PAKISTAN STUDIES
Political Events Assignment
Nicholas Ali
B.COM I
12 April 2010
Formation of the Indian National Congress
1885
1905
1906
The Congress was formed by a retired British Civil servant named Allan Octavian (A.O.) Hume. Its first president was Barrister Womesh Chandra Banerjee, whose presidency was announced at the Congress’s inaugural session in Bombay in Dece Decemb mber er of 1885 1885.. It grad gradua uall lly y tran transf sfor orme med d into into a broa broad d base based d nati nation onal al organization. It comprised of 72 members out of whom there were two Muslims; Shoaib Qureshi and Ali Imam. It had three main objectives. 1) To create create one nation nation made up up of all all the differen differentt elements elements of India. India. 2) For the Indian Indian nation nation to be created created along along all lines; lines; politica political, l, moral, moral, mental mental and social. 3) To consoli consolidate date the union union between between Great Britain Britain and and India. India. Partition of Bengal Bengal was divided on 16 October, 1905 by Lord Curzon. Bengal was far too vast to govern, it had an area of 189,000 sq miles and by 1903 had a population of 78.5 mill millio ion. n. Many Many distr distric icts ts of Easte Eastern rn Beng Bengal al had had been been negl neglec ected ted due due to poor poor communication and isolation. Calcutta and its nearby districts benefited from the attention of the British government. This division had three main administrative objectives. 1) It wanted wanted to relie relieve ve the gover governm nmen entt of Benga Bengall of some some of its dutie dutiess and and ensure efficient administration in the outlying districts. 2) The The gove govern rnme ment nt want wanted ed to deve develo lop p back backwa ward rd Assam Assam by incre increasi asing ng its its jurisdiction so as to include an outlet to the sea. 3) The The governme government nt also wanted wanted to unite the scattere scattered d sections sections of the UriyaUriyaspeaking populations. Simla Delegation On the 1st of October 1906, a delegation delegation of Muslims leaders headed by Aga Khan III met the Viceroy of India, Lord Minto to discuss the political ambitions of the Muslims in India. There were 35 members, 5 of which were from West Bengal and Nawab Ali Chaudhary represented East Bengal and Assam. They had the following objectives. 1) The employm oyment of Muslims ims to the civil, mili ilitary ary and jud judiciary administrations should be increased. 2) Seats should should be reserved reserved for for Muslims Muslims on the municipal municipal and and districts districts boards boards and in the university senate and syndicate. 3) There There should should be separate separate election electionss of Muslims Muslims to the provinci provincial al council council based on their political importance and not their population. 4) Elections Elections of Muslims Muslims to the the Imperial Imperial Legisla Legislative tive Council. Council. 5) A Muslim Muslim univer university sity shoul should d be establi establishe shed. d. Formation of the All India Muslim League
At the Mohamm Mohammeda edan n Educati Educationa onall Confere Conference nce in Dhaka, Dhaka, Muslim Muslim leaders leaders had decided to create their own political party. This conference was presided over by Nawab Viqar-ul-Malik. It would be known as the All India Muslim League and consisted of 400 members. Its first president was Sir Aga Khan III. Its headquarters were located in Lucknow. Annual Session of the All India Muslim League
1907
The first session of the All India Muslim League was held in Karachi, in December of 1907. It was presided over by Sir Adamjee Pir Bhai and its first president was Sir Aga Khan. Swadeshi/Boycott Swadeshi/Boycott Movement
1909
This was lead by Pundit Modan Mohan Malwia. The Indian people began to promote products made domestically and boycotted boycotted British made goods. Morley-Minto Morley-Minto Reforms
1910
Lord Morley the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs announced that he wanted to give the Indian people more legislative powers. So talks between him and the Governor General of India, Lord Minto began. The Act was passed in 1909 and one of the most important reforms passed was that the Muslims gained the right to separate electorates. Mohammed Ali Jinnah became became a member of the Imperial Legislative Council.
1911
Annulment of the partition of Bengal. Bengal.
1913
Jinnah joins the Muslim League. Joint session of the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress
1915
1916
1919
On 31 December, 1915 both the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress held a joint meeting, where they discussed the future of the peoples they were representing. And also to work towards the reconciliation of the Muslims and Hindus. The Lucknow Pact After a joint session of the League and Congress, the Lucknow Pact was passed. It recognized the League as an important political party and granted them separate electorates in the provincial and Imperial Legislative Council. The other important clauses were: 1) Weightage age 2) One-third One-third representa representation tion of Muslims Muslims in the the Central Central Governmen Governmentt Khilafat Movement This began movement began to save the Khalifa of Turkey, because the Britain had decid decided ed to dism dismem embe berr it alon along g with with othe otherr Euro Europe pean an powe powers. rs. The The impo importa rtant nt members of this movement were Ghandi, Maulana Ali Jauhar and Maulana Shakut Ali Jauhar. Jinnah did not take part in the movement as he did not believe to mix religion with politics. Jalianwala Bagh Tragedy
1920 1924
The British government had passed laws in India establishing that Indians could not meet publicly in large groups. One day, a large crowd gathered at Jalianwala Bagh and Sir Michael O’Dyer ordered troops to fire at the unarmed groups. Officials claimed that 379 people died and 1,200 wounded. Quaid leaves Congress Khilafat Movement ended The Delhi Proposals
Jinnah realized that separate electorates were the main hindrance towards HinduMuslim unity, so he agreed to given up this provision if the Hindus agreed to provide certain safeguards towards the Muslims; which were: 1) Sindh Sindh must must be separat separated ed from the Bombay Bombay Reside Residency ncy and made made a separat separatee province. 2) N.W.F.P N.W.F.P and Balochist Balochistan an should should be made provinc provinces, es, giving giving them provinci provincial al amendments. 3) Muslim represen representation tation in in the Central Central Legislature Legislature would would not be be less than one one third. The Simon Commission 1927
The British government had decided to create a commission which went to India and noted the development the reforms were having on India. This commission was head by Sir John Simon and 6 other members, whom were all Britons. So part of the League protested against this and this group became the “Jinnah Group” while it’s counterpart which supported the commission was known as the “Shafi Group” after Sir Mohammad Shafi. When the Simon Commission arrived in India they were met with hostility and thus returned to Britain. The Nehru Report
1928
1929
Following the Simon Commission, the government resent Sir John Simon to India to inquir inquiree about about the consti constitut tution ional al develo developme pment nt of the nation nation.. He appoin appointed ted a comm commit ittee tee head headed ed by Pund Pundit it Moti Moti Lal Lal Nehr Nehru u to deve develo lop p the the prin princi cipa pals ls for for a constitution of India. Known as the Nehru Report in consisted of the following important points; 1) The clauses clauses of the the Lucknow Lucknow Pact Pact had had been been rejected. rejected. 2) Separate Separate Electorate Electorate and Weight Weightage age had also been been rejected rejected.. 3) A unitary unitary form of governm government ent had been propo proposed sed abolish abolishing ing the idea of provinces having autonomous autonomous power. 4) One fourth fourth represen representation tation of Muslims Muslims in the the Central Central Legislativ Legislative. e. 5) Hindi Hindi should should be made made the offic official ial langua language. ge. Jinnah’s Fourteen Points In response to the Nehru Report, Jinnah passed his fourteen points. The main points were; 1) A fed federa erall gov gover ernm nmen entt 2) Sepa Separat ratee Ele Elect ctora orate tess 3) Weightage age 4) Sepa Separat ratio ion n of of Sin Sindh dh
5) Prov Provin inci cial al Aut Auton onom omy y 6) Muslim Muslim Repr Represen esentat tation ion in the the Cen. Cen. Leg; Leg; 1/3 The League reunited after these points had been passed. First Round Table Conference 1930
The Congress didn’t show up for this conference as their leaders had been jailed due to the Civil Disobedience Movement. So the League discussed their issues and 8 committees had been set up to deal with the political issues. At the end of the conference, they decided to an agreement to write safeguards for the minorities and create a federal government. Ghandi-Irwin Pact After After the First RTC, RTC, the British British realize realized d they needed needed the participa participatio tion n of the Congress. So, the Viceroy Lord Irwin and Ghandi formed a pact which stated that Congress would participate in the next RTC if its leaders were let out of jail only if Civil Disobedience discontinued. But Civil Disobedience would only be discontinued if the British stopped passing laws to curb Congress’s constitutional progress.
1931
Second Round Table Conference
Two committees were formed to solve the problems of developing a constitution and the rights of the minorities. Both the committees were headed by Ghandi but he took took an unreaso unreasonab nable le stance stance and a lot of minorit minorities; ies; Muslim Muslims, s, Anglo-I Anglo-Indi ndians, ans, Indian Christians and the Europeans protested and thus the Second RTC ended on this note. The Communal Award The communal award had been announced giving minorities separate electorates in the country; country; not only Muslims. Muslims. Many of the Hindu classes in the caste system had been given rights. Weightage had also been given to many different communities in different provinces, making Muslims minorities in those areas. Poona Pact 1932
Ghandi opposed the Communal Award because it separated the Untouchables from mainstream Hindu society. Ghandi went on a hunger strike due to it, claiming that all people should be equal. So the Poona Pact had been signed between him and Dr. B.R. Ambedker, the leader of Untouchables. The pact was a compromise between the Hindu caste system and the depressed classes who were the Untouchables. Third Round Table Conference Conference
The third RTC was a disaster. Jinnah was not invited, Congress failed to appear and so did the Labour class of the British Parliament. White Paper 1933
Whit Whitee Pape Paperr was was a repo report rt on the the deci decisi sion onss made ade duri during ng the the Roun Round d Tabl Tablee Conferences. It passed through some committees and ultimately its constitutional
recommendations became the Government of India Act passed in 1935.
Pakstan 1933
In 1933, a college student named Chaudhary Rehmat Ali published a pamphlet entitled “Now or Never”, which suggested the word “Pakstan”. P-Punjab A-Afghania K-Kashmir S-Sindh T A-- BalochisTAN N This was later adopted has Pakistan’s name with the inclusion of the alphabet “I”. The Government Of India Act
1935
On the 4th of August 1935, 1935, the Government Government of India Act had been passed and was passed. It’s main clauses were 1) A Fed Feder eral al gov govern ernme ment nt 2) A Gove Govern rnor or Gene General ral 3) Federal Federal Legisl Legislatu ature re consistin consisting g of the Council Council of State (Upper (Upper House) House) and the Federal Assembly (Lower House) The Act was passed two years before the Indian elections. The Provincial Elections
1937
1939
The The Govern Governmen mentt of India India Act was practic practically ally implemente implemented d in 1937 1937 after after the elections. The elections weren’t very favourable for both parties; they didn’t do as well as they predicted. Out of eleven provinces, seven of them were run by Congress and the other four were mixed, run by coalition. Day Of Deliverance The The British British Empir Empiree proclai proclaimed med India’ India’ss involv involveme ement nt in the Second Second World World War without consulting the main political parties. So Congress demanded immediate and complete transfer of power for their participation in the war. The British refused and Congress resigned thus handing power over to the League. It was a joyous day for Jinnah and his colleagues colleagues on 22 December, 1939. The Pakistan Resolution
1940
This resolution stated that all areas were Muslims were in majority should band together and form a separate nation. The Resolution was moved by Bengal Chief Minister Minister Maulvi-Faz-ul Maulvi-Faz-ul-Haq -Haq and seconded seconded by Chaudhary Chaudhary Kaliq-uz-zaman Kaliq-uz-zaman.. The meeting was under the chairmanship of Quaid-e-Azam. The British Offer of 1940
During the 1940’s the British were losing the war to the axis powers. So they made
1942
an offer to the Indian’s for their co-operation. They stated that the Governor General’s Executive Council would be expanded and a War Advisory council be set up. After the war they would create a body comprised comprised of Indian’s to create the constitution with regard to the minorities but they also stated that they would not transfer power. Both the League and the Congress rejected the offer. Quit India Movement
1944
In 1942, Congress declared it wanted full independence from Britain. This was followed by a lot of violence like destroying railway stations and post offices and other infrastructure the British built. The British responded by suppressing this uprising. The Movement was a failure. Ghandi-Jinnah Talks
1945-
Ghandi and Jinnah met to settle the differences of the Hindu-Muslim differences. Ghandi stated that the Muslim separation could be constituted as part of the Indian Federation but not as a se parate nation. Jinnah did not agree and the talks ended. General Elections
1946
1946
Congress won 80% of the general seats and 91.3% of the general votes. While the League won all 30 seats reserved for Muslims. In the Provincial elections, Congress won 91% of the general voters while the League secured 87% of the Muslim votes. Direct Action Day The League after years of effort decided to wage war, figuratively, against the British. Jinnah and other leaders began making provocative speeches. Muslims began to riot and Hindu groups responded in violence. “Direct Action” meant to resort to non-constitutional methods; any actions against the Law. With all the violence in India, the British had to think quickly to stop it. Interim Government
An interim government dominated by Congress had been formed. 3rd June Plan This guaranteed the independence of the Indian sub-continent. The British were finally leaving. 1947
Indian Independence Act
This act freed the Muslim people and an independent Muslim state had been established. Transfer of Power
Pakista Pakistan n had been establi established shed and Jinnah Jinnah was its first first Govern Governor or Genera Generall and Liaquat Ali Khan its first Prime Minister.
