakasht Movement in Bihar in 1937–1938. “Bakasht” means self-cultivated. The movement was against the eviction of tenants from Bakasht lands by zamindars and led to the passing of the Bihar Tenancy Act and the Bakasht Land Tax.
   

The primary motive of Britishers were to make India a net exporter of raw materials to the British industries at a cheap rate and to sell British products at a higher rate in the Indian market.
British rulers neither permitted modernisation nor did they encourage the growth of industries. Besides, there was a scarcity of basic and heavy industries.

Sir Charles Wood, the President of the Board of Control, played an important role in spreading English learning and female education in India.
Wood suggested that primary schools must adopt vernacular languages, high schools must adopt Anglo-vernacular language and at college-level English should be the medium of education. This is known as Wood’s despatch. Vocational and women’s education were also stressed upon.
One of the most favourable steps taken was to create an English class among Indian people to be used as workforce in the company’s administration.

With reference to the colonial rule in India, “Home Charges” formed an important part of drain of wealth from India. Home Charges refer to the expenditure incurred in Britain by the Secretary of State on behalf of India.
They include:

1. Funds used to pay salaries and pensions of British personnel engaged in India.
2. Funds used to support the India office in London.
3. Funds used for waging wars outside India by the British.
    

Fabianism, socialist movement and theory that emerged from the activities of the Fabian Society, which was founded in London in 1884. Annie Besant was a member of the Fabian Society.