Morley's Dilemma
Morley's Dilemma
The victory of the Liberal party in the general election of 1905 thrilled the Indian intelligentsia. The election reduced the strength of the Conservative party in the House of Commons to 157 members. The Liberals captured 401 seats and could, in addition, count upon the support of the 83 Irish nationalist and 29 Labour members. Indian observers of the British scene were agog with excitement and felt that the day of India’s deliverance was at hand. This chapter describes the appointment of John Morley as the Secretary of State for India and his dealings with Gokhale. It concludes that the possibility of a political ‘truce’ in India, suggested by Morley, had been spoilt by his own wobbling in the summer and autumn of 1906. While he had postponed and not abandoned constitutional reforms, the delay fatally accentuated tensions and deepened the crisis in India.
Keywords: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Liberal and Conservative parties, Indian intelligentsia, House of Commons, John Morley, Secretary of State, Conservative Party
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