India

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Russo-JapaneseWarof1904and1905,apracticaldemonstrationofthelatentpoweroftheAsian

peoples.HostilemanifestationsagainstBritishrulebecamemoreandmorefrequent,particularlyin

Bengal.Themoreradicalnationalistsresortedtoassassination,bombings,andotheractsofterrorism.
RetaliatorymeasuresbythecolonialauthoritieswerecounteredbyapopularboycottofBritishgoods.

J2

RepressiveMeasures

Condemningmostofthenationalistactivitiesasseditious,theBritishgovernmentadoptedaspecial
criminalcodetodealwiththesituation.Amongothermeasures,thiscodeprovidedfortrialwithout

juryforthoseaccusedoftreason,andfordeportationorsummaryimprisonmentforagitators.These

repressivestepswerefollowedin1909bytheIndiaCouncilsAct,whichintroducedalimiteddegreeof
self-governmentinIndia.DissatisfiedwiththisconcessiontoIndiandemandsforindependence,the
nationalistmovementcontinuedtogainheadway.

Aroundthistime,anewmovementhadbeenformed.TheMuslimLeaguewasformedin1906withthe
encouragementoftheBritishgovernment,andhadpressedfortheintroductionofseparate

electoratestosafeguardthepositionoftheMuslimcommunity.TheorganizationsupportedtheBritish
government,fearingtheintroductionofHindu RajiftheBritishshouldeverleaveIndia.Itwas

establishedbyeliteMuslims.EvenbeforetheLeaguewasestablished,theIndianNationalCongress

hadnotcountedmanyMuslimsamongitsmembers,althoughsomeprominentindividuals,suchasthe
influentialjournalistAbulKalamAzad,registereddisapprovalofLeaguepolicy,resignedfromthe
organization,andjoinedtheIndianNationalCongress.

J3

JointCampaign

FollowingtheoutbreakofWorldWarI,manyIndians,bothHinduandMuslim,ralliedtotheBritish

cause.Morethan1.2millionparticipatedintheBritishwareffort,givingvaliantandloyalserviceinall
theatresoftheconflict.Thenationalistmovement,generallyquiescentduringthefirsttwoyearsof
thewar,resumedthecampaignforfundamentalpoliticalreformsintheautumnof1916.The

campaignwasinitiatedbyajointdeclarationofminimumdemandsbytheIndianNationalCongress
andbytheMuslimLeague,whichhadbeenforcedtoabandonitspro-BritishpolicyafterTurkey,a
Muslimcountry,enteredthewaronthesideoftheCentralPowers.Therefollowedapolicy

pronouncementfromtheBritishgovernmentinAugust1917,promisinganincreaseof...the

associationofIndiansineverybranchoftheadministrationandthegradualdevelopmentofselfgoverninginstitutionsinIndia.

GandhisProtestMovement

PoliticalstrifeincreasedafterWorldWarI.Inreplytotheupsurgeofnationalistactivity,theBritish

parliamentpassedtheRowlattActs,whichsuspendedcivilrightsandprovidedformartiallawinareas
disturbedbyriotsanduprisings.PassageoftheRowlattActsprecipitatedawaveofviolenceand

disorderinmanypartsofIndia.Inthisperiodofturmoil,MohandasK.Gandhi,aHindusocialand
religiousreformer,calledontheIndianpeopletomeetBritishrepressionwithpassiveresistance

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