Nationalist Movement (1917 - 1939)

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  • After the end of the war, there was a resurgence of nationalist activity in India and in many other colonies in Asia and Africa.

Nationalist Resurgence Now
Post-War Economic Hardships
  • War ended, all sections of the Indian population were experiencing hardships on various fronts.
  • Industry - increase in prices.
  • Workers and Artisans - unemployment and bore the brunt of high prices.
  • Peasantry - high taxation and poverty, lead to protest.
  • Soldiers - abroad gave an idea of their experience to the rural folk, return to a country impoverished and had less liberty than before.
  • Educated Urban Classes - Unemployment acute racism in the attitude of the British.
Expectations of Political Gains for Cooperation in the War
  • After the war, there were high expectations of political gains from the British government
Nationalist Disillusionment with Imperialism Worldwide
  • Promised them an era of democracy and self determination after the war.
  • Imperialist powers had no intention of loosening their hold over the colonies, divide the colonies of the vanquished powers among themselves.
  • Post-war period saw a resurgence of militant nationalist activity throughout Asia and Africa.
Impact of Russian Revolution (November 7, 1917)
  • Soviet Union unilaterally renounced the Czarist imperialist rights in China and the rest of Asia, gave rights of self-determination to former Czarist colonies in Asia and gave equal status to the Asian nationalities within its borders.
Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms and Government of India Act, 1919
  • Not prepared to part with or even share its power with the Indians.
  • policy of ‘carrot and stick’
    • carrot - Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
    • Stick - Rowlatt Act.
Main Features
Provincial Government—Introduction of Dyarchy
Executive
  • Two executive councillors and popular ministers was introduced.
  • Reserved & Transferred subject.
    • Reserved subjects - administered by the governor through his executive council of bureaucrats.
    • Transferred subjects - administered by ministers nominated from among the elected members of the legislative council
  • Ministers were to be responsible to the legislature, executive councillors were not to be responsible to the legislature.
  • Failure of constitutional machinery in province, governor could take over the administration.
  • Secretary of state & Governor general interfere in respect of reserved subjects, transferred interference was restricted.
Legislature
  • Provincial legislative - 70% be elected.
  • System of communal and class electorates.
  • Women - right to vote.
  • councils could initiate legislation but the governor’s assent was required. The governor could veto bills and issue ordinances.
  • Legislative councils could reject the budget but the governor could restore.
  • Legislators enjoyed freedom of speech.
Central Government - Still Without Responsible Government
Executive
  • Governor-general was to be the chief executive authority
  • Central and provincial list.
  • viceroy’s executive council of eight, three were to be Indians.
  • Governor-general retained full control over reserved subjects.
  • Governor-general, cuts in grants, certify bills rejected & Issue Ordinance.
Legislature
  • Bicameral arrangement
  • Lower house or Central Legislative Assembly - tenure of 3 years
  • Upper house or Council of State - tenure of 5 years
  • legislators could ask questions and supplementaries, pass adjournment motions and vote a part of the budget, but 75% of the budget was still not votable.
Some Indians into important committees.
Secretary of State for India, paid out of the British exchequer.
Drawbacks
  • Franchise was very limited.
  • At Central, legislature had no control over the viceroy and his executive council.
  • Division of subjects was not satisfactory at the centre.
  • Allocation of seats for central legislature to the provinces was based on ‘importance’ of provinces.
  • Division of subjects and parallel administration of two parts was irrational.
  • provincial ministers had no control over finances and over the bureaucrats
Congress’s Reaction
  • August 1918, special session at Bombay under Hasan Imam’s presidency.
  • Reforms to be “disappointing” and “unsatisfactory” and demanded effective self-government instead.
  • "Unworthy and disappointing - a sunless dawn" by Tilak.
  • Annie Besant found them "unworthy of England to offer and India to accept"

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