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Question 12 of 66 · Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence
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The 'August Offer', promising Dominion Status as the objective and an expansion of the Viceroy's Executive Council, was made by Lord Linlithgow in:

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Answer: Option C — 1940

Detailed Solution

The "August Offer" was made by the Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, on 8 August 1940, during the Second World War, to win the support of Indians for the war effort.

Background:

  • When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, Linlithgow declared India a party to the war without consulting Indian leaders.
  • In protest, the Congress ministries in the provinces resigned (October-November 1939).
  • The Muslim League celebrated their resignation as "Deliverance Day" (22 December 1939).
  • In 1940, after Germany's victories in Europe, Britain needed Indian cooperation.

Main points of the August Offer:

  • Dominion Status was accepted as the objective for India, though no date was given.
  • The Viceroy's Executive Council would be expanded to include more Indians.
  • A War Advisory Council would be set up.
  • After the war, a body representing the main elements of Indian national life would be set up to frame a constitution; Indians would have the main responsibility for framing it.
  • No future constitution would be adopted without the consent of the minorities; this effectively gave the Muslim League a veto.

Reactions:

  • The Congress rejected the offer, as it did not promise independence, and Nehru said that the idea of Dominion Status was "as dead as a doornail".
  • The Muslim League welcomed the assurance to minorities, but did not accept the offer fully, as it had adopted the Pakistan Resolution at Lahore (March 1940).

What followed:

  • The Congress launched the Individual Satyagraha (October 1940), in which selected individuals offered satyagraha by making anti-war speeches.
  • Vinoba Bhave was the first satyagrahi.

About Lord Linlithgow:

  • He was Viceroy from 1936 to 1943, the longest term of any Viceroy.
  • The provincial elections of 1937 and the Quit India Movement took place in his time.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗1939 was when the war began.
  • ✗1942 and 1945 were later years.

Quick tip

Remember: August Offer = 8 August 1940 (Lord Linlithgow; Dominion Status as objective; veto to minorities); rejected by Congress; Individual Satyagraha followed (Vinoba Bhave first).

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Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the freedom struggle from Gandhi's return to India in 1915 to independence in 1947: the Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad movements, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements, the Round Table Conferences, the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission and the partition of India. Most questions ask about the year, cause or result of a movement, or the event that ended it. For example, the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Dandi March (1930) started the Civil Disobedience Movement. Learning these events on a timeline is the best way to avoid confusion. Practise the Gandhian era questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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