How India won independence

Grade 10 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to C. Card A, a summary in our words, written today (from the Imperial War Museums): British India was divided in 1947 into two independent countries, India and Pakistan. Gandhi joined the Indian National Congress in 1915 and led peaceful mass resistance. In the Salt March of spring 1930, Gandhi and 80 volunteers walked to the sea and made salt from seawater, defying the British salt tax; tens of thousands of people were arrested in the campaign that followed. In August 1942 he gave his 'Quit India' speech, demanding immediate independence. In 1945 Britain's new government pledged to end colonial rule. Card B, a count from the Imperial War Museums for British India as a whole in the early 1900s: about 68 percent of people were Hindu, about 23 percent Muslim and about 2 percent Sikh. (Our note: the card gives no figures for single provinces or districts.) Card C, a summary in our words, written today (from the Imperial War Museums): The All-India Muslim League was founded in 1906. In 1940 the League, led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, called for a separate state for Muslims. It believed that British plans would not help Muslims unless Muslim-majority areas formed independent states.

2. 1.

   Card A is a summary written today. Which question can it help answer, Ari asks?

   • What the marchers of 1930 felt as they walked, since the card tells the story of the march
   • Whether Gandhi's campaigns by themselves forced Britain to leave, since the card lists them first
   • In what order Gandhi's campaigns and Britain's 1945 pledge came, since the card lists them with dates
   • Why Britain's government decided in 1945 to end colonial rule, since the card reports the pledge
3. 2.

   Card C reports what the Muslim League called for in 1940. What can it show, Esme asks?

   • That Britain agreed to the call in 1940, since the card says the League believed British plans would not help
   • That the call alone created Pakistan, since it is the one demand the card names
   • What the League asked for and why it said it asked, as a museum reports it today
   • What most Muslims in British India wanted in 1940, since the League spoke for the whole community
4. 3.

   Which claim do cards A and C both support, Jun asks?

   • Gandhi led peaceful mass resistance, and the League called for a separate state for Muslims in 1940
   • Gandhi's campaigns made Britain pledge to leave in 1945, and the League's call came after the pledge
   • Both the League and Gandhi demanded immediate independence in 1942
   • The League led the Salt March of 1930, and Gandhi made the call for a separate state in 1940
5. 4.

   A student writes: "The Salt March was small, because only 80 volunteers walked." What does Card A say, Kira asks?

   • It was large from the first step, since tens of thousands of people marched with Gandhi to the sea
   • It ended the salt tax at once, since the card says the march defied the tax
   • 80 walked, but the campaign that followed led to tens of thousands of arrests
   • It was small, since 80 volunteers is the one number given for those who took part

6. Use this

   Cards D to F. Card D, a summary in our words, written today (from the Imperial War Museums and Britannica): Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy, arrived in March 1947 and announced a plan for two states on June 3, 1947. The Indian Independence Act, passed on July 18, 1947, set August 15 as the day independence took effect. Pakistan marked independence on August 14 and India on August 15. A Boundary Commission led by Cyril Radcliffe drew the new border through Punjab and Bengal, and the final borders were announced on August 17. When the parties deadlocked, Radcliffe made many final decisions himself. Card E, figures from two sources: About 15 million people left their homes in the months around August 1947 (Imperial War Museums; the National Archives says over 15 million). Estimates of the number who lost their lives range from 200,000 to 2 million (Britannica). The Imperial War Museums gives about one million and says estimates vary to a huge degree. Card F, an invented diary entry, written for this sheet (not a real person): "August 15, 1947. The radio says we are free. Father says the new line will be announced soon, and nobody in our town knows yet which country the town will belong to."

7. 5.

   A student writes: "The border was announced before independence day." What does Card D say, Luz asks?

   • Yes: the Act of July 18 fixed the border, since it set the date of independence
   • No: the border was announced on August 14, the day Pakistan marked independence
   • Yes: Radcliffe's commission was at work before August, so the border was announced before independence
   • No: the border was announced on August 17, two days after independence took effect on August 15
8. 6.

   Cards D and F both concern August 1947. What do they show together, Milo asks?

   • People could celebrate on August 15 before the border was known; it came on August 17
   • Independence waited until the border was announced, since the diary says the town's country was unknown
   • The border was announced on independence day, since Radcliffe finished his work in the same week
   • Each family on the new border waited until August 17 for news, since the diary says the line was coming
9. 7.

   Cards D and E both describe 1947. Which statement uses both fairly, Noah asks?

   • Millions moved just after August 17, once the borders were announced, since that is when people learned where they lived
   • Exactly one million people lost their lives in 1947, since Card E gives one figure and a range
   • Independence came in August 1947, and about 15 million people left home in the months around it
   • The plan of June 3 caused 15 million people to move, since Mountbatten announced it before independence

10. Use this

    Cards A to C. Card A, a summary in our words, written today (from the Imperial War Museums): British India was divided in 1947 into two independent countries, India and Pakistan. Gandhi joined the Indian National Congress in 1915 and led peaceful mass resistance. In the Salt March of spring 1930, Gandhi and 80 volunteers walked to the sea and made salt from seawater, defying the British salt tax; tens of thousands of people were arrested in the campaign that followed. In August 1942 he gave his 'Quit India' speech, demanding immediate independence. In 1945 Britain's new government pledged to end colonial rule. Card B, a count from the Imperial War Museums for British India as a whole in the early 1900s: about 68 percent of people were Hindu, about 23 percent Muslim and about 2 percent Sikh. (Our note: the card gives no figures for single provinces or districts.) Card C, a summary in our words, written today (from the Imperial War Museums): The All-India Muslim League was founded in 1906. In 1940 the League, led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, called for a separate state for Muslims. It believed that British plans would not help Muslims unless Muslim-majority areas formed independent states.

11. 8.

    Cards A and C both come before 1947. What can you say about their order, Pia asks?

    • The League's call came before the Salt March, since the League was founded in 1906, long before the march
    • The 1940 call came after the 1930 march and before Quit India in 1942 and the 1945 pledge
    • Quit India (1942) came before the League's call, since Gandhi demanded independence in it
    • The 1945 pledge came before the League's call, since Britain promised to end rule first

12. Use this

    Cards D to F. Card D, a summary in our words, written today (from the Imperial War Museums and Britannica): Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy, arrived in March 1947 and announced a plan for two states on June 3, 1947. The Indian Independence Act, passed on July 18, 1947, set August 15 as the day independence took effect. Pakistan marked independence on August 14 and India on August 15. A Boundary Commission led by Cyril Radcliffe drew the new border through Punjab and Bengal, and the final borders were announced on August 17. When the parties deadlocked, Radcliffe made many final decisions himself. Card E, figures from two sources: About 15 million people left their homes in the months around August 1947 (Imperial War Museums; the National Archives says over 15 million). Estimates of the number who lost their lives range from 200,000 to 2 million (Britannica). The Imperial War Museums gives about one million and says estimates vary to a huge degree. Card F, an invented diary entry, written for this sheet (not a real person): "August 15, 1947. The radio says we are free. Father says the new line will be announced soon, and nobody in our town knows yet which country the town will belong to."

13. 9.

    Card E gives 200,000 to 2 million and also about one million. How should a writer report this, Ren asks?

    • As about one million lives lost, since that is the figure the Imperial War Museums gives
    • As about 1.1 million, the middle of the range, since an average is fairer than either end
    • As a range of 200,000 to 2 million, noting that one source gives about one million
    • As over 15 million, since that is the other large number on the card

14. Use this

    Cards A to C. Card A, a summary in our words, written today (from the Imperial War Museums): British India was divided in 1947 into two independent countries, India and Pakistan. Gandhi joined the Indian National Congress in 1915 and led peaceful mass resistance. In the Salt March of spring 1930, Gandhi and 80 volunteers walked to the sea and made salt from seawater, defying the British salt tax; tens of thousands of people were arrested in the campaign that followed. In August 1942 he gave his 'Quit India' speech, demanding immediate independence. In 1945 Britain's new government pledged to end colonial rule. Card B, a count from the Imperial War Museums for British India as a whole in the early 1900s: about 68 percent of people were Hindu, about 23 percent Muslim and about 2 percent Sikh. (Our note: the card gives no figures for single provinces or districts.) Card C, a summary in our words, written today (from the Imperial War Museums): The All-India Muslim League was founded in 1906. In 1940 the League, led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, called for a separate state for Muslims. It believed that British plans would not help Muslims unless Muslim-majority areas formed independent states.

15. 10.

    Card B says 23 percent. A student says "so Muslims were about 23 in 100 in every district." What is wrong, Tala asks?

    • The share is for the early 1900s, so it was already wrong by 1947 and cannot be used
    • Nothing is wrong, since a percent for the whole country applies to each single district in it
    • The 23 percent is a total for British India as a whole; districts could differ widely
    • The share should be 32 percent, since 23 plus 68 plus 2 must add up to a full 100 percent