7Chapter 9

Section 1 Freedom and Partition

Growing unrest During WWI, Indian nationalists

demanded more freedom from British

1919-British respond by limiting freedom of press and other rights

Amritsar Massacre

April 13, 1919-10,000 Indians gathered in a public area

British General Dyer ordered troops to open fire

Men, women and children were trampled as they tried to escape

379 Indians died and 1,100 were injured

Turning point

Mohandas Gandhi

Principles

Satyagraha-nonviolent resistance to end injustice

Ideas rooted in Hindu beliefs and Christian traditions

H-nonviolence and respect for all living things

C-teaching of love, even for one’s enemies

Henry David Thoreau-civil disobedience

Gandhi’s appeal

Ideas appealing to Hindus of all classes

Gave up western ways and encouraged traditional Indian industries

Vegetarian

Rejected some features of the caste system

Campaign of civil disobedience

1920s-Gandhi traveled throughout India urging non-violence

He supported strikes, boycotts, and protests

The Salt March

1930 Gandhi used satyagraha to protest the tax on salt

British laws forbade Indians to make salt

Gandhi led followers on a 200-mile march to the coast

Thousands joined and when they got to the coast they made salt

50,000 Indians were arrested

Result of the Salt March

Gained world support for Indian nationalists

1930s-British responded to nonviolence with force

In Britain, people debated whether or not their government should hold on to India

“Quit India”

1939-Most Indians did not want to fight in WWII

Indian National Congress refused to support the war unless Indians were promised immediate independence

Gandhi urged Indians to follow a policy of non-cooperation with the British

Civil disobedience

20,000 INC members were arrested

Hindu-Muslim Conflict 1920-1930s-divisions

arose

The British encouraged divisions

Many Muslims feared their rights would not be respected in a country dominated by Hindus

Gandhi disagreed

He wanted them to work together

Many Hindus distrusted Muslims

Subcontinent Divided

1946-rioting between Hindus and Muslims broke out

1947-British parliament passed the Indian Independence Act which ended British rule in India

Also, it provided partition into two separate nations

Hindu-India

Muslim-Pakistan

Reaction to partition

Explosion of violence

Distrust and fear were deeply rooted

500,000 people died in fighting

Over 15 million Muslims fled to Pakistan

Gandhi’s death

Gandhi refused to celebrate India’s independence

Jan. 1948-Gandhi was shot by a Hindu extremist who believed Gandhi betrayed his own people

Gandhi's assassination