Lord Wavell
Topic: The National Movement: Gandhian Era · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 3 "Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement"
Meaning
Lord Wavell was Viceroy of India from 1943 to 1947, during the last stage before freedom. A viceroy was the British king's chief representative and the head of the government in India. Wavell tried to get the Congress and the Muslim League to share power at the centre. His term saw the Simla Conference of 1945, the polarised elections of early 1946, the Cabinet Mission, and the riots that followed Direct Action Day. He was replaced by Mountbatten in 1947.
Example
In 1945 Wavell called the Simla Conference to form a new executive council of Indian leaders. It broke down when Jinnah insisted that only the League could name the Muslim members.
Don't confuse with
- Lord Mountbatten: he followed Wavell in 1947 and carried out the plan of freedom with Partition on 15 August 1947. Wavell had tried for a united settlement and failed.
Related concepts
- Provincial elections of 1937
- Congress ministries 1937-39
- Wardha scheme of basic education
- Congress Socialist Party
- Haripura session 1938
- Tripuri crisis 1939
- Forward Bloc
- Second World War
- Lord Linlithgow
- Resignation of Congress ministries