The Government of India Act 1935

Provisions of the Act
1. Expand the electorate to 35 million people
2. Abolish dyarchy
3. Make 2 new provinces: Orissa and Sind
4. Viceroy keeps responsibility for defence and foreign affairs
Reactions to the act
1. Many wanted purna swaraj
2. Seen by many as 'too little, too late'
3. Congress split over the act - some refused on princple whilst others wanted to grasp the short term political gains
Federation and the princes
1. Designed to make India a federal like America,including the princely states
2. Concessions were given to the princes eg. the could select their own representatives without elections
3. The British thought that they could weaken Congress by including the princes who were conservative and traditionally loyal to the Raj
4. Princes refused to sign,worried they would lose their personal armies and would be forced to become more democratic
1937 elections
1. Feeling of self-government
2. Congress won the vast majority of seats and became drunk on power - refused to cooperate with the viceroy
3. Muslim league suffered - Jinnah started arguing for a separate Muslim state (mainly a bargaining chip)

Resource summary

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