Montagu, Haig & Linlithgow
History: AQA A Level The British Empire, topic 3.4.4
Colonial Administrators in India, 1914-1947
The British had claimed defence of national freedoms as their reason for fighting in WW1. It appeared hypocritical of them to not give some degree of home-rule to India after this.
Edwin Montagu
- In 1919, when Montagu was the Secretary of State for India, parliament passed the India Act from Westminster.
- The act created a 'diarchy' in India where power was split (unevenly) between Indian and British political bodies. This involved:
- De-centralised administration of some Indian people (giving more power to the provinces).
- Implementing quotas for Indian people in some parts of government.
- The enfranchisement of some Indian people (wealthy and educated) who could elect Indian representatives.
- Overall though, the effects did not come close to meeting the hopes of the Indian nationalists.
Lord Linlithgow
- From 1935 to 1943, Lord Linlithgow served as the Viceroy of India.
- Linlithgow actively promoted the enfranchisement of more Indians in the Government of India Act of 1935.
- This act granted more power to the provinces than the 1919 act, ending the 'diarchy' established by Montagu.
- It also enfranchised more than 35 million Indians, meaning 3x more people could now vote in elections.
- He believed that piecemeal reform would weaken the nationalist movement and quiet its most vocal members.
Lord Linlithgow and the independence movement
- However, Linlithgow's attempts to create unity through reform backfired and ended up having the opposite effect.
- The Congress Party and the Muslim League rejected his proposals for reform in 1940, which did not go far enough in their eyes.
- This prompted the rise of Indian civil disobedience campaigning which Linlithgow then suppressed with vigour.
- Tens of thousands of Indians were imprisoned for acts of civil disobedience.
- Litlingow took measures to restrict the INC's ability to organise campaigns by monitoring members and censoring the press.
The Quit India Movement
- Indians blamed Linlithgow for division and a lack of economic development.
- Historians argue that Linlithgow's reactionary and repressive approach to the INC and their campaigning hastened the collapse of the British Raj.
Test yourself on Montagu, Haig & Linlithgow
What was the impact of the 1919 India Act?
Which of these is NOT a method Lord Linlithgow used to suppress Indian civil disobedience?