The Question: What causes conflict?

Three Wise Men: India From Colonial Rule to the Fight for Independence 1919-1939

Background #1 The majority of Indians were Hindus, while a large minority were Muslims. India was a prized colony of Britain and she did not want to loose a major trading partner. 1 million Indian soldiers had fought for the British during WWI.

Background #2 Britain resisted giving India independence because she insisted that the Muslim-Hindu differences in India would lead to a bloodbath/bloody revolution if independence was not handled carefully. Britain’s heart was in the right place but her guns were also well oiled. During the inter-war period there were the violent revolutionaries and then there was Mohandas Gandhi who believed in passive resistance.

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919 Britain recognized that India would eventually become a dominion but thought this should happen slowly. The first steps in this direction was the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms in 1919. A unique system of government was established called dyarchy (a system of double government).

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms Under this system of government eleven provinces were created out of India. In each there would be two levels of power and responsibility. Indians would control health, education, and agriculture in each. The British would control finance and law and order.

Unrest The self-determination the Allies spoke about after WWI was taken seriously by India: The reforms were not enough for the Indians. Widespread anti-British unrest continued and protests arose.

Amritsar Massacre, 1919 Britain at times overreacted. The Amritsar Massacre in 1919: 379 protesters were killed; 1000 wounded. The protesters were unarmed.

The Congress Party The Congress Party was a Hindu-dominated nationalist group led by Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Gandhi developed novel reforms of protest which became known as pacifism, or non-violent resistance.

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the India (was also a lawyer) Independence Movement. He pioneered satyagraha: This is defined as resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, a philosophy firmly founded upon ahimsa, or total non-violence.

Gandhi This concept helped India gain independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi is often referred to as Mahatma Gandhi or "Great Soul", an honorific name. In India he is also called Bapu ("Father") and officially honoured in India as the Father of the Nation.

"Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind "Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man." ~ Gandhi

Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889–27 May 1964) was an Indian statesman who was the first (and to date the longest-serving) PM of India, from 1947 until 1964. One of the leading figures in the Indian Independence Movement Nehru was elected by the Congress Party to assume office as independent India’s PM, and re-elected when the Congress Party won India's first general election in 1952.

Nehru As one of the founders of the Non-aligned Movement (not ally with any other country), he was also an important figure in the international politics of the post-war era.

Nehru Non-alignment Movement was based on 5 principles: Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty Mutual non-aggression Mutual non-interference in domestic affairs Equality and mutual benefit Peaceful co-existence

Opposition Both Gandhi and Nehru, his right hand man, spent a lot of time in prison. These men believed that Hindus and Muslims could share an independent India. But not everyone in the Congress Party agreed with Gandhi: Some extremists wanted nothing to do with sharing power with the Muslims.

The Muslim League The Muslim League was an organization of nationalist Muslims who founded their party in 1906. By the 1930s many members of this group were calling for a second state to be called Pakistan. This League was in direct opposition to Gandhi’s ways.

The Government of India Act 1935 The Government of India Act gave full control of the eleven provinces to India, while Britain would share powers with the Indians in the central government. In the first election (1937) the Congress Party controlled six provinces, the Muslim League two, and another three were undecided.

Opposition to the Act After some arrogant demands on the part of the Congress, Ali Jinnah, the leader of the Muslim League, was even more convinced that there should be two Indias. The Muslims could not gain enough control, wanted to split, British wanted to hold things together.

Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (December 25, 1876 – September 11, 1948) was a 20th century lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam (“Great Leader") and Baba-e-Qaum (“Father of the Nation").

Jinnah Jinnah served as leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan's independence on August 14, 1947 and Pakistan's first Governor General from August 15, 1947 until his death on September 11, 1948. Jinnah rose to prominence in the Indian National Congress initially expounding ideas of Hindi-Muslim unity but clearly gave these up soon after.

Indeterminate Results While it was obvious that India was heading for full independence, it was equally apparent that the foreign British were the only force that could hold the country together. The final chapter of Indian Independence would have to wait until after WWII.

Quick Peek: India After WWII Britain could no longer control India. Lord Mountbatten was instructed to prepare India for independence. Indian leaders decided to divide the country into India for the Hindus and Sikhs, and Pakistan (east and west) for the Muslims. People were then forced to move to where their religion was going = the Great Migration.

Quick Peek: India After WWII Violence between the groups led to 500,000 deaths. India received official independence in 1947, with Nehru the first Prime Minister. A Parliamentary democracy was established. Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. Today, India is the largest democracy in the world.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

The Question: What causes conflict?