History of India: 1700s-1947
Year
|
Incident
|
|
1611
|
East India Company (EIC) establishes a factory in
Masulipatnam (modern Andhra Pradesh)
|
|
1612
|
Factory established in Surat
|
|
1640
|
Factory established in Madras
|
|
1688
|
Portuguese Bombay leased by EIC
|
|
1700
|
Factory established in Calcutta
|
|
1717
|
Farrukhsiyar grants ‘farman’ to EIC to carry on
inland trade in Bengal with several significant concessions regarding tax
concessions
|
|
1750s: Carnatic Wars
(I:
1746-48
II:
1749-54
III:
1756-63)
|
Carnatic
Wars
These established the British East India’s Company’s
supremacy amongst all the European companies in India). Around then, the
Carnatic region was nominally a dependency of Hyderabad state (Mughal
control), but was ruled by Nawab Dost Ali Khan
|
|
I Carnatic
war was the Indian theatre of the War
of Austrian Succession in Europe, which brought Britain and France into
conflict, and spilled onto the Indian subcontinent as well. Indian rulers
were not involved; Brits came out
on top. First military adventure of
Robert Clive
|
||
II Carnatic
war started as a war of succession
after the death of Nawab-ul-Mulk (Nawab of Hyderabad), and Brits and French
saw an opportunity to consolidate influence and joined warring factions. Brits
again came out on top, under Clive. Ended by Treaty of Pondicherry in 1754, recognizing the British-supported
candidate becoming the Nawab
|
||
III
Carnatic war was the Indian theatre
of the Seven Years’ War in Europe. Spread as far as Bengal, but was decided in
southern India. Brits occupied Pondicherry (French capital). Gave it back
under Treaty of Paris in 1763, but
only as a trading post. This signaled the end of French political ambitions
in India
|
||
1757:
Battle of Plassey (Brits v/s Bengal Nawabs (Siraj-ud-Dalulah, later Mir
Jafar and Mir Qasim)
|
Battle of
Plassey (Robert Clive v/s Siraj-ud-Daulah)
When Alivardi
Khan had come to power, he adopted a strict policy with the British, who
had been granted favorable trade rights (including inland ones) by
Farrukhsiyar in 1717. Alivardi had seen how Brits and French were waging
proxy wars in Carnatic using local rulers, and wanted to prevent Bengal from
that fate. Brits kept complaining that farman of 1717 was not being implemented
fully, even as they continued rapacious inland trade that harmed the Nawab’s
revenue (which had been going on since 1717)
In 1756, Alivardi Khan died and his grandson Siraj-ud-Daulah became Nawab of
Bengal. He was suspicious of the British, and asked them to stop
fortification (which the British were doing because of wars with France both
in Europe and in Carnatic; French had also recently occupied Chandernagar in
Bengal. This had infuriated the Nawab, who didn’t want any more of this on
his land). Brits didn’t stop fortifications, and the Nawab attacked the EIC
in Calcutta and ransacked the city (‘black
hole’ incident)
EIC officials fled to an offshore island, and called
for help from the company in Madras; under Clive, the Brits seized Calcutta,
and the French fort of Chandernagar (7 years’ war was on in Europe)
French troops now joined the Nawab. In response,
Robert Clive bribed Mir Jafar
(head of Nawab’s army), and defeated the Nawab at Battle of Plassey. The
British were now paramount rulers of Bengal, with all forthcoming Nawabs at
their mercy (as early as 1759, Mir Jafar had grown disillusioned with the
Brits, and started making alliances with the Dutch to repel the British; he
got deposed, Mir Qasim came next)
|
|
1761:
Battle of Panipat
(Marathas
v/s Afghans + Shuja-ud-Daulah of Awadh; Brits
not involved)
|
Battle of
Panipat
Mughal empire was under free-fall after Aurangzeb.
Already during Aurangzeb’s time, Mughals and Marathas had been fighting for
27 years (1680-1707). Marathas had had rapid territorial gains (Gujarat,
Malwa, Rajputana etc.). By 1737, they also controlled most of Mughal
territories south of Delhi. In 1758, Nana
Saheb (Balaji Baji Rao) occupied Punjab as well, and this brought the
Marathas into direct confrontation with the Afghans, under Ahmad Shah Abdali. They started
sending expeditionary forces to mount attacks on the small Maratha garrisons in
Punjab.
War seemed imminent; both sides wanted
Shuja-ud-Daulah of Awadh on their side. Shuja joined Afghans (‘Army of
Islam’), and this was critical, because without his support Afghans wouldn’t
have had the money to stay for as long as they did in India. Afghans laid
siege to Panipat, and cut off supplies to Marathas in Delhi, who started
dying of starvation. Maratha soldiers begged to go to war, and to war they
did go. But the Afghans under Ahmad Shah Durrani and Shuja were much
stronger, and convincingly routed the Maraths
The
Marathas were to remain absent from the North Indian political scene for the
next decade, until another war in 1771
|
|
1763
|
III
Carnatic War ends in Treaty of Paris; with this, Britain
ends all political ambitions of France in India. Pondicherry returned to the
French, but only as a trading post
|
|
Sanyasi
rebellion (Bengal/ East India): Brits
imposed a ban on visits to holy places; Sanyasis organized raids on company
|
||
1764:
Battle of Buxar
|
Battle
of Buxar (read immediately after Battle of Plassey)
Mir Qasim was installed as Nawab of Bengal after Mir Jafar’s
rebellious activities. Mir Qasim also quickly saw that there was no way that
British plunder of Bengal could be allowed to go unchecked. He made alliances
with Nawab of Awadh (Shuja-ud-Daulah)
and Mughal King Shah Alam II;
however, Clive’s army convincingly beat their combined forces at Buxar.
Shah Alam II now signed the Treaty of Allahabad, granting Diwani rights to the British
EIC for Bengal (modern Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, and parts of UP) in
return for allowing him to hold court at Allahabad; Mir Qasim was replaced. Shuja-ud-Daulah
allowed to return to Awadh under a subsidiary force. This arrangement made the British virtual rulers of Bengal (the revenue-collection function had
hitherto been performed by the Nawabs). Now, the Nawab had the responsibility
for administration (Brits weren’t interested in direct administration yet),
while the Brits enjoyed the real power (without responsibility).
=> Led
to dual government in Bengal.
With the Marathas just having lost to the Afghans in
the Battle of Panipat in 1761, they were to remain absent from North Indian
affairs for about a decade. This gave the British a wide berth in
consolidating their foothold over these parts.
|
|
1767
<1767-99:
Anglo-Mysore (modern Karnataka) Wars>
(I: 1767-69
II: 1780-84
III: 1789-92
IV: 1799)
(Treaties:
MMS- Madras, Mangalore, Seringapatnam)
|
I
Anglo-Mysore War (1767): Hyder Ali
had become the ruler of Mysore in 1761. Mysore had enemies Marathas to the
north, and Hyderabad to the east. Marathas invaded Mysore around 1767; initial
plan was that Hyderabad’s Nizam will also invade and plunder, but the British
invaded Hyderabad’s Northern Sarkars (to establish a land route between their
holdings in Calcutta and Madras). This made the Nizam think of allying with
Mysore. But Brits pre-empted and attacked Mysore.
No side won decisively; Treaty of Madras in 1769 declared ceasefire, and Brits were to
help out Mysore in case of military aggression from Marathas.
|
|
II
Anglo-Mysore War (1780): Going
against the Treaty of Madras, the British refused to help out in
Mysore-Maratha wars in 1770s, and Hyder Ali allied with the French. After
Britain and France started fighting in Europe, Brits occupied French port of
Mahe on Malabar coast. Hyder Ali used to get his French arms from this port. So,
Hyder Ali launched an attack in response, and included Marathas and Nizam of
Hyderabad.
After a long-drawn war, British losses were high, and
London instructed EIC to stop the war and sign a treaty. Treaty of Mangalore was signed in 1784, and all territories won
by either side given back. Brits agreed not to intervene in any future wars
between Mysore, Marathas, and Hyderabad.
|
||
III
Anglo-Mysore War (1789): Tipu Sultan, Hyder Ali’s son, was now the
ruler; he’d been looking to find a way to go to war with the British. He
attacked British ally Travancore (Kerala); Brits said okay let’s fight.
Tipu lost badly; Brits could’ve occupied Mysore but
didn’t because they didn’t want consolidation of Maratha power, or to incur
expenses by appointing someone directly under Brits. They let Tipu rule, but
took 2 of his sons hostage so he would abide by the Treaty of Seringapatnam (1792), whereby about half of Mysore’s
area was given away to Marathas
and Hyderabad.
|
||
IV
Anglo-Mysore War (1799): Final war;
Tipu dead. Most of Mysore given away to Marathas and Nizam; core around
Seringapatnam given to pre-Hyder Ali House
of Wodeyars, who ‘ruled’ till 1947
|
||
1773
|
Regulating
Act (GG- Warren Hastings):
EIC, before and since Plassey (1757), was involved in
corrupt practices whereby the company constantly veered on the verge of
bankruptcy and couldn’t repay its commitments to the British government even
as the ‘Nabobs’ became spectacularly wealthy. The Regulating Act was brought
in for the better management of the company’s affairs in India and in Britain.
The Company was to act as the Sovereign power on behalf of the Crown. Warren Hastings was the Governor in
Bengal at this time (so became first GG).
Key features:
1. GG + 4: Created executive council of 4 members to assist the
Governor-General of Bengal
2.
Governors of Bombay and Madras presidencies made
subordinate to GG of Bengal
3. Established Supreme Court in Calcutta
4. Company
servants were forbidden from carrying on private trade or accept ‘presents’
from Indian rulers
|
|
1775
1775-1818:
Anglo-Maratha Wars
(I: 1775-82
II: 1803-05
III: 1817-18)
(Salbai, Bassein,
Gwalior)
|
I
Anglo-Maratha War (1775): Around
this time, the Marathas were the only major Indian power left on the
subcontinent (and to some extent, Mysore). However, there was internal
squabbling for succession. Raghunath
Rao signed a treaty with Brits (but he wasn’t the rightful heir); this
treaty led to the start of the first war; this was virtually a stalemate,
ended with Treaty of Salbai
whereby both powers were to follow a policy of peaceful coexistence.
|
|
II
Anglo-Maratha War (1803): Nana
Phadnavis died; succession struggle. One side (Raghunath Rao’s son Bajir Rao
II) signed Treaty of Bassein with
the Brits, in effect becoming their
subsidiary. Other side, enraged, attacked the Brits and the first side.
Lost. Marathas lost large part of
their territory
|
||
III
Anglo-Maratha War (1817): Mostly a
mopping-up operation; the previous war had been stopped due to fiscal
constraints. At the end of this war, all the Maratha powers had surrendered
to the British, under Treaty of
Gwalior. Brits now controlled all of Southern India, south of the Satluj
river.
|
||
1784
|
Pitt’s India Act (GG- Warren Hastings): Passed among allegations of continuing
corruption and misrule even after the 1773 Regulating Act
1.
GG + 3: Governor-General’s council reduced
to 3 members (from 4 after the
Regulating Act)
2.
Modified the relationship between the EIC and the
British Government
3.
Made the EIC subordinate to the British government by
creating the Board of Control, both to supervise the East India
Company's affairs and to prevent the Company's shareholders from interfering
in the governance of India. The erstwhile Court of Directors was still to
exist, but would manage only commercial affairs; BoC would manage political
affairs
4.
Secretary
of State was to be the President of the Board; +5 members
5.
Bengal
GG kind of made head, but some autonomy to subordinate provincial Governors
Failed because boundaries
of work between BoC and CoD were poorly defined and arbitrary.
|
|
1789
|
III Anglo-Mysore War (see above): Tipu had been
wanting to fight the brits; attacked their allies Travancore. Lost, had to
sign Treaty of Mangalore. His sons were taken hostage by Brits to ensure good
behavior.
|
|
1793
|
Cornwallis introduced Permanent Settlement in Bengal
(demands had been raised by liberals in Britain since Regulating Act of 1773);
this was the first socio-economic regulation
in British India
|
|
1795
|
‘Bengal
Regulation’; declared infanticide
illegal.
|
|
1799
|
IV Anglo-Mysore War; ended in Tipu’s defeat, and
installation of puppet rulers ‘House of Wodeyars’ on the Mysore throne.
Mysore was now out of the game.
|
|
Chuar
uprising (Bengal/ East India (Midnapore)): Happened due to famine,
enhanced land-revenue demand, and general economic distress. Wasn’t a one-off
incident; incidents happened till 1816.
|
||
1803
|
II Anglo-Maratha War (see above): ‘Renegade’ Baji Rao
II signed Treaty of Bassein with Brits; death knell for Marathas (although
there would be one more war after this)
|
|
1813
|
Charter Act
of 1813 (GG- Minto; retired in 1813, succeeded by Hastings (Moira): Passed in the backdrop of great economic turmoil in
Europe; Napoleon had imposed the ‘Continental System’ in Europe, and British
traders were facing hardships. There was clamor for revoking EIC’s monopoly
on trade with India. Key features:
1. GG + 3 maintained
2. Ended the trade monopoly of EIC with India, except
for tea and trade with China
3. Missionaries now allowed to go to India
4. EIC instructed to spend Rs. 1 lakh per annum to strengthen
the education systems
5. Empowered local governments to impose taxes, subject
to jurisdiction of SC
|
|
1815
|
Atmiya
Sabha: Raja Ram Mohan Roy
established the Atmiya Sabha, a precursor in the socio-religious reforms in
Bengal. With this, he was known as a campaigners for the rights of women. He
started opposing the Sati system and Polygamy in Hindus.
|
|
1817
|
III Anglo-Maratha War (see above): mop-up operation.
All Maratha power now with British, who controlled the entire Indian
territory south of the Satluj.
|
|
1828
|
Brahmo
Samaj established
|
|
1829
|
William
Bentick brings in ‘Abolishon of Sati
Act’
|
|
1830
|
Dharma
Sabha established by Radhakant Deb
as retaliation to Brahmo Samaj’s growing influence; orthodox Hindu,
status-quoist
|
|
1833
|
Charter Act
of 1833 (GG- Bentick) (before this: Regulating Act of 1773, Pitt’s India
Act of 1784)
1.
GG + 4: GG’s
council expanded to include a 4th
member (Macaulay was the first such 4th member); not to be an
executive member, only legislative
2.
Trade license
of EIC revoked altogether (opening up
of trade with India to others, not only EIC); the EIC became a part of the
British government, but India’s administration remained under company
officials
3.
Made the GG
of Bengal GG of India (title change); thus,
revoked the autonomy of the presidencies of Madras and Bombay; deprived Governments of Madras and Bombay of powers of
legislation
4.
First step towards codifying India laws; India Law Commission set up
5.
First act that provisioned to freely admit the
natives of India to share in administration
|
|
1835
|
Metcalfe (GG) repeals Licensing
Act that had imposed restrictions on freedom of press
|
|
1839
|
Tattvabodhini
Sabha established by Debendranath
Tagore. When Brahmo Samaj became weak after the death of its founder Ram Mohan
Roy, Debendranath Tagore took
every possible initiative and established the 'Tattvanodhini Sabha'. Its
prime objective was to propagate the spirit of Hindu Scriptures, including
the Vedas. Came together with Brahmo Samaj in 1840s.
The Tattvabodhini
Sabha encouraged a balanced attitude towards religion, a feature that
attracted both the groups, conservative like Ishwar Chandra Gupta as well as
modern outlook-ed people
like Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Debendranath
Tagore, however, modified his philosophy and conflict with many of the views
of the members of the Sabha. Thus came a split in the Sabha in 1859 and
subsequently, the liability of publishing the journal and books for the
circulation of the faith fell on Calcutta Brahmo Samaj.
|
|
1853
|
Charter Act
of 1853 (GG- Dalhousie (James Broun-Ramsey))
1. GG + 4 + 6:
4th member in council
placed on equal footing with the other 3, and 6 new ‘Legislative Councillors’ added; total council strength =
12 (all officials; GG + Commander in Chief + 4 executive members + 2 judges +
4 officials)
2. All previous Charter Acts had explicitly dictated how
long the EIC’s charter was being renewed for; this one just said unless
Parliament decides otherwise, EIC would administer India
3. Deprived the Court of Directors from using
appointments to ICS as a patronage
device; appointments thrown open via
competitive examinations
|
|
1854
|
‘Wood’s
Despatch’ to GG Lord Dalhousie,
asking to: (i) Set up education department in every province; (ii) Universities on the model of the London
University be established in big cities such as Bombay, Calcutta and Madras;
(iii) At least one government
school be opened in every district; (iv) Indians should also be taught in
their native tongues. Is called Magna-carta of English Education in India.
|
|
1856
|
Hindu Widow Remarriage Act
|
|
1858
|
Government
of India Act (GG- Charles Canning)
1. Abolished
the EIC’s rule in India, the Court
of Directors, and the Board of Control
2. Crown was now to govern India directly via a
‘Secretary of State for India’
3. GG renamed Viceroy
(Canning was thus first Viceroy)
4. 15 member council to assist SoS
|
|
1861
|
Indian
Councils Act (GG- Charles Canning)
1. GG + 5 +
(6-12): Additional member in
executive council; minimum 6 and maximum 12 legislative members, half of whom had to be
non-officials (nominated by provinces and the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce;
thus, Indian participation initiated)
2. Portfolio
system introduced
3. Decentralization:
Re-instated legislative powers of
Governments of Madras and Bombay
4. GG had veto, could issue ordinances
5. LC members could discuss
budget, but couldn’t legislate on budget
|
|
1865
|
Split in Brahmo Samaj
|
|
1866
|
East India
Association founded by Dadabhai
Naoroji in London. It was one of the predecessor
organizations of the Indian National Congress. The idea was to present the correct
information about India to the British Public and voice Indian Grievances.
Became defunct in 1880s.
|
|
1870
|
Mayo’s
Resolution (Fiscal Decentralization
from Centre to Provinces)
|
|
1867
|
Poona
Sarvajanik Sabha founded by Ranade to represent the aspirations
of the people to government. It published a quartely journal to put forth the
problems of people before the government.
|
|
1873
|
Satyashodhak
Samaj founded by Jyotiba Phule. Aim was to create caste consciousness; first
movement with leadership from low castes; Raja Bali used as symbol.
|
|
1875
|
Arya Samaj founded by Dayanand
Saraswati; “Back to the Vedas”, end priestly domination, promote
inter-caste and widow marriages, no idol worship
|
|
1878
|
Vernacular Press Act, Arms Act
|
|
Keshab Chanda Sen’s ‘Brahmo Samaj of India’ further
splits into two (other branch now called ‘Sadharan Brahmo Samaj’).
|
||
1882
|
Ripon’s
Resolution (Fiscal Decentralization
from Provinces to Local Bodies)
|
|
Hunter Education Commission
|
||
1883
|
Ilbert Bill
(Ripon): proposed an amendment for existing laws in the
country at the time to allow Indian judges and magistrates the jurisdiction
to try British offenders in criminal cases at the District level, something
that was disallowed at the time. Didn’t pass.
Finally, a
solution was adopted by way of compromise: jurisdiction to try Europeans
would be conferred on European and Indian District Magistrates and Sessions
Judges alike. However, a
defendant would in all cases have
the right to claim trial by a jury of which at least half the members must be
European.
|
|
1885
|
Indian National Congress formed; first President: WC
Bonnerji
|
|
1890
|
Kadambini becomes the first woman to address INC (I
think she was the first female graduate of Calcutta University)
|
|
1891
|
Act X : raised the age of consent for sexual intercourse for
all girls, married or unmarried, from 10 years to 12 years old; everything
before would be classified as rape and attract penal punishment
|
|
1892
|
Councils
Act (Lansdowne)
|
|
1896
|
Bombay plague; Chapekar brothers shoot someone
important, hanged; Tilak jailed for praising them (they were his disciples
anyway)
|
|
1897
|
Ramakrishna
Movement started by Vivekananda
(Narendranath Dutta); aim was to spread the universal
message of Vedanta, love all religions, service of humans = service of god.
|
|
1902
|
Sri Narayan
Guru Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) movement; started
among Ezvahas of Kerala (toddy-trappers, untouchables); urged them to join
schools, administration.
|
|
1904
|
Official Secrets Act
|
|
1905
|
Partition of Bengal, Swadeshi Movement
|
|
Shyamji
Krishna Verma starts Indian Home
Rule Society in London
|
||
GK Gokhale starts ‘Servants of India Society’; non-religious, aimed at raising cadres for nation-building
|
||
1906
|
INC adopts Swaraj
as goal during Calcutta session under Dadabhai Naoroji’s presidentship
|
|
‘Yugantar’ started in Anushilan Samiti (which was a
revolutionary terrorist organization in Bengal)
|
||
Shimla
Deputation: In 1906 a group of Muslim landed magnates and chieftains organized a
deputation of Lord Minto, the Viceroy, at Simla and pleaded for concession to
the Muslim community of India.
Within a few
months following the Simla Deputation a political forum of the communalist
Muslims emerged. Nawab Salimullah of
Dacca took initiative in organizing a conference of the communalist
Muslims in which a resolution was adopted in favour of the foundation of the
All India Muslim League.
|
||
1907
|
Muslim League founded
|
|
INC Surat
split
|
||
1908
|
Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose executed for bomb-carriage incident
|
|
Tilak praises them, deported to Mandalay for 8 years
under charges of sedition
|
||
1909
|
Indian
Councils Act (GG- Minto:
father of communal electorates)
(‘Minto-Morley Reforms’)
1. GG was Minto
2. GG + 7 + (60):
Massively increased the size of
Legislative Council at the center (16 to 60), and also in the provinces; officials still in majority (34
officials, 25 elected (13 general, 8 Muslims, 6 British Capitalists, 2
landlords), 4 nominated)
3. LCs could discuss
4. Separate
electorates introduced
5. Satyendranath
Sinha became the first Indian to
join the GG’s executive council
|
|
1911
|
Partition of Bengal annulled under constant
opposition from Hindu communalist groups, and because of the rise of
revolutionary terrorism; immediate cause for discontent was a huge famine,
and the simultaneous pomp of the Delhi Durbar for a visiting Royal
|
|
1912
|
RB Bose and Sachin Sanyal throw a bomb at Viceroy
Hardinge
|
|
1914
|
Tilak returns to India (back from Prison in Mandalay)
|
|
Ghadar
party formed in San Francisco under
Lala Hardayal, after Komagata Maru
incident
|
||
1915
|
Amidst WW1, Defense
of India rules imposed that curbed all kinds of civil liberties- entire
leadership of Ghadar movement beheaded
|
|
Pherozshah Mehta and Gopalkrishna Gokhale both dead
(natural causes)
|
||
1916
|
Congress reunites in Lucknow (after Surat Split of
1907)
|
|
Lucknow
Pact (between the Muslim League and
the Congress)
|
||
Tilak and Annie Besant start the Home Rule League Movement (instrumental in making the INC a
potent political force again, by bringing the extremists and moderates under
the same fold again)
|
||
1917
|
Gandhi enters the nationalist scene; Champaran Satyagraha
|
|
Justice
Party founded in Tamil Nadu; this
was a political party focused on securing jobs for non-brahmins in legislature. Founded by CN Mulaidar, T. Nair, and P. Thyagaraja.
|
||
Russian Revolution (was to lead to rise of the left
ad peasant movements later)
|
||
1918
|
Kheda Satyagraha
|
|
Ahmedabad Mill Strike
|
||
1919
|
Rowlatt Satyagraha, Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, Gandhi
jailed
|
|
Government
of India Act (Montague-Chelmsford
Reforms)
1. GG was Chelmsford
2. Replaced
Legislative Council with a bicameral structure; both houses had majority members elected by direct
elections (but limited franchise- property, tax, or education)
3. Dyarchy (two executives in Provinces; one responsible to
Legislature (‘Ministers’), and the other to Governor (‘Executive
Councillors’)
4.
3 members of
GG’s executive council to be Indians
5. Extended
separate electorates to Sikhs, Christians, Anglos, and Europeans
6.
Separated
provincial budgets from central; provinces could enact their own budgets
|
||
1920
|
Congress commits itself to extra-constitutional mass
struggle (Nagpur session)
|
|
Non-Cooperation/ Khilafat Movement starts
|
||
MN Roy founded CPI in Tashkent
|
||
1921
|
Akali Movement; started to liberate Sikh
Gurudwaras from Udasi Mahants; later won and set up SGPC; later turned
communal (think why?)
|
|
1922
|
Chaura-Chauri incident; Gandhi calls off NCM,
arrested for 6 years
|
|
Mapilla
rebellion in Malabar
|
||
1923
|
Swarajist-‘No-changer’ debate
|
|
1924
|
Gandhi released on health grounds (check)
|
|
Swaraj party (from within the Congress) fights
elections; wins handsomely
|
||
Hindustan Republican
Army set up by Ramprasad Bismil,
Sachin Sanyal, and Jogendranath Chatterjee
|
||
Vaikom
Satyagraha (temple entry, led by KV
Keshav)
|
||
Kanpur
Bolshevik Conspiracy Case: SA Dange
jailed
|
||
1925
|
CR Das dies; leads to split in Bengal Congress: JM
Sengupta faction (backed by revolutionary Anushilan group), and other led by
SC Bose (Yugantar group)
|
|
Kakori train robbery (Bismil, Ashfaqullah, Rajendra
Lahiri hanged)
|
||
1926
|
Swaraj party splits due to differences- some members
like MMM and Lala Lajpat Rai wanted more concession to Hindus, Nehru and CR
Das (?) were secular and left the Swaraj party; elections, Swaraj party does
badly
|
|
1927
|
Simon Commission- all white, no Indians; huge
protests, even Muslim League protests. Lala Lajpat Rai killed during
demonstrations
|
|
‘Delhi
Proposals’ by the Muslim League; first ever acceptance of Joint
Electorates
|
||
1928
|
Saunders Murder by HSRA; Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar
Dutt throw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly to protest the Public Safety Bill and Trade Disputes Bill
|
|
Calcutta Session
|
Nehru
Report
|
|
INC declares that if the Government doesn’t grant
dominion status within a year, they will start a satyagraha; Gandhi tours the
country to prepare the masses for the coming struggle
|
||
1929
|
INC declares Purna
Swaraj as its goal in Lahore; all Congress ministries resign
|
|
League issues Jinnah’s
14 points
|
||
Irwin announces that goal of Brits is to eventually
grant dominion status
|
||
Meerut Conspiracy Case
|
||
‘Delhi
Manifesto’
|
||
1930
|
Launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement via Dandi March in March; movement builds
up, Gandhi arrested in May
|
|
First RTC in London (to discuss Simon recommendations); Congress boycotts
|
||
Chittagong Armory Raid (Surya Sen etc.)
|
||
Sarda Act
|
||
Garhwal Rifles soldiers refuse to open fire on
unarmed crowd
|
||
1931
|
Gandhi-Irwin
Pact (Delhi Pact- put INC and GoI on
equal footing)
|
|
Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru hanged (Lahore
Conspiracy Case)
|
||
INC Karachi session; 2 landmark resolutions on
Fundamental Rights and National Economic Programme passed
|
||
Second RTC; Gandhi dismayed at strong focus on Communal Award to depressed classes,
decides to resume CDM. Arrested upon return to India without a trial, jailed
in Yeravada (Poona)
|
||
Gurvayur
Satyagraha (temple entry)
|
||
1932
|
Communal
Award announced by Ramsey Macdonald
(SoS)
|
|
Gandhi undertakes fast unto death in Yeravada against
this; him and Ambedkar sign the Poona
Pact; Gandhi sets up the ‘All India Anti-Untouchability League’ from jail
|
||
Third RTC in London
|
||
1933
|
Gandhi released from prison
|
|
1934
|
Gandhi retires from active politics (after dispute in
Congress regarding direction), devotes himself to constructive work; withdraws CDM
|
|
1935
|
Government
of India Act
1.
Establishment of
All-India Federation (didn’t happen as Princes didn’t agree)
2.
Abolished
diarchy in provinces (=> provinvial autonomy), and introduced it at the
central level; 3 legislative lists
3.
Responsible
governance in the provinces (implemented for a while); Governor answerable to
legislature
4.
Further extended
separate electorates to depressed classes, women, and labour
5.
Extended
franchise; about 10% eligible to vote
6.
Still, about 80%
of central budget not votable
7.
Established Reserve Bank of India
|
|
1936
|
Maharaja of Travancore allows temple entry (after
lots of struggle- think Vaikom, Gurvayur etc.)
|
|
1937
|
Provincial elections held, Congress wins/emerges as
single largest party in all provinces but two (check which two); Muslim
League dismayed, moves to extreme communalism
|
|
1939
|
WW2 starts; Congress ministries resign; League
observes the day of resignation as Deliverance
Day
|
|
1940
|
Pakistan
Resolution at the League’s Lahore
session
|
|
August Offer (Linlithgow)
|
||
Congress launches individual satyagrahas; ‘Dilli Chalo’; first satyagraha was
Vinoba Bhave
|
||
1942
|
Quit India Movement (resolution in Bombay in August);
Gandhi and other leaders arrested immediately after resolution
|
|
Cripps Mission (‘Blueprint
for India’s Partition)
|
||
1944/45
|
Wavell’s Plan/ Shimla Conference
|
|
Calcutta upsurge 01; elections (communal
polarization, league sweeps muslim areas)
|
||
1946
|
Cabinet Mission
|
|
Calcutta upsurge 02 + RIN mutiny
|
||
Communal riots at an unprecedented scale
|
||
September
|
Interim congress government (despite INC opposition
to compulsory grouping)
|
|
October
|
Muslim League joins interim government
|
|
1947
|
February
|
Attlee’s statement: we’re leaving by June 1948
|
June
|
Mountbatten Plan
|
|
August 15
|
Independence
|
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