The role and influence on attitudes to empire of: Gandhi, colonial…

The idea

Gandhi and colonial administrators profoundly influenced attitudes towards the British Empire between 1914 and 1947. Gandhi transformed Indian nationalism into a mass movement through *Satyagraha* (non-violent resistance). Campaigns like the 1930 Salt March exposed the moral contradictions of imperial rule, shifting Indian and international attitudes. Concurrently, colonial administrators often alienated subjects and catalysed resistance. General Dyer's actions at the 1919 Amritsar Massacre destroyed trust in British benevolence. Administrative repression, such as the response to the 1942 Quit India movement, provoked moral outrage and accelerated anti-imperialist sentiment, fatally undermining the empire's legitimacy.

What earns the marks

• Evaluate Gandhi's role in developing mass non-violent resistance (e.g., the Salt March) and its impact on Indian and international attitudes towards imperial authority.
• Analyse how the actions of colonial administrators, such as General Dyer at the 1919 Amritsar Massacre, provoked nationalist resistance and destroyed faith in British rule.
• Assess the impact of colonial administrative policies and repression (e.g., the Rowlatt Acts or the response to the Quit India movement) on indigenous attitudes towards the British Empire.
• Examine how controversies surrounding colonial administration and Gandhi's campaigns shifted domestic British attitudes, increasing anti-imperialist sentiment between 1914 and 1947.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Extending the timeframe beyond 1947 to include events like the 1959 Hola Camp incident.

  Put it right: Ensure evidence is strictly confined to the 1914–1947 period, focusing on Gandhi's leadership in India and key administrative controversies of that era.

• Assuming colonial administration was universally accepted by indigenous populations.

  Put it right: Highlight resistance sparked by administrative decisions and repression, such as the Rowlatt Acts or the Amritsar Massacre.

• Ignoring the impact of Gandhi and colonial administration on domestic British attitudes.

  Put it right: Include examples of how events like the Amritsar Massacre or Gandhi's visits to Britain provoked debate and anti-imperialist sentiment domestically.

Exam tips

• Contrast Gandhi's non-violent *Satyagraha* campaigns with the coercive methods often employed by colonial administration between 1914 and 1947.
• Use specific examples of colonial administration, such as the 1919 Amritsar Massacre, as catalysts for changing indigenous attitudes towards British rule.
• Discuss how administrative controversies, like the response to the 1942 Quit India movement, undermined the moral justification of the 'civilising mission' both in the colonies and in Britain.