Churchill: India

Churchill and India 

Churchill was bitterly opposed to Indian independence. The key reasons for this were:

• He believed that India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire 
• He believed the British presence had protected the Muslim minority from the Hindu elite
• He believed in Anglo-Saxon racial superiority
• He believed British rule had brought socioeconomic advancement to India 
• He believed British rule had ended barbaric practices 
• He believed British rule had protected India from a weak and corrupt government 

However, a majority of the Indian population now wanted independence. They protested for this through non-violent protests led by Ghandi. This enabled them to gain the moral high ground. 

There were a number of acts/events which changed the independence movement in India:

Firstly, this was the 1919 Rowlatt Act and 1918 Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms. The former led to imprisonment without trial, while the second restricted…