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The Morley - Minto reforms, 1909. To what extent was the INC achieving its aims?. Minto and Morley. Lord Minto – Viceroy after Curzon. Arrived in India at a time of great tension and protest over the partition of Bengal. Wanted to diffuse tension and maintain control for the empire.
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The Morley - Minto reforms, 1909 To what extent was the INC achieving its aims?
Minto and Morley • Lord Minto – Viceroy after Curzon. Arrived in India at a time of great tension and protest over the partition of Bengal. Wanted to diffuse tension and maintain control for the empire. • John Morley – Liberal secretary of State for India. 1906 election produced a Liberal land-slide. Morley wanted a more humane administration, leading to Indian self-government.
Why the reforms were created • The INC had grown and split into militant and moderate factions. The militants favoured force and the moderates were fearful of provoking the British and losing ground. • Fear of mutiny in the Punjabi army. • The British saw the need to use the moderates to control, or at least influence, the ‘extremists’. • Which tactics were persuading the British to change?
The Simla Deputation • The INC protests were aimed at ending the partition of Bengal and a perceived British policy of ‘divide and rule’. • The INC was dominated by a Hindu majority, and this raised worries among Muslims that any future concessions by the British would favour Hindus at the expense of Muslims. • A Muslim deputation to Lord Minto at Simla, asked for a separate Muslim electorate; reminded Minto of the service Muslims had performed for the empire; and warned of the dangers of democracy. • Minto pledged to guarantee Muslim rights in the future – why?
The Morley – Minto reforms • More Indians were allowed into the administration – 60 elected Indians were allowed to serve on the Viceroy’s executive council. • The provincial councils were enlarged. Indians could be in the majority but the officials were British. • Separate electorates were provided for Muslims and Hindus. • Morley appointed 2 Indians to his Whitehall advisers and Minto appointed the Advocate-General of Bengal as his law member. The reforms came into effect in 1909.
Task: To work out what the consequences of the reforms would be for a) Indians and b) the British administrators. What would be the effect on Muslim attitudes? • Should the INC celebrate the Morley-Minto reforms as a success for their agitation? • Would ordinary Indians think the INC had done a good job? • How would British administrators look on working with the newly elected Indian councillors? • What might be the attitude of Muslims to a)the British and b) the INC?