Lord Reading (1921-1926)

Introduction

In 1921, Lord Reading succeeded Lord Chelmsford as Governor-General and Viceroy of India. Despite coming from a lowly Jewish family, he worked hard and rose through the ranks to become Chief Justice of England. British had challenges during his administration. In 1922, the Non-Cooperation Movement had achieved its pinnacle and was unceremoniously put to rest. All around the nation, strikes were common. During this time, both the Hindu and Muslim communities experienced an abrupt increase in sectarian growth and fringe groups.

Significant Events During His Tenure

1921: Moplah Rebellion

The Moplah in Kerala rebelled against the government’s directive to make Congress and Khilafat gatherings unlawful. 

• It quickly devolved into a communal uprising between Jenmis, or Hindu landlords, and Kudiyaan, or tenant Moplahs. 
• The government had to form the Malabar Special Police, a specialised battalion, in order to repress the movement.

1922: Chauri-Chaura Incident

In the Chauri Chaura incident, which took place on February 4, 1922, police fired upon a sizable crowd of protesters taking part in the non-cooperation movement in Chauri Chaura, Gorakhpur district of the United Provinces (current-day Uttar Pradesh), in British India.

• In revenge, demonstrators attacked and set a police station on fire, murdering everyone inside. In the incident, 22 police officers and three civilians died.
• On February 12, 1922, Mahatma Gandhi, who vehemently opposed violence, put a halt to the national non-cooperation campaign as a direct result of this occurrence.

1923: Swaraj Party

Congress leaders Moti Lal Nehru, CR Das, NC Kelkar, GS Gharpade, and S Srinivas originally founded the Swaraj Party as the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party after becoming disenchanted with Gandhi’s decision to withdraw NCM.

• Pro Changers: They chose to run for office, sit in legislatures, and bring about “change” after shifting their focus to “Swaraj” within the British Raj. The Government of India Act of 1919’s stipulations required that these elections be held. These pioneers were referred to as Pro-changers. 
• No Changers: On the other hand, the majority of Congress leaders stopped engaging in agitation for a period and began empowering the underprivileged by teaching them how to utilise Charkha, opposing untouchability, and popularising Gandhian and nonviolent ways. They were referred to as No-changers. A well-known No-changer was C. Rajagopalachari.

1923: Peshawar Conspiracy

The Peshawar Conspiracy case is connected to Muslims’ interest in Russia’s Communist revolution. 

• A large number of Muslims from Peshawar travelled to Moscow to begin receiving training in military and communist regimes. 
• The government intercepted them on their way back to cause trouble and put them on trial. Many of them received lengthy prison terms as punishment.

1925: Kakori Train Conspiracy

The Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) members are responsible for the Kakori Train Conspiracy. 

• They sought to engage in political espionage in order to obtain funding from the government. The theft was accomplished, but the conspiracy was quickly discovered. 
• Thirty individuals were detained, and after trials, Swaran Singh (Bhagat Singh’s uncle), Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ullah Khan, and Rajendra Lahiri were executed.

1924: Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case 

The government apprehended and pursued a number of recently converted communists, including M N Roy, Muzaffar Ahamed, S A Dange, Shaukat Usmani, Nalini Gupta, Singaravelu Chettiar, and Ghulam Hussain, for plotting against the government. 

• The case received a lot of press coverage and exposed the Indian public to communism. MN Roy wasn’t detained because he was charged in his absence. 

Evaluation Of His Tenure

He was chosen to represent in the House of Commons in 1904 as a Liberal Imperialist.

• The khilafat and non-cooperation movements, as well as other local upheavals, occurred throughout Reading’s time in India.
• As Viceroy, he forcefully reacted to the escalating political movements and, though he favoured conciliation, regularly used summary measures.
• During his presidency in Madras, he employed force to put down Sikh insurgents in Punjab and the Moplas, and he jailed the Ali brothers and Gandhi in 1921.
• Reading favoured a conciliationist approach; he was committed to enforcing the terms of the Government of India Act of 1919 and opposed racial prejudice. He personally greeted Gandhi and Jinnah and paid a reconciliation tour to Amritsar.

Conclusion

Early in 1926, Reading’s service in India came to a close. In May of that year, he was promoted to the rank of Marquees, being the first commoner to do so since the Duke of Wellington. In 1931, he was made foreign secretary in Macdonald’s federal cabinet, but he left soon after the election. 

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