(CABINET, WAVELL PLAN ETC)
📜 All Important Missions, Pacts & Plans in British India (Pre-Partition) 📜
During British rule, several missions, pacts, and plans were introduced to address India’s political situation, particularly its demand for self-governance and the growing Hindu-Muslim divide. Below is a detailed description of all major pacts, plans, and missions from 1916 to 1947, which played a crucial role in shaping India’s independence movement.
🔹 Important Pacts in British India
1️⃣ Lucknow Pact (1916)
📌 Parties Involved: Indian National Congress (INC) & All India Muslim League (AIML)
📌 Key Figures: Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Congress), Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Muslim League)
🔹 Agreement between Congress and the Muslim League to demand self-governance from the British.
🔹 Both agreed that Muslims would have separate electorates, strengthening communal politics.
🔹 It was a temporary Hindu-Muslim unity, which later collapsed after the Khilafat Movement and Non-Cooperation Movement.
2️⃣ Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931)
📌 Parties Involved: Mahatma Gandhi & Lord Irwin (Viceroy of India)
📌 Reason: To end the Civil Disobedience Movement
🔹 Gandhi agreed to:
✅ Stop the Civil Disobedience Movement
✅ Participate in the Second Round Table Conference in London
✅ Stop boycotting British goods
🔹 British Government agreed to:
✅ Release political prisoners (except violent revolutionaries)
✅ Allow Indians to make salt along the coast
✅ Revoke harsh laws against Congress members
👉 However, the Second Round Table Conference failed, leading Gandhi to restart the movement.
3️⃣ Poona Pact (1932)
📌 Parties Involved: Mahatma Gandhi & Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
📌 Reason: Protest against the Communal Award by British PM Ramsay MacDonald
🔹 The Communal Award gave separate electorates to the Dalits (Depressed Classes), which Gandhi opposed, fearing it would divide Hindu society.
🔹 Gandhi fasted in jail, forcing Ambedkar to negotiate.
🔹 Compromise: Instead of separate electorates, Dalits got reserved seats in the general electorate, ensuring representation while maintaining unity.
🔹 Major British Missions to India
4️⃣ Cripps Mission (1942)
📌 Sent by: British PM Winston Churchill
📌 Leader: Sir Stafford Cripps
📌 Reason: To gain Indian support during World War II
🔹 Proposed that:
✅ India would get Dominion Status after WWII
✅ Indian provinces could choose to join or remain independent
✅ Indians would draft their own Constitution
🔹 Why it failed?
❌ Congress demanded full independence, not post-war promises.
❌ Jinnah opposed it as it didn’t guarantee Pakistan.
❌ The British refused to transfer power immediately, leading to Quit India Movement (1942).
5️⃣ Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)
📌 Sent by: British Prime Minister Clement Attlee
📌 Members: Sir Stafford Cripps, A.V. Alexander, Lord Pethick-Lawrence
📌 Purpose: To discuss India’s independence & avoid Partition
🔹 Key Proposals:
✅ India would be a Union with limited central powers (Defense, Foreign Affairs, Communication).
✅ Provinces could form groups (Group A, B, C) based on religion.
✅ No immediate partition; a Constituent Assembly would be formed.
🔹 Why it failed?
❌ Congress wanted a strong central government.
❌ Jinnah demanded Pakistan, rejecting the plan.
❌ Led to Direct Action Day (1946) and Hindu-Muslim riots.
🔹 Important British Plans & Proposals
6️⃣ August Offer (1940)
📌 Proposed by: Viceroy Lord Linlithgow
📌 Reason: To gain Indian support in World War II
🔹 British promises:
✅ Dominion Status after WWII
✅ More Indians in Executive Council
✅ Right for minorities (Muslims) to veto constitutional changes
🔹 Why it failed?
❌ Congress rejected it as it did not promise immediate independence.
❌ Jinnah accepted it, as it recognized Muslim interests.
7️⃣ Wavell Plan & Shimla Conference (1945)
📌 Proposed by: Viceroy Lord Wavell
📌 Reason: To discuss the formation of an interim government
🔹 Plan:
✅ Equal representation of Hindus & Muslims in an interim government
✅ Congress & Muslim League must work together
🔹 Why it failed?
❌ Jinnah demanded that the Muslim League be the only representative of Muslims.
❌ Congress rejected this demand, leading to the failure of the Shimla Conference (1945).
8️⃣ Mountbatten Plan (1947)
📌 Proposed by: Lord Mountbatten (Last Viceroy of India)
📌 Reason: To finalize Partition of India
🔹 Key Decisions:
✅ Partition of India into India & Pakistan
✅ Princely states could choose India, Pakistan, or independence
✅ Transfer of power by August 15, 1947
🔹 Impact:
✅ India became independent on August 15, 1947
✅ Pakistan was created on August 14, 1947
✅ Massive communal violence and migration followed
🔹 Conclusion: Impact of These Missions, Pacts & Plans
🔹 The British used different strategies to delay Indian independence while maintaining their control.
🔹 The Congress & Muslim League had conflicting demands, which led to the Partition of India.
🔹 Cripps Mission (1942) & Cabinet Mission (1946) failed, leading to the final Mountbatten Plan (1947).
🔹 Pacts like Poona Pact (1932) shaped the reservation system, while Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) impacted the Civil Disobedience Movement.
👉 These events shaped the final phase of India’s freedom struggle, ultimately leading to Independence & Partition in 1947.