Question

what was the impact of the first world war on the economic and political situation in India?

Answer 1

The First World War created a new economic and political situation.
• It led to a huge increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans and increasing taxes
• customs duties were raised and income tax introduced.
• Through the war years prices increased - doubling between 1913 and 1918 - leading to extreme hardship for the common people.
• Villages were called upon to supply soldiers, and the forced recruitment in rural areas caused widespread anger.
• Then in 1918-19 and 1920-21, crops failed in many parts of India, resulting in acute shortages of food.
• This was accompanied by an influenza epidemic.
• According to the census of 1921, 12 to 13 million people perished as a result of famines and the epidemic.
• People hoped that their hardships would end after the war was over. But that did not happen.

Answer 2

In 1919, the Government of India Act was introduced.

This introduced a national parliament with two houses for India.About 5 million of the wealthiest Indians were given the right to vote (a very small percentage of the total population)Within the provincial governments, ministers of education, health and   public works could now be Indian nationalsThe act planned for a commission to be held in 1929, to see if India  was ready for more concessions/reforms.