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Most Important Topics in Modern India Part 4

   Published Date: 24th March 2023
Most Important Topics in Modern India Part 4

Most Important Topics in Modern India Part 4

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Modern India is a term used to describe the period of Indian history that began with the country’s independence from British colonial rule in 1947 and extends to the present day. It encompasses India’s political, social, economic, and cultural developments since independence.

After independence, India adopted a democratic system of government, with universal adult suffrage and a multi-party political system. The Constitution of India was adopted in 1950 and remains the supreme law of the land. India has since held numerous national and state-level elections, with peaceful transfers of power between political parties.

Economically, India initially followed a socialist model of development, with the state controlling many key industries and sectors of the economy. However, starting in the 1990s, India began to liberalize its economy, opening it up to foreign investment and adopting market-oriented reforms. This led to significant economic growth and development, with India becoming one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world.

In terms of social and cultural developments, India has seen significant progress in areas such as education, healthcare, and gender equality. The country has also become a global leader in information technology and other industries, with a thriving startup ecosystem and a rapidly growing middle class.

However, India still faces many challenges, including poverty, inequality, corruption, and communal tensions. The country continues to work towards addressing these challenges and achieving its goal of becoming a modern, prosperous, and inclusive nation.

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Most Important Topics in Modern India Part 4

Komagata Maru Incident 1914

The Komagata Maru incident of 1914 was a significant event in the history of India’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule. It involved a Japanese steamship, the Komagata Maru, which was chartered by a group of Punjabi migrants to travel from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada, with the intention of settling there.

However, the Canadian government, which had recently passed laws restricting immigration from Asia, refused to allow the passengers to disembark. The ship was forced to remain anchored in Vancouver’s harbour for two months, while negotiations were held between the passengers, the Canadian government, and the British colonial authorities in India.

During this time, the passengers faced significant hardships, including food and water shortages and poor living conditions on the ship. The Canadian government eventually decided to forcibly remove the passengers and sent troops to board the ship. A violent clash ensued, and several passengers were killed or wounded.

The remaining passengers were arrested and deported back to India, where they were met with hostility from the British colonial authorities. The incident was a stark reminder of the discriminatory treatment faced by Indian immigrants in many parts of the world, and it played an important role in raising awareness of the Indian independence movement and the need for greater political autonomy and rights for Indians living abroad.

The Komagata Maru incident remains an important part of India’s history and continues to be commemorated by the Indian government and various Indian communities around the world. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice and equality for all people, regardless of their race or nationality.

The Lucknow Pact (1916)

The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was a significant event in the Indian independence movement, which aimed to unite the Hindu and Muslim communities in India under a common political agenda. The pact was signed between the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League at a joint conference held in Lucknow in December 1916.

The pact was negotiated by leading members of both parties, including Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and Motilal Nehru. It called for a number of important political reforms, including:

Increase in the number of elected members in the provincial legislatures and the imperial council
Separate electorates for Muslims
Reservation of seats for Muslims in the provincial and imperial councils
The Lucknow Pact was a significant achievement as it brought together the Congress and the Muslim League, which had previously been divided on the issue of political representation for Muslims. The pact helped to promote unity between the Hindu and Muslim communities and marked a turning point in the Indian independence movement.

However, the pact’s impact was limited by the outbreak of World War I, which diverted attention away from Indian political issues. Despite this setback, the Lucknow Pact remained an important symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity and served as a model for future attempts to build bridges between different religious and ethnic communities in India.

Home Rule Movement (1915–1916)

The Home Rule movement was a significant phase in the Indian independence movement that emerged during World War I. It was initiated by Annie Besant, a British journalist, and political activist who had settled in India in 1893.

The Home Rule movement aimed to secure self-government and political autonomy for India within the British Empire. Besant established the Indian Home Rule League in 1915 and started campaigning for Indian self-rule. The movement gained momentum when Tilak, a prominent Indian nationalist, joined the league and began to actively promote the movement.

The Home Rule movement focused on building a broad-based movement that could represent the interests of all Indians, regardless of their religion or caste. The movement attracted support from a wide range of people, including moderate nationalists, radicals, and socialists.

The Home Rule League conducted a series of public meetings and rallies across India, demanding political reforms and greater self-rule. The movement also published newspapers and magazines to spread its message and mobilize public support.

The Home Rule movement was an important step towards Indian self-rule, as it helped to mobilize public opinion and raise awareness about the need for political reform. Although the movement did not achieve its immediate goal of Indian self-rule, it paved the way for future independence movements and helped to lay the groundwork for the Indian nationalist movement that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s.

August Declaration, 1917

The August Declaration of 1917 was a statement made by the British government, represented by Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, announcing its intention to gradually introduce self-government in India. The declaration was made in response to growing demands for Indian self-rule and was aimed at addressing the grievances of Indian nationalists.

The August Declaration promised a number of important reforms, including the expansion of the legislative councils, the establishment of a system of dyarchy, which would give Indians greater control over local administration, and the appointment of Indians to key administrative positions. The declaration also promised to review the Indian Councils Act of 1909, which had been widely criticized for not going far enough in granting political representation to Indians.

The August Declaration was significant as it marked a major shift in British policy towards India, acknowledging the need for greater Indian involvement in the governance of the country. It was also welcomed by Indian nationalists as a sign of progress towards Indian self-rule, although many felt that the reforms did not go far enough.

The August Declaration paved the way for the Government of India Act of 1919, which introduced significant political reforms, including the establishment of a bicameral legislature and the expansion of the franchise. Although the reforms fell short of the demands of Indian nationalists, they represented an important step towards greater Indian political representation and helped to lay the groundwork for future independence movements.

Champaran Satyagraha (1917)

The Champaran Satyagraha was a significant civil disobedience movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1917. It was launched in the Champaran district of Bihar in response to the plight of the local farmers who were being forced to grow indigo, a cash crop, by the British colonial landlords.

Under the Indigo Planters’ Act of 1915, the British landlords were granted the right to force farmers to grow indigo on at least 3/20 of their land, regardless of whether it was profitable or not. The farmers were often forced to sell their crops at below-market prices to the British landlords, who then sold the indigo for a much higher price.

Gandhi was asked to intervene in the matter by a local farmer named Rajkumar Shukla, who requested him to visit Champaran and help the farmers. Gandhi arrived in Champaran in April 1917 and organized a campaign of civil disobedience against the landlords.

Gandhi encouraged the farmers to refuse to grow indigo and to withhold payment of their rents until their grievances were addressed. The British authorities responded by attempting to arrest Gandhi and his associates, but the campaign of civil disobedience continued.

The Champaran Satyagraha attracted significant national and international attention and helped to raise awareness about the injustices of British colonial rule. It also marked the beginning of Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance movement and set the stage for future civil disobedience campaigns, such as the Salt Satyagraha and the Quit India movement.

As a result of the Champaran Satyagraha, the British authorities were forced to set up a commission to investigate the conditions of indigo farmers, and the Indigo Planters’ Act was eventually repealed in 1927. The Champaran Satyagraha is remembered as an important milestone in the Indian independence movement and a testament to the power of nonviolent resistance in the face of injustice.

Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)

The Ahmedabad Mill Strike of 1918 was a major labor protest in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India. The strike was led by textile workers employed in the city’s textile mills, which were owned by wealthy industrialists and operated with the support of the British colonial authorities.

The workers were demanding better working conditions, higher wages, and the recognition of their right to form trade unions. The protest was organized by leaders of the Indian National Congress, including Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who were both prominent figures in the Indian independence movement.

The strike began on 21 January 1918, with workers from 17 textile mills walking off the job. The protest quickly spread throughout the city, with other workers joining the strike in solidarity. The British colonial authorities responded by arresting the strike leaders and imposing a curfew on the city.

Despite these measures, the strike continued for several months, with the workers maintaining a nonviolent protest and staging demonstrations in the streets of Ahmedabad. The strike gained international attention, with labor activists and trade unions in other countries expressing their support for the workers’ cause.

In March 1918, the British colonial authorities agreed to negotiate with the workers and their representatives. After several rounds of negotiations, the workers’ demands were partially met, and the strike was called off on 4 April 1918.

The Ahmedabad Mill Strike was an important moment in the history of the Indian labor movement, marking a significant victory for workers’ rights and setting a precedent for future labor protests and strikes across India. It also helped to galvanize support for the Indian independence movement and underscored the role of nonviolent resistance in achieving social and political change.

Kheda Satyagraha (1918)

The Kheda Satyagraha was a nonviolent civil disobedience movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and his followers in the Kheda district of Gujarat in 1918. The movement was a protest against the British colonial government’s policy of increasing taxes on farmers in the region during a time of drought and crop failure.

The farmers of Kheda were unable to pay the taxes and appealed to the British authorities for relief. When their appeals were ignored, they turned to Gandhi and asked for his help. Gandhi saw the situation as an opportunity to challenge the British authorities and to demonstrate the power of nonviolent resistance.

Gandhi and his followers organized a campaign of civil disobedience, urging farmers to refuse to pay the taxes and to withhold their crops from the market. The British authorities responded with arrests, confiscations, and other forms of repression, but the movement continued to grow and spread.

In the end, the British government was forced to negotiate with Gandhi and his followers, and they agreed to suspend the collection of taxes and to release the arrested protesters. The Kheda Satyagraha was a significant victory for the Indian independence movement and a demonstration of the power of nonviolent resistance in achieving social and political change.

The success of the Kheda Satyagraha inspired similar movements in other parts of India, and it helped to establish Gandhi as a national leader and a symbol of India’s struggle for independence.

Government of India Act, 1919

The Government of India Act, 1919, also known as the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, was a law passed by the British Parliament in response to growing demands for Indian self-government. The act was named after Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy of India.

The act introduced a number of significant reforms, including the establishment of a bicameral legislature with elected members, the expansion of voting rights to a larger segment of the Indian population, and the creation of separate electorates for religious minorities, including Muslims and Sikhs.

The act also provided for the decentralization of power to provincial governments, giving them greater autonomy and control over their own affairs. However, the central government retained significant powers, including control over defense, foreign affairs, and finance.

Despite these reforms, the Government of India Act, 1919, fell short of the demands of Indian nationalists, who continued to call for full self-government and independence. Nevertheless, the act represented an important milestone in the struggle for Indian self-rule and paved the way for future constitutional reforms in India.

Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919)

The Rowlatt Act was a law passed by the British government in 1919, which allowed the colonial authorities to arrest and imprison individuals suspected of sedition without trial. The law was named after Sir Sidney Rowlatt, who chaired the committee that drafted it.

The Rowlatt Act was deeply unpopular among Indians, who saw it as a violation of their civil liberties and an attempt by the British to suppress political dissent. In protest, Mahatma Gandhi called for a nationwide strike, known as the Hartal, which brought much of India to a standstill.

On April 13, 1919, a large crowd gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh public garden in Amritsar, Punjab, to protest the Rowlatt Act and to listen to speeches by nationalist leaders. The crowd was peaceful and unarmed, but the British authorities, led by General Reginald Dyer, saw it as a potential threat to public order.

Without warning, Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on the crowd, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people and the injury of thousands more. The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, as it came to be known, was a turning point in India’s struggle for independence, galvanizing public opinion against the British and sparking widespread protests across the country.

The Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre led to a deepening of the Indian nationalist movement and a further radicalization of its leaders, including Gandhi, who launched his non-cooperation movement against the British colonial government in 1920. The events also contributed to the passage of the Government of India Act of 1919, which provided for limited Indian participation in the legislative process but fell far short of the demands of the Indian nationalist movement.

Khilafat Movement

The Khilafat Movement was a political movement launched by Indian Muslims in the early 1920s, which aimed to protect the Ottoman Caliphate in Turkey, which had been threatened by the Allied Powers at the end of World War I.

The movement was led by two prominent Muslim leaders, Maulana Mohammad Ali and his brother, Shaukat Ali, who were also leading members of the Indian National Congress. They were joined by Mahatma Gandhi, who saw the Khilafat cause as an opportunity to build Hindu-Muslim unity and to further the cause of Indian independence from British rule.

The Khilafat Movement called for a boycott of British goods and services, and organized mass demonstrations and protests across India. The movement also worked to mobilize support among Muslims in other parts of the world, including the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

However, the Khilafat Movement was dealt a severe blow in 1922, when the Ottoman Caliphate was abolished by the new Turkish government under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. This led to a loss of momentum and support for the movement, and it gradually faded away.

Nevertheless, the Khilafat Movement played an important role in the Indian nationalist movement, as it brought together Hindus and Muslims in a common cause, and helped to lay the groundwork for the future struggle for independence.

Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22)

The Non-Cooperation Movement was a major civil disobedience campaign launched by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress in 1920 against British colonial rule in India. The movement aimed to bring about a complete boycott of British goods, institutions, and laws, and to achieve independence for India.

The movement was triggered by the Rowlatt Act of 1919, which had authorized the government to detain anyone without trial and to restrict their civil liberties. The Act had led to widespread protests and violence in many parts of India, and Gandhi saw it as a clear violation of civil liberties and democratic rights.

Gandhi called for non-cooperation with the British government and their institutions, and urged Indians to boycott British goods, schools, and law courts. He also urged Indians to resign from government jobs, and for lawyers to give up their practice in British courts.

The movement gained widespread support across India, and thousands of people joined the protests and demonstrations. The British responded with repression, and many Indian leaders, including Gandhi, were arrested and jailed.

The movement lost momentum in 1922 after a violent incident in the town of Chauri Chaura, in which a group of protesters set fire to a police station and killed several policemen. Gandhi was shocked by the incident and called off the movement, believing that it had become too violent and had lost its non-violent character.

Despite the movement’s failure to achieve its immediate goals, it had a profound impact on India’s struggle for independence. It helped to unite Indians across different social and religious groups, and laid the groundwork for future movements and protests against British colonial rule. It also established Mahatma Gandhi as a leading figure in India’s independence movement.

Bardoli Resolution

The Bardoli Resolution, also known as the Bardoli Satyagraha, was a nonviolent civil disobedience campaign led by Indian nationalist leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1928. The campaign was organized in response to the British government’s decision to increase the land revenue tax in the Bardoli taluka of Gujarat, India.

The peasants in the Bardoli taluka were already burdened with high taxes and were unable to pay the increased tax. They approached Sardar Patel for help, and he organized a campaign of nonviolent resistance against the British government. The campaign involved the withholding of revenue, peaceful protests, and a boycott of British goods.

The British government responded with repression, including the arrest of many leaders of the campaign. However, the campaign continued, and eventually, the British government was forced to back down and reduce the tax to its original level.

The Bardoli Satyagraha was a significant victory for the Indian nationalist movement, and it established Sardar Patel as a leading figure in the Indian National Congress. The campaign also showed the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance as a tool for achieving political change, and it inspired other movements and protests in India and around the world.

Nagpur Session of Congress

The Nagpur Session of the Indian National Congress was held in December 1920, and it marked a significant shift in the Congress’s approach to Indian independence. At the session, the Congress adopted the Non-Cooperation Movement, which was a strategy of nonviolent resistance against British rule in India.

The Non-Cooperation Movement called for a boycott of British goods, institutions, and services, as well as the surrender of titles and honors bestowed by the British government. The movement also included the resignations of Indian officials and civil servants who worked for the British government.

The Nagpur Session was also notable for the emergence of a new generation of leaders within the Congress, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, and Vallabhbhai Patel. These leaders advocated for a more militant approach to Indian independence and emphasized the importance of mass participation and grassroots mobilization.

Overall, the Nagpur Session of Congress was a pivotal moment in the Indian nationalist movement, as it marked a shift from the Congress’s earlier approach of petitioning the British government for incremental reforms to a more radical approach of nonviolent resistance and mass mobilization.

Swaraj Party and its Evaluation

The Swaraj Party was a political party formed by a group of Congress leaders, including Motilal Nehru and Chittaranjan Das, in 1923. The party was established in response to the Congress’s decision to boycott the legislative councils established under the Government of India Act of 1919. The Swaraj Party participated in these councils and used them as a platform to push for greater Indian autonomy and self-rule.

The Swaraj Party was successful in winning a number of seats in the legislative councils and used their position to advocate for reforms and challenge British rule in India. The party played a crucial role in pushing for the abolition of the Rowlatt Act, which had been passed by the British government to suppress political dissent in India.

However, the Swaraj Party’s participation in the legislative councils was criticized by some within the Congress, who argued that it legitimized the British colonial government and undermined the goal of complete Indian independence. Some Congress leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi, believed that the party should focus on nonviolent resistance and mass mobilization rather than participating in colonial institutions.

Overall, the Swaraj Party’s legacy is somewhat mixed. While the party was successful in pushing for important reforms and challenging British rule in India, its participation in colonial institutions was seen by some as a compromise with the oppressor. The party’s ultimate failure to achieve its goal of Indian independence through these institutions also suggests that more radical approaches, such as nonviolent resistance and mass mobilization, were ultimately necessary to achieve India’s freedom.

Muddiman Committee (1924)

The Muddiman Committee, also known as the Indian Statutory Commission, was appointed in 1924 to review the working of the Government of India Act, 1919, and to recommend any changes that might be necessary. The committee was chaired by Sir John Simon, a British lawyer and politician.

The Muddiman Committee was composed of seven members, four of whom were British and three of whom were Indian. The Indian members of the committee were M.R. Jayakar, a prominent lawyer and politician from Bombay; S. Srinivasa Iyengar, a lawyer and journalist from Madras; and Sir Muhammad Shafi, a lawyer and politician from Punjab.

The committee conducted a wide-ranging inquiry into the functioning of the Government of India Act, 1919, and received evidence from a range of individuals and organizations, including political parties, trade unions, and business groups. The committee’s report, which was published in 1930, made a number of recommendations for constitutional reform in India, including the establishment of a federal system of government and the creation of responsible government at the provincial level.

The Muddiman Committee’s recommendations were controversial and generated a great deal of debate in India. Many Indian nationalists rejected the committee’s proposals as inadequate and called for complete independence from British rule. Nevertheless, the committee’s report played an important role in shaping the subsequent constitutional reforms in India, including the Government of India Act, 1935, which established a federal system of government in India.

Simon Commission (1927)

The Simon Commission was a group of seven British parliamentarians who were sent to India in 1927 by the British government to review and suggest reforms to the Government of India Act, 1919. The commission was named after its chairman, Sir John Simon, a British lawyer and politician.

The commission was composed entirely of British members, which was criticized by Indian nationalist leaders as an insult to India’s sovereignty. The commission was met with widespread protests and boycotts by the Indian public, who saw it as an attempt by the British government to maintain their control over India.

The commission’s report, known as the Simon Report, was published in 1930 and proposed several constitutional reforms, including the establishment of a federal system of government, an expansion of provincial autonomy, and the introduction of responsible government at the provincial level. However, the report was criticized by Indian nationalist leaders for not recommending complete independence from British rule.

The Simon Commission and its report ultimately failed to address the demands of the Indian nationalist movement and led to an intensification of the struggle for Indian independence. It also marked the beginning of the end of the British Raj in India, as it was soon followed by the Round Table Conferences and the eventual passage of the Government of India Act, 1935.

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Most Important Topics in Modern India Part 4

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