Hist 4538
Apr 13, 2004
The 1930s and World War Two
1935 Government of India Act
• greater provincial autonomy
• central government still powerful: British controlled foreign affairs, defense, finance
• most in INC still committed to working with British for gradual constitutional change
1937 Elections
• INC decision to allow members to stand for election, refuse to take any seats won
• INC won majorities almost everywhere
• ML overwhelmed: won only ¼ of seats reserved for Muslims
• Muslim members of INC won the rest
• ML looked like minor party, INC looked like secular, unified body
• INC decided to take seats won, but not cooperate with these legislative bodies
• but once in office, INC reputation damaged by use of repressive measures
Bose’s Challenge
• 1938: leftist leader Subhas Chandra Bose elected INC president
• 1939: Bose re-elected, Gandhi declared this election a personal defeat
• Gandhi pressured Congress working committee to resign
• Bose forced to resign INC presidency
World War Two
• 1939: Britain again declared war on India’s behalf without consultation
• INC members resign in protest—a crucial mistake?
• ML steps in to take over seats, Jinnah delighted
• INC offered support in return for postwar concessions; British refused
• Jinnah cooperates with British, issues 1940 Lahore Resolution
Development of Pakistan Idea
• Syed Ahmed Khan: Hindus and Muslims “actually constitute one nation” (Hay 192)
• Iqbal: 1930 call for “creation of autonomous States” (Hay 221)
• Cambridge group: 1933 call for “Pakistan” (Hay 235)
• 1940 Lahore Resolution (Hay 228-231)
◦ “two-nation theory”
◦ Jinnah: the British should “allow the major nations separate homelands by dividing India into ‘autonomous natl state.’”
◦ ML approves resolution that any constitutional plan must recognize that “the areas in which the Ms are numerically in a majority . . . should be grouped to constitute ‘Independent States’ in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign.”
• Ayesha Jalal’s revisionist view in The Sole Spokesman
Bose and the Indian National Army
• recruited about 20,000 Indian POWs to join army to fight against British with Japanese
• very popular in India
• a violent strand of Indian nationalism
Cripps Mission and “Quit India”
• British desperate for Indian support
• sent Stafford Cripps to rally support in exchange for post-war dominion status
• talks ended in failure
• 1942: Gandhi called for “Quit India campaign
• INC leaders immediately arrested, rehabilitating image
• less disciplined, more violent campaign
• British and INC at a standoff