Chapter 8

Pakistan Movement
1927 to 1939
Prepared by Sir Hassan Durrani
 Q-What was Simon Commission (4 Mark Question)
Simon Commission, was a group of seven members of the British
Parliament under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon. The commission
arrived in the Indian subcontinent in 1928 to study and prepare a report for
the new reforms to be enacted by the British parliament. The members of
the committee were all British without any Indian representation and was
seen as an insult by the Indians. When the Simon Commission arrived in
India, the local masses welcomed it by with slogans of "Go back Simon!".
The National Congress boycotted the Simon Commission where as The
Muslim League was divided into two sections. The President of Muslim
League, Muhammad Shafi decided to cooperate with the commission. In
contrary, another section of the Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali
Jinnah participated in the boycott.
John Simon
Members of Simon Commission
 Nehru Report & its background
❖ When the Simon Commission came to India in 1928, it was vehemently
opposed by Indians especially the Congress Party for the lack of a single
Indian in the Commission.
❖ So, the Secretary of State for India, Lord Birkenhead challenged the Indian
leaders to draft a constitution for India, implicitly implying that Indians
were not capable of finding a common path and drafting a constitution.
❖ The political leaders accepted this challenge and an All Party Conference
was held and a committee was appointed with the task of drafting a
constitution. Pandit Motilal Nehru chaired this committee and devised this
constitution known as Nehru reports.
❖ This was the first major attempt by Indians to draft a constitution for
themselves.
 Some Main features of Nehru Report
➢ India should be given the status of a dominion. Which meant India would
be independent but will remain a member of common wealth (like
Australia and Canada) with the British Monarch as the head of the state.

➢ The Form of Government at the center would be Federal with substantial

power in the control of Government & limited powers to the provinces.

➢ No separate electorates for any community

➢ No state religion with Equal rights for men and women as citizens.

➢ Hindi to be made the official language of India.

 Q: Why was Nehru Report Rejected (7 Mark)
On 21st January 1929, All India Muslim conference rejected the Report.

1. Nehru Report of 1928 was a strictly Hindu version of India's future

constitution. It asked for Hindi to be made the official language of India.
As Urdu was of great cultural importance for Muslims, they opposed it as
it was a threat to their cultural rights.
2. Nehru Report of 1928 suggested that Muslims should not be given
separate electorates in the council as per their population. This angered
the Muslims and they opposed Nehru Report as Hindus were going
against Lucknow Pact and were not accepting Muslims as an important
community of India.
3. Nehru Report of 1928 also suggested that there should be strong center
with limited provincial autonomy which was opposed by Muslims as their
demand of full provincial autonomy was not accepted. Hence, Nehru
Report was rejected as Hindus were trying to dominate Muslims and did
not protect Muslim rights even in Muslim majority areas like Punjab and
Bengal.

4. Lastly, the main reasons why the Nehru report was rejected was that
It demanded for the immediate dominion status this means that Muslims
will live in India for there whole life on the mercy of Hindus. This was
unacceptable for Muslims.
 Q-Why did Jinnah produce his 14 points of 1929? [7 Mark]
❖Jinnah decided to issue 14 points in response to Nehru Report (1928) which
was a scheme of constitution for India. It included several points which were
against Muslim interests. The Nehru Report suggested joint electorate (in place
of separate electorate for Muslims), center was given more power instead of
provinces and Hindi was to be the national language for India. These points
were clearly against Muslim interests and were not liked by the Muslims.
❖Jinnah suggested three amendments to the Nehru Report but these were
rejected by the Congress. It clearly showed that the Congress was not sincere
with the Muslims.
❖At the annual meeting of Muslim League in March 1929 at Delhi. Jinnah gave
his points in order to safeguard and protect the rights and interests of the
Muslims. The 14 Points were the first ever demand of the Muslim League put
to the British.
 Jinnah’s 14 Point
(No need to learn only develop your understanding)
1. Any future constitution should be federal, power resting with the provinces.
2. All Provinces should have the same amount of autonomy.
3. All legislatures and local bodies should be constituted with adequate representation of minorities.
4. Muslims should have one-third of the seats in the Central Assembly.
5. Election should be by separate electorates.
6. Any territorial changes should be affect the Muslim majority in Bengal, the Punjab and the NWFP.
7. Full liberty of belief and worship shall be granted to all communities.
8. No Bill shall be passed in any elected body if ¾ of any community in that body opposed it.
9. Sindh shall be separated from Bombay.
10. There should be reforms in the NWFP and Baluchistan to put them on the same footing as other provinces.
11. Muslims should have an adequate share in the services of the state.
12. Muslim culture, education, language, religion and charities should be protected by the constitution.
13. All cabinets (at central or local level) should have at least 1/3 Muslim representation.
14. The Federation of India must not change laws without the consent of the provinces.
 2nd Non cooperation movement (1930) Salt March

After the boycott of Simon commission and the rejection of Nehru report
both by Jinnah and the British, on Dec 1929, the members of the congress
party met at Lahore and declared the demand of complete independence
for India. At Midnight on 31 dec, 1929, Nehru led a procession to the bank
of River Ravi and raised the Flag of India. Three weeks later a declaration
of Indian dependence, written by Gandi ji was read all across India. To put
the pressure on British, Congress relaunched the 2nd non cooperation
movement with the famous salt march.
 Q-What was Salt March movement: (4 mark Question)

The Salt March was one of the most famous early acts of civil disobedience,
led by nonviolence leader Mahatma Gandhi as part of India’s protest to gain
freedom from the British. In 1882, the British government implemented the
Salt Act which prohibited Indians from collecting or selling salt, forcing them
to buy salt from the British instead. This gave the British a monopoly on the
good. The Indians were forced to incur a heavy salt tax charged by British
sellers To protest this law, Gandhi declared resistance to the Salt Act and
started a campaign of mass civil disobedience, or ‘satyagraha’ as the part of
2nd non cooperation movement. Hundreds and thousand joined Gandi ji in
this movement while the British outlawed the congress , censored the news
papers and large number of congress leaders were arrested including Gandi Ji
himself.
 Q-What was the significance of Allahabad address [7 Mark]
❖ Muhammad Iqbal delivered his most popular inaugural speech during the 25th
Session of the All-India Muslim League in Allahabad in 1930 also known as the
Allahabad Address. He was the first Muslim leader to suggest the partition of Indian
subcontinent in keeping the idea of two nation theory. He is therefore called the
father of the ideology of Pakistan.
❖ The address also convinced many Muslims that the Muslim League should be
organized into an effective political party to challenge the domination (influence) of
the Congress party. Iqbal’s views had inspired (motivated) Muslims of India and he
was successful in making Muslim League popular in Punjab.
❖ Another important significance of Allahabad session was that the Muslims leadership
had now a clear vision about their political objectives. In the future, the struggles of
Muslim league were not only limited to the British but also against the congress to
preserve the identity of the Muslims in India.
 Round Table conferences
Despite the opposition it faced, the Simon commission still managed to
produce two volume reports in 1930. The report supported the idea of separate
electorates for the Muslims however it rejected the Muslims having one third
share in the central assembly and the idea of Sindh being separated from
Bombay. The British then called a round table conference to discuss the
commissions recommendations. These will be called as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd
round table conferences.
Question Samples
➢ ‘The Round Table Conference of 1930 achieved more than those of 1931 and 1932’. Do
you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer. [14]
➢ How successful were the three Round Table Conferences of 1930-1932? Explain your
answer. [14]
 First Round Table conference 1930
The First round table conference was held in London in Nov 1930. It was
attended by Muslims league (most importantly represented by
Muhammad Ali Jinnah) along with the representatives of the princely
states who were also present in the conference. The congress refused to
attend the meeting unless their demands were met including Nehru
Report. The round table conference failed to achieve any significant
success as the India's largest stake holder Congress was absent.
However there were some success that were achieved too

➢ Firstly the princes of princely states declared that they would join a
future federation of India as long as their rights were recognized.

➢ The British agreed that representative government should be

introduced at provincial levels ( Means more provincial autonomy to
the provinces)
 Q-What was Gandi-Erwin Pact (4 Mark Question)

It was a pact that took place between Viceroy Irwin

and Gandi Ji before the second round table
conference in 1931. According to this pact, Erwin agreed
to release those who had been imprisoned during the
non cooperation movement and to allow Indians to
make salt for domestic use. Gandhi agreed to call off
the Civil Disobedience and attend the second Round
Table Conference in London.
 Second Round Table conference 1931
The second round table conference was held from September
to December 1931. Mr. Gandhi attended as the only
representative of the congress. Mr. Gandhi claimed that the
Congress represented the whole of India & that there was no
minority problem in the country. Muslim & other minority
leaders didn’t agree. Therefore, on account of Mr. Gandhi’s
attitude the conference couldn’t achieve much, also the Labor
party had lost power in England and the new coalition
government was less keen to reach a compromise in India.
But its success of this conference was that

➢ It was declared that Sind & NWFP will be given full

provincial status with governors.
 Q-What was communal Award 1932 (4 Mark)

As a result of the Second Round Table Conference, in August

1932, the then Prime Minister of Britain Ramsay Macdonald
gave his 'award' known as the Communal Award. According
to it, separate electorates were to be provided for the Lower
Caste (Untouchables), Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Indian
Christians and Anglo-Indians. The award was not popular
among the Muslims as it reduced their majority seats in
Punjab and Bengal however they accepted the Award. But
Gandi Ji rejected the award and decided to launch a
campaign against it.
 Third Round Table conference 1932

The third session began on November 17, 1932. It was short

and unimportant. Only forty-six delegates attended since most
of the main political figures of India were not present (included
Jinnah). The Congress was once again absent. Lord Erwin was
replaced by Lord Willington as new Viceroy who was much
less prepared to make concessions. Non cooperation
movement restarted and Willington responded by having
congress leaders arrested including Gandi Ji and Nehru.

Success : Zero
 GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT-1935
➢ When the British govt could not reach on a common agreement between
both the major parties of India with the help of round table conference &
Simon Commission, it tried to solve the common problems of India by
themselves.
➢ The main conclusions of round table conference were published in 1933 in
the form of a white paper.
➢ It was discussed & passed by the British Parliament in 1934.
➢ In August 1935 "Government of India Act, 1935" became a law.
➢ It was the last major legislation of the govt. before independence.
Its important Reforms were
 GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT-1935
(No need to learn, only develop understanding)
• Two houses for parliament at central Gov, upper house with 156 members from British
India and 104 from princely states, Total 160 members and from lower house with 250
from British India and 125 from Princely states, Total members (375).
• From provinces Diarchy was replaced with a system of Provincial autonomy.
• “Diarchy” was abolished in the provinces but implemented in the center.
• The provinces of Sindh & Orissa were created & NWFP was given a provincial status.
• Federal list, Provincial list and concurrent list of subjects were introduced.
• Provincial Legislatures were awarded legislation power on provincial and concurrent
subjects.
• The representatives of the people were made provincial executive.
• There were 11 provinces in the country.
• A council of ministers for every province.
• Governors were awarded power for various rights. India was to be federation
consisted of British provinces & the princely states.
• Two houses of Parliament were formed the upper House (Council of State) & Lower
House (Assembly).
• The members of provinces would be elected while nominated from princely states.
 Q-Why was GOVT of INDIA ACT 1935 So important to the future of Sub continent? (7)

Autonomy to Provinces:
The important aspect of government of India Act 1935 in determining the future of sub-
continent was a certain amount of provincial autonomy granted to provinces which could
make their own policies and could implement them. The foremost impact of this autonomy
was that the British control weakened over the provinces in following years and it also
paved the way for independence of sub-continent.

Increased Voting Rights:

The second important factor of Government of India Act was that it granted more voting
rights to Indians through direct election system. The voting right was increased from 7
million to 35 million. Although, this concession was not equal to the total population, yet it
enabled Indians to enjoy a certain degree of participation in government affairs.
PRINCELY STATES COULD PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS:
In the central government, it was the first time when the members of the princely states
were given seats both in upper house and the lower house of the assembly. This meant
that now the princely states were also able to retain key decisions related to politics of
India.
 Q- WHY GOVT OF INDIA ACT WAS OPPOSSED? (7)
MAIN POWERS IN HANDS OF BRITISH
The Viceroy and Governor General was head of the Federation and could exert
specials powers if he wanted to. Provincial governors also had special powers,
having the right to dismiss ministers or the whole administration. This meant the
Indian public had no major exclusive power in true sense.

DEMANDS OF NEHRU REPORT WERE NOT ACCEPTED

Congress as the leading party rejected this reform because demands of Nehru report
were not accepted. One of the major demands was Hindi to be made the official
language. Moreover the demands of the Muslims such as Separation of Sindh, more
powers to Muslims provinces, provincial autonomy was granted which was against
congress manifesto.

DIARCHY WAS NOT COMPLETELY ABOLISHED.

Diarchy was not completely abolished and it was just shifted from the provinces to
center so it could be misused again by the govt as the major powers like military ,
taxation and law enforcement was still under the British power.
 1937 Elections (Some Important Details)
❖In 1936-37 decisions to the provincial legislative were held under the Govt. Act of India
1935.
❖The results were in favor of the Congress while Muslims League could not win seats even
in Muslims majority areas.
❖Congress won sweeping victory in 5 provinces while they formed coalition govt in other 3
provinces (Bengal, Bombay & N.W.F.P).
❖Muslims League could not win seats because of the lack of public support because the
major party was Congress
❖The congress was more organized and older party than the Muslims League and it was
having the problem of major leaders than the Congress Leaders
❖The Muslims party was split because many Muslims were still working in Congress.
❖The League had an “Image Problem” because many of their leaders were wealthy while
the common Muslims were poor & illiterate at that time so they voted for congress.
❖In 8 provinces Congress made its ministries.
❖After reforming the ministries Congress wanted to take revenge from the Muslims
League that’s why they took a very rude behavior in their majority areas.
❖They also wanted to share power in some areas with Muslims on very bad conditions,
which were rejected by the Muslims League.
 1937 Elections (Some Important Details)
❖In 1936-37 decisions to the provincial legislative were held under the Govt. Act of India
1935.
❖The results were in favor of the Congress while Muslims League could not win seats even
in Muslims majority areas.
❖Congress won sweeping victory in 5 provinces while they formed coalition govt in other 3
provinces (Bengal, Bombay & N.W.F.P).
❖Muslims League could not win seats because of the lack of public support because the
major party was Congress
❖The congress was more organized and older party than the Muslims League and it was
having the problem of major leaders than the Congress Leaders
❖The Muslims party was split because many Muslims were still working in Congress.
❖The League had an “Image Problem” because many of their leaders were wealthy while
the common Muslims were poor & illiterate at that time so they voted for congress.
❖In 8 provinces Congress made its ministries.
❖After reforming the ministries Congress wanted to take revenge from the Muslims
League that’s why they took a very rude behavior in their majority areas.
❖They also wanted to share power in some areas with Muslims on very bad conditions,
which were rejected by the Muslims League.
 Q. Why did Muslim League not perform well in elections 1937? (7)

❖One of the reasons, Muslim league did not perform well in 1937 elections was because
of its limited experience of such a large-scale election as a mass political party. It did not
have much experience of launching election campaigns and of placing suitable
candidates who could attract voters due to its poor organizational structure. By these
reasons, it was not able to fare well in elections of 1937.

❖The second reason which affected the election results was the image of Muslim League
among common Muslims. Since it was formed by landlords, nawabs or princes, it was
considered as the party of aristocrats. The majority of common Muslims considered
that it was incapable of realizing their problems because of its most of the leadership
belonged to high class. This factor lessened the Muslims support to Muslim League. So,
lack of support reduced the number of voters.
❖Lastly, the Muslim living in Muslim majority areas did not have any fear of
being dominated by Hindu majority so they extended their support to
regional or nationalist parties in this election instead of Muslim League,
Besides, the Muslim league wrongly concentrated in winning the support
of Muslims living in minority areas and ignored the Muslim majority areas.
This was the reason why the Muslim league remained deprived of the
support of a large Muslim population of majority areas. Therefore, it
showed a poor performance in elections
 CONGRESS RULE 1937-39
WHY CONGRESS RULE WAS HATED? (7 Marks + 14 Marks)

RELIGIOUS PROBLEMS
✓ They introduced various controversial reforms to harm the Muslims. The slaughter

of cow was prohibited, prayers were disturbed during Azaan, religious processions
were organized during the prayer time. Hindi was introduced as the official language
in the areas under their rule. In the areas under their rule announced to host three
colored flag along with British to show that after the British, the Congress was the
only power in India.
Bande Mataram:
✓ This was a nationalist Hindu song in which Hindus were encouraged to expel

Muslims from Hindustan. This was not a congress policy but the singing of the song
was compulsory before the start of the official business every day in the provincial
assemblies. This worried and offended Muslims.
Wardha Scheme:
✓ This was an education scheme based on Gandi’s

views and introduced in all congress education ministries.

Teaching was to be in Hindi, spinning cotton by hand was
introduced into school curriculum. All students were expected
to bow down before the picture of Gandi ji. Muslim saw this
as a an attempt to subvert love for Islam among their children
and convert them to Hinduism.

Muslims Mass Contact Campaign:

✓ This was started by the Congress the purpose of this scheme was to distract the
people from Muslims League. The prominent leaders of the Congress contacted
the Muslims to bring them back in the Congress by giving them various types of
temptations. The main objective was to crush the popularity of the Muslims
league amongst Muslims. By this congress wanted to reduce the political strength
of Muslims league.
 End of Congress Rule & the day of deliverance

✓ When the second world war started in 1939, The British

announced that India was at war with Germany. Congress
objected to the fact that it had not been consulted and all the
congress provincial governments resigned. The Muslims were
extremely pleased to see the end of Hindu governments and the
Muslims showed great support to Jinnah calling to celebrate the
end of congress rule on 22nd December 1939, as the day of
deliverance.

✓ (We will study this event further in Chapter 9)

 Who was Choudhary Rehmat Ali (4 Mark)

✓ Chaudhry Rehmat Ali is credited with coining the

term ‘’Pakistan’’ making him the founder of Pakistan
National Movement. In 1933, he released the Pamphlet titled
now or Never, Are we to live or Perish forever. He was in London
when the round table conferences were being held and tried to
persuade the Muslims leaders to that they should demand
nothing less than a separate homeland.

✓ (We will study more about Choudhry Rehmat Ali in Chapter 10)