Home Rule and Ghadr 1916

Home Rule and Ghadr 1916

1. Home Rule Leagues

   • Key People
     • Annie Besant
       • Led All India Home Rule League
       • About 30,000 members
       • Covered most of India
     • Tilak
       • Focused on just 2 regions
       • About 32,000 members
   • Aim: self-government within the empire
   • Illegal:went against 1915 defence of India act
   • What?
     • Toured country
     • Speeches
     • Pamphlets
   • Success
     • British saw it as a threat
     • Gained support from Congress moderates
     • First mass movement
   • Failure
     • Didn't achieve aims
     • Besant imprisoned
     • Tilak charged with sedition
     • Didn't achieve targets
     • Campaigners arrested
   • Result: Montagu decleration 1917

2. Ghadr Movement

   • Early movements of Pathans
     • Winter 1914-15
       • Hindus in the army afraid they would be led by Muslims
     • 1916
       • Indian troops in Singapore
       • Heard about the death toll at the Somme
       • Heard a rumour they would be sent to France
       • Rampaged killed European civillians and women
       • 37 ringleaders executed
       • Order quickly established
   • Mutiny that never happened
     • Early 1914 300 Sikhs left to go to Canada
     • They were denied entry
     • After a few months they returned to Calcutta
     • British were paranoid as knew there anti-British Indians in Canada
     • Troops escorted the Sikhs to holding camps
     • Some tried to ecape, 22 shot
     • The rest transported around India
     • An official inquiry blamed Sikhs
     • Inflamed anti-British feeling in Punjab
     • Secret Police watched politics in Punjab
     • 1915-Information led to break up of planned uprising
     • 5,000 arrested, 200 jailed,46 hanged
     • British lost support of previosly loyal Punjab