The Government of India Act 1935

The Government of India Act 1935

1. Provisions of the Act

   • Expand the electorate to 35 million people
   • Abolish dyarchy
   • Make 2 new provinces: Orissa and Sind
   • Viceroy keeps responsibility for defence and foreign affairs

2. Reactions to the act

   • Many wanted purna swaraj
   • Seen by many as 'too little, too late'
   • Congress split over the act - some refused on princple whilst others wanted to grasp the short term political gains

3. Federation and the princes

   • Designed to make India a federal like America,including the princely states
   • Concessions were given to the princes eg. the could select their own representatives without elections
   • The British thought that they could weaken Congress by including the princes who were conservative and traditionally loyal to the Raj
   • Princes refused to sign,worried they would lose their personal armies and would be forced to become more democratic

4. 1937 elections

   • Feeling of self-government
   • Congress won the vast majority of seats and became drunk on power - refused to cooperate with the viceroy
   • Muslim league suffered - Jinnah started arguing for a separate Muslim state (mainly a bargaining chip)