Broad questions to consider:
1. How and why did nationalism intensify in India after WWI?
2. Explain the process and significance of Gandhi's nonviolent activist philosophy (satyagraha) and the specific methods he and his followers used to achieve independence from Great Britain.
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| 1544702907 | Indian National Congress & the Muslim League | -1885 National Hindu national party and 1906 Muslim organization (protecting Muslim interests) were two groups formed after WWI to rid foreign rule, and specifically to achieve independence from the British *these two groups worked together to achieve self-government (enhanced Indian nationalism) | 0 | |
| 1544702908 | Indian Enlistment in WWI | -British government promised to create reforms that would allow self-government in India in exchange for Indian service in the British army *The British didn't keep this promise--> which led to protests, and increased the overall sense of nationalism (people were becoming more and more against the British) | 1 | |
| 1544702909 | Rowlatt Acts | -laws that allowed the British government to jail protesters without a trial for up to 2 years, violating individual rights *these laws were passed to dissipate protest violence: Indians were protesting against the British for not keeping their promises for making reforms | 2 | |
| 1544702910 | Amritsar Massacre | -British commander at Amritsar, a major city in Punjab, orders troops to open fire on gathering of "Rowlatt-Acts-Protesters" without warning *British viewed this gathering as a "national outburst" and didn't like the alliance forming between Hindus and Muslims *Intention of protesters: purely to fast, pray, and listen to political speeches *most of the protesters were unaware that the British government had also banned public meetings as a part of the Rowlatt Acts RESULTS/SIGNIFICANCE OF MASSACRE: *explosion of anger across India *Most Indians change from loyal British subjects into Nationalists who DEMAND independence | 3 | |
| 1544702911 | Gandhi's background and key beliefs (Gandhi was also known as the "Mahatma", or "Great Soul") | *Leader of the Indian independence movement *Major strategy: involving ideas from all major world religions to attract maximum amount of followers *created philosophy promoting nonviolence known as "Satyagraha", in English, "truth-force" *Gandhi promoted nonviolent CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE (the deliberate and public refusal to obey an unjust law) as a way of protesting British authority and their economic power over India so as to achieve independence (Major theme: NONCOOPERATION WITH THE BRITISH) | 4 | |
| 1544702912 | Specific elements of Gandhi's civil disobedience | -TEXTILE BOYCOTT *refusal to buy all British goods, to pay British taxes, to vote in elections, or to attend government schools *most significant boycott: Indians began to weave/wear their own homespun cloth-->this led to the downturn sale of British cloth -SALT MARCH *Gandhi & his followers walk along the sea coast collecting seawater to make their own salt *successfully, and PEACEFULLY defies British tax on salt and the law that Indians could only buy salt from the British government (Gandhi's civil disobedience movement takes a huge economic toll on the British, jails of arrested Indians begin to overflow) | 5 | |
| 1544702913 | Significance of the Satyagraha Ashram + Examples of vows participants/activists had to make | Gandhi's key beliefs of what a nonviolent person should be: *truth (satya) *love (ahimsa) *chastity (brahmacharya) *control of palate *non-stealing *non-possession *fearlessness *bread labor (khaddar( *no one is untouchable *tolerance (meaning equality for all religions) *humility *sacrifice (yanja) | 6 | |
| 1544702914 | Britain's response and reasons why India finally achieved independence after WWI | -British parliament passes the Government of India Act in 1935, which provides local self-government and limited democratic elections (but NOT total independence). This act also fuels mounting tensions between Muslims and Hindus -British leaders rethink expense of maintaining and governing distant colonies, since during this time they also had to carry the burden of war debts -British decide that "partition" would be the only way to ensure a safe and secure region. PARTITION: the division of India into separate Hindu and Muslim nations (Northwest and eastern regions of India becomes new nation of Pakistan, where most of the Muslims live) *India is officially granted independence in 1947, and thus became the world's largest democracy | 7 |
