A Brief History of Modern India 2020 PDF

 A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir I.P.S. With contributions from R. Vidya Sabina Madan Shashi Kumar Saxena...

 A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir I.P.S. With contributions from R. Vidya Sabina Madan Shashi Kumar Saxena Kalpana Rajaram Editor Kalpana Rajaram Revised and Enlarged Edition 2020 SPECTRUM BOOKS (P) LTD. A1 291, First Floor, Janakpuri, New Delhi 110 058  Editor’s Note Several books have been written by justly famous authors and historians of India’s struggle for freedom which is the major strand in any consideration of the history of Modern India. But these volumes are extensive and in-depth studies, and often suffer from an overemphasis on one aspect at the cost of another. The present small effort, however, brings together various aspects of the turbulent period (from the arrival of the Europeans on Indian soil and the establishment of British rule in India to the day India won independence and the years after freedom) in a systematic and succinct manner: major and important details and milestones are effectively discussed while several relevant but little known details are also highlighted. It is not just the mainstream freedom struggle that has been considered; the disparate efforts—small but significant— of several groups have also been discussed. The political and socio-economic developments that have influenced the growth of modern India have been dealt with in independent chapters. The endeavour has been to present complex and truly vast material in a brief and easy-to-understand manner, and we hope our readers find the book of use and interest. The present edition includes chapters on the advent of (iii)  Editor’s Note the Europeans in India and the British consolidation of power in India besides incorporating additional information under several chapters. There are also chapters on the challenges that a newly independent nation faced in the wake of a brutal partition. The Nehruvian era is also briefly discussed. The chapter on India after Nehru discusses various developments under the governments that came after 1964. In the Appendices, a survey of personalities associated with various movements is given. Also included for easy ready reference are several charts relating to modern India and the freedom struggle. We are grateful for the feedback we have received from our readers. We have incorporated many of their valuable suggestions in the present edition. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. Kalpana Rajaram November 2020 (iv)  Contents UNIT 1 SOURCES AND APPROACHES 1 Chapter 1 Sources for the History of Modern India 1 Archival Materials 2 Central Government Archives 2 Archives of the State Governments 3 Archives of Three Presidencies 4 Archives of Other European Powers 4 Judicial Records 5 Published Archives 5 Private Archives 6 Foreign Repositories 6 Biographies, Memoirs and Travel Accounts 7 Newspapers and Journals 8 Oral Evidence 9 Creative Literature 10 Painting 10 Summary 12 Chapter 2 Major Approaches to the History of Modern India 13 Colonial Approach/ Historiography 14 Nationalist Historiography/ Approach 14 Marxist Historiography/ Approach 15 Subaltern Approach/ Historiography 16 Communalist Approach 17 Cambridge School 18 Liberal and Neo-Liberal Interpretations 18 (v)  Contents Feminist Historiography 18 Summary 19 UNIT 2 ADVENT OF EUROPEANS AND 21 CONSOLIDATION OF BRITISH POWER IN INDIA Chapter 3 Advent of the Europeans in India 21 The Portuguese in India 22 The Quest for and Discovery of a 22 Sea Route to India From Trading to Ruling 23 Portuguese State 28 Portuguese Lose Favour with the Mughals 30 Decline of the Portuguese 32 Significance of the Portuguese 34 The Dutch 35 Dutch Settlements 35 Anglo-Dutch Rivalry 36 Decline of the Dutch in India 36 The English 37 Charter of Queen Elizabeth I 37 Progress of the English Company 38 The French 42 Foundation of French Centres in India 42 The Anglo-French Struggle for Supremacy: the 44 Carnatic Wars Causes for the English Success and the 51 French Failure The Danes 53 Why the English Succeeded against 53 Other European Powers Structure and Nature of the Trading Companies 53 Naval Superiority 54 Industrial Revolution 54 Military Skill and Discipline 54 Stable Government 54 Lesser Zeal for Religion 55 Use of Debt Market 55 (vi)  Contents Summary 55 Boxes Portuguese Rise and Fall 33 Formative Years of the East India Company 41 Rise and Fall of Dupleix in India 47 About the Goods in Trade Initially 52 Chapter 4 India on the Eve of British Conquest 59 Challenges before the Mughals 59 External Challenges 59 Weak Rulers after Aurangzeb—An 62 Internal Challenge Causes of Decline of Mughal Empire 64 Shifting Allegiance of Zamindars 65 Jagirdari Crisis 65 Rise of Regional Aspirations 68 Economic and Administrative Problems 69 Rise of Regional States 70 Survey of Regional Kingdoms 70 Nature and Limitations of Regional States 73 Socio-Economic Conditions 74 Agriculture 74 Trade and Industry 74 Status of Education 76 Societal Set-up 77 Developments in Art, Architecture 78 and Culture Summary 80 Boxes Why Many Empire-shaking Battles at Panipat? 61 Causes of the Mughals’ Downfall in a Nutshell 68 Chapter 5 Expansion and Consolidation of British 82 Power in India The British Imperial History 82 Was the British Conquest 82 Accidental or Intentional? When did the British Period Begin in India? 84 Causes of British Success in India 85 Superior Arms, Military, and Strategy 85 (vii)  Contents Better Military Discipline and Regular Salary 85 Civil Discipline and Fair Selection System 86 Brilliant Leadership and Support of 86 Second-Line Leaders Strong Financial Backup 86 Nationalist Pride 87 British Conquest of Bengal 87 Bengal on the Eve of British Conquest 87 Alivardi Khan and the English 88 Challenges Before Siraj-ud-Daulah 88 The Battle of Plassey 89 Mir Kasim and the Treaty of 1760 90 The Battle of Buxar 91 The Treaty of Allahabad 93 Dual Government in Bengal (1765–72) 94 Mysore’s Resistance to the Company 95 The Wodeyar / Mysore Dynasty 95 Rise of Haidar Ali 95 First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69) 96 Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780–84) 97 Third Anglo-Mysore War 98 Fourth Anglo-Mysore War 99 Mysore After Tipu 101 Anglo-Maratha Struggle for Supremacy 102 Rise of the Marathas 102 Entry of the English into Maratha Politics 102 First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–82) 103 Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–05) 105 Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–19) 107 Why the Marathas Lost 108 Conquest of Sindh 110 Rise of Talpuras Amirs 110 Gradual Ascendancy over Sindh 110 Criticisms of the Conquest of Sindh 114 Conquest of Punjab 114 Consolidation of Punjab under the Sikhs 114 Ranjit Singh and the English 116 Punjab After Ranjit Singh 117 First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–46) 117 Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–49) 119 Significance of the Anglo-Sikh Wars 120 Extension of British Paramountcy 120 (viii)  Contents Through Administrative Policy The Policy of Ring-Fence 120 Subsidiary Alliance 121 Doctrine of Lapse 124 Relations of British India with 126 Neighbouring Countries Anglo-Bhutanese Relations 126 Anglo-Nepalese Relations 127 Anglo-Burmese Relations 127 Anglo-Tibetan Relations 129 Anglo-Afghan Relations 130 John Lawrence and the Policy of 131 Masterly Inactivity Lytton and the Policy of Proud Reserve 132 British India and the North-West Frontier 133 Summary 134 Boxes Robert Clive 93 Estimate of Tipu Sultan 100 Annexation of Awadh 125 UNIT 3 RISING RESENTMENT AGAINST 137 COMPANY RULE Chapter 6 People’s Resistance Against British Before 1857 137 People’s Resistance: Meaning 138 Genesis of People’s Resistance 138 Causative Factors for People’s Uprisings 139 Civil Uprisings 139 Major Causes of Civil Uprisings 139 General Characteristics of Civil Uprisings 140 Important Civil Uprisings 140 Peasant Movements with Religious Overtones 153 Tribal Revolts 155 Different Causes for Mainland and 155 North-Eastern Tribal Revolts Characteristics of Tribal Revolts 156 Important Tribal Movements 157 of the Mainland (ix)  Contents Tribal Movements of the North-East 167 Sepoy Mutinies 169 Causes 169 Important Mutinies 170 Weaknesses of People’s Uprisings 170 Summary 171 Boxes Some Tribal Movements after 1857 162 Tribal Movements: Period, Region, Causes at a Glance 166 North-East Frontier Tribal Movements: Year, 168 Region, Major Causes Chapter 7 The Revolt of 1857 174 Simmering Discontent 174 The 1857 Revolt: the Major Causes 175 Economic Causes 175 Political Causes 176 Administrative Causes 177 Socio-Religious Causes 177 Influence of Outside Events 177 Discontent Among Sepoys 177 Beginning and Spread of the Revolt 178 The Spark 178 Starts at Meerut 179 Choice of Bahadur Shah as Symbolic Head 179 Civilians Join 180 Storm Centres and Leaders of the Revolt 181 Suppression of the Revolt 183 Why the Revolt Failed 184 All-India participation was absent 184 All classes did not join 184 Poor Arms and Equipment 185 Uncoordinated and Poorly Organised 185 No Unified Ideology 185 Hindu-Muslim Unity Factor 186 Nature of the Revolt 186 Consequences 189 Significance of the Revolt 192 (x)  Contents Summary 193 Box White Mutiny 188 UNIT 4 REFORM MOVEMENTS 195 Chapter 8 Socio-Religious Reform Movements: 195 General Features Factors Giving Rise to Desire for Reform 195 Impact of British Rule 196 Social Conditions Ripe for Reform 196 Opposition to Western Culture 197 New Awareness among Enlightened Indians 197 Social and Ideological Bases of Reform 198 Middle Class Base 198 The Intellectual Criteria 199 Two Streams 200 Direction of Social Reform 201 Fight for Betterment of Position of Women 202 Struggle Against Caste-Based Exploitation 209 Summary 215 Chapter 9 A General Survey of Socio–Cultural 217 Reform Movements and their Leaders Socio-Cultural Reform Movements and their Leaders 217 Raja Rammohan Roy and Brahmo Samaj 217 Prarthana Samaj 222 Young Bengal Movement and 223 Henry Vivian Derozio Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar 224 Balshastri Jambhekar 225 Paramahansa Mandali 225 Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule 226 Gopal Baba Walangkar 228 Kisan Faguji Bansod 229 Vitthal Ramji Shinde 229 Gopalhari Deshmukh ‘Lokahitawadi’ 230 Gopal Ganesh Agarkar 230 (xi)  Contents The Servants of India Society 231 Social Service League 231 The Ramakrishna Movement and 231 Swami Vivekananda Dayananda Saraswati and Arya Samaj 235 Seva Sadan 238 Dev Samaj 239 Dharma Sabha 239 Bharat Dharma Mahamandala 239 Radhaswami Movement 239 Sree Narayana Guru Dharma 240 Paripalana (SNDP) Movement Vokkaliga Sangha 241 Justice Movement 241 Self-Respect Movement 241 Temple Entry Movement 241 Indian Social Conference 242 Wahabi/Walliullah Movement 242 Titu Mir’s Movement 243 Faraizi Movement 243 Ahmadiyya Movement 244 Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and the 244 Aligarh Movement The Deoband School (Darul Uloom) 246 Parsi Reform Movements 247 Sikh Reform Movements 247 The Theosophical Movement 248 Significance of Reform Movements 249 Positive Aspects 249 Negative Aspects 251 Summary 252 UNIT 5 THE STRUGGLE BEGINS 254 Chapter 10 Beginning of Modern Nationalism in India 254 Factors in the Growth of Modern Nationalism 254 Understanding of Contradictions in 255 Indian and Colonial Interests (xii)  Contents Political, Administrative, and Economic 255 Unification of the Country Western Thought and Education 256 Role of Press and Literature 256 Rediscovery of India’s Past 257 Progressive Character of Socio-religious 257 Reform Movements Rise of Middle-Class Intelligentsia 257 Impact of Contemporary Movements 257 in the World Reactionary Policies and Racial 258 Arrogance of Rulers Political Associations Before the 258 Indian National Congress Political Associations in Bengal 259 Political Associations in Bombay 260 Political Associations in Madras 260 Pre-Congress Campaigns 261 Summary 261 Chapter 11 Indian National Congress: Foundation and the 262 Moderate Phase Foundation of the Indian National Congress 262 Was It a Safety Valve? 263 Aims and Objectives of the Congress 264 Era of Moderates (1885–1905) 264 Important Leaders 264 Moderate Approach 264 Contributions of Moderate Nationalists 265 Economic Critique of British Imperialism 265 Constitutional Reforms and Propaganda 266 in Legislature Campaign for General Administrative 268 Reforms Protection of Civil Rights 268 An Evaluation of the Early Nationalists 269 Role of Masses 270 Attitude of the Government 270 Summary 271 (xiii)  Contents UNIT 6 NATIONAL MOVEMENT (1905–1918) 272 Chapter 12 Era of Militant Nationalism (1905–1909) 272 Growth of Militant Nationalism 272 Why Militant Nationalism Grew 272 The Swadeshi and Boycott Movement 276 Partition of Bengal to Divide People 276 Anti-Partition Campaign Under 277 Moderates (1903–05) The Congress Position 278 The Movement under Extremist Leadership 279 The Extremist Programme 279 New Forms of Struggle and Impact 280 Extent of Mass Participation 283 All India Aspect 285 Annulment of Partition 285 Evaluation of the Swadeshi Movement 285 The Movement Fizzles Out 285 Movement a Turning Point 286 The Surat Split 289 Run-up to Surat 289 Split Takes Place 290 Government Repression 291 The Government Strategy 292 Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909 293 The Reforms 293 Evaluation 295 Summary 296 Box Differences between Moderates and Extremists 287 Chapter 13 First Phase of Revolutionary Activities 299 (1907–1917) Why the Surge of Revolutionary Activities 299 The Revolutionary Programme 300 A Survey of Revolutionary Activities 300 Bengal 300 Maharashtra 303 Punjab 304 (xiv)  Contents Revolutionary Activities Abroad 304 Decline 308 Summary 308 Chapter 14 First World War and Nationalist Response 311 Home Rule League Movement 312 Factors Leading to the Movement 312 The Leagues 313 The Home Rule League Programme 314 Government Attitude 315 Why the Agitation Faded Out by 1919 315 Positive Gains 316 Lucknow Session of the Indian 317 National Congress (1916) Readmission of Extremists to Congress 317 Lucknow Pact between Congress and 317 Muslim League Montagu’s Statement of August 1917 320 Indian Objections 320 Summary 321 UNIT 7 ERA OF MASS NATIONALISM BEGINS 322 (1919–1939) Chapter 15 Emergence of Gandhi 322 Why Nationalist Resurgence Now 323 Post-War Economic Hardships 323 Expectations of Political Gains 323 for Cooperation in the War Nationalist Disillusionment with 324 Imperialism Worldwide Impact of Russian Revolution 324 (November 7, 1917) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms and 325 Government of India Act, 1919 Main Features 325 Drawbacks 327 Congress Reaction 328 Making of Gandhi 329 (xv)  Contents Early Career and Experiments with 329 Truth in South Africa Gandhi’s Experience in South Africa 332 Gandhi’s Technique of Satyagraha 332 Gandhi in India 333 Champaran Satyagraha (1917)—First Civil 333 Disobedience Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)— 334 First Hunger Strike Kheda Satyagraha (1918)—First 335 Non-Cooperation Gains from Champaran, Ahmedabad, 336 and Kheda Rowlatt Act, Satyagraha, and 337 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre The Rowlatt Act 337 Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act— 338 First Mass Strike Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919) 339 The Hunter Committee of Inquiry 341 Congress View 343 Summary 344 Box Tolstoy Farm 331 Chapter 16 Non-Cooperation Movement and 345 Khilafat Aandolan Background 345 The Khilafat Issue 346 Development of the Khalifat-Non-Cooperation 347 Programme Congress Stand on Khilafat Question 347 Muslim League Support to Congress 348 The Non-Cooperation Khilafat Movement 348 Spread of the Movement 350 People’s Response 351 Government Response 353 The Last Phase of the Movement 353 Why Gandhi Withdrew the Movement 354 Evaluation of Khilafat Non-Cooperation Movement 355 Summary 356 (xvi)  Contents Chapter 17 Emergence of Swarajists, Socialist Ideas, 357 Revolutionary Activities and Other New Forces Swarajists and No-Changers 357 Genesis of Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party 357 Swarajists’ Arguments 358 No-Changers’ Arguments 358 Agree to Disagree 358 The Swarajist Manifesto for Elections 359 Gandhi’s Attitude 359 Swarajist Activity in Councils 360 Constructive Work by No-Changers 362 Emergence of New Forces: Socialistic Ideas, 362 Youth Power, Trade Unionism Spread of Marxist and Socialist Ideas 363 Activism of Indian Youth 364 Peasants’ Agitations 364 Growth of Trade Unionism 364 Caste Movements 364 Revolutionary Activity with a Turn 365 towards Socialism Revolutionary Activity During the 1920s 365 Why Attraction for Revolutionary Activity 365 after Non-Cooperation Movement Major Influences 366 In Punjab-United Provinces-Bihar 366 In Bengal 369 Official Reaction 371 Ideological Rethinking 371 Summary 373 Chapter 18 Simon Commission and the Nehru Report 375 Appointment of the Indian Statutory Commission 375 Indian Response 376 Police Repression 378 Impact of Appointment of Simon Commission 379 on the National Movement The Simon Commission Recommendations 379 Nehru Report 380 (xvii)  Contents Main Recommendations 381 The Muslim and Hindu Communal Responses 381 Amendments Proposed by Jinnah 383 Nehru Report Found Unsatisfactory 384 Summary 384 Box Dr Ambedkar and the Simon Commission 378 Chapter 19 Civil Disobedience Movement and Round 385 Table Conferences The Run-up to Civil Disobedience Movement 385 Calcutta Session of Congress 385 Political Activity during 1929 386 Irwin’s Declaration (October 31, 1929) 386 Delhi Manifesto 387 Lahore Congress and Purna Swaraj 387 January 26, 1930: the Independence Pledge 388 Civil Disobedience Movement—the Salt 389 Satyagraha and Other Upsurges Gandhi’s Eleven Demands 389 Why Salt was Chosen as the Important Theme 390 Dandi March (March 12–April 6, 1930) 390 Spread of Salt Law Disobedience 391 Impact of Agitation 396 Extent of Mass Participation 396 Government Response—Efforts for Truce 397 Gandhi-Irwin Pact 398 Evaluation of Civil Disobedience Movement 399 Karachi Congress Session—1931 400 Congress Resolutions at Karachi 400 The Round Table Conferences 401 First Round Table Conference 401 Second Round Table Conference 403 Third Round Table Conference 406 Civil Disobedience Resumed 407 During Truce Period (March–December 1931) 407 Changed Government Attitude After Second RTC 407 Government Action 408 Popular Response 408 (xviii)  Contents Communal Award and Poona Pact 408 Main Provisions of the Communal Award 409 Congress Stand 410 Gandhi’s Response 410 Poona Pact 411 Impact of Poona Pact on Dalits 411 Gandhi’s Harijan Campaign and thoughts on Caste 412 Ideological Differences and Similarities 414 between Gandhi and Ambedkar Summary 418 Chapter 20 Debates on the Future Strategy after Civil 420 Disobedience Movement The First Stage Debate 420 Nehru’s Vision 421 Nehru’s Opposition to Struggle- 421 Truce-Struggle Strategy Finally, Yes to Council Entry 422 Government of India Act, 1935 423 Main Features 423 Evaluation of the Act 425 Nationalists’ Response 426 The Second Stage Debate 427 Divided Opinion 427 Gandhi’s Position 428 Congress Manifesto for Elections 428 Congress’ Performance 429 Summary 429 Chapter 21 Congress Rule in Provinces 430 Gandhi’s Advice 430 Work under Congress Ministries 430 Civil Liberties 430 Agrarian Reforms 430 Attitude Towards Labour 432 Social Welfare Reforms 433 Evaluation 433 Summary 434 (xix)  Contents UNIT 8 TOWARDS FREEDOM AND 435 PARTITION (1939–1947) Chapter 22 Nationalist Response in the Wake of 435 World War II Congress Crisis on Method of Struggle 435 Haripura and Tripuri Sessions: Subhash 436 Bose’s Views Gandhi and Bose: Ideological Differences 440 Non-Violence versus Militant Approach 440 Means and Ends 441 Form of Government 442 Militarism 445 Ideas on Economy 445 Religion 447 Caste and Untouchability 449 Women 449 Education 452 Second World War and Nationalistic Response 453 Congress Offer to Viceroy 453 CWC Meeting at Wardha 453 Government Attitude and Congress Ministries’ 455 Resignation Government’s Hidden Agenda 455 August Offer 458 Responses 458 Evaluation 459 Individual Satyagraha 459 Gandhi Designates Nehru as his Successor 460 Cripps Mission 461 Why Cripps Mission Was Sent 461 Main Proposals 461 Departures from the Past and Implications 462 Why Cripps Mission Failed 462 Summary 464 Chapter 23 Quit India Movement, Demand for Pakistan, 466 and the INA Quit India Movement 466 Why Start a Struggle Now 466 (xx)  Contents The ‘Quit India’ Resolution 467 Gandhi’s General Instructions to 467 Different Sections Spread of the Movement 468 Extent of Mass Participation 470 Government Repression 470 Estimate 471 Gandhi Fasts 471 Famine of 1943 472 Rajagopalachari Formula 472 The Formula 472 Objections 473 Desai-Liaqat Pact 473 Wavell Plan 473 Why the Government was Keen on 474 a Solution Now The Plan 474 Muslim League’s Stand 474 Congress Stand 475 Wavell’s Mistake 475 The Indian National Army and Subhas Bose 475 Origin and First Phase of the Indian 476 National Army Summary 479 Chapter 24 Post-War National Scenario 481 Two Strands of National Upsurge 481 Change in Government’s Attitude 481 Congress Election Campaign and INA Trials 483 Election Campaign for Nationalistic Aims 483 Congress Support for INA Prisoners 484 The INA Agitation—A Landmark on 484 Many Counts Three Upsurges—Winter of 1945–46 485 Three-Stage Pattern 485 Evaluation of Potential and Impact of the 487 Three Upsurges Congress Strategy 488 Election Results 488 Performance of the Congress 488 (xxi)  Contents Muslim League’s Performance 489 Significant Features of Elections 489 The Cabinet Mission 489 Why British Withdrawal Seemed Imminent Now 489 On the Eve of Cabinet Mission Plan 491 Cabinet Mission Arrives 491 Cabinet Mission Plan—Main Points 491 Different Interpretations of the Grouping Clause 493 Main Objections 493 Acceptance and Rejection 494 Communal Holocaust and the Interim Government 495 Changed Government Priorities 495 Interim Government 495 Obstructionist Approach and Ulterior 496 Motives of the League Birth and Spread of Communalism in India 497 Characteristic Features of Indian Communalism 497 Reasons for Growth of Communalism 498 Evolution of the Two-Nation Theory 504 Summary 508 Box Wavell’s ‘Breakdown Plan’ 494 Chapter 25 Independence with Partition 510 Attlee’s Statement of February 20, 1947 510 main points of Attlee’s Statement 510 Why a Date Fixed by Government for Withdrawal511 Congress Stand 511 Independence and Partition 511 Mountbatten as the Viceroy 512 Mountbatten Plan, June 3, 1947 512 Indian Independence Act 514 Problems of Early withdrawal 515 Integration of States 515 Inevitability of Partition 516 Why Congress Accepted Partition 516 Gandhi’s Helplessness 519 Summary 519 Box Plan Balkan 515 (xxii)  Contents UNIT 9 INDIA UNDER BRITISH RULE: 520 GOVERNANCE AND OTHER ASPECTS Chapter 26 Constitutional, Administrative, and Judicial 520 Developments Contents Constitutional Development between 1773 521 and 1858 The Regulating Act of 1773 521 Pitt’s India Act of 1784 522 The Act of 1786 523 The Charter Act of 1793 523 The Charter Act of 1813 523 The Charter Act of 1833 524 The Charter Act of 1853 525 The Act for Better Government of India 1858 526 Developments after 1858 till Independence 526 Indian Councils Act 1861 526 Indian Councils Act 1892 527 Indian Councils Act 1909 527 Government of India Act 1919 528 Simon Commission 530 Government of India Act 1935 530 Evolution of Civil Services in India 532 Cornwallis’ Role 532 Wellesley’s Role 533 Charter Act of 1853 533 Indian Civil Service Act of 1861 533 Statutory Civil Service 534 Congress Demand and Aitchison Committee 534 Montford Reforms 1919 534 Lee Commission (1924) 535 Evaluation of Civil Services under British Rule 535 Evolution of Police System in Modern India 536 Military Under the British 538 Development of Judiciary in British India 540 Reforms under Warren Hastings (1772–85) 541 Reforms under Cornwallis (1786–93)— 541 Separation of Powers (xxiii)  Contents Reforms under William Bentinck (1828–33) 542 Later Developments 542 Evaluation 543 Positive Aspects of Judiciary under the British 543 The Negative Aspects 543 Major Changes in Administrative 543 Structure after 1857 Genesis of Administrative Changes: 543 New Stage of Colonialism Administration: Central, Provincial, Local 544 Central Government 544 Provincial Government 546 Local Bodies 547 Summary 551 Chapter 27 Survey of British Policies in India 553 Administrative Policies 553 Divide and Rule 553 Hostility Towards Educated Indians 553 Attitude Towards the Zamindars 554 Attitude Towards Social Reforms 554 Underdeveloped Social Services 554 Labour Legislations 555 Restrictions on Freedom of the Press 556 White Racism 556 Revenue Policies 557 Hastings’ System 557 Permanent Settlement 558 Ryotwari System 559 Mahalwari System 562 Overall Impact of the British Land 564 revenue Systems British Social and Cultural Policy in India 565 Characteristics of New Thought 566 Schools of Thought 566 Indian Renaissance 567 Dilemma Before the Government 567 Role of Christian Missionaries 567 British Retreat 568 British Policy Towards Princely States 568 (xxiv)  Contents British Foreign Policy in India 569 Summary 570 Chapter 28 Economic Impact of British Rule in India 571 Deindustrialisation—Ruin of 571 Artisans and Handicraftsmen One-Way Free Trade 571 No Steps towards Modern Industrialisation 572 Ruralisation 572 Impoverishment of Peasantry 572 Emergence of Intermediaries, Absentee 573 Landlordism, Ruin of Old Zamindars Stagnation and Deterioration of Agriculture 574 Famine and Poverty 574 Commercialisation of Indian Agriculture 574 Destruction of Industry and Late 575 Development of Modern Industry Nationalist Critique of Colonial Economy 578 British Policies Making India Poor 579 Growth of Trade and Railways to 579 Help Britain One-Way Free Trade and Tariff Policy 581 Effect of Economic Drain 581 Economic Issue a Stimulant to National Unrest 582 Stages of Colonialism in India 582 First Stage 583 Second Stage 584 Third Stage 585 Summary 586 Box Economic Drain 578 Chapter 29 Development of Indian Press 587 Early Regulations 587 Struggle by Early Nationalists to 588 Secure Press Freedom Vernacular Press Act, 1878 589 Repression against Nationalist 590 Journalists Continues During and After the First World War 592 (xxv)  Contents During the Second World War 593 Summary 593 Chapter 30 Development of Education 594 Under Company Rule 594 A Humble beginning by Charter Act of 1813 595 Orientalist-Anglicist Controversy 595 Lord Macaulay’s Minute (1835) 595 Efforts of Thomson 596 Wood’s Despatch (1854) 596 After the Crown Takeover 597 Hunter Education Commission (1882–83) 597 Indian Universities Act, 1904 598 Government Resolution on 599 Education Policy—1913 Sadler University Commission (1917–19) 600 Education Under Dyarchy 602 Hartog Committee (1929) 602 Sargent Plan of Education 604 Development of Vernacular Education 607 Development of Technical Education 608 Evaluation of British Policy on Education 608 Summary 609 Box Wardha Scheme of Basic Education (1937) 606 Chapter 31 Peasant Movements 1857–1947 610 Peasantry Under Colonialism 610 A Survey of Early Peasant Movements 611 Indigo Revolt (1859–60) 611 Pabna Agrarian Leagues 611 Deccan Riots 612 Changed Nature of Peasant Movements after 1857 613 Weaknesses 613 Later Movements 614 The Kisan Sabha Movement 614 Eka Movement 615 Mappila Revolt 615 Bardoli Satyagraha 616 (xxvi)  Contents The All India Kisan Congress/Sabha 617 Under Congress Ministries 617 Peasant Activity in Provinces 617 During the War 618 Post-War Phase 619 Balance-Sheet of Peasant Movements 620 Summary 521 Chapter 32 The Movement of the Working Class 622 Early Efforts 622 During Swadeshi Upsurge 623 During the First World War and After 624 The AITUC 624 The Trade Union Act, 1926 625 Late 1920s 625 Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929) 625 Under Congress Ministries 626 During and After the Second World War 626 After Independence 626 Summary 626 UNIT 10 INDEPENDENCE AND AFTER 627 Chapter 33 Challenges before the Newborn Nation 627 First Day of Independent India 627 First Government after Independence 628 Challenges 629 Radcliffe’s Boundary Award and the 629 Communal Riots Challenges before the Boundary Commission 630 Regions Most Affected by Riots 631 Challenges Associated with Division of Resources 632 Division of Civil Government 633 Division of Finances 633 Division of Defence Personnel and Equipment 634 Assassination of Gandhi 634 Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Refugees 635 East Punjab 635 (xxvii)  Contents Bengal 636 Delhi Pact on Minorities 636 Centres of Refugee Settlements in India 637 Communists and Independence 637 Why Communists were Sceptical 638 about Independence Shift from Antagonistic Strategy to 639 Constitutional Democracy Chapter 34 The Indian States 640 I. The Company’s Struggle for Equality from 640 a Position of Subordination (1740–1765) II. Policy of Ring Fence (1765–1813) 641 III. Policy of Subordinate Isolation (1813–1857) 641 IV. Policy of Subordinate Union (1857–1935) 642 Curzon’s Approach 642 Post-1905 643 V. Policy of Equal Federation (1935–1947): 644 A Non-Starter VI. Integration and Merger 644 Plebiscite and Army Action 645 Gradual Integration 645 Chapter 35 Making of the Constitution for India 647 Background 647 Constituent Assembly 650 Formation 650 Two Constituent Assemblies: India and Pakistan 651 Evaluation of the Assembly for India 652 After Independence 653 Work : Committees and Consensus 653 Box Drafting Committee 653 Chapter 36 The Evolution of Nationalist Foreign Policy 656 From 1880 to First World War: Anti-imperialism 657 and Pan-Asian Feeling World War I 658 (xxviii)  Contents 1920s and 1930s—Identifying with Socialists 658 After 1936—Anti-Fascism 659 After Independence 659 Panchsheel and Non-Alignment 660 Boxes Historical Perspective on Panchsheel 661 Five Criteria of Non-alignment 663 Chapter 37 First General Elections 665 Groundwork for the Elections 665 The Election Commission 665 Legislation for Polls 666 Independent India Goes to the Polls for 666 the First Time Challenges 667 Parties in the Fray for the Lok Sabha 668 Conduct of Elections 669 Results 670 Box First General Elections: Winners 671 Chapter 38 Developments under Nehru’s Leadership (1947–64) 672 Political Developments 673 Debate over National Language 673 Linguistic Reorganisation of the States 674 Growth of Other Political Parties 676 An Undemocratic Deed 681 Concept of Planning for Economic Development 681 Progress of Science and Technology 683 Social Developments 684 Developments in Education 684 Social Change under Nehru 685 Foreign Policy 685 Relations with Neighbours 686 India and Pakistan 686 India and China 687 India and Nepal 689 India and Bhutan 689 India and Sri Lanka 689 (xxix)  Contents Chapter 39 After Nehru... 690 The Lal Bahadur Shastri Years 690 (June 1964 – January 1966) Early Life 691 Political Journey after Independence 691 Economic Ideas 693 Foreign Relations 697 The Indo-Pak War 698 Shastri’s Death 701 Indira Gandhi: the First Phase 701 (January 1966 – March 1977) Early Life 701 Political Journey after Independence 702 Developments in the Political System 714 Socio-Economic Policies 723 Tackling Economic Problems 726 The Indo-Pak War of 1971 and the Birth 729 of Bangladesh Foreign Policy and Relations with other Countries737 The Smiling Buddha 739 The Janata Party Years 741 (March 1977 – January 1980) Morarji Desai the First Non-Congress 741 Prime Minister Fresh State Assembly Elections 741 New President of India 742 Downslide of the Janata and Rise 742 of Congress (I) Charan Singh the Prime Minister 744 Who Never Faced Parliament Fresh Lok Sabha Elections and End of 745 Janata Party Rule Legacy of the Janata Rule 745 Social Changes and Movements 749 Indira Gandhi: the Second Phase 750 (January 1980 – October 1984) Economy 750 Foreign Relations 751 Unrest in States 753 (xxx)  Contents Punjab Turmoil and Operation Blue Star 753 Legacy 756 The Rajiv Years (October 1984 – December 1989) 757 Problems at the Very Outset 757 The 1985 General Elections 759 Tackling the Tensions in States 760 Positive Steps taken on the Domestic Front 762 The Negative Side 765 Agrarian Unrest 768 Foreign Relations 769 General Elections of 1989 772 The V.P. Singh Years 773 (December 1989 – November 1990) Kashmir Situation Worsens 773 Implementation of the Mandal 774 Commission Report Mandal to Mandir: the Rath Yatra and 776 Fall of the Government The Chandra Shekhar Government 777 (November 1990 – June 1991) Troubled Economy 777 Elections of 1991 778 The Narasimha Rao Years (June 1991 – May 1996) 779 Economic Reform 779 Panchayati Raj and Nagarpalika Acts 781 Handling Security Issues and Space Tech 782 Foreign Policy 782 Negative Aspects 783 Kashmir 785 General Elections of 1996 786 Rise of the Dalit Voice 786 Between 1996 and 1999: Three Prime Ministers 787 Vajpayee’s Short-Lived Term as Prime Minister 788 United Front Government: Deve 788 Gowda and I.K. Gujral General Elections 790 NDA Years (March 1998 – October 1999) 790 Pokhran II: Operation Shakti 791 The Lahore Summit 792 Kargil War 792 NDA: Second Stint (October 1999 – May 2004) 793 Economic and Social Steps 793 (xxxi)  Contents Terrorist Trouble and Relations with Pakistan 794 Relations with the US 795 Kashmir Elections 795 The Downside 795 Significance of NDA 796 2004 General Election 796 The UPA Years 797 (May 2004 – May 2009; May 2009 – May 2014) UPA Government: First Term 797 2009 Election and UPA Back in Power 801 The 2014 General Election 812 The NDA Government (May 2014 – May 2019) 814 Digital India: a Step Forward in e-Governance 815 Socio-Economic Policies and 815 Programmes of Importance Security 825 Foreign Relations 829 Social Situation 832 General Election and Return of the NDA 836 Factors behind the NDA Victory 837 APPENDICES 1. Personalities Associated with Specific Movements 840 Swadeshi Movement 840 Non-cooperation Movement 845 Civil Disobedience Movement 849 Quit India Movement 852 2. Governors-General and Viceroys of India: 855 Significant Events in their Rule 3. Indian National Congress Annual Sessions 864 4. Socio-Religious Reform Movements 869 (late 18th to mid-20th century) 5. Famous Trials of the Nationalist Period 876 6. Caste Movements 878 7. Peasant Movements 880 8. Newspapers and Journals 883 (xxxii)  UNIT 1 Sources and Approaches Chapters 1 and 2 CHAPTER 1 Sources for the History of Modern India An abundance of historical material is available for studying India from the mid-18th century to the mid-20th century. In constructing the history of modern India, priority needs to be given to the archives. Archives refer to a collection of historical records and documents, usually primary source documents, i.e., those documents that have been created as a necessary part of some activity—administrative, legal, social, or commercial. They are unique/original documents, not consciously written or created to convey information to a future generation. An important part of archives relating to modern India are the official records, i.e., the papers of government agencies at various levels. 1  2 2 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India The records of the East India Company provide a detailed account of trading conditions during the period 1600–1857. When the British crown took over the administration, it also kept a large variety and volume of official records. These records help historians to trace every important development stage-by-stage and follow the processes of decision-making and the psychology of the policymakers. The records of the other European East India companies (the Portuguese, Dutch, and French) are also useful for constructing the history of the 17th and 18th centuries. They are primarily important from the point of view of economic history, but much can be gathered from them about the political set-up as well. There are also many contemporary and semi- contemporary works such as memoirs, biographies, and travel accounts which give us interesting as well as useful glimpses into the history of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Newspapers and journals made their appearance in the later part of the 18th century, and they provide very valuable information on almost all aspects of the Indian society, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. Other sources of modern Indian history include oral evidence, creative literature, and paintings. Archival Materials There are four categories of official records: (i) central government archives; (ii) state government archives; (iii) records of intermediate and subordinate authorities; and (iv) judicial records. Apart from these, there are private archives and archival sources available abroad. Central Government Archives The National Archives of India, located in New Delhi, contains most of the archives of the Government of India. These provide authentic and reliable source materials on varied aspects of modern Indian history. The records with the National Archives come under various groups, representing  Sources for the History of Modern India ✫ 3 different branches of the secretariat at different stages of its development. This happened as the work of the East India Company was distributed among various branches—public or general, revenue, political, military, secret, commercial, judicial, education, etc.—and a separate set of records was kept for each of these branches or departments. With the appointment of James Rennell as the first Surveyor General of Bengal in 1767, the Survey of India began to scientifically map the unknown regions of the country and its bordering lands. The records of the Survey of India as well as the journals and memoirs of the surveyors provide valuable information not only on geographical matters but also on contemporary socio-economic conditions and other important historical aspects. The proceedings of the public, judicial, and legislative departments provide ample data for studying the social and religious policies of the colonial government. The government’s policies on education and the growth of the education system during the colonial rule are mentioned in the educational records of the central archives. The papers bearing on the emergence of the nationalist movement were part of the public series of the home department records, but in 1907, a new series of records—Home Political—was started to deal exclusively with political and communal issues. The records of the Reforms Office are very useful for an analytical study of the constitutional developments from 1920 to 1937. Archives of the State Governments The source material in the state archives comprise the records of: (i) the former British Indian provinces; (ii) the erstwhile princely states which were incorporated in the Indian Union after 1947; and (iii) the foreign administrations other than those of the British. Apart from these, the records of those Indian powers which were taken over by the British, for instance, the archives of the Kingdom of Lahore (popularly known as Khalsa Darbar records from 1800 to 1849), are important source material. Another important collection of  4 4 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India the pre-British public archives in India is the Peshwa Daftar housed in the Alienation Office, Pune. It forms the most valuable single source for the study of Maratha history for a period of almost a century before the fall of the Peshwas. For studying the history of the princely states of Rajasthan, viz., Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur, etc., the archives of these states, now housed in the Rajasthan State Archives at Bikaner, are valuable. Similarly, the history of Dogra rule from 1846 in Jammu and Kashmir can be studied in the valuable collection of state papers housed at Jammu. The other significant archives of the princely states are those of Gwalior, Indore, Bhopal, and Rewa, all in Madhya Pradesh; Travancore and Cochin in Kerala; Mysore in Karnataka; and Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Archives of Three Presidencies The early records of Fort Williams (Bengal Presidency) were lost during the sack of Calcutta in 1756, but the archives of the Bengal presidency after the British victory at Plassey have survived more or less in a complete series, which are partly available in the National Archives of India and partly in the State Archives of West Bengal. The records of the Madras Presidency begin from AD 1670 and include records of the Governor and Council of Fort St. George. In these records, there is plenty of information bearing on the rise of the English East India Company as a political power in the south and in the Deccan, including the Anglo-French struggle and the English conflicts with other Indian powers. The archives of Bombay Presidency, housed in the Maharashtra Secretariat Record Office, Mumbai, are extremely useful in studying the history of Western India—Maharashtra, Gujarat, Sindh, and the Kannada-speaking districts of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency which were incorporated in Mysore in 1956. Archives of Other European Powers The archives related to the Portuguese preserved in Goa, mainly belonging to the period from 1700 to 1900, are  Sources for the History of Modern India ✫ 5 valuable for the history of Portuguese possessions in India. The orders and dispatches from Lisbon received in Goa and the responses and reports dispatched from India to Portugal constitute the most significant historical material among the Portuguese archives. The Dutch records of Cochin and Malabar are in the Madras Record Office and those of Chinsura in the state archives of West Bengal. The French archives of Chandernagore and Pondicherry (now Puducherry) were taken to Paris by the French authorities before they relinquished these settlements. The archives of the Danish possessions were also transferred to Copenhagen when the Danes sold Tranquebar and Serampore to the English East India Company in 1845. The remaining Danish records, mainly relating to Tranquebar (1777–1845), are now housed in the Madras Record Office. Judicial Records Housed in the Madras Record Office, the archives of the Mayor’s Court at Fort St. George, beginning from AD 1689, are the earliest available judicial archives. The pre-Plassey records of the Mayor’s Court at Fort Williams have been lost, but those for the years 1757–73 are kept in the record room of the Calcutta High Court, along with the archives of the Supreme Court of Bengal (1774–1861). Similarly, the records of the Mayor’s Court at Bombay established in 1728 are available in the Maharashtra Secretariat Record Office, which also has the custody of the archives of the Bombay Recorder’s Court and the Supreme Court. Apart from containing the proceedings and minutes, this category of records contains copies of wills, probates, and letters of administration which are useful for genealogical studies and for investigations pertaining to the state of society and economic conditions in the respective regions. Published Archives The most significant archival publications are the Parliamentary Papers which include many excerpts from the records of the East India Company and the Government of India under the  6 6 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India Crown. The reports of the parliamentary select committees; various royal commissions constituted on specific subjects like education, civil reforms and famines, and the parliamentary debates on the Indian empire are indispensable. The proceedings of the Indian and provincial legislatures, the weekly gazettes published by the central and the provincial governments, and collections of laws and regulations issued from time to time also serve as useful source material for historical research. Private Archives Private archives comprise papers and documents of individuals and families of note, who played a significant role in the development of modern India. The papers of eminent leaders of the nationalist movement and the records of organisations like the Indian National Congress are housed in the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi. The archives of banks, business houses, and chambers of commerce are extremely helpful in the study of economic changes. Foreign Repositories A vast body of historical material related to the history of modern India is available in the repositories of erstwhile imperialist powers, who ruled in different parts of the Indian subcontinent as well as in some other countries. In England, the India Office Records, London and the records kept in the British Museum are very valuable. The India Office Records possesses various important documents: the minutes of the Courts of Directors and the General Court of the East India Company and various committees constituted from time to time; the minutes and correspondence of the Board of Control or the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India; and the records of the Secretary of State and the India Council. The British Museum possesses collections of papers of British viceroys, secretaries of states, and other high-ranked civil and military officials who were posted in India. The archives of the missionary societies, for instance, of the Church Missionary Society of London, provide insight  Sources for the History of Modern India ✫ 7 into the educational and social development in pre-independent India. The Archives Nationale, Paris, and the Archives of the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Colonies and War, have records that throw light on the history of French possessions as well as the socio-political conditions. The records of the Dutch East India Company is available in Rijksarchief, The Hague, and that of the Danish and Portuguese are kept in Copenhagen and Lisbon, respectively. Apart from the archives of the European nations, the archives preserved in Pakistan are of utmost importance. The West Pakistan Record Office, Lahore, Record Office, Peshawar, records available in Sind, etc., give information about the regional history of the Indian subcontinent besides shedding light on India’s relations with Afghanistan, Iran, and other neighbouring countries in the colonial era. Biographies, Memoirs, and Travel Accounts Many travellers, traders, missionaries, and civil servants who came to India have left accounts of their experiences and their impressions of various parts of India. An important group among these writers was that of the missionaries who wrote to encourage their respective societies to send more missionaries to India for the purpose of envangelising its inhabitants. In this genre, Bishop Heber’s Journal and Abbe Dubois’s Hindu Manners and Customs, provide useful information on the socio-economic life of India during the period of decline of the Indian powers and the rise of the British. Some of the famous British travellers who wrote travel accounts were—George Forster, Benjamin Heyne, James Burnes (Narrative of a Visit to the Court of Sinde), Alexander Burnes (Travels Into Bokhara), C.J.C. Davidson (Diary of the Travels and Adventures in Upper India), and John Butler (Travels and Adventures in the Province of  8 8 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India Assam). Famous non-British travellers who wrote about India include Victor Jacquemont (Letters from India: Describing a Journey in the British Dominions of India, Tibet, Lahore, and Cashmere During the Years 1828, 1829, 1830 1831.), Baron Charles (Travels in Kashmir and the Punjab), and William Moorcroft. These travel accounts are indispensable and generally reliable sources for constructing the history of modern India, especially as they supplement the official papers. Newspapers and Journals Newspapers and journals of the 19th and 20th centuries, published in English as well as in the different vernacular languages, form an important and authentic source of information for the construction of the history of modern India. The first attempts to publish newspapers in India were made by the disgruntled employees of the English East India Company who sought to expose the malpractices of private trade. For instance, in 1776, William Bolts, being censured by the Court of Directors for private trading, resigned from the Company and announced his intention to publish a newspaper. The official response to Bolts’ scheme was strong and his plan ended before materialising. In 1780, James Augustus Hickey published the first newspaper in India entitled The Bengal Gazette or Calcutta General Advertiser. Hickey’s press was seized within two years, owing to his outspoken criticism of government officials. Afterwards, many publications appeared such as The Calcutta Gazette (1784), The Madras Courier (1788), and The Bombay Herald (1789). The newspapers and journals of the early period primarily aimed at catering to the intellectual entertainment of the Europeans and Anglo-Indians. From the second half of the 19th century, many powerful newspapers appeared, edited/published by distinguished and fearless journalists. Interestingly, nearly  Sources for the History of Modern India ✫ 9 one-third of the founding fathers of the Indian National Congress in 1885 were journalists. Some of their publications were: The Hindu and Swadesamitran under the editorship of G. Subramaniya Iyer; Kesari and Mahratta under Bal Gangadhar Tilak; Bengalee under Surendranath Banerjea; Amrita Bazaar Patrika under Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh; Sudharak under Gopal Ganesh Agarkar; Indian Mirror under N.N. Sen; Voice of India under Dadabhai Naoroji; and Hindustan and Advocate under G.P. Varma. The Tribune and Akhbar-i-Am in Punjab; Indu Prakash, Dnyan Prakash, Kal, and Gujarati in Bombay; and Som Prakash Banganivasi and Sadharani in Bengal were other noted newspapers of the time. Indian nationalists and revolutionaries living abroad published newspapers and journals—Indian Sociologist (London, Shyamji Krishnavarma), Bande Matram (Paris, Madam Cama), Talwar (Berlin, Virendranath Chattopadhyay), and Ghadar (San Francisco, Lala Hardayal)— to infuse a feeling of nationalism among Indians living abroad. Newspapers depict almost all aspects of life in colonial India from around the 1870s onwards. From the 1920s onwards, newspapers tracked the major events during the freedom struggle. However, newspaper accounts cannot be seen as unprejudiced or completely objective. The accounts that were published in a newspaper in London by the pro- British Raj people were bound to be different from the report in an Indian nationalist paper. Oral Evidence Oral history refers to the construction of history with the help of non-written sources, for instance, personal reminiscence. Oral sources allow historians to broaden the boundaries of their discipline and corroborate their findings from other sources of history. However, many historians remain sceptical of the veracity of oral history.  10 10 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India Creative Literature The most significant outcome of the Indo-European contact was the literary genre of the novel which emerged in the latter half of the 19th century. The first important writer of that period was the Bengali novelist, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1838-94). His novels are mostly historical, the best known among them being Anandamath (1882), noted for its powerful lyric ‘Vandemataram’ and depiction of the Sanyasi Revolt (1760s). His last novel Rajasimha can be called the grand finale to his remarkable career. Iccharam Suryaram Desai (1853–1912) was a fine scholar of medieval Gujarati literary history. His first novel Hind ane Britannia was one of the earliest Indian novels with political overtones. Tamil writers like Girija Devi and Ramatirthammal, who wrote Mohana Rajani (1931) and Dasikalin Mosavalai (1936) respectively, also made the novel an effective vehicle of social experience. G.V. Krishna Rao’s Keelubommalu (The Puppets, 1956) in Telugu was concerned with the moral aspects and behaviour of the rural people. Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (1910– 1994) was one of the eminent writers in Malayalam whose famous novel Balyakalasakhi (The Childhood Friends, 1944) was a tragic tale of love. Similarly, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai became prominent for his two extremely well-written works in Malayalam, Tottiyude Makan (Son of a Scavenger, 1948) and Chemmeen (Shrimps, 1956). Despite having different educational backgrounds and social outlooks, all these writers shared a strong sense of realism and deep interest in the life of the marginalised and oppressed sections of the society. These novels give a picture of the social milieu of the days they relate to. Painting Some information on the socio-economic, political, and cultural life during the colonial period can be obtained from the paintings of that period. The Company Paintings, also  Sources for the History of Modern India ✫ 11 referred as ‘Patna Kalam’ emerged under the patronage of the East India Company. They picturise the people and scenes as they existed at the time. Trades, festivals, dances, and the attire of people are visible in these works. Company paintings continued to be popular in the 19th century until the introduction of photography in India in the 1840s. The pictorial images produced by the British and Indians—paintings, pencil drawings, etchings, posters, cartoons, and bazaar prints—are especially important records of the great revolt of 1857. The British pictures offer images that were meant to provoke a range of different emotions and reactions. Some of them commemorate the British heroes who saved the English and repressed the rebels. Relief of Lucknow, painted by Thomas Jones Barker in 1859, is one such example. Another painting of this period, In Memoriam by Joseph Noel Paton, recorded in painting two years of the revolt of 1857. One can see English women and children huddled in a circle, looking helpless and innocent, seemingly waiting for the inevitable—dishonour, violence, and death. These paintings of the mutiny period are important for the historian to interpret and understand the worldviews of the British and the Indians regarding this major event. Kalighat painting that came to the fore in Calcutta in the 19th century depicted not only mythological figures but also ordinary people engaged in their everyday lives. The latter pictures captured the social changes taking place in the Calcutta of the time. These paintings made a comment on the social evils of the time; some of these paintings satirised certain modes adopted by the people of the time. In the last decades of the 19th century, a new art movement emerged, which received its primary stimulus from the growing nationalism in India. Artists like Nandalal Bose and Raja Ravi Varma were representatives of this new trend. In the rise of the Bengal School led by Abanindranath Tagore (nephew of Rabindranath Tagore), E.B. Havell (who joined the art school in Calcutta as principal), and Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy (son of an important Tamil political  12 12 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India leader in Sri Lanka) played a vital role. Though many of the paintings of this new trend primarily focused on themes of Indian mythology and cultural heritage, they are important sources for studying the modern art movement in India and for the art historians. Summary Sources of Modern Indian History Archival Materials consist of public, private, and foreign repositories Public Archives include the archives of the Governments of India, archives of state governments, archives of the three Presidencies of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, and judicial records. Private Archives Papers and documents of individuals and families of note who played a significant role in the development of modern India. Foreign Repositories Indian office Records in London, Record Office, Lahore, etc. Biographies and Memoirs Accounts of travellers, traders, missionaries and civil servants during the 18th and 19th centuries as well as memoirs written by Indian leaders during the Independence movement. Newspapers and Journals Published in India as well as abroad. Others Oral tradition, creative literature, painting  CHAPTER 2 Major Approaches to the History of Modern India Looking at how histories are written is part of the study of the intellectual history of the period under discussion and can provide a variety of ideas and explanations. The starting point in the history of a society, therefore, has to be a familiarity with its historiography—the study of historical interpretation. This provides recognition of the intellectual context of history, instead of seeing history as just a narration of events. The modern history of India, for the convenience of understanding, can be read broadly under four historiographic approaches—the Colonial (or the Imperialist), Nationalist, Marxist, and Subaltern—each with its own distinct characteristics and modes of interpretation. However, there are other approaches—Communalist, Cambridge, Liberal and Neo-liberal, and Feminist interpretations—which have also influenced historical writing on modern India. View The production of histories of India has become very frequent in recent years and may well call for some explanations… The reason is a two-fold one: changes in the Indian scene requiring a reinterpretation of the facts and changes in the attitudes of historians about the essential elements of Indian history. —Percival Spear 13  14 14 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India Colonial Approach For the major part of the 19th century, the Colonial School occupied a high position in India. The term ‘colonial approach’ has been used in two senses. One relates to the history of the colonial countries, while the other refers to the works which were influenced by the colonial ideology of domination. It is in the second sense that most historians today write about the colonial historiography. In fact, the practice of writing about the colonial countries by the colonial officials was related to the desire for domination and justification of the colonial rule. Hence, in most such historical works, there was criticism of indigenous society and culture. Simultaneously, there was praise for the Western culture and values and glorification of the individuals who established the colonial empires. The histories of India written by James Mill, Mountstuart Elphinstone, Vincent Smith, and many others are pertinent examples of the colonial historiographical trend. Certain characteristics common to most of the works of these historians are the following: (i) ‘Orientalist’ representation of India; (ii) the opinion that the British brought unity to India; (iii) the notions of Social Darwinism—the English considered themselves superior to the ‘natives’ and the fittest to rule; (iv) India viewed as a stagnant society which required guidance from the British (White Man’s burden); and (v) establishing Pax Britannica to bring law and order and peace to a bickering society. Nationalist Approach The nationalist approach to Indian history can be described as one which tends to contribute to the growth of nationalist feelings and to unify people in the face of religious, caste, or linguistic differences or class differentiation. This approach  Major Approaches to the History of Modern India ✫ 15 looks at the national movement as a movement of the Indian people, which grew out of the growing awareness among all people of the exploitative nature of colonial rule. This approach developed as a response to and in confrontation with the colonial approach. It should be noted that the nationalist historians of modern India did not exist before 1947. Before 1947, nationalist historiography mainly dealt with the ancient and medieval periods of Indian history. However, in the last quarter of the 19th century, a detailed and scientific critique of colonialism for the adverse economic aspects of alien rule was developed by nationalists like Dadabhai Naoroji, M.G. Ranade, G.V. Joshi, R.C. Dutt, K.T. Telang, G.K. Gokhale, and D.E. Wacha. (Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar, a close associate of Sri Aurobindo, popularised the ideas of Naoroji and Ranade in his Desher Katha published in 1904 in Bengali.) The only accounts of the national movement was by nationalist leaders (not historians) such as R.G. Pradhan, A.C. Mazumdar, J.L. Nehru, and Pattabhi Sitaramayya. R.C. Majumdar and Tara Chand are noted nationalist historians of modern India. Marxist Approach The beginning of the Marxist approach in India was heralded by two classic books—Rajni Palme Dutt’s India Today and A.R. Desai’s Social Background of Indian Nationalism. Originally written for the famous Left Book Club in England, India Today, first published in 1940 in England, was later published in India in 1947. A.R. Desai’s Social Background of Indian Nationalism, was first published in 1948. Unlike the imperialist/colonial approach, the Marxist historians clearly see the primary contradiction between the interests of the colonial masters and the subject people, as well as the process of the nation-in-the-making. Unlike the nationalists, they also take full note of the inner contradictions between the different sections of the people of the Indian society. However, some of them, particularly Rajni Palme  16 16 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India Dutt, were unable to fully integrate their treatment of the primary anti-imperialist contradiction and the secondary inner contradictions and tended to counterbalance the anti- imperialist struggle with the class or social struggle. They tend to see the national movement as a structured bourgeois movement, if not the bourgeoisie’s movement, and miss its open-ended and all-class character. Another noted Marxist historian, who made a critique of R.P. Dutt’s paradigm, is Sumit Sarkar; he considers Dutt’s paradigm as a “simplistic version of the Marxian class approach”. He looks at the nationalist leaders in the light of intelligentsia which acts as a “kind of proxy for as yet passive social forces with which it had little organic connection”. A.R. Desai traces the growth of the national movement in five phases, each phase based on particular social classes which supported and sustained it. Subaltern Approach This school of thought began in the early 1980s under the editorship of Ranajit Guha, as a critique of the existing historiography, which was faulted for ignoring the voice of the people. Right from the beginning, subaltern historiography took the position that the entire tradition of Indian historiography had had an elitist bias. For the subaltern historians, the basic contradiction in Indian society in the colonial epoch was between the elite, both Indian and foreign, on the one hand, and the subaltern groups, on the other, and not between colonialism and the Indian people. However, they do not subscribe to the Marxist theory of the nature of the exploitation by the nationalist movement: they point out that the Indian society of the time could not be seen in terms of class alone, as capitalism in the country was just nascent at the time. This school sees nationalism as exploitative in terms of caste, gender, religious, and creed divisions. Nationalism, say the subalterns, ignored the internal contradictions within the society as well as what the  Major Approaches to the History of Modern India ✫ 17 View A few historians have of late initiated a new trend, described by its proponents as subaltern, which dismisses all previous historical writing, including that based on a Marxist perspective, as elite historiography, and claims to replace this old, ‘blinkered’ historiography with what it claims is a new people’s or subaltern approach. —Bipan Chandra marginalised represented or had to say. They believe that the Indian people were never united in a common anti-imperialist struggle, that there was no such entity as the Indian national movement. Instead, they assert, there were two distinct movements or streams: the real anti-imperialist stream of the subalterns and the bogus national movement of the elite. The elite streams, led by the ‘official’ leadership of the Indian National Congress, were little more than a cloak for the struggle for power among the elite. Communalist Approach The historians of this school, relying completely on the colonial historiography of medieval India and colonial era textbooks, viewed Hindus and Muslims as permanent hostile groups whose interests were mutually different and antagonistic to each other. This view was not only reflected in the writings of the historians but also took a more virulent form in the hands of the communal political leaders. In their view, India’s medieval history was one long story of Hindu- Muslim conflict. As a corollary of this view, it was then argued that the 19th- and 20th-century Muslims had the ‘happy’ and ‘proud’ everpresent memory of having been the ruling class, while Hindus had the ‘sad’ and ‘humiliating’ memory of having been the subject race. This, ultimately, developed mutual hatred among these groups often resulting in communal riots and, in the end, led to the partition of India.  18 18 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India Cambridge School Approach According to this school of thought, the fundamental contradiction under colonial rule was not between imperialism and the Indian people, but among the Indians themselves. Further, Indian nationalism was not the product of a struggle of the Indian people against colonial exploitation, but what arose from conflict among the Indians for getting the benefits given to them by the British rulers. The leaders of the national movement, according to this school, were inspired by the quest for power and material benefits. This approach has been criticised by many scholars on the ground that it takes the mind or ideals out of human behaviour and reduces nationalism to ‘animal politics’. Liberal and Neo-Liberal Approach According to this interpretation, the economic exploitation of the colonies was not beneficial to the British people as a whole. The availability of markets for British industrial goods in the colonial world and capital investment in overseas markets (like laying of railways in India) might have actually discouraged domestic investment and delayed the development of the ‘new’ industries in Britain. The proponents of this school of thought are Patrick O’Brian, Hopkins, and Cain. Feminist Approach The shift in terms of the writing of women’s history began with the women’s movement of the 1970s which provided the context and impetus for the emergence of women’s studies in India. Very soon, women’s history broadened and assumed the more complex shape of gender history. In the early years, the endeavour was to write a history of women to supplement the writings of mainstream history. Also, an attempt was made to research and compile an archive of  Major Approaches to the History of Modern India ✫ 19 women’s writing. An important area of research has been analysis of the way in which colonial structures, such as the legal structure, affected women’s lives. Women’s vulnerability due to the denial of ownership of productive resources has been focused on, in the analysis of how progressive laws shaped gender relations. In the colonial period, two works based upon the women’s question in India—The High Caste Hindu Woman (1887) by Pandita Ramabai, and Mother India (1927) by Katherine Mayo—attracted international attention. Summary Different Approaches Colonial Approach is influenced by the colonial ideology of domination. It focuses on criticism of indigenous society and culture, and praises the Western culture and values. James Mill, Vincent Smith, etc., followed this approach. Nationalist Approach evolved as a response to and in confrontation with the colonial approach. Before independence, this school dealt with the ancient and medieval periods of Indian history, and not the modern period. After independence, this school focused on modern India. R.C. Majumdar and Tara Chand belonged to this school. Marxist Approach focuses on the primary contradiction between the interests of the colonial masters and the native subjects. It also takes notice of the inner contradictions between the different sections of Indian society. R.P. Dutt and A.R. Desai were noted Marxist historians of India. Subaltern Approach takes the position that the entire tradition of Indian historiography has an elitist bias and the role of the common masses has been neglected. Ranajit Guha belonged to this school. Communalist Approach views Hindus and Muslims as permanently hostile groups whose interests are mutually different and antagonistic to each other.  20 20 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India Cambridge School envisages Indian nationalism as a product of conflicts among the Indians themselves for getting the benefits from the British rulers. For them, Indian nationalist leaders were inspired by the greed of power and material benefits. Liberal and Neo-liberal Interpretations imply that the economic exploitation of the colonies was not beneficial to the people of Britain as it delayed the development of the ‘new’ industries in Britain. Feminist Historiography focuses on areas of research that analyse colonial structures, such as the legal structure, which affected women’s lives. It also focuses on women’s vulnerability due to the denial of ownership of productive resources.  UNIT 2 Advent of Europeans and Consolidation of British Power in India Chapters 3 to 5 CHAPTER 3 Advent of the Europeans in India Though we talk of ancient, medieval, and modern periods in history, history is a continuity. It is not always easy to distinguish clearly when one period ends and another begins. So, if we think of the history of modern India as beginning with the advent of the Europeans, we need to go back to what is generally considered the medieval period, i.e., the 15th century itself—indeed to a time even before the Mughals came and established their empire. 21  22 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India The Portuguese in India The Quest for and Discovery of a Sea Route to India After the decline of the Roman Empire in the 7th century, the Arabs had established their domination in Egypt and Persia. Direct contact between the Europeans and India declined, and, with that, the easy accessibility to the Indian commodities like spices, calicoes, silk, and various precious stones that were greatly in demand was affected. In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks, who were on the ascendant. Merchandise from India went to the European markets through Arab Muslim intermediaries. The Red Sea trade route was a state monopoly from which Islamic rulers earned tremendous revenues. The land routes to India were also controlled by the Arabs. In the circumstances, the Europeans were keen to find a direct sea route to India. Fifteenth-century Europe was gripped by the spirit of the Renaissance with its call for exploration. At the same time, Europe made great advances in the art of ship-building and navigation. Hence, there was an eagerness all over Europe for adventurous sea voyages to reach the unknown corners of the East. The economic development of many regions of Europe was also progressing rapidly with expansion of land under cultivation, the introduction of an improved plough, scientific crop management such as crop rotation, and increased supply of meat (which called for spices for cooking as well as for preservation). Prosperity also grew, and with it the demand for oriental luxury goods also increased. Venice and Genoa which had earlier prospered through trade in oriental goods were too small to take on the mighty Ottoman Turks or to take up major exploration on their own. The north Europeans were ready to aid Portugal and Spain with money and men, even as the Genoese were ready to provide ships and technical knowledge. It is also to be noted that Portugal had assumed the leadership in Christendom’s  Advent of the Europeans in India ✫ 23 resistance to Islam even as it had taken on itself the spirit of exploration that had characterised the Genoese. Historians have observed that the idea of finding an ocean route to India had become an obsession for Prince Henry of Portugal, who was nicknamed the ‘Navigator’; also, he was keen to find a way to circumvent the Muslim domination of the eastern Mediterranean and all the routes that connected India to Europe. Pope Nicholas V gave Prince Henry a bull in 1454, conferring on him the right to navigate the “sea to the distant shores of the Orient”, more specifically “as far as India” in an attempt to fight Islamic influence and spread the Christian faith. However, Prince Henry died before his dream could become a reality. In 1497, under the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), the rulers of Portugal and Spain divided the non-Christian world between them by an imaginary line in the Atlantic, some 1,300 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. Under the treaty, Portugal could claim and occupy everything to the east of the line while Spain could claim everything to the west. The situation was thus prepared for the Portuguese incursions into the waters around India. It was in 1487 that the Portuguese navigator, Bartholomew Dias, rounded the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and sailed up the eastern coast; he was well convinced that the long-sought-after sea route to India had been found. But it was only ten years later that an expedition of Portuguese ships set out for India (in 1497) and arrived in India in slightly less than 11 months’ time, in May 1498. From Trading to Ruling Vasco Da Gama The arrival of three ships under Vasco Da Gama, led by a Gujarati pilot named Abdul Majid, at Calicut in May 1498 profoundly affected the course of Indian history. The Hindu ruler of Calicut, the Zamorin (Samuthiri), however, had no apprehensions as to the European’s intentions. As the prosperity of his kingdom was due to Calicut’s position as an entrepot,  24 ✫ A Brief History of Modern India he accorded a friendly reception to Vasco Da Gama. The Arab traders, who had a good business on the Malabar Coast were apprehensive and were not keen on the Portuguese getting a hold there. For centuries, the trading system in the Indian Ocean had had numerous participants—Indians, Arabs, Africans from the east coast, Chinese, Javanese, among others—but these participants had acted according to some tacit rules of conduct and none had sought overwhelming dominance though all were in it for profit. The Portuguese changed that: they wanted to monopolise the hugely profitable eastern trade by excluding competitors, especially the Arabs. Vasco da Gama stayed in India for three months. When he returned to Portugal, he carried back with him a rich cargo and sold the merchandise in the European market at a huge profit. The importance of direct access to the pepper trade was made clear by the fact that elsewhere the Europeans, who had to buy through Muslim middlemen, would have had to spend ten times as much for the same amount of pepper. Not surprisingly, other profit-seeking merchants of European nations were tempted to come to