SIMON COMMISSION.

1927
 7-man committee led by Sir. John Simon, from the British Parliament
Reasons
 Stop communalism in India which threatened to undo cooperation between
Muslims and Hindus
 Conservative government feared that they would lose to Labor Party who
might make too many concessions
 Decide the political future of India
Failure
 All members were British/Political future was in hands of foreigners
 “Simon Go Back!” Slogans against Simon commission/ protests
NEHRU REPORT. 1928
 After Simon Commission, All-Party Conference was held with members of
Muslim League, Congress, Liberals, Hindu Mahasabha and Central Sikh
League
 Indian people draft their own constitution
 Conference chaired by Pundit Motilal Nehru
Terms
 Immediate Dominion Status for India
 India as federation with two-chamber parliament
 No separate electorates
 No state religion
 Hindi as official language
Rejection
 Muslims ignored in terms
 Muslim league opposed
 Jinnah (RA) drafted 14 Points as answer to Nehru Report
JINNAH (RA)’S 14 POINTS. 1929
Success
 Hindus realized muslim community’s representation
 Points formed basis of further discussion with Congress or British
 Congress as well as League dropped demand of Dominion status and
called for complete independence
SALT MARCH. 1929
 Gandhi started non-cooperation movement and marched from his ashram
(near Ahmedabad) to Dandi
 Boycotted British goods
 British censored Congress
 Muslims did not take part because march was for complete
independence/Muslims wanted separate state
ALLAHABAD ADDRESS. 1930
 Dr. Allama Iqbal chaired meeting of League in Allahabad
 Wanted Punjab, Baluchistan and NWFP amalgamated into single muslim
majority state
 He was first person to give idea of separate homeland for Muslims
 However, did not call for Kashmir or Bengal to be included
FIRST ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE. 1930
 Held in London in November
 Attended by League and representatives of princely states
 Congress did not join (guarantee of implantation of agreements was not
given)
 It was difficult to make significant progress as largest political party was
absent
Result
 Princes declared that they would join a future federation of India as long as
their as their rights were recognized
 British agreed that representative government should be introduced at
provincial level
GANDHI-IRWIN PACT. 1931
 Signed by Gandhi and Lord Irwin in March
 Opposed by Winston Churchill
 Irwin agreed to release political prisoners and return government-seized
property
 Gandhi agreed to call off non-cooperation movement and attend next
round table conferences
 Gandhi also agreed to drop demand for complete independence but Irwin
agreed that Indians would have say in federal India
SECOND ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE. 1931
 Held in London between September and December
Failure
 Labor Party lost power/new coalition government was less keen to resolve
problems in India
 Gandhi refused to recognize problems of minorities
Success
 NWFP and Sindh be made provinces with their own provincial governors
COMMUNAL AWARD. 1932
 Ramsay MacDonald announced Communal Award in August
 Gave separate electorates to all minorities with principle of weightage
applied
 Muslims rejected as their majority was decreased in Punjab and Bengal
 Hindus rejected as it declared the ‘untouchables’ as a minority/opposed by
caste system of Hindus
THIRD ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE. 1932
 Congress started non-cooperation movement again
 Lord Wellington less keen on concessions
 Only 46 delegates/no clear result
 Jinnah (RA) gone into voluntary exile
“NOW OR NEVER” BY RAHMAT ALI
 Rahmat Ali studied in England
 Jinnah (RA) didn’t want partition
 Rahmat Ali wrote four-page pamphlet called “Now or Never”/changed
Jinnah’s perspective
 Called for independent muslim state
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT. 1935
 Introduced as White Paper to British Government after failure of Round
Table Conferences
 Became law in August
Main Terms
 India as federation/princes have option to join
  Two houses of parliament at central parliament
 Diarchy dropped at provincial level
 Number of provinces increased (NWFP, Sindh and Orrisa)
 25% of population allowed to vote
 Governor-General was Head of Federation
Result
 Opposed by all Indians
 Step towards independence
ELECTIONS. 1937
 Muslim League campaigned on two basic principles, autonomy and greater
provincial autonomy
 Nehru believed only two parties of India, British and Congress
 Congress won absolute majority in five provinces and was largest single
party in four provinces
 Muslim League lost even in muslim majority provinces
Benefits for League
 Party learned about how to contest elections
 Realized that support was from muslim minority provinces
 League had ‘image problems’/aristocrats were not connected with poor
Muslims
RULE OF CONGRESS. 1937-39
 Bande Matram was Hindu nationalist song which promoted expulsion of
Muslims from ‘Hindustan’/it was compulsory to sing before starting
business every day/offended Muslims
 Wadha Scheme was an education scheme based on Gandhi’s views/
teaching to be in Hindi, spinning cotton by hand was introduced but no
religious teachings/students expected to bow before Gandhi’s picture
 Azaan was banned
 Loud music played at time of prayers
 Punishments on slaughtering cows
 Pushing pigs in mosques
DAY OF DELIVERANCE
 Britain announced that India was at war with Germany too
 Congress resigned
  Jinnah (RA) called to celebrate end of Congress Tyranny on 22nd
December 1939 as Day of Deliverance
SECOND WORLD WAR. 1939
 Muslim League said demands be met otherwise India wouldn’t support
Britain against Germany
 League’s demands were end to anti-Muslim policies of Congress, no law
passed affecting Muslims until 2/3 of muslim support it and Congress
should agree to form coalition in provincial government
 Britian denied
 Congress resigned from government
 Congress disapproved to Nazism and Fascism so did not oppose British
PAKISTAN RESOULTION. 1940
 Dr. Allama Iqbal and Rahmat Ali had built up on views of Sir. Syed Ahmed
Khan of independence
 Jinnah agreed for independent muslim state
 At annual session of League held in Lahore on 22nd March, Maulvi Fazl-ul-
Haq put forward resolution of independent muslim state consisting of
muslim majority provinces
 Resolution passed on 23rd March 1940
CRIPPS MISSION. 1942
 British sent Sir. Stafford Cripps, a Cabinet member to reach a compromise
in India
Proposals
 After war, Indian Union set up with Dominion Status/individual provinces
could opt out
 After war, Constituent Assembly frame a new constitution
 Elections for Constituent Assembly held immediately after war
Failure
 Muslim League rejected because no mention of Pakistan/ Jinnah (RA)
pleased British recognized minorities’ rights
 Congress rejected because it demanded immediate control of India
QUIT INDIA RESOLUTION. 1942
 Gandhi spoke at Congress meeting in Allahabad/argued no threat of
Japanese invasion if independence from Britain/called for non-violent
protest
 Gandhi and Nehru arrested/ Congress banned
 Aerial bombing started/thousands of Indians lost lives
 Muslims did not approve of movement
GANDHI JINNAH TALKS. 1944
 Gandhi released from prison on medical grounds by Lord Wavell
 Throughout September both met at Jinnah’s house in Bombay
Failure
 Gandhi wanted League to give immediate support to Congress to get rid of
British/after independence partition could be considered
 Gandhi wanted defense and foreign policy to be in hands of central
government but Jinnah (RA) wanted them to be in hands of provincial
government
 Gandhi considered himself to be speaking for all India/Jinnah reminded
him he was spokesman of Congress
 Gandhi did not support ‘Two-Nation Theory’/it was official League policy
LORD WAVELL AND SIMLA CONFERENCE. 1945
 Lord Wavell flew to India after end of second world war and introduced a
policy that Executive Council should be set up to govern the country
 Conference consisted of Gandhi and Abul Kalam Aziz from Congress,
Jinnah (RA), Khawaja Nizamuddin and Liaqat Ali from League, the
Scheduled Castes, Sikhs and other groups
Failure
 Jinnah (RA) rejected because castes and Sikhs would vote for
Hindus/Muslims would become a minority
ELECTIONS. 1945-46
Result
 League won 87% of muslim vote, all 30 seats in Central Assembly and 446
of 495 seats in provincial elections
 Congress won 91% of non-Muslim vote
 Reasons for League’s Victory
 Campaigned effectively after 1937 elections
 Congress rule made Muslims realize they should stand up for
themselves otherwise they would suffer at hands of Congress
 Communal divide between Muslims and Hindus was greater
CABINET MISSION PLAN. 1946
 Three-man delegation (Secretory of State for India, President of Board of
Trade and First Lord of Admiralty) met representatives of League,
Congress, Sikhs and Mahasabha
 Delegation stated that interim government takes over until British
withdraws, government would from All-India Commission from members of
Provincial and Central Legislatures/commission would then decide whether
there should be one or two states
Final Plan
 Rejected idea of Pakistan
 Three provinces after British withdrawal (Hindu majority territories,
western muslim provinces and Bengal and Assam)
 Each part would have local autonomy with own constitution
 Foreign affairs, defense and communication managed by Indian Union
Result
 Plan dropped due to zero support from any side
DIRECT ACTION DAY. 1946
 16th August 1946, League called for Direct Action Day to show muslim
solidarity to Congress
 In Calcutta demonstration turned violent and 4000 people died in the
“Great Calcutta Killing”
3rd JUNE PLAN. 1947
 New Viceroy, Lord Viscount Mountbatten released need for partition
 Two states of India and Pakistan/interim constitution to be Government of
India Act 1935
 Dominion status and Executive responsible for Constituent Assembly
 Provinces would vote to join either country based on majority population
Challenges
 In just 7 weeks’ time boundaries needed to be drawn between Muslim and
non-Muslim areas
 Division of assets undecided
 Pakistan’s relationship with Britian to be resolved
 Issue of princely states
RADCLIFFE AWARD. 1947
 Sir. Cyril Radcliffe headed Boundary Commission
 Announced on 16th August 1947
 Award was declared unjust
 Calcutta, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur given to India
INDEPENDENCE ACT. 1947
 Act passed on 15th July 1947
 14th August Pakistan came into being
 15th August India declared Independence