What were the arguments in favour of greater power to the provinces?
K.Santharam, a member from the Madras defended the rights of the states in the Constituent Assembly. He emphasised the need to strengthen the states.He was not in favour of vesting more powers with the Centre. He was of the opinion the Centre would not be able to perform its duties efficiently in case it is over-burdened. The Centre will become automatically strong if all states are made stronger. He advocated that the Centre should be given less powers and states should be given more powers.Proposed allocation of powers between the Centre and States was also a matter of concern for K. Santharam. He felt that such a distribution of power would cripple the states.
What historical forces shaped the vision of the Constitution?
How was the term minority defined by different groups?
How did the Constituent Assembly seek to resolve the language controversy?
Why did Mahatma Gandhi think Hindustani should be the national language?
Discuss the different arguments made in favour of protection of the oppressed groups.
What connection did some of the members of the Constituent Assembly make between the political situation of the time and the need for a strong Centre?
What were the ideals expressed in the Objectives Resolution?
Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?
Why did the mutinous sepoys in many places turn to erstwhile rulers to provide leadership to the revolt?
To what extent are census data useful in reconstructing patterns of urbanisation in the colonial context?
How did Mahatma Gandhi seek to identify with the common people?
What did the Muslim League demand through its resolution of 1940?
How did zamindars manage to retain control over their zamindaris?
Discuss the evidence that indicates planning and coordination on the part of the rebels.
What do the terms “White” and “Black” Town signify?
How was Mahatma Gandhi perceived by the peasants?
Why did some people think of Partition as a very sudden development?
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
What do the terms “White” and “Black” Town signify?
To what extent are census data useful in reconstructing patterns of urbanisation in the colonial context?
What did the Muslim League demand through its resolution of 1940?
Why did the mutinous sepoys in many places turn to erstwhile rulers to provide leadership to the revolt?
Why were the dialogues at the Round Table Conference inconclusive?
Why was British India partitioned?
On an outline map of India, trace the major rivers and hill ranges. Plot ten cities mentionedin the chapter, including Bombay, Calcutta and Madras, and prepare a brief note on why the importance of any two cities that you have marked (one colonial and one pre-colonial) changed in the nineteenth century.
Why are newspapers an important source for the study of the national movement?
What do visual representations tell us about the revolt of 1857? How do historians analyse these representations?