Impact of World War I on Indian Freedom Movement Exercise Solutions | KalviGavani

Indian leaders supported Britain hoping that wartime cooperation would be rewarded with self-government after the war. The Moderates believed that helping Britain would demonstrate India's fitness for self-rule. Gandhi himself actively recruited soldiers, arguing that India must prove its loyalty to earn political concessions.

The Defence of India Act 1915 was a wartime law that gave the colonial government sweeping emergency powers including preventive detention without trial, press censorship, restriction on political meetings, and summary trials. It set the precedent for the post-war Rowlatt Act.

The Rowlatt Act (Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, 1919) allowed: (1) imprisonment without trial for up to two years, (2) restriction on political activities and meetings, (3) press censorship, (4) detention of suspects without legal representation, and (5) no right of appeal. It extended wartime repressive powers into peacetime.

The Lucknow Pact was significant for two reasons: (1) It brought the Congress and Muslim League together on a common political programme, with the Congress accepting separate electorates; (2) It reunited the Moderate and Extremist factions within the Congress, ending the split from the 1907 Surat session.

WWI caused severe economic hardship in India: prices nearly doubled (1914–1920) due to inflation, taxes and war loans increased, forced recruitment drained rural labour, farmers faced compulsory crop procurement at below-market prices, and the 1918 influenza epidemic killed 12–17 million people. War profits benefited mainly British firms, not Indians.

Dyarchy divided provincial administration into two categories: 'reserved' subjects (law and order, finance, revenue) controlled by the Governor and his councillors, and 'transferred' subjects (education, health, local government) administered by ministers responsible to the provincial legislature. The system was criticised as unworkable because transferred departments depended on reserved departments for funds.

World War I (1914–1918) profoundly transformed India's freedom struggle in several ways:

Political Impact:

• Indian leaders supported the British war effort expecting self-government in return. Over 1 million soldiers served and 74,187 died. When post-war reforms proved inadequate (Government of India Act 1919), it created deep disillusionment.
• The Home Rule Movement (1916), led by Annie Besant and Tilak, revived nationalist activity and demanded self-government, re-energising the Congress after years of moderate inactivity.
• The Lucknow Pact (1916) united Moderates and Extremists and brought Congress and Muslim League onto a common platform.

Repressive Legislation:

• The Defence of India Act 1915 gave sweeping emergency powers during the war.
• The Rowlatt Act 1919 extended these powers into peacetime — imprisonment without trial, press censorship, no appeal — provoking nationwide protests.
• The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919) was the most brutal demonstration of colonial repression, killing hundreds of unarmed civilians and destroying Indian faith in British justice.

Economic Impact:

• War-induced inflation doubled prices; taxation increased; forced recruitment caused hardship in rural areas.
• The 1918 influenza epidemic killed 12–17 million Indians, compounding war-related economic distress.

Shift to Mass Nationalism:

• Post-war disillusionment, combined with Gandhi's emergence (returned from South Africa in 1915), transformed the movement from elite petitioning to mass mobilisation. Gandhi's Rowlatt Satyagraha (1919) was the first all-India mass protest, marking the beginning of a new phase in the freedom struggle.

On 13 April 1919 (Baisakhi day), a large unarmed crowd of men, women, and children gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab — some to protest the Rowlatt Act, others simply attending the annual Baisakhi fair. General Reginald Dyer blocked the only exit and ordered his troops (50 Indian soldiers with rifles) to fire without warning. Firing continued for approximately 10 minutes, expending 1,650 rounds.

Casualties: Official British figures stated 379 dead and approximately 1,200 wounded. Indian sources estimate the dead exceeded 1,000, as many bodies were removed secretly and the gathering included people from surrounding villages.

Significance: 1. End of moderate faith in British justice: Even moderate leaders who had trusted British constitutional processes were shocked. Rabindranath Tagore returned his knighthood in protest. 2. Radicalisation of nationalism: The massacre turned many moderates into radicals and pushed the movement towards mass agitation. 3. Hunter Commission: The British government appointed the Hunter Commission to investigate, but its findings were seen as a whitwash. Dyer was only relieved of his command — many in Britain, including the House of Lords, praised him. 4. Prelude to Non-Cooperation: The massacre was a key trigger for Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22), which broadened the freedom struggle into a true mass movement.

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, enacted as the Government of India Act 1919, were based on the Montagu-Chelmsford Report of 1918 and the Montagu Declaration of August 1917.

Key Provisions: 1. Dyarchy in Provinces: Provincial subjects divided into 'reserved' (law and order, finance, revenue — under Governor) and 'transferred' (education, health, local government — under elected ministers). 2. Expanded Legislatures: Central and provincial legislatures were enlarged; most members were still nominated, not elected. 3. Communal Representation Extended: Separate electorates for Muslims were retained and extended to Sikhs, Indian Christians, and Anglo-Indians. 4. Limited Franchise: Only about 3% of Indians had the right to vote based on property and tax qualifications. 5. Central Legislature: Bicameral — Council of State (upper house) and Legislative Assembly (lower house), but both with very limited powers.

Evaluation:

• Disappointments: Dyarchy was unworkable because transferred departments depended on reserved departments for funding. The reforms fell far short of Indian demands for self-government. The franchise was extremely narrow.
• Significance: Despite limitations, the reforms introduced Indians to legislative work, created political experience, and provided platforms for nationalist demands. They also set the stage for further agitation when their inadequacy became clear.

Causes: 1. The Rowlatt Act (March 1919) extended wartime emergency powers into peacetime — allowing imprisonment without trial for up to 2 years, press censorship, and restriction on political meetings. 2. Indians had expected post-war liberalisation after supporting Britain in WWI. Instead, they got more repression. 3. The Act bypassed the Imperial Legislative Council where Indian members had unanimously opposed it. 4. The spirit of the Home Rule Movement and the post-war global wave of democratic aspirations created a climate of resistance.

Gandhi's Response:

• Gandhi called for a nationwide hartal on 6 April 1919 — shops closed, people fasted and prayed, and protests spread across India.
• He proposed the formation of a Satyagraha Sabha to organise peaceful resistance.
• The movement saw unprecedented popular participation, but also violence in some places (Delhi, Ahmedabad, Punjab).

Consequences: 1. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: The protests in Punjab led to the brutal crackdown on 13 April 1919. 2. Gandhi's withdrawal: Distressed by violence, Gandhi suspended the Satyagraha on 18 April 1919. 3. Political awakening: The movement demonstrated the power of mass protest and brought Gandhi to national prominence. 4. Prelude to Non-Cooperation: The experience of the Rowlatt Satyagraha convinced Gandhi that non-cooperation with British institutions was the next step, leading to the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1920–22.

Peasants and Farmers:

• Forced recruitment for the army disrupted agricultural labour.
• Compulsory procurement of crops at below-market prices reduced incomes.
• Land revenue demands increased; crop failures and the 1918 famine added to distress.
• The 1918 influenza epidemic devastated rural populations, killing 12–17 million.

Industrial Workers:

• Wartime demand for certain goods (textiles, jute, steel) boosted some industries, but workers' wages did not keep pace with inflation.
• Prices nearly doubled (1914–1920), drastically reducing real wages.
• Industrial workers faced long hours, poor conditions, and no job security.

Business Classes:

• Indian capitalists (Tatas, Birlas) benefited from war contracts and the decline of German imports, building steel, textile, and chemical industries.
• However, they resented colonial restrictions on Indian enterprise and post-war competition from British imports.

Soldiers:

• Over 1 million Indian soldiers served in foreign theatres — France, Mesopotamia, East Africa, Gallipoli.
• 74,187 died; many returned with disabilities and minimal pensions.
• Exposure to democratic ideas abroad politicised many soldiers.

Women:

• With men away at war, women took on new economic responsibilities.
• The nationalist movement also saw increased women's participation, especially in the Home Rule Leagues.