Modern History Set 69
π
π Indian History β’ INC
Q.1) The first session of the Indian National Congress was held in Bombay in December 1885. Who was its first President?
Ans > W.C. Bonnerjee
- Historical Foundation: The Indian National Congress (INC) was officially founded by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, in December 1885. The original venue for the first session was slated to be Poona, but it was urgently shifted to Bombay at the last minute due to an unfortunate outbreak of cholera in Poona.
- The First President: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, an eminent, highly educated Indian lawyer and leading intellectual of his time, was unanimously elected as the very first President. The inaugural session took place at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College from December 28 to 30, 1885.
- Delegates and Objectives: The historic first session was attended by exactly 72 political delegates representing various provinces from all over India, most of whom were prominent lawyers, journalists, and educators. The primary objectives set during this session included promoting national unity, formulating popular political demands, and formally petitioning the British government (under the administration of Viceroy Lord Dufferin) for greater Indian representation in the civil administration.
π Indian History β’ INC
Q.2) Who holds the distinction of being the first woman President of the Indian National Congress (1917)?
Ans > Annie Besant
- Theosophical Roots and Political Entry: Annie Besant was a highly influential British socialist, women’s rights activist, and a prominent leader of the Theosophical Society based in Adyar, Madras. She deeply immersed herself in Indian culture and formally entered the Indian political arena to advocate strongly for Indian self-rule.
- The Home Rule Movement: Her immense political popularity peaked in 1916 when she successfully launched the All India Home Rule League, aggressively demanding self-government for India within the British Empire. She extensively utilized her popular newspapers, New India and Commonweal, to widely spread her powerful nationalist message.
- The 1917 Presidency: Following her highly publicized political arrest by the British government in 1917, which triggered massive nationwide protests, she was triumphantly elected as the President of the Indian National Congress for its crucial Calcutta session. This historical election made her the absolute first woman to ever preside over the Congress, cementing a massive progressive milestone for women in Indian politics.
π Indian History β’ INC
Q.3) Who was the first Indian woman to preside over a session of the Indian National Congress (Kanpur, 1925)?
Ans > Sarojini Naidu
- The Nightingale of India: Sarojini Naidu was an exceptionally gifted English-language poet, famously bestowed the title of ‘Bharat Kokila’ (The Nightingale of India) by Mahatma Gandhi due to the rich, lyrical quality of her poetry, with The Golden Threshold being one of her most celebrated collections.
- Political Ascent: A fiercely dedicated follower of Mahatma Gandhi, she was a highly visible frontline leader in major national struggles, including the Non-Cooperation Movement and the iconic Salt Satyagraha, where she courageously led the peaceful raid on the Dharsana Salt Works following Gandhi’s arrest.
- The Kanpur Session (1925): Recognizing her immense sacrifices and exceptional leadership, she was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress at the historic 1925 Kanpur session. This officially made her the very first Indian woman to hold this prestigious national position. Following India’s independence, she achieved another massive milestone by becoming the first female Governor of an Indian state (the United Provinces, now Uttar Pradesh).
π Indian History β’ INC Split
Q.4) The historic split in the Indian National Congress between the Moderates and the Extremists took place in 1907 during the session held in which city?
Ans > Surat
- The Ideological Chasm: The devastating Surat Split of 1907 was the direct consequence of deeply entrenched, irreconcilable ideological differences. The aggressive “Extremist” faction (led by Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal) vehemently demanded a nationwide boycott and passive resistance, while the “Moderates” (led by Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Pherozeshah Mehta) stubbornly preferred safe, constitutional methods and petitions.
- The Flashpoint: Tensions boiled over entirely regarding the formal resolutions on Swadeshi, Boycott, and National Education, which the Extremists wanted to forcefully expand beyond Bengal, a move the Moderates fiercely opposed to avoid provoking British wrath.
- The Aftermath of the Session: Presided over by the moderate leader Rash Behari Ghosh, the session rapidly degenerated into absolute physical chaos, with chairs and shoes reportedly thrown on the stage. The Moderates subsequently expelled the Extremists, permanently capturing the Congress machinery. This disastrous split severely weakened the nationalist movement for almost a decade, allowing the British to ruthlessly suppress the isolated Extremist leaders.
π Indian History β’ Lucknow Pact
Q.5) The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was a significant political agreement signed between the Indian National Congress and which other organization?
Ans > The All India Muslim League
- A Rare Moment of Political Unity: The historic Lucknow Pact of 1916 was a highly celebrated, landmark political agreement orchestrated primarily by the tireless efforts of Bal Gangadhar Tilak representing the Congress and Muhammad Ali Jinnah representing the Muslim League. It marked a rare zenith of Hindu-Muslim political unity during the freedom struggle.
- The Strategic Compromise: In a major, heavily debated strategic concession, the Indian National Congress formally agreed to accept the Muslim League’s controversial demand for separate electorates for Muslims in provincial legislatures. This concession was made to forge a totally united national front against the colonial masters during the ongoing First World War.
- Joint Demands and Reunion: In exchange, both major organizations officially agreed to present a heavily unified, joint set of political demands to the British government, pushing aggressively for substantial political autonomy and self-government. Crucially, this same Lucknow session (presided over by Ambica Charan Mazumdar) also witnessed the joyful, formal reunion of the previously estranged Moderate and Extremist factions of the Congress.
π Freedom Struggle β’ Movements
Q.6) The Home Rule League movement in India was spearheaded by Annie Besant and which other prominent nationalist leader?
Ans > Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- The Irish Inspiration: Taking direct, heavy inspiration from the highly successful Irish Home Rule movement led by figures like John Redmond, the Indian Home Rule movement aimed to mobilize public opinion and demand self-government (Home Rule) within the framework of the British Empire using entirely constitutional means.
- Formation of Two Leagues: To avoid any organizational friction, two separate but closely allied leagues were launched in 1916. Bal Gangadhar Tilak launched the Indian Home Rule League in April 1916, specifically restricting his operations to Maharashtra (excluding Bombay city), Karnataka, the Central Provinces, and Berar.
- Annie Besant’s Extensive Reach: Annie Besant subsequently launched her own separate Home Rule League in September 1916, which covered the vast entirety of the rest of India. The combined movement successfully focused heavily on massive political education, establishing public reading rooms, organizing widespread lecture tours, and effectively keeping the nationalist political flame intensely alive during the stagnant years of World War I before Gandhi’s mass arrival.
π Gandhian Era β’ Satyagraha
Q.7) Mahatma Gandhiβs first major civil disobedience movement in India, the Champaran Satyagraha of 1917, was organized against which oppressive agricultural system?
Ans > Tinkathia
- The Oppressive Tinkathia System: Under the notoriously exploitative Tinkathia system, wealthy European planters ruthlessly forced local, impoverished peasants in the Champaran district of Bihar to cultivate indigo (a cash crop used for blue dye) on exactly 3/20th (tin-katha) of their total land holdings under highly coercive, totally unremunerative long-term contracts.
- Gandhi’s Critical Intervention: Invited persistently by a deeply aggrieved local farmer named Rajkumar Shukla, Mahatma Gandhi arrived in Champaran to investigate the horrific conditions. Unlike previous emotional political campaigns, Gandhi conducted a highly systematic, factual, and deeply scientific inquiry, meticulously recording the tragic testimonies of thousands of terrified tenant farmers.
- The Triumph of Civil Disobedience: When the panicked British district administration ordered Gandhi to immediately leave the district, he peacefully but firmly refused, officially marking the very first successful application of Civil Disobedience on Indian soil. Facing massive peaceful resistance, the government ultimately backed down, appointed an inquiry committee (with Gandhi as a member), and subsequently passed the Champaran Agrarian Act, effectively abolishing the hated Tinkathia system forever.
π Gandhian Era β’ Peasant Movements
Q.8) During the Kheda Satyagraha of 1918, which local leader emerged as a prominent organizer alongside Mahatma Gandhi?
Ans > Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- The Deep Agrarian Crisis: The desperate farmers of the Kheda district in Gujarat were facing extreme, life-threatening economic distress directly due to a severe crop failure compounded by a devastating plague epidemic. Despite the catastrophic yield clearly falling below the legal threshold for tax remission, the rigid British administration ruthlessly refused to suspend the collection of land revenue taxes.
- The Emergence of the ‘Sardar’: Vallabhbhai Patel, who was at the time an exceptionally successful and highly Westernized lawyer practicing in Ahmedabad, completely gave up his highly lucrative legal practice to organize the rural peasants meticulously alongside Mahatma Gandhi. He traveled from village to village, instilling massive courage and discipline among the terrified farmers.
- The Successful Tax Boycott: Patel and Gandhi effectively convinced the desperate farmers to sign a solemn pledge to completely withhold the payment of all taxes, despite severe government threats of land confiscation and cattle seizure. The incredible solidarity held firm, forcing the British government to quietly issue secret instructions to eventually yield, suspending the tax for that year and permanently marking Patel’s historic rise as an absolute titan of the freedom struggle.
π Freedom Struggle β’ Tragedies
Q.9) The tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred on the festival of Baisakhi on which exact date?
Ans > April 13, 1919
- The Peaceful Gathering: On the highly auspicious spring festival of Baisakhi, April 13, 1919, a massive, entirely unarmed, and peaceful crowd gathered at the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. The crowd consisted of innocent villagers celebrating the festival, as well as political protestors peacefully demonstrating against the draconian Rowlatt Act and the unjust arrest of prominent nationalist leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal.
- The Unspeakable Atrocity: Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, fiercely determined to “produce a moral effect,” marched his heavily armed Gurkha and Baloch troops into the enclosure. He deliberately blocked the only incredibly narrow exit and coldly ordered his men to fire indiscriminately into the densest parts of the trapped crowd without a single warning. The continuous firing stopped only when their ammunition was totally exhausted.
- The National Outrage: The horrific massacre resulted in the tragic deaths of hundreds of men, women, and children, permanently and irreversibly alienating the Indian populace from British colonial rule. In profound grief and fierce protest, Rabindranath Tagore famously renounced his British knighthood, and Mahatma Gandhi returned his prized Kaiser-i-Hind medal, eventually paving the direct way for the massive Non-Cooperation Movement.
π Mass Movements β’ Non-Cooperation
Q.10) The Non-Cooperation Movement was formally launched by Mahatma Gandhi in which year?
Ans > 1920
- The Historical Triggers: The unprecedented mass movement was officially launched on August 1, 1920. It was deeply and furiously fueled by immense public outrage over a trio of massive grievances: the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre (Punjab wrongs), the deeply insulting defense of British officers by the Hunter Commission, and the massive betrayal felt by Indian Muslims regarding the harsh treatment of the Ottoman Caliphate (the Khilafat issue).
- The Strategy of Boycott: The movement marked a highly fundamental, radical transition in Congress strategy from elite constitutional petitioning to direct, massive civil disobedience. The aggressive strategy involved the total surrender of British titles, the complete boycott of government-run educational institutions, British law courts, foreign-made cloth, and upcoming legislative council elections.
- Constructive Programs: Alongside the massive boycotts, the movement heavily promoted vital constructive programs. It fiercely encouraged the establishment of purely national schools and colleges (like Jamia Millia Islamia and Kashi Vidyapeeth), the use of indigenous Khadi cloth spun on the Charkha (spinning wheel), the eradication of untouchability, and the promotion of strict Hindu-Muslim unity, aiming to achieve complete “Swaraj” within a single year.
π Mass Movements β’ Chauri Chaura
Q.11) The violent incident at Chauri Chaura in February 1922 led Mahatma Gandhi to abruptly call off which ongoing movement?
Ans > Non-Cooperation Movement
- The Violent Flashpoint: On February 4, 1922, a massive, incredibly angry mob of local peasants participating in the Non-Cooperation Movement in the town of Chauri Chaura (located in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh) violently clashed with armed local police. In extreme retaliation for brutal police firing upon the peaceful protestors, the enraged mob furiously chased the policemen into the station and set the entire building on fire.
- The Tragic Toll: The horrific arson attack resulted in the gruesome deaths of 22 policemen who were burned entirely alive. The violence sent massive shockwaves across the political landscape, fundamentally challenging the absolute core premise of the peaceful struggle.
- Gandhi’s Immediate Retraction: Strictly and rigidly adhering to his absolute, unyielding core principle of non-violence (Ahimsa), Mahatma Gandhi was profoundly disturbed by the gruesome violence. Believing the Indian masses were not yet fully ready for true peaceful rebellion, he completely and unilaterally suspended the massive Non-Cooperation Movement via the Bardoli resolution on February 12, 1922. This incredibly sudden decision caused immense shock, anger, and deep dismay among prominent young leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose, who felt the movement was at its absolute peak.
π Political Parties β’ Swaraj Party
Q.12) Following the suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Swaraj Party was founded in 1923 by Motilal Nehru and whom?
Ans > C.R. Das
- The Ideological Rift: Following the abrupt suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement and the subsequent jailing of Mahatma Gandhi, a massive ideological split emerged within the Congress. The orthodox “No-Changers” (like Sardar Patel and Rajendra Prasad) wanted to strictly focus on quiet, constructive rural work, while the “Pro-Changers” passionately argued for aggressively contesting the upcoming British legislative council elections.
- Formation of the Party: After their pro-council entry resolution was officially defeated at the Gaya session of the Congress in late 1922, Chittaranjan Das (C.R. Das) and Motilal Nehru formally resigned from their posts. On January 1, 1923, they proudly founded the Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party (commonly known as the Swaraj Party), with C.R. Das serving as its President and Motilal Nehru as the Secretary.
- The Strategy of Obstruction: The core, highly aggressive strategy of the Swarajists was “uniform, continuous and consistent obstruction” of the colonial government from within the highly restricted legislative councils. They successfully won a substantial number of seats in the 1923 elections and masterfully disrupted the clunky functioning of the diarchy system, eventually managing to get their prominent member Vithalbhai Patel elected as the President of the Central Legislative Assembly in 1925.
π Revolutionary Movement β’ Kakori
Q.13) The famous Kakori Train Robbery, executed by members of the Hindustan Republican Association, took place in which year?
Ans > 1925
- The Need for Arms: The Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), a prominent underground revolutionary organization fiercely dedicated to overthrowing British rule through armed struggle, was suffering from a severe lack of funds necessary to procure modern weapons and secretly publish anti-colonial literature.
- The Daring Execution: On the night of August 9, 1925, heavily armed revolutionaries of the HRA daringly stopped the Number 8 Down Train traveling from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow near the small station of Kakori. They successfully overpowered the guards and looted the heavily guarded British government treasury safe located inside the guard’s cabin, directly challenging the might of the British Empire.
- The Tragic Aftermath: The colonial government launched a massive, utterly ruthless manhunt, ultimately arresting dozens of suspected revolutionaries. The operation was masterminded by Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, and Roshan Singh. After a highly publicized, lengthy trial, all four of these prominent leaders were sentenced to death by hanging. The legendary Chandrashekhar Azad was the only key conspirator who successfully managed to evade the massive police dragnet, keeping the revolutionary flame alive.
π Constitutional Reforms β’ Simon Commission
Q.14) The Simon Commission, appointed to review the constitutional progress in India, was boycotted because it had no Indian members. In which year did it arrive in India?
Ans > 1928
- The All-White Insult: Officially known as the Indian Statutory Commission, it was appointed by the British Government in late 1927 to critically review the administrative effects of the Government of India Act 1919 and recommend further constitutional reforms. However, the commission, chaired by Sir John Simon, was composed entirely of seven British Members of Parliament, containing zero Indian members. This massive exclusion was seen as a deeply racist insult to the intelligence of Indian political leaders.
- The Nationwide Boycott: When the commission finally arrived in Bombay on February 3, 1928, it was immediately greeted with complete, nationwide hartals (strikes), a sea of black flags, and deafening, unified chants of “Simon Go Back.” Almost all major political parties, including the bitterly divided Congress and factions of the Muslim League, completely united to boycott the commission.
- The Death of a Lion: The protests were brutally suppressed by the colonial police. During a massive, entirely peaceful anti-Simon protest in Lahore, the incredibly respected veteran leader Lala Lajpat Rai (the Lion of Punjab) was viciously targeted and received fatal, brutal lathi (baton) blows to his chest and head from the police, leading to his tragic death shortly after. This martyrdom deeply enraged the nation and directly triggered retaliatory assassinations by revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh.
π Milestone Sessions β’ Purna Swaraj
Q.15) The ‘Purna Swaraj’ (Complete Independence) resolution was passed by the Indian National Congress in December 1929 at which historic session?
Ans > Lahore
- The Generational Shift: The highly historic Lahore session in December 1929 marked a massive, permanent turning point in the Indian freedom struggle. Presided over by the young, dynamic, and passionately radical Jawaharlal Nehru, the session officially recognized the transfer of political leadership to the younger, more aggressive generation who were completely unsatisfied with the older Moderate demands.
- The Ultimate Resolution: Frustrated by the total British failure to grant self-rule within the promised deadline, the Congress completely and finally abandoned its long-standing demand for ‘Dominion Status’. They explicitly adopted the historic resolution declaring ‘Purna Swaraj’βmeaning absolute, Complete Independence from the British Empireβas the sole, unyielding objective of the national movement.
- The Symbolism of Independence Day: In a moment of immense national pride, the newly adopted Indian tricolor flag was proudly hoisted on the cold banks of the Ravi River at midnight on December 31, 1929. The Congress officially decreed that January 26, 1930, would be celebrated as the very first public ‘Independence Day’ across India, a date that was later eternally honored by choosing it as Republic Day when the Indian Constitution was adopted in 1950.
π Civil Disobedience β’ Dandi March
Q.16) Mahatma Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement by beginning his historic Dandi March from which location?
Ans > Sabarmati Ashram
- The Strategic Salt Satyagraha: Following the Lahore resolution, Mahatma Gandhi deliberately chose the deeply unjust British salt tax as the central, unifying focal point to ignite the new movement. Salt was an absolute daily necessity for the poorest of the poor, making the highly regressive monopoly tax a universally understood symbol of brutal colonial exploitation.
- The Grueling 240-Mile Journey: On March 12, 1930, Gandhi and exactly 78 carefully chosen, highly disciplined followers (representing various regions and religions) began the legendary march from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. They walked for 24 continuous days, covering roughly 240 miles to reach the obscure coastal village of Dandi in Gujarat.
- Breaking the Law and Mass Awakening: Reaching the coast on April 6, 1930, Gandhi symbolically picked up a handful of natural sea salt from the mudflats, formally and publicly violating the draconian Salt Act. This highly publicized, dramatic act immediately ignited the massive, nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement. It saw unprecedented participation, especially from thousands of Indian women who courageously broke strict social norms to picket liquor shops and foreign cloth stores, while global media covered the peaceful rebellion extensively.
π Political Pacts β’ Gandhi-Irwin
Q.17) The Gandhi-Irwin Pact, which temporarily suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement, was signed in which year?
Ans > 1931
- The Diplomatic Breakthrough: Signed on March 5, 1931, between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin (the Viceroy of India), this highly significant political pact was largely mediated by moderate leaders like Tej Bahadur Sapru and M.R. Jayakar. It marked a highly unprecedented moment in colonial history where the mighty British government was forced to negotiate with the leader of the Indian National Congress on an equal footing.
- The Key Concessions: The British government formally agreed to completely release all political prisoners who were not convicted of physical violence, permit peaceful picketing of foreign goods, return confiscated agricultural lands, and critically, allow coastal villages the legal right to manufacture salt for their own personal consumption without paying the hated tax.
- The Congress Compromise and Controversy: In strict return for these major concessions, the Congress officially agreed to entirely suspend the massive Civil Disobedience Movement and formally participate in the upcoming Second Round Table Conference in London. However, the pact caused immense, bitter disappointment and anger among the youth because Gandhi failed to secure the commutation of the death sentences of revolutionary heroes Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.
π Conferences β’ Round Table
Q.18) Mahatma Gandhi traveled to London in 1931 as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress to attend which event?
Ans > Second Round Table Conference
- The Sole Representative: Following the successful signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, the Indian National Congress ended its boycott. They sent Mahatma Gandhi, sailing aboard the SS Rajputana, as the absolute sole, official representative of the Congress to attend the highly critical Second Round Table Conference held in London from September to December 1931.
- The Imperial Divide and Rule: The massive conference ultimately failed to produce an agreeable, unified constitution. The British government, led strategically by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, actively and deliberately encouraged various minority leaders to aggressively demand separate political electorates, deeply fracturing the Indian delegation.
- The Deadlock over Dalits: A major, unbridgeable deadlock occurred between Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. While Gandhi was willing to concede certain safeguards for Muslims and Sikhs, he vehemently and absolutely opposed the creation of separate electorates for the “Depressed Classes” (Dalits), arguing passionately that it would permanently and physically divide Hindu society. Frustrated by the manufactured communal deadlock, Gandhi returned to India completely empty-handed and immediately resumed the Civil Disobedience Movement.
π Social Justice β’ Poona Pact
Q.19) The Poona Pact of 1932, which replaced separate electorates for the depressed classes with reserved seats in joint electorates, was signed between Mahatma Gandhi and whom?
Ans > Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
- The Communal Award Threat: In August 1932, British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald announced the highly controversial ‘Communal Award’, officially granting the dangerous provision of separate electorates for the “Depressed Classes” (Dalits). Perceiving this as a deeply sinister imperial plot to permanently divide Hindu society and crush the national movement, Gandhi, then imprisoned, went on a dramatic fast unto death in the Yerwada Central Jail.
- The Enormous Pressure: As Gandhi’s physical health deteriorated incredibly rapidly, immense national and moral pressure was violently mounted on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the fiercely brilliant leader of the Dalits, to yield and save the Mahatma’s life to prevent a potential outbreak of massive retaliatory caste violence across the country.
- The Historic Compromise: Dr. Ambedkar reluctantly but strategically negotiated the famous Poona Pact with Gandhi’s representatives. Signed in September 1932, the agreement formally abandoned the British demand for separate electorates. However, in a major victory for Dalit representation, the pact massively increased the total number of strictly reserved legislative seats for the Depressed Classes within the general Hindu electorate from a mere 71 to a substantial 147.
π Constitutional Acts β’ 1935
Q.20) The Government of India Act 1935 proposed a new administrative structure that abolished Dyarchy in the provinces and replaced it with what?
Ans > Provincial Autonomy
- A Monumental Legislation: The incredibly dense Government of India Act 1935 was the absolute longest Act of Parliament ever passed by the British government at that specific time. It was the result of years of deliberation stemming directly from the Simon Commission and the Round Table Conferences, and it later served as the primary, foundational blueprint for India’s future independent constitution.
- The Implementation of Provincial Autonomy: The Act’s most significant and immediate change was the complete and total abolition of the highly unpopular, clunky system of ‘Dyarchy’ (divided rule) introduced in 1919 at the provincial level. Provinces were finally granted significant autonomy, allowing elected Indian ministers to fully control major administrative departments, though British Governors still retained highly controversial overriding emergency powers.
- Federal Structure and Institutions: The Act highly ambitiously proposed the creation of an “All India Federation” encompassing both British Indian provinces and the semi-autonomous Princely States (though this federal aspect never materialized because the princes refused to join). Crucially, the Act meticulously divided legislative powers into Federal, Provincial, and Concurrent lists, and it formally established massive institutions like the Reserve Bank of India and a Federal Court (which later evolved into the Supreme Court of India).
π Internal Politics β’ Tripuri Crisis
Q.21) In the highly contested 1939 Tripuri Congress presidential election, Subhas Chandra Bose defeated which candidate backed by Mahatma Gandhi?
Ans > Pattabhi Sitaramayya
- The Presidential Contest: Despite the growing clouds of World War II, the radical Subhas Chandra Bose decided to run for an unprecedented second consecutive term as Congress President in 1939. Mahatma Gandhi, strongly desiring a much more moderate leader who would strictly and unquestioningly follow his peaceful principles, openly and heavily backed the veteran leader Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya.
- Gandhi’s Prestige on the Line: Defying the established old guard, Bose successfully won the internal election via a democratic vote of the radical and younger delegates. However, the result caused a massive crisis when Gandhi publicly and emotionally declared that Sitaramayya’s defeat was actually “my own defeat,” putting immense moral pressure on the entire party.
- The Resignation and Forward Bloc: Facing total, paralyzing non-cooperation from the Gandhi-aligned Congress Working Committee, Bose found it absolutely impossible to function effectively. Consequently, he gracefully resigned from the presidency at the Tripuri session in April 1939 (Rajendra Prasad took over). Shortly after, Bose formed his own radical, left-wing political faction called the Forward Bloc to aggressively consolidate the youth against British imperialism.
π WWII Era β’ August Offer
Q.22) In a bid to secure Indian cooperation during World War II, the British Viceroy issued the ‘August Offer’ promising Dominion Status. In which year was this offer made?
Ans > 1940
- The Desperate Context of WWII: With Britain suffering severe, catastrophic military setbacks early in World War II (most notably the shocking Fall of France), the beleaguered Viceroy Lord Linlithgow desperately needed the massive Indian public’s material and military cooperation to sustain the immense war effort.
- The Provisions of the Offer: Issued in August 1940, the statement officially offered to significantly expand the Viceroy’s Executive Council to include more representative Indians. Most importantly, it formally recognized the absolute right of Indians to frame their own constitution post-war, and officially promised the elusive ‘Dominion Status’ at an unspecified future date.
- Complete Rejection: The August Offer was outright and firmly rejected by almost all major parties. The Indian National Congress dismissed it completely, declaring that the concept of Dominion Status was “dead as a doornail” and strictly demanding immediate, complete independence. Meanwhile, the Muslim League rejected it because it did not explicitly and firmly guarantee the immediate creation of a separate state of Pakistan.
π Resistance β’ Individual Satyagraha
Q.23) Rejecting the August Offer, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Individual Satyagraha. Who was chosen as the first Satyagrahi?
Ans > Acharya Vinoba Bhave
- The Strategy of Limited Resistance: To express profound national opposition to dragging India into the imperialist war without causing massive civil unrest that would inevitably invite a brutal British military crackdown during wartime, Mahatma Gandhi strategically initiated the highly controlled ‘Individual Satyagraha’ in late 1940. The aim was not to paralyze the government, but to morally demonstrate that Indian silence was not consent.
- The Handpicked Leaders: Gandhi meticulously handpicked specific, highly respected individuals to conduct the protests. These selected individuals would publicly give anti-war speeches, explicitly urge people not to support the war effort with men or money, and then peacefully court arrest.
- The Sequence of Arrests: Acharya Vinoba Bhave, a deeply spiritual and devoted follower of Gandhi, was highly honored to be chosen as the very first Individual Satyagrahi. He was followed closely by Jawaharlal Nehru as the second, and Brahma Datt as the third. The heavily disciplined campaign resulted in the peaceful arrest of over 25,000 dedicated individuals before Gandhi quietly suspended it in late 1941.
π WWII Era β’ Cripps Mission
Q.24) The Cripps Mission arrived in India to negotiate post-war Dominion Status. In which year did this mission take place?
Ans > 1942
- The Imminent Japanese Threat: In early 1942, the fearsome Japanese Imperial Army advanced incredibly rapidly through Southeast Asia, capturing Singapore and Burma, and literally knocking on the eastern doors of India. Immensely pressured by allies like the US and China, the reluctant British PM Winston Churchill dispatched Sir Stafford Cripps to urgently secure Indian war support.
- The Controversial Proposals: The Cripps Mission formally proposed granting India full Dominion status immediately after the war ended, along with an elected Indian constituent assembly to frame the new constitution. However, it critically and dangerously included a divisive clause allowing any province unwilling to join the new union to form a completely separate agreement (effectively providing a legal blueprint for the creation of Pakistan).
- The “Post-Dated Cheque”: The proposals were unanimously rejected. The Congress felt it would balkanize India and offered no immediate real transfer of power during the war. Mahatma Gandhi famously and sharply dismissed the flimsy British offer as a completely worthless “post-dated cheque on a crashing bank,” setting the immediate stage for the Quit India Movement.
π Mass Movements β’ Quit India
Q.25) The historic ‘Quit India’ resolution was passed by the Congress Working Committee on which date?
Ans > August 8, 1942
- The Final Push: Following the absolute and total failure of the Cripps Mission, the All India Congress Committee met at the historic Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay. Recognizing that the presence of the British was actively inviting a Japanese invasion, they passed the incredibly historic ‘Quit India’ resolution on August 8, 1942.
- The Mantra of “Do or Die”: During this session, Mahatma Gandhi delivered his most fiery and uncompromising speech, passionately giving the masses the ultimate mantra: “Do or Die” (Karo ya Maro). He demanded an immediate, complete end to British rule, urging Indians to either free India or die in the attempt.
- Operation Zero Hour and Underground Resistance: Terrified of a mass uprising, the British launched “Operation Zero Hour” the very next morning (August 9), ruthlessly arresting the entire top tier leadership of the Congress, jailing them without trial. This left the massive movement entirely leaderless, prompting young socialists like Jayaprakash Narayan and Aruna Asaf Ali to launch massive underground sabotage activities, while Usha Mehta operated a secret Congress Radio to broadcast messages. Parallel Indian governments were even formed in places like Satara, Tamluk, and Ballia.
π Armed Struggle β’ INA
Q.26) The Indian National Army (INA), formed to fight the British with Japanese assistance, was originally conceived by which former British Indian Army officer?
Ans > Captain Mohan Singh
- The Foundation in Captivity: The very First Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) was brilliantly conceived in Malaya by Captain Mohan Singh, an officer of the British Indian Army. He strategically utilized thousands of deeply disillusioned Indian prisoners of war (POWs) who were captured by the advancing Japanese forces during the catastrophic fall of Singapore.
- The Initial Collapse: While Mohan Singh successfully recruited thousands of soldiers willing to fight for India’s freedom, the first iteration of the INA unfortunately collapsed in late 1942 due to massive disagreements with the Japanese military command regarding the independent operational role and size of the Indian army.
- The Glorious Revival by Netaji: The INA was heavily reorganized, massively expanded, and brilliantly revitalized when Subhas Chandra Bose arrived in Singapore in 1943. Bose took supreme command, formed the Provisional Government of Free India, and famously rallied the troops with iconic slogans like “Jai Hind”, “Delhi Chalo”, and “Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom!” He even established the Rani of Jhansi regiment, an incredibly rare all-female combat unit led by Captain Lakshmi Sahgal.
π End of Empire β’ Cabinet Mission
Q.27) To break the political deadlock and discuss the transfer of power, the British Prime Minister Clement Attlee sent the Cabinet Mission to India in which year?
Ans > 1946
- The High-Powered Delegation: Realizing that holding onto India was no longer militarily or economically viable post-WWII, the newly elected British Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee dispatched the highly crucial Cabinet Mission. Arriving in New Delhi in March 1946, the mission consisted of three senior British cabinet ministers: Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander.
- Rejection of Pakistan: The Cabinet Mission deeply analyzed the political situation and completely, explicitly rejected the Muslim League’s massive demand for a totally separate, sovereign state of Pakistan, arguing it would be economically unviable and leave massive minorities stranded on both sides.
- The Complex Federal Plan: Instead, they proposed a highly complex, three-tier federal structure to keep India united. It recommended a very weak central government (controlling only defense, foreign affairs, and communication) and cleverly grouped the provinces into three distinct sections (A, B, and C) based roughly on Hindu and Muslim majorities. It also recommended immediately setting up a Constituent Assembly to draft the new framework. While initially accepted, differing interpretations eventually led to the plan’s complete collapse.
π Partition β’ Communal Riots
Q.28) Frustrated by the Cabinet Mission Plan, the Muslim League called for ‘Direct Action Day’, leading to massive communal riots. On what date was this observed?
Ans > August 16, 1946
- The Call for Action: Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League, utterly unsatisfied with the ultimate failure of the Cabinet Mission to explicitly guarantee an independent Pakistan, angrily withdrew their previous acceptance of the plan. Jinnah dangerously called for “Direct Action” on August 16, 1946, to forcefully and violently compel the British and Congress to concede to the absolute partition of India.
- The Great Calcutta Killings: The day triggered unprecedented, horrific, and meticulously planned communal violence, primarily centered in Calcutta. The provincial government, headed by Muslim League Chief Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, was heavily accused of deliberate, malicious inaction. The violence resulted in the gruesome slaughter of over 4,000 innocent people and left 100,000 homeless within an incredibly bloody 72 hours.
- The Cascade of Violence: This terrible event marked the absolute point of no return. The horrific violence rapidly cascaded in a massive chain reaction across the deeply remote villages of Noakhali (where Gandhi bravely walked barefoot for months to restore fragile peace), Bihar, and eventually engulfed the entire Punjab region, making the bloody partition of India tragically inevitable.
π Independence β’ Mountbatten Plan
Q.29) The plan that formally proposed the partition of India into two independent dominions (India and Pakistan) is commonly known as the Mountbatten Plan. On which date was it announced?
Ans > June 3, 1947
- The Final Viceroy’s Conclusion: Lord Mountbatten, who was hastily sent as the absolute final Viceroy of India to execute a rapid British withdrawal, quickly concluded after intense meetings that maintaining a united India was an absolute impossibility due to extreme communal polarization. He formulated a rapid exit strategy, commonly known as the “Dickie Bird Plan” or the June 3 Plan.
- The Formal Announcement: He officially announced the massive partition plan on June 3, 1947. The plan was reluctantly and painfully accepted by the top leadership of the Congress, the Muslim League, and the deeply affected Sikh community, primarily as the only terrible alternative to an endless, incredibly bloody civil war.
- The Mechanics of Division: The highly complex plan outlined the immediate transfer of political power, the difficult partition of the key, massive provinces of Bengal and Punjab via hastily assembled boundary commissions (resulting in the controversial Radcliffe Line), and gave the 500+ princely states the theoretical option to join either dominion or remain fully independent, a massive issue later solved by Sardar Patel.
π Independence β’ Post-1947
Q.30) Who was invited by the Indian leaders to continue as the first Governor-General of the independent Dominion of India?
Ans > Lord Mountbatten
- The Request for Continuity: Upon finally attaining highly anticipated independence on the midnight of August 15, 1947, the newly formed Indian government, led by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, specifically requested Lord Mountbatten to remain and serve as the first Governor-General of the independent Dominion of India. This was done to ensure crucial administrative continuity and utilize his expertise in managing the massive, chaotic logistics of the partition.
- Pakistan’s Divergent Path: In stark, highly symbolic contrast, the newly created Dominion of Pakistan entirely opted not to retain Mountbatten as their joint head of state; Muhammad Ali Jinnah insisted on becoming the very first Governor-General of Pakistan himself.
- The Final Transition: Mountbatten served the Indian government during the incredibly turbulent first few months of independence, dealing with the massive refugee crisis and the initial integration of princely states, until June 1948. He was subsequently succeeded by the highly respected Indian statesman C. Rajagopalachari, who served as the first and absolutely only Indian Governor-General of India before the office was permanently abolished with the adoption of the Republic Constitution in 1950.
π Quick Summary β Modern History Set 69
- INC Founding: W.C. Bonnerjee was the first President of the INC in Bombay (1885).
- First Woman President: Annie Besant presided over the INC in 1917.
- First Indian Woman President: Sarojini Naidu presided over the INC in Kanpur (1925).
- Surat Split: The Moderates and Extremists formally split during the 1907 Surat session.
- Lucknow Pact (1916): A historic agreement between the INC and the All India Muslim League.
- Home Rule League: Spearheaded by Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
- Champaran Satyagraha (1917): Gandhi’s first Satyagraha against the oppressive Tinkathia indigo system.
- Kheda Satyagraha (1918): Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel emerged as a prominent leader alongside Gandhi.
- Jallianwala Bagh: The tragic massacre occurred on April 13, 1919, in Amritsar.
- Non-Cooperation Movement: Formally launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920.
- Chauri Chaura (1922): The violent mob incident caused Gandhi to abruptly halt the Non-Cooperation Movement.
- Swaraj Party: Founded in 1923 by Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das to contest council elections.
- Kakori Robbery (1925): Train robbery executed by HRA revolutionaries like Ram Prasad Bismil.
- Simon Commission: Arrived in India in 1928, sparking widespread boycotts due to lack of Indian members.
- Purna Swaraj: Resolution for Complete Independence passed at the 1929 Lahore Session.
- Dandi March: The Civil Disobedience Movement started from the Sabarmati Ashram in 1930.
- Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931): Suspended Civil Disobedience and secured Congress’s attendance at the Round Table Conference.
- Round Table Conferences: Gandhi represented the INC exclusively at the Second Conference in London (1931).
- Poona Pact (1932): Signed between Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar to replace separate electorates for depressed classes.
- Govt of India Act 1935: Replaced provincial Dyarchy with Provincial Autonomy.
- Tripuri Crisis (1939): Subhas Chandra Bose defeated Gandhi’s candidate, Pattabhi Sitaramayya.
- August Offer (1940): British promised Dominion Status to secure Indian support during WWII.
- Individual Satyagraha: Acharya Vinoba Bhave was the first selected to court arrest against the war effort.
- Cripps Mission (1942): Failed British attempt to negotiate post-war cooperation.
- Quit India Movement: Resolution passed on August 8, 1942, followed by the mass arrest of leaders.
- Indian National Army: Originally conceived by Captain Mohan Singh with Japanese assistance.
- Cabinet Mission (1946): Proposed a three-tier federal united India; rejected partition.
- Direct Action Day: August 16, 1946; called by the Muslim League, leading to massive communal killings.
- Mountbatten Plan: Announced on June 3, 1947, formally detailing the partition of India.
- First Governor-General: Lord Mountbatten continued as the first Governor-General of independent India.
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