Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
Failure of the Round Table Conferences, 1930–32: the First, Second and…
Full specification wording
Consultation and confrontation, 1930–42: Failure of the Round Table Conferences, 1930–32: the First, Second and Third Conferences; reasons for failure, including the role of Congress, the situation in Britain and divisions over separate elections.
The three Round Table Conferences (First 1930–31, Second 1931, Third 1932) tried to settle India's constitutional future following the Simon Commission and the 1929 Lahore demand for Purna Swaraj.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 4
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The three Round Table Conferences (First 1930–31, Second 1931, Third 1932) tried to settle India's constitutional future following the Simon Commission and the 1929 Lahore demand for Purna Swaraj. The First was boycotted by Congress during civil disobedience, lacking the main nationalist voice. The Second included Gandhi after the Gandhi–Irwin Pact, but he claimed sole representation and talks deadlocked. The Third was sparsely attended and produced little. Failure stemmed from Congress's inability to accept minority safeguards, the situation in Britain (including the 1931 financial crisis and the shift from a Labour to a Conservative-dominated National Government), and divisions over separate elections, which split Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Depressed Classes.
What earns the marks
- Explains the purpose and sequence of the First, Second and Third Conferences, including dates and who attended or boycotted each.
- Analyses Congress's role: the boycott of the First, Gandhi's claim at the Second, and Congress's weakened position by the Third.
- Explains divisions over separate elections, including Muslim, Sikh and Depressed Class demands, and how they blocked agreed constitutional advance.
- Reaches a supported judgement on which factor was most significant in the failure of consultation.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating the conferences as a single event.
Put it right by distinguishing the dates, attendance and outcomes of each of the three conferences.
Assuming Gandhi spoke for all Indians at the Second Conference.
Put it right by noting his claim to sole Congress representation and the absence of agreed minority consent.
Citing the 1935 Government of India Act as a cause of the conferences' failure.
Put it right by recognising it was an outcome that followed the conferences, not a contemporaneous cause.
Exam tips
- Anchor each conference with a date and one outcome to show secure chronological control.
- Link each reason for failure to a named group or individual so analysis stays specific.
Try the lesson
The start of the Consultation and confrontation, 1930–42: Failure of the Round Table Conferences, 1930–32: the First, Second and Third Conferences; reasons for failure, including the role of Congress, the situation in Britain and divisions over separate elections. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which group was absent from the First Round Table Conference, held in London in 1930, because its leaders were imprisoned?
Listen
The three Round Table Conferences (First 1930–31, Second 1931, Third 1932) tried to settle India's constitutional future following the Simon Commission and the 1929 Lahore demand for Purna Swaraj. The First was boycotted by Congress during civil disobedience, lacking the main nationalist voice. The Second included Gandhi after the Gandhi–Irwin Pact, but he claimed sole representation and talks deadlocked. The Third was sparsely attended and produced little. Failure stemmed from Congress's inability to accept minority safeguards, the situation in Britain (including the 1931 financial crisis and the shift from a Labour to a Conservative-dominated National Government), and divisions over separate elections, which split Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Depressed Classes. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains the purpose and sequence of the First, Second and Third Conferences, including dates and who attended or boycotted each. Analyses Congress's role: the boycott of the First, Gandhi's claim at the Second, and Congress's weakened position by the Third. Assesses the situation in Britain: the minority Labour government's collapse, the 1931 financial crisis, and the formation of the Conservative-dominated National Government which hardened attitudes against Indian concessions. Explains divisions over separate elections, including Muslim, Sikh and Depressed Class demands, and how they blocked agreed constitutional advance. A common slip: Treating the conferences as a single event. Instead, distinguishing the dates, attendance and outcomes of each of the three conferences. Exam tip: Anchor each conference with a date and one outcome to show secure chronological control.
Put the events in order
Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.
- 1. First Round Table Conference boycotted by Congress during civil disobedience
- 2. Third Round Table Conference was sparsely attended and produced little
- 3. Second Round Table Conference included Gandhi after the Gandhi–Irwin Pact
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Round Table Conferences
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Congress
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Situation in Britain
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Separate elections
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Round Table Conferences
- The First, Second and Third Conferences, held between 1930 and 1932, which tried to settle India's constitutional future.
- Congress
- The main nationalist voice, which boycotted the First Conference during civil disobedience and whose Gandhi claimed sole representation at the Second.
- Situation in Britain
- A reason for failure, including the 1931 financial crisis and the shift from a Labour to a Conservative-dominated National Government.
- Separate elections
- Divisions over this split Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Depressed Classes and blocked agreed constitutional advance.
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