Lucknow Pact (1916),Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms and Rowlatt Act

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Lucknow Pact (1916)

  • Nationalists saw that their disunity was affecting their cause
  • Two important developments at the Lucknow Session of Congress
    • The two wings of the Congress were again united
    • The Congress and the Muslim League sank their old differences and put up common political demands before the government.
  • INC and ML passed the same resolutions at their sessions, put forward a joint scheme of political reforms based on separate electorates, and demanded that the British Government should make a declaration that it would confer self-government on India at an early date.
  • The pact accepted the principle of separate electorates
  • Main clauses of the pact
    • There shall be self-government in India.
    • Muslims should be given one-third representation in the central government.
    • There should be separate electorates for all the communities until a community demanded joint electorates.
    • A system of weightage should be adopted.
    • The number of the members of Central Legislative Council should be increased to 150.
    • At the provincial level, four-fifth of the members of the Legislative Councils should be elected and one-fifth should be nominated.
    • The size of provincial legislatures should not be less than 125 in the major provinces and from 50 to 75 in the minor provinces.
    • All members, except those nominated, should be elected directly on the basis of Adult Franchise.
    • No bill concerning a community should be passed if the bill is opposed by three-fourth of the members of that community in the Legislative Council.
    • The term of the Legislative Council should be five years.
    • Members of Legislative Council should themselves elect their president.
    • Half of the members of Imperial Legislative Council should be Indians.
    • The Indian Council must be abolished.
    • The salaries of the Secretary of State for Indian Affairs should be paid by the British government and not from Indian funds.
    • Of the two Under Secretaries, one should be Indian.
    • The Executive should be separated from the Judiciary.
  • Evaluation
    • As an immediate effect, the unity between the two factions of the congress and between INC and ML aroused great political enthusiasm in the country
    • However, it did not involve Hindu and Muslim masses and was based on the notion of bringing together the educated Hindus and Muslims as separate political entities without secularization of their political outlook
    • The pact therefore left the way open to the future resurgence of Communalism in Indian politics.
  • Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
    • Provincial LC enlarged. More elected members
    • Dyarchy
      • Some subjects were reserved and remained under the direct control of the Governor; others such as Education, public Health and local self-government were called transferred subjects and were to be controlled by the ministers responsible to the legislature.
    • At the centre, there were two houses of legislature.
    • Response of nationalists
      • INC condemned the reforms as disappointing and unsatisfactory
      • Some others , led by Surendranath Banerjea, were in favour of accepting the government proposals. They left the Congress at this time and founded the Indian Liberal Federation
    • Evaluation
      • The governor could overrule the ministers on any grounds that he considered special
      • The legislature had virtually no control over the Governor-General and his Executive Council.
      • The central government had unrestricted control over the provincial governments

 

Rowlatt Act

  • March 1919
  • It authorized the Government to imprison any person without trial and conviction in a court of law.

The Lucknow Pact was a political agreement between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League, signed on December 26, 1916, in Lucknow, India. The pact was a major step forward in the cooperation of the two major Political Parties in India, and it paved the way for the independence movement.

The pact was signed by the leaders of the two parties, Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The pact agreed on a number of issues, including separate electorates for Muslims and Hindus, and a joint electorate for certain seats. The pact also agreed on a number of other issues, such as the need for Hindu-Muslim unity, and the need for self-government for India.

The Lucknow Pact was a major turning point in the Indian independence movement. It showed that the two major political parties in India were willing to cooperate in the fight for independence. The pact also showed that the British government was willing to make some concessions to the Indian people.

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms were a major constitutional reform that introduced a system of dyarchy in India. Dyarchy meant that some subjects were to be administered by the British government, while others were to be administered by Indian ministers responsible to an elected legislature. The reforms were introduced in 1919, and they were a major step forward in the development of self-government in India.

The reforms were named after Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy of India. The reforms were based on the recommendations of the Indian Statutory Commission, which had been appointed to investigate the political situation in India.

The reforms introduced a system of dyarchy in India. Dyarchy meant that some subjects were to be administered by the British government, while others were to be administered by Indian ministers responsible to an elected legislature. The subjects that were to be administered by the British government included defense, foreign affairs, and communications. The subjects that were to be administered by Indian ministers included education, public health, and local self-government.

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms were a major step forward in the development of self-government in India. They gave Indians a greater say in the administration of their country, and they paved the way for the independence movement.

The Rowlatt Act was an act that gave the British government sweeping powers to suppress dissent. The act was passed in response to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and it allowed the government to detain people without trial and to censor the press. The act was widely seen as a violation of civil liberties, and it led to widespread protests and demonstrations.

The Rowlatt Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 18, 1919. The act was named after Justice Sydney Rowlatt, who had headed a committee that had investigated the causes of the Indian unrest. The act gave the government the power to detain people without trial for up to two years, and it allowed the government to censor the press.

The Rowlatt Act was widely seen as a violation of civil liberties, and it led to widespread protests and demonstrations. The most famous of these protests was the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which took place on April 13, 1919. In this massacre, British troops opened fire on a crowd of unarmed protesters, killing hundreds of people.

The Rowlatt Act was repealed in 1922, but it remains a symbol of British repression in India. It is also a reminder of the sacrifices that were made in the fight for Indian independence.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms

  1. What were the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms?

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms were a set of constitutional reforms introduced in British India in 1919. The reforms were named after Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy of India.

  1. What were the objectives of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms?

The objectives of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms were to increase Indian participation in government and to prepare India for self-rule.

  1. What were the main features of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms?

The main features of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms were:

  • The introduction of dyarchy, a System of Government in which some subjects were transferred to Indian control while others remained under British control.
  • The expansion of the Indian Legislative Councils.
  • The creation of an Indian Council of State.
  • The introduction of provincial autonomy.
  • What was the impact of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms?

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms had a significant impact on India. They increased Indian participation in government and prepared India for self-rule. However, the reforms also led to increased political and social unrest in India.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Rowlatt Act

  1. What was the Rowlatt Act?

The Rowlatt Act was an act of the British Parliament that was passed in 1919. The act gave the British government the power to detain people without trial and to suppress public meetings.

  1. What were the objectives of the Rowlatt Act?

The objectives of the Rowlatt Act were to suppress the Indian independence movement and to maintain British rule in India.

  1. What was the impact of the Rowlatt Act?

The Rowlatt Act had a significant impact on India. It led to widespread protests and demonstrations, which were brutally suppressed by the British government. The act also contributed to the rise of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Lucknow Pact (1916)

  1. What was the Lucknow Pact?

The Lucknow Pact was an agreement between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League that was signed in 1916. The pact was a major step towards Hindu-Muslim unity in India.

  1. What were the terms of the Lucknow Pact?

The terms of the Lucknow Pact included:

  • The acceptance of separate electorates for Muslims.
  • The promise of joint electorates for Muslims and Hindus in some provinces.
  • The promise of a greater role for Muslims in the government of India.
  • What was the impact of the Lucknow Pact?

The Lucknow Pact had a significant impact on India. It helped to unite Hindus and Muslims and it paved the way for the independence of India.

The following are multiple choice questions about the topics of the Lucknow Pact (1916), the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, and the Rowlatt Act.

  1. The Lucknow Pact was a political agreement between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League. It was signed in 1916 in the city of Lucknow, India. The pact agreed to a number of reforms, including the creation of separate electorates for Muslims and Hindus.
  2. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms were a series of reforms that were introduced to India in 1919. The reforms were named after the British Secretary of State for India, Edwin Montagu, and the Viceroy of India, Lord Chelmsford. The reforms introduced a system of dyarchy, in which some powers were devolved to Indian ministers, while others remained with the British government.
  3. The Rowlatt Act was an act of the British Parliament that was passed in 1919. The act gave the British government the power to arrest and detain people without trial. The act was widely seen as a repressive measure, and it led to widespread protests in India.

Which of the following was not a provision of the Lucknow Pact?

(A) The creation of separate electorates for Muslims and Hindus
(B) The establishment of a joint electorate for Muslims and Hindus
(C) The introduction of a system of Proportional Representation
(D) The recognition of the principle of self-determination

The correct answer is (B). The Lucknow Pact did not establish a joint electorate for Muslims and Hindus. Instead, it agreed to the creation of separate electorates for Muslims and Hindus.

Which of the following was not a provision of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms?

(A) The introduction of a system of dyarchy
(B) The devolution of some powers to Indian ministers
(C) The retention of some powers by the British government
(D) The establishment of a Federal System of Government

The correct answer is (D). The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms did not establish a federal system of government. Instead, they introduced a system of dyarchy, in which some powers were devolved to Indian ministers, while others remained with the British government.

Which of the following was not a provision of the Rowlatt Act?

(A) The power to arrest and detain people without trial
(B) The power to censor the press
(C) The power to search without warrant
(D) The power to impose collective fines

The correct answer is (B). The Rowlatt Act did not give the British government the power to censor the press. Instead, it gave the government the power to arrest and detain people without trial, to search without warrant, and to impose collective fines.