Edexcel IGCSE History: Colonial Rule and the Nationalist Challenge in India, 1919–47 — Revision Notes

Quick-recall notes for Depth Study 4 of Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History 4HI1 Paper 1, “Colonial rule and the nationalist challenge in India, 1919–47”. For full explanations see the India study guide, and test yourself with the India practice questions.

Syllabus coverage (4HI1, Depth Study 4)

Key topic	Core content
1. Rowlatt, Amritsar and the 1919 Act	First World War, nationalism, Rowlatt Acts, dyarchy, Amritsar
2. Gandhi and Congress, 1919–27	Aims, methods, swaraj, satyagraha, Muslims, untouchables, Jinnah
3. Key developments, 1927–39	Simon Commission, Salt March, Round Tables, 1935 Act, 1937 elections
4. The Second World War	Lahore Resolution, Cripps, Quit India, Wavell, Bose
5. Violence, independence, partition	Simla, Labour, Cabinet Mission, Direct Action, Mountbatten, Princely States

Timeline

Date	Event
1916	Lucknow Pact between Congress and the Muslim League
Mar 1919	Rowlatt Acts
13 Apr 1919	Amritsar (Jallianwala Bagh) Massacre
Dec 1919	Government of India Act (dyarchy)
1920–22	Non-Cooperation and Khilafat movements
Feb 1922	Chauri Chaura; Gandhi ends non-cooperation; imprisoned 1922–24
1927–28	Simon Commission appointed and boycotted
Dec 1929	Congress demands purna swaraj
Mar–Apr 1930	Salt March to Dandi
1930–32	Three Round Table Conferences
Mar 1931	Gandhi–Irwin Pact
1935	Government of India Act
1937	Provincial elections: Congress wins most provinces
Sept 1939	Viceroy declares war; Congress ministries resign
Mar 1940	Lahore Resolution
Mar–Apr 1942	Cripps Mission fails
Aug 1942	Quit India; Congress leaders arrested
1943	Bengal famine; Wavell becomes Viceroy
June–July 1945	Simla Conference fails
July 1945	Labour government under Attlee
1946	Cabinet Mission; Direct Action Day (16 Aug)
Feb 1947	Attlee sets a deadline of June 1948
Mar 1947	Mountbatten becomes Viceroy
14–15 Aug 1947	Independence and partition

Key people compared

Person	Aims	Methods	Key moments
Gandhi	Swaraj; unity; end of untouchability	Satyagraha, non-violence, boycotts	Non-Cooperation, Salt March, Quit India
Nehru	Complete independence; secular, modern India	Congress leadership, negotiation	Purna swaraj (1929); first Prime Minister
Jinnah	Protect Muslim rights; later Pakistan	Constitutional politics; Direct Action (1946)	Fourteen Points (1929), Lahore (1940)
Bose	Immediate independence by force	Indian National Army with Japan	INA trials (1945–46)
Mountbatten	Rapid British withdrawal	Partition plan; earlier date	3 June 1947 plan; August 1947

Key terms

Term	Meaning
Swaraj	Self-rule
Satyagraha	Non-violent resistance (“truth-force”)
Hartal	Strike and day of protest
Swadeshi	Buying Indian-made goods
Dyarchy	Split of provincial power between Indian ministers and British governors
Separate electorates	Seats reserved for Muslims, elected only by Muslims
Khilafat	Muslim campaign to defend the Ottoman caliph
Purna swaraj	Complete independence
Princely States	States ruled by Indian princes under British supremacy

British policy: concession and repression

Concession	Repression
1917 promise of responsible government	Rowlatt Acts (1919)
1919 Act (dyarchy)	Amritsar (1919)
Round Table Conferences; Gandhi–Irwin Pact	Mass arrests after the Salt March
1935 Act	Arrest of Congress leaders after Quit India
Cripps offer (1942); Cabinet Mission (1946)	—

Use this pattern in essays: British policy mixed reform with force, and each act of repression strengthened nationalism.

Worked example: two effects

Explain two effects of the 1937 elections.

1. Congress formed governments in most provinces, giving it experience of power and showing it was the dominant nationalist party.
2. The Muslim League’s poor result, and Congress’s refusal to share power with it, persuaded Jinnah that Muslims would be a permanent minority in a Congress-run India — pushing the League towards the Lahore Resolution of 1940.

Common mistakes and exam traps

• Confusing the 1919 and 1935 Acts. 1919 = dyarchy in the provinces; 1935 = provincial autonomy and a proposed federation.
• Calling Jinnah a separatist from the start. He was a Congress member until 1920 and only demanded Pakistan from 1940.
• Forgetting Britain’s position after 1945. War debts and the Labour government’s priorities matter as much as Indian pressure.
• Exaggerating Quit India’s success. It was suppressed quickly; its significance lay in showing Indian determination and in the League’s gains while Congress leaders were imprisoned.
• Inventing casualty figures. Use “the official figure of 379” for Amritsar and “hundreds of thousands” for partition rather than precise invented numbers.

Frequently asked questions

What was the significance of the Salt March? It made the salt tax a symbol of unjust rule, drew worldwide attention and brought mass participation into civil disobedience.

Why did the Cabinet Mission fail? Congress and the League interpreted the grouping plan differently, and trust collapsed after Nehru’s statement in July 1946.

What problems did partition cause? Mass violence, the displacement of millions, and disputes over Princely States, especially Kashmir.

Source

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History (4HI1) specification, Issue 5, February 2026, Paper 1, Depth Study 4.