122-746: Bloodless Conflict [REDACTED] Royal Indian Navy mutineers [REDACTED] Communist Party of India [REDACTED] Royal Indian Air Force mutineers [REDACTED] Police mutineers Civilian agitators Supported by: [REDACTED] Congress Socialist Party [REDACTED] British Empire [REDACTED] Indian National Congress [REDACTED] King George VI [REDACTED] Clement Attlee [REDACTED] Archibald Wavell [REDACTED] Claude Auchinleck [REDACTED] Rob Lockhart [REDACTED] John Henry Godfrey [REDACTED] Arthur Rullion Rattray [REDACTED] Vallabhbhai Patel The Royal Indian Navy mutiny or revolt , also called
244-648: A "larger communist conspiracy raging from the Middle East to the Far East against the British crown ". The RIN Revolt started as a strike by ratings of the Royal Indian Navy on 18 February in protest against general conditions. The immediate issues of the revolt were living conditions and food. By dusk on 19 February, a Naval Central Strike committee was elected. The strike found some support amongst
366-403: A confrontation with the police and the army retreated to the harbour by afternoon. The troops however proved inadequate in pushing the mutineers back into their barracks. Warning shots from machine guns and rifles were fired near the harbour to prevent the army from advancing further. The naval ratings had taken position at the harbour and were well armed with small arms and ammunitions available at
488-737: A constant, if small presence, in the Indian Parliament. The party has had two members in every Lower House from the third to the 16th House, with the exception of the Second, in which it had no members, and the fourth, in which it had three members. The party had a single member in the 14th Lower House. The party currently has four members in Parliament. The party is currently a part of the United Progressive Alliance in national level. Indian Union Muslim League
610-704: A decisive role in the 1940s, becoming a driving force behind the division of India along religious lines and the creation of Pakistan as a Muslim state in 1947. After the Partition of India and the establishment of Pakistan, the All-India Muslim League was formally disbanded in India. The League was officially succeeded by the Pakistan Muslim League , which eventually split into several political parties . Other groups diminished to
732-756: A detailed scheme through which he suggested the party to be named All-India Muslim Confederacy. Pursuant to the decisions taken earlier at the Lucknow meeting and later in Simla, the annual meeting of the All-India Muhammadan Educational Conference was held in Dhaka from 27 December until 30 December 1906. Three thousand delegates attended, headed by both Nawab Waqar-ul-Mulk Kamboh and Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk (the Secretary of
854-530: A few of them, many years after the death of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan the All-India Muslim League was formed in Dhaka , Bangladesh. The formation of a Muslim political party on the national level was seen as essential by 1901. The first stage of its formation was the meeting held at Lucknow in September 1906, with the participation of representatives from all over India. The decision for the re-consideration to form
976-650: A minor party, that too only in Kerala state of India. In Bangladesh , the Muslim League was revived in 1976, but it was reduced in size, rendering it insignificant in the political arena. In India, a separate independent entity called the Indian Union Muslim League was formed, which continues to have a presence in the Indian parliament to this day. With the sincere efforts by the pioneers of
1098-409: A perception of an uncaring senior leadership. Despite the wartime expansion, the officer staff of the formed remained predominantly white and the navy was noted to be the most conservative in terms of number of Indian officers. The concentration of the personnel and grievances in its ranks combined with tense interracial relations and aspirations to end British rule in India led to a volatile situation in
1220-615: A popular party with the Muslim masses in the 1940s, especially after the Lahore Resolution. Under Jinnah's leadership, its membership grew to over two million and became more religious and even separatist in its outlook. The Muslim League's earliest base was the United Provinces , where they successfully mobilised the religious community in the late 1930s. Jinnah worked closely with local politicians, however, there
1342-498: A result of correspondences issued by the Commander–in–Chief Sir Claude Auchinleck informing officers to maintain a degree of tolerance for a smooth transition in case of Indian Independence such that British interests are secured by maintaining good relations. Unable to catch the conspirators and restricted from taking strict action against their underlings, the command at HMIS Talwar resorted to increasing
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#17327825694011464-532: A revolution because sailors were asked to surrender after the British authorities had assembled superior forces to suppress the mutiny. The mutiny ended with the surrender of revolting RIN sailors to British authorities. The Indian National Congress and the Muslim League convinced Indian sailors to surrender and condemned the mutiny, realising the political and military risks of unrest of this nature on
1586-493: A revolution to overthrow the British Raj and in solidarity with the grievances of their naval fraternity. Over the course of the day, many of the ratings moved into the city armed with hockey sticks and fire axes, causing traffic disruption and occasionally commandeering vehicles. Motor launches seized at the harbour were paraded around and cheered on by crowds gathering at the piers. Demonstrations and agitations broke out in
1708-493: A separate nation within India. Even after he resigned as president of the AIML in 1912, he still exerted a major influence on its policies and agendas. In 1913, Mohammed Ali Jinnah joined the Muslim league. Intellectual support and a cadre of young activists emerged from Aligarh Muslim University . Historian Mushirul Hasan writes that in the early 20th century, this Muslim institution, designed to prepare students for service to
1830-560: A show of strength. The Royal Marines were directed to re–take the Castle Barracks, the mutineers entered into fire fights on some of the army positions on land. The mutineers attempted a probe into the city but the army successful repulsed it, preventing them from surging into Bombay. Godfrey sent a message to the British Admiralty requesting urgent assistance and stating that the mutineers possessed capabilities to take
1952-563: A single state, one as a numerical minority and the other as a majority must lead to growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of such a state. In Lahore, the Muslim League formally recommitted itself to creating an independent Muslim state which would include Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, the North West Frontier Province, and Bengal, and which would be "wholly autonomous and sovereign". The Lahore Resolution , moved by
2074-402: A three-year term, proportionately from different provinces. The League's constitution was framed in 1907, espoused in the "Green Book," written by Mohammad Ali Jauhar . Aga Khan III shared Ahmad Khan's belief that Muslims should first build up their social capital through advanced education before engaging in politics, but would later boldly tell the British Raj that Muslims must be considered
2196-551: A wider, communist–inspired rebellion in the country, the government decided to crack down on the agitators. Over the course of the unrest, up to 236 people were killed and thousands were injured, though these figures include communal violence sparked by the mutiny. On 23 February 1946, the Naval Central Strike Committee requested all the warships to fly black flags of surrender. The news of the mutiny at HMIS Talwar reached Karachi on 19 February 1946. In
2318-552: Is a list of bloodless wars: The following wars are often labelled incorrectly as bloodless wars: All-India Muslim League The All-India Muslim League ( AIML ), simply called the Muslim League , was a political party established in Dhaka in 1906 when some well-known Muslim politicians met the Viceroy of India , Lord Minto , with the goal of securing Muslim interests in British India . The party arose out of
2440-504: Is composed of letters taken from the names of all our homelands ... That is, Panjab, Afghania (North-West Frontier Province), Kashmir , Iran, Sindh (including Kachch and Kathiawar), Tukharistan, Afghanistan, and Balochistan." The British and the Indian press vehemently criticised these two different schemes and created confusion about the authorship of the word "Pakistan" to such an extent that even Jawaharlal Nehru had to write: Iqbal
2562-758: Is recognized by the Election Commission of India as a State Party in Kerala .The party is a major member of the opposition United Democratic Front , the Indian National Congress -lead pre-poll state-level alliance in Kerala. Whenever the United Democratic Front rules in Kerala, the party leaders are chosen as important Cabinet Ministers. The Muslim League formed its government in East Bengal immediately after
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#17327825694012684-444: Is resolved without human death or injury, although the threat of violence usually seems very likely at the time. Intentional property damage, however, may still occur. Typically, these events are recorded in history as wars even though the term "war" generally implies violence. Therefore, the term "bloodless war" is somewhat of an oxymoron . Nevertheless, there have been many conflicts throughout history labeled as such. The following
2806-496: The 1946 Naval Uprising , is a failed insurrection of Indian naval ratings, soldiers, police personnel and civilians against the British government in India. From the initial flashpoint in Bombay (now Mumbai ), the revolt spread and found support throughout British India , from Karachi to Calcutta (now Kolkata ), and ultimately came to involve over 10,000 sailors in 56 ships and shore establishments. The mutiny failed to turn into
2928-464: The British Raj , exploded into political activity. Until 1939, the faculty and students supported an all-India nationalist movement. After 1939, however, sentiment shifted dramatically toward a Muslim separatist movement, as students and faculty mobilised behind Jinnah and the Muslim League. Politically, there was a degree of unity between Muslim and Hindu leaders after World War I, as typified by
3050-499: The Charter of Demands. Warships and shore establishments became constituencies for the election of the committee from which individual representatives were elected to the committee. Most of the members of the committee remain unknown, and many of them were reportedly under 25. Of those known, were the petty officer Madan Singh and signalman M. S. Khan, who were authorised by the committee to conduct informal talks. The Charter of Demands
3172-645: The Communist Party of Pakistan . In an interview given to print media , Nurul Amin stated that the communists had played an integral and major role in staging the massive protests, mass demonstrations, and strikes for the Bengali Language Movement. All over the country, the political parties had favoured the general elections in Pakistan with the exception of the Muslim League . In 1954, legislative elections were to be held for
3294-624: The Congress , Muslim League , and the Red Flag of the Communist Party of India (CPI), signifying the unity and downplaying of communal issues among the mutineers. The revolt was called off following a meeting between the President of the Naval Central Strike Committee (NCSC), M. S. Khan, and Vallab Bhai Patel of the Congress with a guarantee that none would be persecuted. Contingents of
3416-585: The First Sea Lord (Chief of Naval Staff), Sir Andrew Cunningham who recommended the swift suppression of the mutiny to prevent it from turning into a greater military conflict. The British flotilla of the Royal Navy , consisting of the cruiser HMS Glasgow , three frigates and five destroyers were called in from Singapore . Bombers from the Royal Air Force were flown over the harbour as
3538-544: The Khilafat Movement . Relationships cooled sharply after that campaign ended in 1922. Communalism grew rapidly, forcing the two groups apart. Major riots broke out in numerous cities, including 91 between 1923 and 1927 in Uttar Pradesh alone. At the leadership level, the proportion of Muslims among delegates to the Congress party fell sharply, from 11% in 1921 to under 4% in 1923. The two-state solution
3660-418: The military intervention in 1958. One of its factions remained supportive of President Ayub Khan until 1962, when all factions decided to reform into the Pakistan Muslim League led by Nurul Amin , and to support Fatima Jinnah in the presidential elections in 1965. Furthermore, it was the only party to have received votes from both East and West Pakistan during the elections held in 1970. During
3782-704: The partition of Bengal , with Khawaja Nazimuddin becoming the first Chief Minister . Problems in East Pakistan for the Muslim League began to rise following the issue of the Constitution of Pakistan . Furthermore, the Bengali Language Movement proved to be the last event that led the Muslim League to lose its mandate in East Bengal. The Muslim League's national conservatism program also faced several setbacks and resistance from
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3904-564: The "Indian National Navy" and offered left–handed salutes to British officers. At some places, NCOs in the British Indian Army ignored and defied orders from British superiors. In Madras and Poona (now Pune ), the British garrisons had to face some unrest within the ranks of the Indian Army. Widespread rioting took place from Karachi to Calcutta . Notably, the revolting ships hoisted three flags tied together – those of
4026-531: The 'Pakistan' demand was articulated, the dispute over the Sukkur Manzilgah had been fabricated by provincial Leaguers to unsettle Allah Bakhsh Soomro's ministry which was dependent on support from the Congress and Independent Party. Intended as a way station for Mughal troops on the move, the Manzilgah included a small mosque which had been subsequently abandoned. On a small island in the near distance
4148-556: The Allahabad address, Iqbal proposed a Muslim majority province within an Indian federation and not an independent state outside an Indian Federation. On 28 January 1933, Choudhary Rahmat Ali , founder of the Pakistan National Movement, voiced his ideas in the pamphlet entitled "Now or Never". In a subsequent book, he discussed the etymology in further detail: "'Pakistan' is both a Persian and an Urdu word. It
4270-454: The Bombay shoreline. In the evening, Admiral Godfrey reached Bombay after being flown in from the headquarters at New Delhi. The army had formed an encirclement around the harbour and naval districts. The ratings informed The Free Press Journal that the government was attempting to enforce a blockade and cut off food supply to them. During the same time, Godfrey offered to accede to one of
4392-595: The CO. Eventually, the ratings rebelled, seizing control of the shore establishment and expelling the officers. Over the course of the day, the ratings moved across the Bombay Harbour from ship to ship in an attempt to convince other ratings to join them in the mutiny. In the meantime, B. C. Dutt had spent several days in solitary confinement and was allowed to return at the Talwar barracks before his expected dismissal from
4514-618: The CPI leaders helped in carrying out mass recruitment of Indians especially communist activists into the British Indian Army and RIN for war efforts against Nazi Germany . However once the war was over, the newly recruited men turned against the British government. The demobilisation of the Royal Indian Navy began once the war with Japan ended. Leased ships were paid off, a number of shore establishments were closed and
4636-548: The Congress and the League began to sour. In November 1930, when all the prominent leaders of APML including Muhammad Ali Jinnah were invited by the British Prime Minister, Ramsay McDonalds for the round table conference, Muhammad Iqbal was invited to give the presidential address of APML in Allahabad in which nothing new was proposed. Some scholars argued that "Iqbal never pleaded for any kind of partition of
4758-535: The Congress to attract Muslims to their sessions, the majority of the Islamic leadership, with the exception of few scholars (like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Syed Ameer Ali who focused more on Islamic education and scientific developments), rejected the notion that India has two distinct communities to be represented separately in Congress sessions. Syed Ahmad Khan , in 1888, at Meerut, said, "After this long preface I wish to explain what method my nation — nay, rather
4880-849: The Fort and Castle Barracks, the Central Communications Office which oversaw all signals traffic for naval communications in Bombay, the Colaba receiving station and hospital facilities of the Royal Indian Navy located nearby in Sewri . The warships included two destroyers HMIS Narbada and HMIS Jumna , two older warships HMIS Clive and HMIS Lawrence , one frigate HMIS Dhanush and four corvettes HMIS Gondwana (K348) , HMIS Assam (K306) , HMIS Mahratta (K395) and HMIS Sind (K274) , among other ships such as gunboats and naval trawlers . The solitary exception to
5002-590: The Home Department of the Raj, the Congress advocacy during the trials, their election campaign for the advisory council and the highlighting of excesses during the Quit India Movement contained inflammatory speeches and had created a volatile atmosphere. There were several upsurges between November 1945 and February 1946. In a September 1945, All India Congress Committee meeting, the party had taken
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5124-680: The Imperial Council were granted in the Indian Councils Act after the League held protests in India and lobbied London. The draft proposals for the reforms communicated on 1 October 1908 provided Muslims with reserved seats in all councils, with nominations only being maintained in Punjab. The communication displayed how much the Government had accommodated Muslim demands and showed an increase in Muslim representation in
5246-573: The Imperial and provincial legislatures. But the Muslim League's demands were only fully met in UP and Madras. However, the Government did accept the idea of separate electorates. The idea had not been accepted by the Secretary of State, who proposed mixed electoral colleges, causing the Muslim League to agitate and the Muslim press to protest what they perceived to be a betrayal of the Viceroy's assurance to
5368-665: The Indian Army went the other way the picture would be very different." General Hastings Lionel Ismay , 1st Baron Ismay . Between 1943 and 1945, the Royal Indian Navy suffered nine mutinies on board various individual ships. In early February 1946, mutinies broke out in the Indian Pioneers unit stationed in Calcutta , Bengal Province and later at a signals training center at the air base in Jubbulpore , Central Provinces and Berar . According to Francis Tuker ,
5490-647: The Indian National Congress and the All–India Muslim League. However, on 20 February 1946, before the planned procession could occur, a dozen naval ratings on the old sloop HMIS Hindustan disembarked from the ship and refused to return unless certain officers were transferred, in protest against discrimination faced by them. Over the course of the day, the group began to swell as naval ratings from HMIS Himalaya followed by ratings from other establishments joined them. The group moved into
5612-480: The Indian population, though not their political leadership who saw the dangers of mutiny on the eve of Independence. The actions of the mutineers were supported by demonstrations which included a one–day general strike in Bombay . The strike spread to other cities, and was joined by elements of the Royal Indian Air Force and local police forces . Indian Naval personnel began calling themselves
5734-460: The Keamari locality with slogans such as " Inquilab Zindabad " ( transl. Long live the revolution ), "Hindustan Azad" ( transl. Freedom for India ), urging commercial establishments to begin a general strike and eventually began a march towards the railway station claiming that they intended to march on Delhi. In the meantime, a second meeting was called which quickly came to
5856-459: The League leadership. This was successful. The Aga Khan compromised so that Muslims would have two more reserved seats in the Imperial Council. The Muslim League hesitantly accepted the compromise. Sultan Muhammad Shah (Aga Khan III) was appointed the first honorary president of the Muslim League, though he did not attend the Dhaka inaugural session. There were also six vice-presidents, a secretary, and two joint secretaries initially appointed for
5978-624: The Mahomedans and the Hindus — could sit on the same throne and remain equal in power? Most certainly not. It is necessary that one of them should conquer the other and thrust it down. To hope that both could remain equal is to desire the impossible and the inconceivable." In 1886, Sir Syed founded the Muhammadan Educational Conference , but a self-imposed ban prevented it from discussing politics. Its original goal
6100-494: The Muhammaden Educational Conference), in which they explained its objectives and stressed the unity of Muslims under the banner of an association. It was formally proposed by Nawab Salimullah Khan and supported by Hakim Ajmal Khan , Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar , Zafar Ali Khan , Syed Nabiullah , a barrister from Lucknow, Ibraheem Fazili and Syed Zahur Ahmad, an eminent lawyer, as well as several others. The Muslim League's insistence on separate electorates and reserved seats in
6222-430: The Muslim League only won 10 seats, whereas the Communist Party got 4 seats of the ten contested. The communists working with other parties had secured 22 additional seats, totalling 26. The right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami had completely failed in the elections. In 1955, the United Front named Abu Hussain Sarkar as the Chief Minister of the State and he ruled the state in two non-consecutive terms until 1958, when martial law
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#17327825694016344-519: The Muslim League, including Muhammad Ali Jinnah, issued no condemnation of the violence against Hindus and Sikhs in Punjab. After the partition of the British Indian Empire , the Muslim League played a major role in giving birth to modern conservatism in Pakistan and the introduction of the democratic process in the country. The Pakistani incarnation was originally led by the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and later by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan , but suffered from ill-fate following
6466-420: The Muslims had been given enough while Morley was still not certain because of the pressure Muslims could apply on the government. The Muslim League's central committee once again demanded separate electorates and more representation on 12 September 1909. While Minto was opposed, Morley feared that the Bill would not pass parliament without the League's support and he once again discussed Muslim representation with
6588-400: The Parliament. Unlike in West Punjab, not all of the Hindu population migrated to India, instead a large number stayed in the state. The influence of the Communist Party deepened, and its goal of attaining power was finally realised during the elections. The United Front , the Communist Party, and the Awami League returned to power, inflicting a severe defeat to the Muslim League. Out of 309,
6710-405: The Royal Indian Navy, and the commanding officer at the Bombay Harbour conducted an inspection in person which confirmed that the unrest was widespread and beyond his control. Rattray insisted on a parley with the mutineers but Auchinleck and Godfrey were both opposed to the idea. The events at HMIS Talwar had motivated sailors across Bombay and the Royal Indian Navy to join in by the prospects of
6832-399: The Simla deputation. On 23 February Morley told the House of Lords that Muslims demanded separate representation and accepted them. This was the League's first victory. But the Indian Councils Bill did not fully satisfy the demands of the Muslim League. It was based on the October 1908 communique in which Muslims were only given a few reserved seats. The Muslim League's London branch opposed
6954-408: The acquisition of new warships from the British Admiralty and maintained that British officers would be necessary for the fleet to continue functioning as Indian officers lacked the required expertise and training. The INA trials, the stories of Subhas Chandra Bose ("Netaji"), as well as the stories of INA's fight during the Siege of Imphal and in Burma were seeping into the glaring public–eye at
7076-464: The afternoon, the naval ratings from the shore establishments HMIS Bahadur , HMIS Himalaya and HMIS Monze called a meeting of ratings at the beach of Manora Island through the Saliors' Association in Karachi. The general body came to a unanimous decision to launch an agitation on 21 February with a procession beginning at the Keamari jetty on the mainland and eventually moving through the city in opposition to British rule and endorsing unity between
7198-425: The all-Indian Muslim political party was taken and further proceedings were adjourned until the next meeting of the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference. The Simla Deputation reconsidered the issue in October 1906 and decided to frame the objectives of the party on the occasion of the annual meeting of the Educational Conference, which was scheduled to be held in Dhaka. Meanwhile, Nawab Salimullah Khan published
7320-434: The barrack facilities in the evening, seized the munitions storage and secured all the entrances and exits of the barracks. With the marines having gained a foothold inside the harbour, the Central Strike Committee was moved from the shore establishment HMIS Talwar to the state of the art warship HMIS Narbada. In the meantime, Royal Indian Air Force personnel from the Andheri and Colaba camps revolted and joined up with
7442-421: The bill and in a debate obtained the support of several parliamentarians. In 1909 the members of the Muslim League organised a Muslim protest. The Reforms Committee of Minto's council believed that Muslims had a point and advised Minto to discuss with some Muslim leaders. The Government offered a few more seats to Muslims in compromise but would not agree to fully satisfy the League's demand. Minto believed that
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#17327825694017564-412: The city went on sympathetic strikes in support of the mutineers. The Royal Indian Air Force units also witnessed unrest in its base of operations in Bombay. The personnel including pilots refused transportation duties for the deployment of British troops in the city and orders to fly bombers over the harbour. Around 1,200 air force strikers began a procession in the city alongside the ratings. The procession
7686-571: The city, gasoline was seized from passing trucks, tramway tracks outside the Prince of Wales Museum were set on fire, the US Information Office was raided and the American flag located inside was pulled down and burned on the streets. On the morning of 20 February 1946, it was reported that Bombay Harbour, including all its ships and naval establishments had been overtaken by mutineers. It encompassed 45 warships, 10–12 shore establishments, 11 auxiliary vessels and four flotillas, overtaken by around 10,000 naval ratings. The harbour facilities consisted of
7808-426: The city. Meanwhile, the ratings manning shops at the harbour exchanged rifle fire with advancing British troops of the 5th Mahratta Light Infantry. Salvos from the main guns of the RIN warships were fired at the British troops approaching the barracks. Around 16:00, the firing from the warships were ceased following instructions from the Strike Committee and the ratings retreated out of the barracks. The marines stormed
7930-436: The commanding officer Frederick King reportedly indulged in racialist polemic along with the use of epithets such as " sons of bitches ", " sons of coolies " and "junglies" to describe his Indian underlings. Some of the naval ratings filed a formal complaints against the leadership style of the commanding officer. On 17 February, a large number of ratings began refusing food and orders for military parades, King had reportedly used
8052-481: The commanding officer of the Eastern Command , the dissatisfaction against British colonial rule was rapidly growing within the bureaucracy and the police force as well as in the armed forces itself. HMIS Talwar was a shore establishment, with a signals school at Colaba , Bombay . Following the end of the war, the establishment was among the locations in Bombay where a large number of ratings were deployed. Around 1,000 communications operators were residing at
8174-404: The commanding officer of the Southern Command was given charge of suppressing the mutiny. Royal Marines and the 5th Mahratta Light Infantry were deployed in Bombay to push the agitating ratings out of Bombay and back into their barracks. The strike committee had advised mutineers to refrain from engaging in combat with the army personnel in the city, and the ratings hesitant about engaging in
8296-514: The concept of a partition of India; while he was doing this, members of the pro-separatist Muslim League attacked Madani and disturbed his rallies. The murder of the All India Azad Muslim Conference leader Allah Bakhsh Soomro in 1943 further solidified the All-India Muslim League to demand the creation of Pakistan. From the late 1930s and onwards in the British Indian province of Sind , communal tensions between Muslims and Hindus rose to enormous degree. These communal feelings were instrumental in
8418-402: The country. Rather he was an ardent proponent of a 'true' federal setup for India..., and wanted a consolidated Muslim majority within the Indian Federation". Another Indian historian, Tara Chand , also held that Iqbal was not thinking in terms of partition of India, but in terms of a federation of autonomous states within India. Dr. Safdar Mehmood also asserted in a series of articles that in
8540-432: The course of the war, the naval headquarters was moved from Bombay to New Delhi during this period, the navy acquired a varied assortment of warships and landing crafts, and the naval infrastructure in British India was expanded with improved dockyards, new training facilities and other support infrastructure. The RIN played an instrumental role in halting the progress of Japanese forces in the Indian Ocean Theatre . The force
8662-401: The decision to drop the planned agitation and support the activities of the ratings in the city. The ratings working through the association, organised for walls in the naval areas and in the city to be struck with posters and painted with galvanising slogans such as "We shall live as a free nation" and "Tyrants your days are over", among others. In the morning of 21 February 1946, Manora Island
8784-505: The demands, that of improvement in the quality of food which reportedly baffled the mutineers. Parel Mahila Sangh, a communist–affiliated union organised food relief from fishermen and mill workers in Bombay, to be shipped into the harbour. On 21 February 1946, Admiral John Henry Godfrey released a statement on the All India Radio, threatening the mutineers to surrender immediately or face complete destruction. He had conferred with
8906-591: The demobilisation center in the city which was seized by over 1,400 ratings who were housed there. On Trombay Island , the Mahul wireless communications station and HMIS Cheetah , a second demobilisation center were also seized by mutineers. HMIS Akbar at Kolshet , a training facility for Special Services ratings which had the capacity of 3,000 trainees was seized by the 500 ratings who were residing within it premises. Two inland establishments, HMIS Shivaji in Lonavala
9028-401: The establishment, most of the whom consisted of lower–middle class and middle–class people with matriculation or college education as opposed to general seamen who were primarily from the peasantry. In late 1945, upon reassignment, around 20 operators along with a dozen sympathisers frustrated with racial discrimination faced by them during their period of service, formed a secretive group under
9150-475: The eve of independence. The leaders of the Congress were of the view that their idea of a peaceful culmination to a freedom struggle and smooth transfer of power would have been lost if an armed revolt succeeded with undesirable consequences. The Communist Party of India was the only nation–wide political organisation that supported the rebellion. The British authorities had later branded the Naval Mutiny as
9272-399: The force. He would later come to be known one of the primary instigators of the mutiny. Within a day, the mutiny had spread to 22 ships in the harbour and 12 other shore establishments in Bombay. On the same day, the mutiny was also joined in by RIN operated wireless stations including those as distant as Aden and Bahrain ; the mutineers at HMIS Talwar had used available wireless devices at
9394-779: The form of battalions from the Essex Regiment , the Queen's Regiment and the Border Regiment , along with 146th Regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps arrived at Bombay from Poona , Bombay Province . This was followed in quick succession with the arrival of an anti–tank battery from the Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery stationed in Jubbulpore . Curfew was imposed in the city. Fearing
9516-533: The group was able to add stickers and paint the walls of the podium from where the C–in–C was to receive the establishment's salute, featuring slogans such as "Quit India" and " Jai Hind ". The vandalism was spotted before sunrise and Balai Chandra Dutt, a five–year veteran of the war, was caught while escaping the scene with stickers and glue in his hand. Subsequently, his lockers were searched and communist and nationalist literature were found among its contents. The material
9638-564: The independence movement and assumptions of continued British presence in India. John Henry Godfrey was the commanding officer of the RIN and had overseen its transformation from a small coastal defense fleet to a regional navy. In the post war period, he intended to preserve its status as a regional navy and had the vision for the RIN to serve as in instrument of British interests in the Indian Ocean. Operating under this vision, Godfrey proposed
9760-495: The interests of Muslims in British India. He suggested the political party be named the 'All-India Muslim League'. The motion was unanimously passed by the conference, leading to the official formation of the All-India Muslim League in Dhaka . It remained an elitist organization until 1937, when the leadership began mobilising the Muslim masses, which turned the league into a popular organization. The Muslim League played
9882-443: The island. The British officers at HMIS Bahadur shot and killed one of the ratings during the process, whose blood soaked shirt became the flag for the mutineers. The other military vessel in the harbour, HMIS Travancore was also seized by the ratings. The mutiny at the naval establishments at Manora were joined by local residents. By morning, the mutineers were crossing over to Keamari on civilian and military motor launch es from
10004-446: The jetty of HMIIS Himalaya . Some of the ratings were caught on their way by British manned patrol boats that fired at them and retreated when HMIS Hindustan began shelling in their direction with up its twelve–pounder guns. Two ratings on the launches died and several were wounded in the minor confrontation. List of bloodless wars A bloodless war is generally a small conflict, crisis, or dispute between rival groups that
10126-402: The mutiny at the Bombay Harbour was the frigate HMIS Shamsher , a "test ship" with Indian officers. The commanding officer of HMIS Shamsher , Lieutenant Krishnan had created a diversionary signal and moved out of the harbour on 20:00, 18 February 1946. Despite protestations from his Sub–Lieutenant R. K. S. Ghandhi , Krishnan did not join the rebellion and was also able to prevent a mutiny from
10248-508: The naval ratings were arrested and imprisoned in camps with distressing conditions over the following months, and the condition of surrender which shielded them from persecution. Patel, who had been sent to Bombay to settle the crisis, issued a statement calling on the strikers to end their action, which was later echoed by a statement issued in Calcutta by Muhammad Ali Jinnah on behalf of the Muslim League. Under these considerable pressures,
10370-556: The naval ratings. Sporting white flags spattered with fake blood, around 1,000 airmen occupied the Marine Drive of Bombay . The contingent issued their own set of demands mimicking the Charter of Demands and included a demand for standardisation of pay scales with the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Royal Indian Air Force personnel at the Sion area began a strike in support of the mutineers. On 22 February 1946, British reinforcements in
10492-514: The navy. Unlike the close relationship between British Army and the British Indian Army , the Royal Indian Navy was not privy to such a relationship with the Royal Navy . However the war had brought the two closer together under the leadership of the British High Command and due to temporary transfers between the two navies. The British naval circles were prevalent with perceptions of lack of competency among Indians, opposition to
10614-635: The need for the political representation of Muslims in British India , especially during the Indian National Congress -sponsored massive Hindu opposition to the 1905 partition of Bengal . During the 1906 annual meeting of the All India Muslim Education Conference held in Israt Manzil Palace , Dhaka, the Nawab of Dhaka , Khwaja Salimullah , forwarded a proposal to create a political party which would protect
10736-415: The official writing system of the colony, and demanded that India turn into a de facto unitary state, with residuary powers resting at the centre – the League had demanded at least one-third representation in the legislature and sizeable autonomy for the Muslim provinces. Jinnah reported a "parting of the ways" after his requests for minor amendments to the proposal were denied outright, and relations between
10858-445: The pace of demobilization in the hopes that the troublemakers would be pushed out of the force during the process. As a result, the group shrunk in size but the remaining ones remained enthused for more nationalistic activities. On 2 February 1946, Auchinleck himself was supposed to attend the establishment and the officers aware of the potential for vandalism had employed guards to prevent any large–scale action beforehand. Despite this,
10980-691: The popularity of the All India Muslim League throughout the province. Even though the Muslims made up about 70% of the population of Sindh, they had a bare majority (34 of 60 seats) in the Assembly. Furthermore, before the British took over, the Sindhi Hindus didn't own any land but within a century of British rule, their landownership grew by 40% while a further 20% was believed to have been mortgaged to them. The inter-faith conflict
11102-449: The ratings under his command, with an apparent "charismatic speech" where he used his Indian identity to maintain the chain of command. The rebellion also included shore establishments in the vicinity of Bombay; HMIS Machlimar at Versova , an anti–submarine training school was manned by 300 ratings, HMIS Hamla at Marvé which held the residence quarters of the landing craft wing of the RIN had been seized by 600 ratings, HMIS Kakauri ,
11224-410: The recruitment. Exponential rises in the price of goods, famines and other economic difficulties eventually forced many of them to join the expanding armed forces of the British Raj. In a period of 4 to 6 years, the recruits underwent a transformation in their mindset. They were exposed to developments from around the world. In 1945, it was ten times larger than its size in 1939. Between 1942 and 1945,
11346-473: The red flags kept aloft. On 20 February 1946, the Naval Central Strike Committee had recommended some of the ratings to move into the city to garner popular support for their demands. RIN trucks packed with naval ratings entered European–dominated commercial districts of Bombay shouting slogans to galvanize Indians, followed by instances of altercations between the mutineers and Europeans including servicemen. Police personnel, students and labour organisations in
11468-537: The restoration of the mosque to Muslims had passed, the League started an agitation. In the few years before the partition, the Muslim League was accused of "monetarily subsidizing" mobs that engaged in communal violence against Hindus and Sikhs in the areas of Multan, Rawalpindi, Campbellpur, Jhelum and Sargodha, as well as in the Hazara District . The Muslim League led mobs reportedly paid assassins money for every Hindu and Sikh killed. As such, leaders of
11590-450: The sailors were concentrated into select establishments for their release from service. Much of the concentration occurred in the naval establishments at Bombay, which served as the primary base for the RIN and hence became over crowded with bored and dissatisfied personnel awaiting their release. The dissatisfaction among the Indian personnel came from a variety of causes such as dismal living conditions, arbitrary treatment, inadequate pay and
11712-426: The self designation of Azad Hind ( transl. Free Indians ) and began hatching conspiracies to undermine their senior officers. The first incident occurred on 1 December 1945, when RIN Commanders had intended to open up the establishment to the public; in the morning the group vandalised the premises by littering the parade ground with burnt flags and bunting, prominently displaying brooms and buckets at
11834-543: The signals school to establish direct communications with them. On 19 February, the Flag Officer Commanding, Royal Indian Navy , Admiral John Henry Godfrey sent out a communication via the All India Radio, stating that the most stringent measures would be utilised to suppress their mutiny, including if necessary the destruction of the Navy itself. Rear Admiral Arthur Rullion Rattray , second–in–command to
11956-413: The sitting Chief Minister of Bengal A. K. Fazlul Huq , was adopted on 23 March 1940, and its principles formed the foundation for Pakistan's first constitution. In the Indian provincial elections of 1946, the Muslim League won 425 out of 476 seats reserved for Muslims (and about 89.2% of Muslim votes) on a policy of creating the independent state of Pakistan, and with an implied threat of secession if this
12078-470: The stand that in case of any confrontations, negotiation and settlement must be the way forward. Calcutta in particular experienced frequent instances of civil unrest in opposition to the trials, and eventually led to the popular support emerging in favor of the revolutionary vision of an independent India that was advocated by the Communist Party of India . "Provided they do their duty, armed insurrection in India would not be an insoluble problem. If however
12200-549: The strikers gave way. Arrests were then made, followed by courts martial and the dismissal of 476 sailors from the Royal Indian Navy. None of those dismissed were reinstated into either the Indian or Pakistani navies after independence. During the Second World War , the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) had rapidly expanded from a small naval force composed of sloops to become a full–fledged navy. The expansion occurred in an ad hoc basis as operational requirements changed over
12322-567: The successive periods of Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League went on to be one of the ruling parties holding alternating power within the nation. After the partition of India in 1947, the All-India Muslim League was disbanded. It was succeeded by Indian Union Muslim League in the new India. Indian Union Muslim League contests Indian General Elections under the Indian Constitution. The party has always had
12444-516: The term "black bastards" to describe a group of sailors during the morning briefing. By 18 February, the ratings at HMIS Sutlej , HMIS Jumna , and those at Castle and Fort Barracks in the Bombay Harbour followed suit and began refusing orders, in solidarity with the operators at HMIS Talwar . At 12:30, 18 February 1946, it was reported that all naval ratings below the rank of petty officer at HMIS Talwar were refusing commands from
12566-787: The time. These, received through the wireless sets and the media, fed discontent and ultimately inspired the sailors to strike. After the Second World War, three officers of the Indian National Army (INA), General Shah Nawaz Khan , Colonel Prem Sahgal and Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon were put on trial at the Red Fort in Delhi for "waging war against the King Emperor", i.e., the Emperor of India. According to
12688-400: The tower and painting slogans such as " Quit India , Down with British Raj", and "Victory to Gandhi and Nehru ", across various walls of the establishment. The senior officers cleaned up the premises before the public arrived without further action. The weak response emboldened the conspirators who continued on with similar activities over the course of the following months. The response was
12810-405: The warships, lockers and munitions depots at the naval establishments. The warships in the harbour were armed with Bofors 40 mm anti–aircraft guns and main batteries with 4–inch guns, that had been altered to the advancing troops and directed their guns towards the land. HMIS Narbada and HMIS Jumna took up positions, pointing their batteries at the oil storage and other military buildings on
12932-622: The whole people of this country — ought to pursue in political matters. I will treat in regular sequence of the political questions of India, in order that you may have full opportunity of giving your attention to them. The first of all is this — In whose hands shall the administration and the Empire of India rest? Now, suppose that all English, and the whole English army, were to leave India, taking with them all their cannon and their splendid weapons and everything, then who would be rulers of India? Is it possible that under these circumstances two nations —
13054-651: Was a lack of uniform political voice by the League during the 1938–1939 Madhe Sahaba riots in Lucknow. From 1937 onwards, the Muslim League and Jinnah attracted large crowds throughout India in its processions and strikes. At a League conference in Lahore in 1940, Jinnah said: Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religious philosophies, social customs, literature... It is quite clear that Hindus and Mussalmans derive their inspiration from different sources of history. They have different epics, different heroes and different episodes ... To yoke together two such nations under
13176-494: Was a mechanical training establishment was seized by 800 ratings and HMIS Feroze in the Malabar Hills , a reserve officer's training facility that had been converted into an officer's demobilisation center, was seized by 120 ratings. In the afternoon of 19 February, the mutineers at the Bombay Harbour had congregated at HMIS Talwar to elect the Naval Central Strike Committee (NCSC) as their representatives and formulate
13298-507: Was about five times than the attendance at the League meeting." The All-India Muslim League worked to try to silence those Muslims who stood against the partition of India, often using "intimidation and coercion". For example, Deobandi scholar Maulana Syed Husain Ahmad Madani traveled across British India, spreading the idea he wrote about in his book, Composite Nationalism and Islam , which stood for Hindu-Muslim unity and opposed
13420-477: Was at large connected to the peculiar socio economic order in which the Hindus in Sind dominated with their high socioeconomic status, while the Muslims remained marginalized. The historian Ayesha Jalal describes the actions that the pro-separatist Muslim League used in order to further spread communal division and undermine the elected government of Allah Bakhsh Soomro, which stood for a united India: Even before
13542-483: Was considered to be seditious; Dutt was interrogated by five senior officers in quick succession including a rear-admiral , he claimed responsibility for all acts of vandalism and announced his status as a political prisoner . He was imprisoned in solitary confinement for seventeen days, while the acts themselves continued unabated following his imprisonment. On 8 February 1946, a number of naval ratings (enlisted personnel) were court martialed for insubordination, and
13664-456: Was imposed. The Muslim League remained as a minor party in East Pakistan but participated with full rigour during the Pakistan general elections in 1970. It won 10 seats from East Pakistan and 7 seats from other parts of Pakistan. After the independence of Bangladesh, the Muslim League was revived in 1976 but its size was reduced, rendering it insignificant in the political arena. During
13786-609: Was involved in escorting allied convoys in the Indian Ocean, defending the Indian shoreline against naval invasions and supporting allied military operations through coastlines and rivers during the Burma Campaign . Due to the war, recruitments began occurring beyond the confines of the " martial races " composed of demographics who were politically segregated. The ratings were composed of a diverse group, from different regions and religions, mostly from rural backgrounds. Some of them had not even physically encountered Britons before
13908-485: Was joined in by striking servicemen from the Naval Accounts Civilian Staff. Meanwhile, the Viceroy's Executive Council convened a meeting and came to the decision to stand firm and accept only unconditional surrender, refusing any notions of a parley. Rear Admiral Rattray issued an order to confine all the naval ratings back into their quarters at the barracks by 15:30. General Rob Lockhart ,
14030-606: Was not granted. Congress, led by Gandhi and Nehru, remained adamantly opposed to dividing India . In opposition to the Lahore Resolution, the All India Azad Muslim Conference gathered in Delhi in April 1940 to voice its support for a united India. Its members included several Islamic organisations in India, as well as 1400 nationalist Muslim delegates; the "attendance at the Nationalist meeting
14152-541: Was one of the early advocates of Pakistan and yet he appears to have realised its inherent danger and absurdity. Edward Thompson has written that in the course of a conversation, Iqbal told him that he had advocated Pakistan because of his position as President of Muslim League session, but he felt sure that it would be injurious to India as a whole and to Muslims especially. Until 1937, the Muslim League had remained an organisation of elite Indian Muslims. The Muslim League leadership then began mass mobilisation and it then became
14274-741: Was rejected by the Congress leaders, who favoured a united India based on composite national identity. Congress at all times rejected "communalism" — that is, basing politics on religious identity. Iqbal's policy of uniting the North-West Frontier Province, Baluchistan, Punjab, and Sindh into a new Muslim majority state became part of the League's political platform. The League rejected the Committee report (the Nehru Report ), arguing that it gave too little representation (only one quarter) to Muslims, established Devanagari as
14396-546: Was rife with unrest. The warship HMIS Hindustan docked at the Karachi Harbour had been seized by the naval ratings at midnight, the officers subdued, and the warship moored at the Manora Island. Within hours of the mutiny at HMIS Hindustan , the trainings establishment HMIS Bahadur , the radar school HMIS Chamak and the gunnery school HMIS Himalaya were seized by around 1,500 naval ratings, all located on
14518-464: Was sent to the authorities and consisted of a mixture of political and service related demands. On the warships and shore establishments, the British flags and naval ensigns were pulled down and the flags of the Indian National Congress , All–India Muslim League and the Communist Party of India were hoisted. The Bombay committee of the Communist Party of India called a general strike which
14640-485: Was supported by leaders from the Congress Socialist Party , a socialist caucus within the Indian National Congress. The provincial units of the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League however opposed the mutiny from the onset. Disappointed and disgruntled with opposition from the national leadership towards the mutiny, the flags of the Congress and Muslim League were pulled down and only
14762-538: Was the temple of Saad Bela, sacred space for the large number of Hindus settled on the banks of the Indus at Sukkur. The symbolic convergence of the identity and sovereignty over a forgotten mosque provided ammunition for those seeking office at the provincial level. Making an issue out of a non-issue, the Sind Muslim League in early June 1939 formally reclaimed the mosque. Once its deadline of 1 October 1939 for
14884-495: Was to advocate for British education, especially science and literature , among India's Muslims . The conference, in addition to generating funds for Sir Syed 's Aligarh Muslim University , motivated the Muslim upper class to propose an expansion of educational uplift elsewhere, known as the Aligarh Movement . In turn, this new awareness of Muslim needs helped stimulate a political consciousness among Muslim elites, For
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