India and Great Britain

1
India and Great Britain

• p. 406-407

2
Warm Up Questions

• What two groups were formed before the people of
  India began to think about independence?
• What do you know about Mohandas Gandhi? What do
  you want to know?

3
Colonization of India

• Great Britain colonized India
• Send settlers to an area and gain political
  control (settlers more than often are part of
  your military)
• Then you use that country for its natural
  resources--hence you are making profit from that
  country and using the people as laborers
• Took over Sri Lanka, Maldives, and India
• Could not take over Nepal, Bhutan, and
  Afghanistan

4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
Colonizing cont..

• British army and navy brought with them
• Merchants, Christian missionaries, new ways to
  irrigate and new technology
• Railroads, steamships, factories, and telegraph
• Introduced the British legal system
• New laws to follow, especially landowning laws
• Made English the official language
• Why are the British doing this?
• Making the Indians easier to control
• Trying to force assimilation
• Blending of cultures into the dominant culture

7
Indians Reaction

• Some chose to live the way they always had
• Kind of tried to ignore the British
• Some chose to interact with the British
• Working for the British
• Some studied British traditions and assimilated
• People sent their children to British schools to
  learn English and become successful
• Some chose to work towards an independent
  India--free from any foreign rule

8
Indian National Congress

• Indian political party, founded in 1885
• Its founding members proposed economic reforms
  and wanted a larger role in the making of British
  policy for India
• Eventually split into two groups
• 1.Wanted to remain British, but have some
  authority over their laws
• 2. Wanted to become totally free from British
  rule
• 1920 The Congress began a series of passive, or
  nonviolent, resistance led by Mohandas Gandhi

9
Mohandas Gandhi

• B 10/2/1869. D 1/30/1948
• Father of Indian Independence Movement
• Was shy as a youth, and an average student
• At 18 went off to London to become a barrister
• Lawyer
• At first tried to assimilate to English culture
• Bought suits, learned English and French, took
  dance and violin lessons

10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
Gandhi cont..

• Soon realized that assimilation was a waste of
  his time
• Spent the next 3 years of his study living a
  simple lifestyle
• Went back to India to practice law, but couldnt
  get a job
• Learned English law not Indian
• Age 23 Took a job as a lawyer in South Africa
• It was here that changed Gandhi forever

13
(No Transcript)
14
Gandhi in South Africa

• On a train trip to the Capital, Gandhi was thrown
  off the train
• Held a 1st class ticket, told to go to 3rd class
  because of his skin color
• Refused, and police threw him off the train
• Found out this type of treatment of the Indians
  was common
• They were mocked and called coolies
• Gandhi decided enough was enough, and spent the
  next 20 years of his life working for Indians
  rights in S.A.

15
Satyagraha

• Gandhi developed this concept in 1906
• Literally translated it means truth force
• It is the concept of passive resistance or
  non-violent approach to protesting

16
(No Transcript)
17
Back to India

• Gandhi returned to India in 1915
• He was a national hero for his work in S.A.
• Adopted a more simple way of dressing to
  represent the poor people of his country
• Wore a dhoti and sandals
• Simple loin cloth
• It was here he was given the title Mahatma
• Great soul

18
Gandhi in India cont..

• Used the Satyagraha to influence landowners to
  treat their tenants fairly
• Landowners did not want to be responsible for
  Gandhis death
• The Satyagraha would take a huge physical toll on
  Gandhi because he would fast to get equality
• Gandhi now turned his sights on the British

19
Gandhi and the British

• In 1919 the British passed the Rowlatt Act
• A law passed by the British that allowed them to
  arrest any Indian they felt was a rebel or up to
  rebellious actions
• No arrest warrant
• No trial
• No release date
• Gandhi organized a mass hartal
• A strike
• This hartal turned ugly

20
Amritsar Massacre

• March 30 1919 Gandhi called for a hartal to
  protest the Rowlatt Act
• In the city of Amritsar, the people protested
• Butthey did not fully embrace satyagraha
• The protest got out of hand and turned violent
• 300 Indians died and over 1,100 were hurt
• The Amritsar Massacre heated Indian opinions
  about the British

21
(No Transcript)
22
(No Transcript)
23
Gandhis Reaction

• He spent most of the 1920s trying to teach his
  people to believe in the power of the satyagraha
• He also spread the idea of self-reliance
• We, as Indians, do not need the British
• Started making his own clothes and urged people
  to do the same
• A means of protesting the British
• The charka, or spinning wheel became a symbol of
  Indian independence

24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
Salt March

• A designed protest to hurt British revenue from
  the taxation of salt
• The British would not allow any Indian to buy or
  own salt that was not produced or sold by the
  British government
• Gandhi believed this protest would hurt the
  British the most, since everyone used salt

27
Salt March cont..

• This was the beginning of a nationwide campaign
  to boycott salt
• March 12, 1930 Gandhi and about 75 people set
  out for the sea
• About a 200-240 mile journey
• By the way.they walked!!!
• Throughout the journey, more people joined
• By the time they got to the sea, the group grew
  to about 2 or 3 thousand!!!

28
Salt March cont..

• On April 6, they arrived at the sea
• Gandhi picked up some sea salt and presented it
  to the people
• Totally illegal!!! Not British salt
• Thousands began going to the beaches for salt
• Salt, made by Indians, was now being sold
  nationwide!
• This led to peaceful protests and marches all
  over India

29
(No Transcript)
30
(No Transcript)
31
(No Transcript)
32
Independence

• Gandhi announced plans to March on a salt factory
• British responded by arresting Gandhi, and
  imprisoned him without a trial
• The march went on, and 2500 peaceful protestors
  were beaten by British police officers
• The news of this event shocked the world!!
• Led to Lord Irwin, the viceroy of India, to meet
  with Gandhi

33
Independence cont..

• The viceroy demanded Gandhi to call off the
  protests
• Gandhi agreed, but he wanted certain concessions
• 1. limited salt production by the British
• 2. All peaceful protestors released from jail
• This became known as the Delhi Pact
• Some felt India did not get enough
• Gandhi felt it was a step towards independence

34
Independence cont..

• In 1934, Gandhi retired from politics
• Did not like all of the individual attention he
  was getting
• BUT.his retirement was short lived
• 1939 the British stated that India would fight
  with them in WWII
• They never asked any Indian leaders
• This arrogance brought Gandhi back
• Winston Churchill announced, in 1941, that India
  would become Independent after the war
• He was the Prime Minister of Great Britain

35
Independence cont..

• This was not enough for Gandhi
• Wanted Independence sooner
• Organized the Quit India movement
• A movement designed for the Indians to quit
  involvement in the war
• Gandhis fear was that Japan would target India
  if they got involved
• "The presence of the British in India is an
  invitation to Japan to invade India. Their
  withdrawal removes that bait
• Gandhi was jailed in 1942 for this action

36
Independence cont..

• Released from jail in 1944, Gandhi felt
  independence was in sight
• Only one problem
• Muslims and Hindus were fighting each
  other---violently!!
• Muslims feared having no say in an independent
  India because they were the minority
• Wanted land in NW India to become a separate
  country
• Gandhi tried but could not fix the problems
  between these two cultures

37
Independence cont..

• The British, witnessing a violent civil war,
  decided it was time to leave India
• August 15, 1947 Britain granted independence to
  India and a newly formed Muslim country
• Pakistan
• The violence continued, and Gandhi acted
• At age 78, he vowed to fast until the violence
  ended
• Began this on Jan 13, 1948

38
Independence cont..

• Realizing that the old and frail Gandhi would die
  from this fast, the two sides made peace
• January 18, 1948 representatives from both sides
  approached Gandhi with plans for peace
• His fast ended--peace ensued
• A dream of an independent India was realized
• BUT.some felt India should never be separated
• Blamed Gandhi for this

39
His Final Day

• January 30, 1948
• Gandhi was walking to the prayer house
• It was a little past 5pm
• His grandnieces were supporting him while he
  walked
• A crowd surrounded and a young Hindu named
  Nathuram Godse emerged and bowed to Gandhi
• Gandhi bowed back
• Godse pulled out a semi-automatic pistol, and
  killed Gandhi

40
(No Transcript)
41
(No Transcript)
42
(No Transcript)