Revolt of 1857

Started on 10th May, 1857
Merchants, Intelligentsia and Indian rulers actively helped the British
Important leaders
- Delhi
  - Bahadur Shah Zafar
- Jhansi
  - Rani Lakshmi Bai
- Gwalior
  - Tantya Tope
- Kanpur
  - Nana Saheb
Reasons for the revolt
- Annexation of Awadh by Dalhousie
- Discrimination against Indian sepoys in the army
- Fear of conversion to christianity
- Introduction of new Enfield rifle
Causes of failures
- Unsympathetic and hostile attitude of many native rulers
- Non-participation of educated Indians
- Lack of organization, discipline and a political perspective
- Superior British military strength
Consequences
- Company rule abolished
- British crown took over through the Queen's Proclaimation
- Indian army reorganized
- Indian Civil Services Act 1861 was passed, provided for an annual competetive examination to be held in London
- Indigo revolt started at Govindpur village
Societies created afterwards
- Society for the promotion of national feeling among the educated naives of bengal
  - Rajnarain Bose
  - 1866
- Hindu Mela
  - Nabagopal Mitra
  - 1867
- British India Association
  - Radhakant Deb
  - 1851
- London Indian Society
  - WC Bannerjee, Pherozshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji and Manmohan Ghose
  - 1865
- Indian Society
  - Anandmohan Bose

Important Movements and Acts

Enlarged Supreme and Provincial Councils
Empowered the members to discuss the budget and ask questions on matters of public interests
Did not allow Right of electing representatives
Followed by
- Tariff Duties Act 1894
- Custom Duties Act 1896

temporary success and failed to bring about economic regeneration of the country
objectives of national education hardly made any progress
failed to achieve hindu-muslim unity

Government of India Act
During premiership of Lloyd George
Provided for distribution of power between Centre and the provinces
Provided for bicameral legislature
- Upper House for 5 years
- Lower House for 3 years
Introduced system of dyarchy in provinces
- Governor-in-Council holding charge of Reserved Subjects
- Governor and ministers of Transferred subjects
All bills passed by the provincial legislatures required assent of Governor and Governor-General
Establishment of Public Service Commision
Congress
- Moderates accepted the reforms
- Extremists rejected it

Formed to review working of 1919 Constitution
Non-inclusion of any indian in the commission
Report published on June 7, 1930 recommended
- federal constitution for India
- enlargement of provincial legislative councils
- responsible government in place of dyarchy, no mention of Dominion Status

First RTC
- Nov. 12, 1930 to Jan. 19, 1931
- Not attended by congress
Second RTC
- Sept. 7, 1931 to Dec. 11, 1931
- conference got deadlocked on the question of minorities
- Lord Willingdon succeed Lord Irwin as viceroy in the meantime
Third RTC
- Nov. to Dec, 1932
- Gov. issued white paper on basis of 3 RTCs
- The paper was passed as GoI Act, 1935

Introduced the concept of All-India Federation comprising of the British Provinces and the princely states
Division of power into 3 lists
- Federal
- Provincial
- Concurrent
Provided for Dyarchy at the Centre
- Federal Assembly - for 5 years
- Council of States - 1/3rd members retiring every 3 years
Provincial autonomy
- introduction of responsible government in the provinces and abolition of dyarchy in them
Seperate electorates for muslims, sikhs, christians, anglo-indians and europeans
Fell far short of dominion status
Seperated Burma from India

March 1942
Sent by Churchill
Intended to set up Indian Union soon after the war
The union would have dominion status with the power to secede from the commonwealth
A costituent assembly to be convened after the end of the war to frame a new constitution
Pakistan was conceded in principle
Contained provision which could divide India into hundreds of independent states
Gandhi rejected the proposals as a post-dated cheque
Failure of cripps mission led to Wardha Resolution of Congress

Launched by Gandhi on Aug 1
Boycott of forthcoming election under Government of India Act, 1919
Triple boycott of legislature, courts and educationsal insitutions
Boycott of foreign goods and promotion of swadeshi instead
Hindu muslim unity and eradication of untouchability
Surrender of gov. titles and honours
Focused on khilafat issue
Suspended on Feb 12, 1922 after Chauri Chaura Incident
Success/failures
- Congress became a mass movement
- fear of british administration disappeared
- jallianwala massacre wrongs and khilafat issue not redressed
- hindu muslim unity broken

first attempt to draw constitution of india
Recommended
- dominion status, and not complete independence
- rejection of seperate electorates
- linguistic provinces
- 19 fundamental rights including universal adult suffrage
- complete dissociation of state from religion
- indian parliament at center to consist of
  - 500-members directly elected by House of Representatives for 5 years
  - 200-members indirectly elected Senate for 7 years
- central government headed by governor-general
contained ultimatum to the government that the proposals should be accepted and implemented by 31st Dec. 1929

Gandhi led volunteers to march to Dandi to break salt law
Success/Failure
- freedom struggle further penetrated the masses
- enhanced the prestige of congress and gandhi in particular
- Purna Swaraj was not achieved
- GoI Act of 1935 did not transfer real power to the Indians