Section II 1940 to 1947

Possible 7 Marks Questions

August Offer
Why did the British give August Offer? [7]

Pakistan Resolution
Why did the Muslims demand a separate homeland? [7]
Why was Pakistan Resolution passed? [7]
Why was the Pakistan Resolution an important event in the history of the Muslims in the
subcontinent? [7]

Cripps’ Mission
Why did the Cripps’ Misssion come to India? / Why were the Cripps’ proposals made? [7]
Why did the Indians reject the Cripps’ proposals? [7]

Quit India Resolution

Why did the congress launch the Quit India Resolution? [7]
Why did the Muslim League nor support the QIR? [7]

Gandhi Jinnah Talks

Why were GJ talks held? [7]
Why did GJ talks fail? [7]
Why were GJ talks considered important? [7]

Simla Conference
Why did the British decide to leave India? [7]
Why was Simla Conference held? [7]
Why did Simla conference fail? [7]

1945 Elections
Why did Muslim Laeague perform well in 1945 elections? [7]

Cabinet Mission Plan

Why was cabinet Mission Plan presented? [7]
Why did Cabinet Mission plan fail? [7]

Direct Action Day

Why was Direct Action Day celebrated? [7]

3rd June Plan

Why was 3rd June Plan presented? [7]

Boundary Award/ Radcliffe Award

Why was Radcliffe Award criticized? [7]
 SECTION II
YEARS 1940-47
1939 World War II started.

1939 Congress ministers resigned from their ministries

1939 Muslim celebrated the Day of Deliverance.

1940 Pakistan Resolution was passed.

1940 August Offer was made.

1942 Cripps Mission was sent to India + Quit India Resolution was passed by the Congress

1945 End of World War II + Wavell Plan + Simla Conference was organized

1946 Cabinet Mission Plan was announced + Direct Action Day was celebrated

1947 3rdJune Plan was introduced by the British

1947 Creation of Pakistan and Radcliffe Award

RESIGNATION OF THE CONGRESS MINISTERS/ END OF THE CONGRESS RULE

Q Why did the Congress ministers resign in 1939 from ministries?

Firstly, World War II started in September 1939 between Britain and Germany. The British
Prime Minister announced that India too was at war against Nazi Germany. The Congress
leaders objected to this announcement. They demanded a promise of full independence in
return of the support that they would provide to the British for their war effort. The British
did not make any such promise. Therefore, the Congress asked its ministers to resign to exert
pressure upon the British for full independence.

Secondly, the British needed to pay their full attention to the affairs related to WWII. They
never wanted any problem in India to distract them. The resignation of the Congress ministers
was bound to divert the British attention from the War. This was something which made the
Congress ministers resign from their ministries. They wanted to exert pressure upon the
British to exploit the situation. It was because the situation was likely to weaken the British
rule in India.

Thirdly, the Congress had become a very important political force in India. During 1930s, the
popularity and the power of the Congress had grown considerably. The election in 1937 had
proved that it had the support of the majority of the India’s population. The Congress wanted
the British to realize the power it had in India. It could be said that the resignation of the
Congress ministers was a way to make impression of its strength upon the British.
PAKISTAN RESOLUTION 1940
Background
 Lord Linlithgow, the Viceroy, told the leaders of the Muslim League that the
Government of Great Britain intended to divide India into three dominions – among the
Hindus, the Muslims, and the Rulers of Princely States.
 Within the Muslim League Working Committee, various sub-committees were
established, numerous proposals were presented with the final decision resting with the
British.
 However, when the British saw that their objectives could not be met, they rejected all
proposals submitted by the Muslims.
 Then the Muslim League called for a resolution and it was formally adopted by the
Muslim League membership at its general session on 23 March 1940, held at Lahore.
 This resolution asked for greater Muslim autonomy within British India.
 However, later on most people thought of this as a call for a separate Muslim state.
 The Muslim League Central Committee decided that at its next session in Lahore it
would push for independence, not only from the British but also from the Hindus.
 The Muslim League met for its annual session in Lahore on 22 March 1940.
 A resolution was put forward on 23 March by Fazl-ul-Haq, the premier of Bengal and
seconded by Chaudhri Khaliq-uz-Zaman.
 It was passed with great enthusiasm and by unanimous approval on 23 March.

Q Why was the Pakistan Resolution passed?

Firstly, the Muslim leaders including Jinnah were not in favor of the idea of forming a
separate Muslim homeland. However, the tyrannical rule of the Congress between 1937 & 1939
clearly told the Muslims that they would not be safe in India even after the departure of the
British from India because the government of India would always be dominated by the Hindus.
The experiences of the Congress rule changed the opinion of the Muslim leaders and made
them pass a resolution demanding the separate homeland before the likely departure of the
British.

Secondly, the Muslims in India had remained in power during the Mughal rule. However, the fall
of the Mughal rule and the subsequent establishment of the British Raj created a big problem
for them in India. The entire Muslim community was relegated to the status of a minority
community in India in the set-up of the government system introduced by the British. The
Muslims assumed the status of second-class citizenship in India. The desire to live in a country
with first class citizenship rights made them pass a resolution demanding a separate homeland.

Thirdly, in the first half of the 20 th century, the world was experiencing a big political change.
The large empires were breaking apart and the concept of establishing much-smaller nation
state was in the air. These nation states were based on some principle of common determining
factors such as similar language, culture, goals, place of origin etc. The Muslims in the
subcontinent had begun to recognize themselves as a separate nation because they believed
that their religion gave them a separate national identity. This realization made them demand a
separate nation state for themselves. This belief played an important role in passing of the
Pakistan Resolution.
Q Why was Pakistan Resolution important for Muslims?

Firstly, the Muslims in India had started their struggle to protect their rights when they
demanded the right for separate electorates. From then onwards, the Muslims’ struggle had
continued and many milestones were achieved during their struggle. However, the passing of
the Pakistan Resolution was the biggest achievement because it gave the Muslim community a
clear goal to work towards.

Secondly, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had stated that the Muslims and the Hindus were different
nations. This idea was further extended by Allama Iqbal and Chaudhry Rehmat Ali who
proposed separate Muslim state on the basis of the ideology of the Two-Nation theory. The
passing of Pakistan Resolution was actually a practical step taken towards materializing this
ideology that the Muslims in India possessed a separate national identity, therefore deserved
a separate country. For this reason, Pakistan Resolution was important.

Thirdly, the Muslim leaders in India differed in their opinions as to how the rights of the
Muslim should be protected in the best way. When Pakistan Resolution was passed, calling for a
separate homeland, there came about certain degree of unity amongst the Muslim as a good
majority of the Muslim population supported the idea of making a separate Muslim homeland. It
could be said that Pakistan Resolution played an important role in uniting Muslims who
otherwise had different shades of opinion.

AUGUST OFFER 1940

 An Offer made by the British

 To the Indians
 The offer included promises made by the British in return of Indian support to the
British war effort.

Promises made:-
 The Executive Council of the Viceroy of India will be expanded to include more Indians.
 There will be an advisory war council in India to coordinate British and Indian war
effort.
 The minorities will be given full weightage to express their opinion,
 The Indians will have the right to frame their own constitution (after the end of the
war).
 In return, it was hoped that all parties and communities in India would cooperate in
Britain's efforts in World War II.

Indians’ Reaction
 However this proposal was rejected by the Congress as the minorities, especially the
Muslim League, were assured that no constitutional scheme was acceptable to the
government without their agreement, i.e. providing a veto power to the Muslim League.
 The Muslim League did not accept the offer as it did not give a clear assurance that a
separate Pakistan would be established.

Q: Why was August Offer made?

Firstly, in 1939, the British went to war against Germany. They expected the Indians to
support them. However, the Indians demanded a promise of full independence in return of
their support to the British war effort. The British did not give any such promise. As a result,
the Indians declined to support in WW II. In 1940, the British government decided to win the
support of the Indians by telling them that they would form a new constituent assembly with
Indians representatives if the Indians agreed to support the British. It was made to gain the
Indians’ support in WWII.

Secondly, when the British refused to give a promise of full independence, the Congress
ministers had resigned from the ministries. The resignation by the ministers posed a big
problem for the British. It created a political crisis in India, something that the British never
wanted because they wanted to pay their full attention to WWII. The British decided to reach
a compromise with the Indians to avoid further political disturbance in India. To prevent such
political crisis, August Offer was made.

Thirdly, the circumstances in 1930’s had clearly indicated that a big change was occurring in
the political scene of India. The power & influence of the Indians had been growing while that
of the British reducing. It had become evident that the British rule in India was nearing its
end. The British made an August Offer to prolong their rule in India because they were not
fully convinced that their rule India should end.

CRIPPS MISSION OR CRIPPS PROPOSALS

Background
 The British government wanted to get the cooperation of the Indian people in order to
deal with the war situation.
 The divergence between the two major representative parties of the country harassed
the British government.
 It found it difficult to make the war a success without the cooperation of both the
Hindus and the Muslims.
 On March 22, 1942, Britain sent Sir Stafford Cripps with constitutional proposals.

The important points of the declaration were as follows:

 General elections in the provinces would be arranged as soon as the war ended.
 A new constituent assembly would be made as soon as the war ended.
 A new Indian dominion, associated with the United Kingdom would be created.
 Those provinces not joining the dominion could form their own separate union.
 Minorities were to be protected.

Indians’ Reaction
 However, both the Congress and the Muslim League rejected these proposals.
 Jinnah opposed the plan, as it did not concede Pakistan. Thus the plan came to nothing

Q: Why did Cripps Mission come to India? Or

Why were Cripps proposals made?

Same as for why the August Offer was made.

Q: Why did Cripps Mission fail? Or

Why were Cripps proposal rejected?
Firstly, the Congress was demanding immediate control of India. It wasn’t prepared to wait
until the war was over. Besides, the Indians did not have a good experience of the British
promises because the British had the tendency of backing out of their words. The proposals
clearly made it a point that all these offers would be materialized only when the war was over.
The Congress wasn’t sure that it trusted the British to deliver their promises. Therefore, it
rejected the proposals.

Secondly, the arrival of Cripps Mission in 1942 after the failure of August Offer, clearly
indicated how desperate the British were in the reaching a compromise with the Indians to win
their support for the British war effort. The proposals made by the Cripps Mission were more
lenient than the ones made through the August Offer. The Congress rejected the Cripps
proposals hoping that the British would make even more lenient offer due to their desperation.

Thirdly, the proposals set by the Cripps Mission contained no reference to the creation of
Pakistan. The Mission suggested that the rights of the minorities would be protected by giving
individual provinces the freedom to opt out of the future Indian federation. It meant that the
individual provinces had the right to negotiate their independence from the Indian federation.
The Congress bitterly criticized this suggestion saying that this would only weaken the
federation. This suggestion related to the status of the provinces made the Congress criticize
the proposals.

Fourthly, the Muslims had passed a Resolution in 1940, calling for the establishment of a
separate Muslim homeland. With the passage of time, the Muslim League was becoming more
determined in its demand for Pakistan. The Cripps proposals contained no reference to the
creation of a separate Muslim homeland called Pakistan. For this reason the ML rejected the
plan immediately because working for the establishment of the Pakistan had become the sole
goal of the Muslim League.

QUIT INDIA RESOLUTION

 The All India Congress Committee passed its ‘Quit India’ resolution on August 8, 1942.
 The demand was to declare India immediately as an independent country.
 It was a mass movement based on Gandhi’s philosophy of ‘passive resistance’
 It was meant to pressurize the British through non violent means.
 It was a non-cooperation/ civil disobedience Movement.
 The protests were organized all over India.
 On August 9 all Congress leaders were arrested and Congress was declared an unlawful
body all over India.
 As a result violence broke out in all Hindu majority provinces.
 Railway stations were burnt, telegraph wires were cut, post offices were looted and
hundreds of people were killed before the order was restored.
 The British had to use strong measures to restore order. Machine guns and aerial
bombings were used.

Reaction of Other Parties to QIR

 The Depressed Classes kept themselves separate from the movement and their leader
Ambedaker strongly criticized Congress.
  The Indian Nationalist condemned Gandhi for his action, Sapru and Jayaker also
expressed their disapproval.
 The Communist Party of India also opposed it.
 Bhai Permanand the vice president of Hindu Mahasbha criticized the ‘Quit India’ scheme
and on August 10, Savarker the President of Hindu Mahasbha asked his followers to
stop supporting the Congress campaign. T
 The Working Committee of Majlis-i-Ahrar said that such type of movement was
unnecessary and inadvisable at the present critical situation.
 The All India Muslim League advised the Muslims to remain aloof from the movement
completely.
 The movement was started without referring to the Muslim League or any other non-
Congress organizations.
 The European and American press also criticized the ‘Quit India’ movement and called it
an attempt at a seizure of power by an autocratic minority’

Q Why did the Congress launch Quit India Resolution?

Firstly, WW II started in 1939 with few countries involved. However, with the passage of
time, its scale started to grow larger as more and more countries got involved. One of the
countries fighting against Britain was Japan. India, being a British colony was likely to be a
target of Japanese invasion. Gandhi wanted the British to leave India so that India could be
saved from getting attacked by Japan. The fear of Japanese invasion made Gandhi initiate QIR
to force the British out of India.

Secondly, the Muslims had clearly told that they wanted nothing less than an independent
Muslim country. The Congress was totally opposed to the idea of any form of partition of India
because the Hindus considered the subcontinent to be ‘Mother India’. The Congress knew that
the Muslims would continue to press for Pakistan if the British remained in India for long. The
Congress didn’t want this thing to happen and started working toward immediate withdrawal of
the British from India. QIR was launched to prevent the partition of India.

Thirdly, the influence of the Indians had grown considerably in 1930s. The British had started
to lose their control of India gradually especially after Govt of India Act 1935. They British
were busy in WW II. Creating a mass protest against the British was sure to weaken the
British control to a large extent. Quit India resolution was launched to force the British out of
India hoping that it would be easy because of British involvement in WW II.

Q Why the Muslims / Muslim League did not support Quit India Resolution?

Firstly, it was quite clear to the Muslim community that the Congress was totally opposed to
the idea of the partition of India. The Quit India Resolution was launched to force the British
out of India and prevent partition. The Muslim league was officially working towards seeking a
separate Muslim homeland. They did not support QIR because the establishment of Pakistan
would become impossible once the British left India.

Secondly, it was also obvious that the objective of QIR was to create political disturbance in
India to weaken the British rule because the British were busy in WWII. The Muslims did not
support this exploitive movement by the Congress. Jinnah even called it the immoral act of
“blackmailing.”The fact that this movement exploited the weak British position to the benefit
of the Congress only made the Muslim criticize this movement.

Thirdly, the Congress had started this movement without seeking advice/ approval from other
political parties in India. Besides, the Muslim League did not have good experience of working
together with the Congress in the past. The Congress’ withdrawal of support from the Khilafat
Movement had been one of the reasons for its ultimate failure. All Party Conference in 1928 to
oppose the Simon Commission had also been very bad experience. The fact that the Congress
did not consult the Muslim League before initiating such a movement and the past experiences
of the Muslims made them criticize this movement.

GANDHI JINNAH TALKS 1944

 The talks between the two great leaders of the Sub-continent began in response to the
general public’s desire for a settlement of Hindu-Muslim differences.
 On July 17, 1944, Gandhi wrote a letter to Quaid-i-Azam in which he expressed his
desire to meet him.
 Quaid-i-Azam asked the Muslim League for permission for this meeting.
 The League readily agreed.
 The Gandhi-Jinnah talks began in Bombay on September 19, 1944, and lasted till the
24th of the month.
 The talks were held directly and via correspondence.
 Gandhi told Quaid-i-Azam that he had come in his personal capacity and was
representing neither the Hindus nor the Congress.
 Gandhi’s real purpose behind these talks was to convince Jinnah that there was no need
to create Pakistan to safeguard the rights of the Muslims.
 Gandhi also wanted the Muslims to provide immediate support to the Congress in driving
the British out of India.
 The two leaders discussed ways in which the rights of Muslims could be protected
without partitioning Mother India.
 An idea of forming a central Indian Union with powers in certain areas of governance
was discussed.
 However, the talks failed due to a variety of reasons.

Q Why were the Gandhi-Jinnah talks held?

Firstly, when the Congress started Quit India Resolution in India to force the British out of
India, the Muslims did not support this campaign because they did not want to remain at the
mercy of the Congress after the British departure from India. Muslims wanted partition first
then the British departure. Gandhi Jinnah talks were held to convince Jinnah to support the
Congress in driving the British out of India first and then consider partition.

Secondly, the Muslim community was fully determined to see a separate homeland for the
Muslims. The Congress was totally opposed to the idea of partition of Mother India. Gandhi
wanted to work out the solution with Jinnah which would safeguard the rights of the Muslims
without partition of India. Gandhi Jinnah talks were held to convince Jinnah that protection of
Muslim rights could be done even without the partition of India.
Thirdly, since the start of WW II the British control in India was becoming weak. They had
made two offers (August Offer and the Cripps Proposals) to the Indians to reach a
compromise with them. However, both of these attempts had failed. It was obvious that the
British departure from India was inevitable. Gandhi Jinnah talks were held to discuss the
future of India after the British departure.

Q Why did the Gandhi Jinnah talks fail?

Firstly, the Muslims were fully determined to seek a separate homeland. During the talks,
Gandhi suggested that the Muslim League should first give immediate support to the Congress
in its struggle to move the British out of India. He stated that the partition of India could be
considered only after the British left India. Jinnah did not have any trust upon the Congress.
He knew that he had to secure Pakistan before the British departure because he was sure that
the Congress would not agree to the partition of India after the British departure. Gandhi
Jinnah talks failed because no final agreement was reached over the issue of partition.

Secondly, Gandhi suggested that the formation of a central government in India to have
control over defense and foreign policy would solve the problem if the provinces had almost full
degree of provincial autonomy. Jinnah stated that even defense and foreign policy should be
placed in the control of provinces. This disagreement over the authority and power of the
proposed central government led to the failure of Gandhi Jinnah talks.

Thirdly, Gandhi stated that he was speaking on behalf of all Indians regardless of their
religion. He gave the impression that he did not support the ideology that the Muslims in India
had a distinct status as a separate nation owing to their religious identity. Jinnah reminded him
that he was only the spokesman of the Congress and All India Muslim League was the voice of a
good majority of the Muslim population in India. The rejection of the ideology of Muslims being
a separate nation was another reason why these talks failed.

Why were Gandhi-Jinnah talks considered as important?

Firstly, the Indian National Congress had always maintained a belief that this political party
represented all Indians regardless of their religious or cultural background. With this claim,
the Congress leaders never accepted the need for any other political party. The fact that
Gandhi decided to hold negotiations with Jinnah clearly indicated that the Congress leaders
had begun to consider Jinnah and his party to be the voice of Indian Muslims. Gandhi Jinnah
talks were considered important as the Congress/ Gandhi had begun to consider the Muslim
League as a party representing the views of the Muslims.

Secondly, the Gandhi Jinnah talks established the Muslim League as a political party at par
with the Indian National Congress. The Indian National Congress was a larger political party
which represented a majority of Indians while the Muslim League was a much smaller political
party that represented the Muslims of India only who formed a minority. The Gandi Jinnah
talks established the Muslim League on equal footing with the Congress.

Thirdly, the Gandhi Jinnah talks initially gained some ground but failed in the end. The failure
of these talks clearly told the Muslim leadership that there was no possibility of reaching a
compromise with the Congress/ the Hindu community. This realization made them more
convinced that the only possible solution for the Muslims’ problems in India was the creation of
Pakistan. The talks contributed greatly to the formation of Pakistan in years to come.
END OF WORLD WAR II- 1945

Q Why did the British decide to leave India at the end of WWII?

Firstly, WW II finally came to an end in September 1945. The years of the war had left
Britain economically weak. The British had won the war but the heavy costs involved in the war
years had left Britain almost bankrupt. The British decided to focus on their own economy
after the war and decided to withdraw from the Indian subcontinent.

Secondly, since the start of 20th century, there was a rapid growth in political awareness
among the Indians as a result of the formation of different political parties in India. These
parties had been demanding a greater say in the government of India. Over decades, the main
objective of these parties had evolved from self-rule to complete independence. It was clear
to the British that the influence of the Indians was getting beyond their control. It was due to
this reason that they decided to withdraw from India.

Thirdly, the British had tried to formulate plans to keep their control of India during the
WWII years. The August offer was made in 1940 which was then followed by the Cripps
proposals in 1942. However, all their attempts to retain control of the subcontinent had failed.
The failure of these proposals also played an important role in convincing the British that their
rule should come to an end in India.

SIMLA CONFERENCE 1945

Background
 The Second World War ended with the Japanese surrender in August 1945.
 The six year war had left the British victorious but financially bankrupt. The new
British government was desperate to concentrate on domestic problems.
 The British rule in India was now certainly going to end and negotiations had to start on
how power was to be transferred.
 Before the war had ended, Lord Wavell, the Viceroy, proposed that an Executive Council
should be established to act as the interim government.
 The Executive Council would be Indian in all portfolios except the defense members and
the Viceroy himself.
 Wavell also proposed that here should be an equal number of Hindus and Muslims on the
Executive Council
 To discuss the formation of the Executive Council and the future handover, the Viceroy
called a conference in Simla.
 All the political parties were invited to Simla in June 1945.

 There were total 21 participants

 Muslim League delegation included Quaid, Liaquat Ali Khan and Khawaja Nazimuddin
 The Congress Party was led by Gandhi, Abul Kalam Azad and Khizar Hayat Tiwana.

The Conference

 On the opening of Simla Conference on June 24 1945, the main parties accepted the
basic idea of the Executive Council but with some reservations.
 Wavell met with Azad, Jinnah and Gandhi separately on 24 June.
  As Wavell had stated that an equal number of Hindus and Muslims were to be
represented in the Council, the Congress Party argued that they had a right to nominate
Muslims and that these Muslims should be included in the total number of Muslims.

Quaid’s point of view

 The Quaid was adamant that only the Muslim League had the right to nominate names
for the Muslims quota. When Wavell said that he could not accept this demand of the
League, Jinnah pointed out that the Muslim League had won every single by-election in
the last two years and there was no real doubt that it represented the overwhelming
majority of Muslims.
 Jinnah also claimed that if there was to be simple parity only between the Hindus and
Muslims would be constantly outvoted as the Sikhs and scheduled castes on the Council
would side with the Congress.

Result

When the conference officially reopened on 25 June, there had been no progress and it
became obvious that although all the parties accepted the principle of the Executive Council,
the hurdle was going to be the method of selection.

On that crucial point, Lord Wavell had to officially admit defeat on 14 July. He finally realized
the level of intransigence the two parties were prepared to show.

Q Why was Simla conference held?

Firstly, at the end of WW II, Britain had become victorious but it had also become almost
bankrupt due to the heavy costs involved in the war. The British decided to focus more on the
development of the economy of Britain without ant distraction. This realization made the
British decide that their control of India should come to an end. Lord Wavel had suggested the
formation of an Executive Council to serve as an interim government to transfer power to the
Indians. To discuss about the formation of the Executive Council, Simla conference was
organized.

Secondly, during the WW II years influence of the Indians had grown considerably. All the
British attempts such as August offer and Cripps Mission had failed to reach any compromise
with the Indians. As result, there appeared to be a deadlock in political discussion. The
Viceroy, Lord Wavell, decided to hold talks with the Indians to resolve this deadlock and work
out a government plan which was acceptable to all. To remove the deadlock in political
discussions, Simla conference was organized.

Thirdly over the issue of partition, India was in a fragile state. The Muslims were determined
to seek Pakistan through the partition of India while the Congress was totally against any for
the divide of Mother India. This matter of partition was quite volatile. The British decided to
provide the Indians an opportunity to reach a solution to the problems of all Indians without
the partition of the Indian subcontinent. Simla conference was organized to discuss ways to
keep the subcontinent together.

Q Why did the Simla Conference fail?

Firstly, on the opening of Simla Conference 1945, the main parties accepted the basic idea of
the Executive Council but with some reservations. As Wavell had stated that an equal number
of Hindus and Muslims were to be represented in the Council, the Congress Party argued that
they had a right to nominate Muslims and that these Muslims should be included in the total
number of Muslims. Jinnah objected to this saying that only the Muslim League had the right
to nominate names for the Muslims quota. This disagreement on the nomination of the Muslims
led to the failure of the conference.

Secondly, it was suggested that the Executive Council would have a total of 14 seats with
Muslims and Hindus having same number of seats. There were 6 seats reserved for the
Muslims and six for the Hindus. The remaining two were for other communities such as the
Sikhs and the Scheduled caste. Jinnah also claimed that Muslims would be constantly outvoted
as the Sikhs and scheduled castes on the Council would side with the Congress and not with the
Muslims. As a result, the Muslims would be a permanent minority in the Executive Council.

Thirdly, the Wavell Plan which was presented at the Conference suggested the formation of a
new Executive Council at the centre. In the proposed Executive Council which was to have 14
members, the Muslims were given 6 seats while they constituted only about 25 % of the total
population. The Congress had an objection to this. This over-representation of the Muslims was
also one of the causes why the discussion during the conference failed to achieve any success.

ELECTIONS 1945
 After the failure of the Simla conference, elections were announced.
 Held over the winter of 1945-6
 Congress’ Manifesto : An undivided and independent India
 Muslim League’s Manifesto : An independent Muslim homeland
Results
 Congress won majority of non Muslim votes.
 Muslim League won majority of Muslim votes.
 Muslim league won a total of 87 % Muslim votes.
 Congress won 91 % of general votes.
 Muslim League won every single Muslim seat in the Central Legislature.
 Muslim League won 446 out of 495 seats in the provincial elections.
1. In Bengal, Muslim League had 113 out of 119 seats with a Chief Minister from ML
 In the Muslim League was unable to form govt in the Punjab and NWFP.
 In Sindh, Bengal and Balochistan the Muslim League formed the govt.
 The results proved two points of Jinnah.
1. Muslim League was the voice of the Indian Muslims
2. The Muslims supported the idea of a separate Muslim homeland.

Why did the Muslim League perform so well in 1945 elections?

Firstly, the Muslim League had performed very poorly in 1937 election. This poor performance
had exposed certain weaknesses of this political party such as poor management, poor
campaigning and an image of being a political party representing elite class of the Muslims only.
The years after these elections were used to overcome these problems/weaknesses. By the
time elections were held in 1945, the Muslim league had successfully worked upon its
weaknesses. This led the party to a better performance in the election in 1945.
Secondly, the two years of the tyrannical Congress rule (1937-39) also proved to be crucial in
bringing about a major shift in the minds of the majority of the Muslim population living in
India. They began to realize that their rights would not remain protected even after the
British departure from India. This realization made them more loyal to a party that promised
to protect the rights of the Muslim minority. The change in the opinions of the Muslims after
the Congress rule also led to the big success of the Muslim League in 1945.

Thirdly, the subcontinent before the passing of Lahore resolution was became very different
after this incident happened. The Muslim community was provided with a dream through this
resolution. The Muslims in India had begun see that the ultimate solution to their problems in
India lay in the acquisition of a separate homeland. The better performance of the Muslim
League in 1945 election was linked with this dream as a majority of the Muslim population
decided to support a political party that promised to help them materialize their dream.

CABINET MISSION PLAN 1946

 The last attempt by the British to keep the subcontinent together as a federation was
the Cabinet Mission delegation.
 In March 1946, the British government sent three senior cabinet ministers to India to
try and negotiate a settlement acceptable to all parties.

Members and purpose

 The cabinet delegation was led by Sir Stafford Cripps, Mr. A.V Alexander and Lord Pet
hick Lawrence.
 The delegation was sent with the instruction to try to resolve the issues of princely
states and communities.
 The Cabinet Mission had the unenviable task of trying to reconcile the different views
of the Congress and Muslim League.

Options Given to Jinnah

After many discussions, the Cabinet Mission met the Quaid-i Azam and informed him that in
their view there were only two possible options to his demand for Pakistan.

Option 1
One was that Sindh, the North West
Frontier, Baluchistan, West Punjab and East
Bengal could be agreed upon as a separate
state.
Jinnah rejected the idea of partitioning the
provinces of Punjab and Bengal as it would
leave them 'moth-eaten' and economically
handy-capped. He was especially adamant that
East Bengal without Calcutta would be a 'man
without lungs'.
Option 2
The other Cabinet Mission proposal was that
if the League agreed to a loose federation
with subjects like defense, foreign affairs
and communications centrally decided, then
the whole of Punjab and Bengal could be
added to Pakistan.
Jinnah said that he could not accept the
second proposal either as it still meant Hindu
Control at the center.

What led to the final plan?

  After weeks of further discussions and meetings, the Cabinet Mission delegation
eventually realized that the Congress and the Muslim League were fundamentally
opposed to each other’s proposals.
 The Muslims League wanted the state of Pakistan to be granted first. Only then was
Jinnah willing to discuss an amicable arrangement with the Congress party on various
matters such as defense.
 The Congress wanted a central authority from which certain areas of administration
could be given to the provinces.
 Eventually, the Cabinet Mission thought the best way forward was to try a completely
new line of approach.

Final Cabinet Proposal (Division of sub-continent)

 Eventually, in May 1946, the Cabinet Mission announced their final conclusions and
stated that it was up to the major parties to accept or reject the plan.
 The Cabinet Mission felt that a fully independent Pakistan was not a viable option at this
stage.
 So they suggested that sub-continent be divided up into three parts:

1. Section A would be the Hindu majority provinces

2. Section B would be the western Muslim provinces
3. Section C would be Bengal and Assam

 The plan was that these sections would have a great deal of local autonomy and could
frame their own constitutions.
 However, they suggested that a central Indian Union should deal with foreign affairs,
defense and communications.

Nehru’s Statement

 In July 1946, Nehru stated that the Congress party would not feel bound by the terms
of Cabinet Mission Plan once the British had left and that any future independent
Indian government would not be bound by it.
 This statement destroyed any chance that the Cabinet Mission Plan had of ever being
accepted by the Muslims League.
 Even Azad, a senior Muslim Congress leader felt that Nehru’s statement was ‘ one of
those unfortunate events that change the course of history’.

Q: Why was the Cabinet Mission sent to India? Or

Why was Cabinet Mission Plan presented?

Firstly, at the end of WW II, Britain had become victorious but it had also become almost
bankrupt due to the heavy costs involved in the war. The British decided to focus more on the
development of the economy of Britain without ant distraction. This realization made the
British decide that their control of India should come to an end. The british wanted to work
out some formula for the transfer of power to the Indians. The Wavell Plan and the
subsequent Simla Conference had failed to present any transfer-of-power plan. The Cabinet
Mission was sent to work out one such formula because the Simla conference had failed to
produce any result.
Secondly, the matter of partition of the subcontinent was highly sensitive. The Muslims were
becoming increasingly adamant for the creation of Pakistan and the Congress was not ready to
accept the notion of the partition of Mother India. The British were also reluctant for the
partition. The British were interested in protecting the rights of the minorities especially the
Muslims through a formula that was not based on partition. The Cabinet Mission Plan was the
last British attempt to keep the subcontinent together by reaching a compromise with
Congress and the Muslim League.

Thirdly, the general elections that took place in 1945-46 had produced results that worsened
the political deadlock situation that already existed in India between the Congress and the
Muslim League. Unlike the election results in 1937, the Muslim League had emerged as a strong
political party as it had been able to win the majority of the Muslim votes in India. There was
an urgent need to find a solution to the political deadlock created through the 1945-6 election
results. The two parties were in a non-cooperation state with each other. To end this situation,
the British government sent a special mission of cabinet ministers to India.

Why did the Cabinet Mission Plan fail?

Firstly, the Congress had reluctantly accepted the proposal that was given by the Cabinet
Mission. However, the suggestion that the three parts would be mainly autonomous with the
central government having little control on these autonomous parts was not approved by the
Congress. The leaders of the Congress were not prepared for the decentralization of the
government. They wished that the central government should have a strong control on all areas
of importance. The disagreement over the role of the central Indian Union had led to a debate,
pushing the plan towards its failure.

Secondly, the Cabinet Mission had presented its final plan after having several meetings with
the Indian leaders from different political parties. While presenting their final plan, the
Cabinet mission had stated that their recommendations were open to discussion and change.
The Congress seized upon this statement. In July 1946, Nehru stated that the Congress party
would not feel bound by the terms of Cabinet Mission Plan once the British had left and that
any future independent Indian government would not be bound by it. This statement by Nehru
immediately caused the failure of the plan.

Thirdly, the Cabinet Mission had suggested the formation of an interim government to oversee
the move towards independence. The Muslim league had been given disproportionate
representation in the interim government. The Muslims were given more seats than their
population proportion. The Congress readily rejected the idea of the interim government. This
rejection by the Congress was another reason why the final plan failed.

DIRECT ACTION DAY 1946

 It was obvious that the British were planning to leave India as soon as possible.
 All the British attempts made for the transfer of power to the Indians contained no
reference to the creation of Pakistan.
 The Indian National Congress had also shown its disapproval of any sort of partition of
the Indian subcontinent.
 The Muslims began to realize that the Congress as well as the British were not keen to
listen to the Muslims’ demand for Pakistan.
  Jinnah decided that it was time for the Muslims to show the strength of their feelings
for Pakistan.
 The 'Direct Action' was announced by the Muslim League Council to show the strength
of Muslim feelings towards its demand for an "autonomous and sovereign" Pakistan.
 The Action resulted in the worst communal riots that British India had seen.
 The 1946 Cabinet Mission to India for planning of the transfer of power from
the British Raj to the Indian leadership proposed a three-tier structure.
 Both the Muslim League and Congress in principle accepted the Cabinet Mission's plan.
However, Muslim League suspected that Congress's acceptance was insincere.
 Consequently, in July 1946, it withdrew its agreement to the plan and announced
a general strike (hartal) on 16 August, terming it as Direct Action Day, to assert its
demand for a separate Muslim homeland.
 Against a backdrop of communal tension, the protest triggered massive riots in
Calcutta.
 More than 4,000 people lost their lives and 100,000 residents were left homeless in
Calcutta within 72 hours.
 This violence sparked off further religious riots in the surrounding regions
of Noakhali, Bihar, United Provinces (modern Uttar Pradesh), Punjab, and the North
Western Frontier Province.
 These events sowed the seeds for the eventual Partition of India.

Q Why was Direct Action Day celebrated?

Firstly, it was obvious that the British were planning to leave India as soon as possible. All the
British attempts made for the transfer of power to the Indians contained no reference to the
creation of Pakistan. The Indian National Congress had also shown its disapproval of any sort
of partition of the Indian subcontinent. The Muslims began to realize that the Congress as well
as the British were not keen to listen to the Muslims’ demand for Pakistan. Jinnah decided that
it was time for the Muslims to show the strength of their feelings for Pakistan. The 'Direct
Action' was announced by the Muslim League Council to show the strength of Muslim feelings
towards its demand for an "autonomous and sovereign" Pakistan.
Secondly, the 1946 Cabinet Mission to India for planning of the transfer of power from
the British Raj to the Indian leadership proposed a three-tier structure. Both the Muslim
League and Congress in principle accepted the Cabinet Mission's plan. However, Muslim League
suspected that Congress's acceptance was insincere. Consequently, in July 1946, the Muslim
League withdrew its agreement to the plan and announced a general strike (hartal) on 16
August, terming it as a Direct Action Day, to assert its demand for a separate Muslim
homeland because the British plan issued by the Cabinet Mission did not work.
Thirdly, the Muslim community being a minority had always been a weaker community in India.
As a result, it had always been at the risk of threats from other communities especially the
Hindus and the British. In one of his speeches, Jinnah said that the Muslim community had
been ‘held at the pistol’ in India by other communities. He further stated that it was time for
the Muslims community to show its own ‘pistol’ to show the other communities that the Muslims
were no more ready to get threatened or exploited at the hands of the other communities.
This was another reason why the Muslims celebrated the Direct Action Day.

3rd JUNE PLAN 1947

  In February 1947 the British prime minister Clement Attlee announced to the House of
Common in London that the British government had decided to leave the subcontinent no
letter than June 1948.
 He also announced that the last British Viceroy was to be Lord Mountbatten.
 The transfer of power was now working to a fixed schedule.
 Violence erupted all over the subcontinent and it became obvious that if the Muslim
league’s basic demand was not met a savage civil war between the Hindus and the
Muslims would break out.
 It was the outbreak of violence in the Punjab in March 1947 which finally convinced the
Congress to accept the principle of partition along religious lines.
 By 18 April, Nehru stated that all provinces and districts which wished to
join Pakistan would be allowed to do so, much to Gandhi’s distress, but Nehru had now
assumed political control of the Congress with an independent India in sight.

Arrival of Lord Mountbatten

 Lord and Lady Mountbatten arrived in Dehli 22 March 1947 to serve the shortest and
important term of British viceroy.

Mountbatten’s scheme

By May 1947, Mountbatten had formulated a scheme which was eventually made public on 3
June and formed the basis of the transfer of power.

 The plan envisaged that the Muslim-majority areas be given independence and that the
British should transfer power to the two states of India and Pakistan.
 The interim constitution of the two states was to be the 1935 government of India act.
 Both states would have dominion status and the executive would be answerable to their
respective constituent assemblies.
 It provided an option for princely states to decide which country to join and for a
division of military and financial assets between India and Pakistan.
 As far as the boundaries of India and Pakistan were concerned, a boundary commission
was to be established to determine the exact demarcation.
 The legislative assembly of the Sindh was to be given the option to vote for Pakistan as
were the Muslim members of the Punjab and Bengal assemblies.
 If the Muslim Punjab members voted for the Pakistan, then there was to be referendum
in the North West frontier province.
 Baluchistan was also given an opportunity to vote.
 This 3 June plan, as it became known, was the formula for the partition of the
subcontinent.
British withdrawal
 The day after this plan was announced, Mountbatten decided the date of the British
withdrawal was to be 15 august 1947, not June 1948, as was initially planned.
 This left hardly any time for planning a careful withdrawal.
 After two hundred years in the subcontinent, the British seemed in a hurry to leave.
 By the middle of June 1947, both the Muslim league and the congress party had
officially accepted the plan, neither happy.
3 major unresolved problems

1. Firstly, there was the question of how much Pakistan was to receive of the financial and
military share of British India, which included ensuring that Congress abided by the
agreement once the British left.
2. Secondly, there was the problem of those princely states who either wished to remain
independent or join country with which they did not share the border or religion.
3. Thirdly, the relationship of the British with the independent states of India and
Pakistan had to be decided. India had already accepted that Lord Mountbatten was to
be the first governor-general of India but Jinnah decided that he was to be Pakistan’s.
This was to have serious consequence later as Mountbatten would have his revenge on
the state of Pakistan.

Q Why was 3rd June Plan presented?

Firstly, when Lord Mountbatten was sent to India by the British Prime Minister, he had held
meetings with different political leaders in order to find a quick solution to the situation
prevailing in India. He had the main goal of working out a transfer of power arrangement in
India. His meetings with different political leaders convinced him that partition of the
subcontinent was the only possible solution to the existing situation. Though few people wanted
partition, Jinnah was adamant that Muslim must have their own state. To announce the creation
of Pakistan through a Partition Plan, 3rdJune plan was presented.

Secondly, there were communal riots happening in different parts of India resulting in the
destruction of lives and properties of the Indian people. The Hindu-Muslim riots had taken a
serious turn over the issue of the partition of India. The Muslim community was determined to
seek Pakistan while the Hindus were totally opposed to the idea of partition. The early half of
the 1947 saw some serious communal riots in India. When Mountbatten arrived in India, he
could see that a serious civil war might be only months away. Seeing the gravity of the
situation, he presented the 3rd June plan to save the British from the effects of a likely civil
war.

Thirdly, during and after the WW II the British had made many proposals to the Indians for
transferring the power of government to the Indians. All of these proposals were criticized
and ultimately rejected by the Indians. The British were frustrated at the lack of progress.
They finally decided to withdraw from India. The 3rdJune plan was set to announce the British
departure India.

BOUNDARY COMMISSION/ BOUNDARY AWARD/ RADCLIFFE AWARD 1947

In the words of Quaid-i-Azam, the Radcliff Award was an unjust, incomprehensible and even
perverse award.
Background
The partition plan of June 3, 1947 suggested the division of Punjab and Bengal which made it
necessary to set up a Boundary Commission to demarcate the boundaries of the parts of each
of these provinces into Hindu and Muslim majority districts, to be assigned to India and
Pakistan, respectively.

Members
Partition committee proposed that Sir Cyrill Radcliffe should be invited to serve as chairman
of the Punjab and Bengal Boundary Commission. Radcliffe was a renowned barrister who came
from England. The League and the Congress nominated two High Court judges.

Controversy in division of Punjab

 In the division of Punjab, the award was unfair and awarded a number of Muslim
majority areas to India.
 In Gurdaspur district two Muslim majority Tehsils of Gurdaspur and Batala were given
to India along with Pathankot tehsil to provide a link between India and the state of
Jammu and Kashmir.
 The Muslim majority tehsil Ajnala in the Amritsar district was also handed over to
India.
 In Jullundur district the Muslim majority areas of Zira were given to India.
 Ferozepur in the Ferozepur district was also given to India. This area contained
headwork of the canals that irrigated the land belonging to Pakistan. With Ferozepur in
India, India was given control on the flow of the canal water to Pakistan.

Controversy in division of Bengal

 Similarly, in Bengal the most important question related to the future of Calcutta.
 It was the capital of the province. Although the Muslims formed only a quarter of the
population of Calcutta, a large section of its population consisted scheduled castes that
were allied with the Muslim League.
 In any case, for more than two hundred years the Muslims of Bengal had contributed to
make Calcutta what it was in 1947 a centre of commerce and industry.
 The city of Calcutta, the capital of the province, was the biggest industrial, commerce
and educational centre.
 The entire development of Calcutta was based on the toil of Muslim peasantry of
Bengal.
 East Bengal produced most of the raw material which had to be sent to Calcutta
because all factories and mills were in Calcutta. The Congress leaders were determined
to get Calcutta by all means.
 Eventually, Calcutta was awarded to India ignoring the claim of the Muslim.
 Past papers Questions
CRIPSS MISSION?PROPOSALS

4 marks question

(a) Describe the Cripps Mission. [4] May/June 2013

7 marks question

Why did the Cripps Mission fail? [7] (May/June 2002)

Why did the Cripps Mission of 1942 fail? [7] (Oct/Nov 2004)

Why was the Cripps Mission of 1942 unsuccessful? [7] 2009 May/June

Why did the Cripps Mission of 1942 fail? [7] 2012 May/June

Why did Congress and the Muslim League oppose the Cripps Mission in 1942? [7] 2015 Oct/Nov

Why was the Cripps Mission of 1942 unsuccessful? [7] 2019 Oct/Nov

Explain why Congress and the Muslim League opposed the Cripps Mission of 1942. May/June 2021

14 marks question

Was the Cripps Mission in 1942 the most important factor during the 1940s that led to the partition of the sub-continent in
1947? Give reasons for your answer. [14] 2008 Oct/Nov

QUIT INDIA RESOLUTION

4 marks question

(a) What was the Quit India Resolution? [4] Oct Nov 2013

(a)Describe the Quit India Resolution. . Oct/Nov 2021

7 marks questions

Why was the ‘Quit India’ Movement formed in 1942? [7] (May/June 2005)

GANDHI JINNAH TALKS

7 marks question

Why did the Gandhi-Jinnah Talks fail in 1944? [7] 2011May/June

Explain why the Gandhi-Jinnah Talks of 1944 did not reach an agreement. [7] 2017 Oct/Nov

14 marks question

Were the Gandhi-Jinnah Talks the most important factor during the 1940s that led to the partition of the subcontinent in 1947?
Give reasons for your answer. Oct/Nov 2005

Were the Gandhi–Jinnah talks the most important factor during the 1940s that led to the partition of the subcontinent in 1947?
Give reasons for your answer. [14]2018 May/June

SIMLA CONFERENCE AND 1945 ELECTIONS

14 marks question

Was the Simla Conference of 1945 the most important factor during the 1940s leading to the partition of the sub-continent in
1947? Give reasons for your answer. [14] 2003 May/June
CABINET MISSION PLAN

4 marks question

What was the Cabinet Mission Plan? [4] May/June 2014

What was the Cabinet Mission Plan? [4] Oct/Nov2019

DIRECT ACTION DAY

4 marks question

(a) What was the Direct Action Day? [4] May/June 2010

(a) What happened on Direct Action Day? [4] Oct/Nov2017

14 Marks Question

To what extent was Direct Action Day more significant in the creation of Pakistan than other key events of the 1940s? Explain
your answer. [14] . Oct/ Nov 2020

3rd JUNE PLAN

4 marks question

(a) What was the June 3 Plan? [4] Oct/Nov2016

RADCLIFFE AWARD

4 marks question

(a)What was the Radcliffe Award? [4] May/June2018

(a) What was the Communal Award? [4] Oct/Nov2018

MISCELLANEOUS 1940-47

14 marks question

Which of the following contributed the most to the establishment of a separate homeland for

Muslims:

(i) Gandhi-Jinnah Talks 1944;

(ii) Simla Conference 1945;

(iii) Cabinet Mission Plan 1946?

Explain your answer with reference to all three of the above. [14] (Oct/Nov2002)

How successful were negotiations aimed at Independence during the Second World War? Explain your answer. [14] 2010
Oct/Nov

‘During the Second World War (1939–1945), negotiations aimed at Indian Independence achieved little.’ Give reasons why you
might agree and disagree with this statement. [14] 2013May/June

Was the success of the Labour Party in winning the British General Election in 1945 the most important reason why the sub-
continent of India was partitioned in 1947? Explain your answer. [10] 2015 Oct/Nov