CHRONOLOGY1918 Split of the National Congress and establishment of the National
Liberal Federation
1919 Rowlatt Acts and Gandhi’s Rowlatt satyagraha
1920 Montagu-Chelmsford reform, dyarchy in the provinces
1920–2 Gandhi’s non-cooperation campaign and the Khilafat agitation
of the Indian Muslims
1928 Simon Commission visits India
1929 Lord Irwin’s declaration on ‘Dominion status’ does not satisfy
Congress
1930 Gandhi’s ‘salt march’ and civil disobedience campaign; first
Round Table Conference in London boycotted by Congress
1930–1 Great Depression (fall of agrarian prices) hits India, peasant
unrest articulated by Congress
1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact; Gandhi participates in second Round Table
Conference
1932 Resumption of civil disobedience campaign; Gandhi-Ambedkar
Pact (reserved seats instead of separate electorates for
untouchables)
1933 End of civil disobedience campaign
1934 Elections to the Central Legislative Assembly, Congress wins
several seats
1935 Government of India Act
1936 Elections, Congress wins majority in seven provinces
1937 Congress accepts office after initial protest against governor’s
emergency powers
1939 Second World War begins, Congress ministers resign
1940 Lahore Resolution (‘Pakistan Resolution’) of the Muslim
League, Two Nations’ theory articulated by Jinnah
1942 Cripps Mission and ‘Quit India’ resolution; ‘August revolution’
1944 Gandhi-Jinnah talks end without results
1945 Simla Conference, national interim government cannot be
formed due to Jinnah’s demands
1946 Elections, Muslim League very successful; cabinet mission;
‘Direct Action Day’ of the Muslim League (16 August) and
‘Great Calcutta Killing’; interim government: Jawaharlal Nehru
prime minister
1947 Independence and partition (Pakistan, 14 August; India, 15
August); Kashmir conflict begins
1948 Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi (30 January)
1950 Constitution of Republic of India inaugurated: Rajendra Prasad
(president), J.Nehru (prime minister)
1951 Nehru mediates in the Korean war
1952 First general election, Congress wins
1952–6 First five-year plan
1954 Indian mediation in Indochina; Pakistan joins American pact
system
1955 Bandung Conference of Afro-Asian states; Krushchev and
Bulganin visit India; States Reorganisation Committee
recommends creation of linguistic provinces
1956 Nehru’s remarks on Soviet intervention in Hungary resented in
Western countries, Cold War intensified
1957–61 Second five-year plan, emphasis on industrialisation, foreign aid
required