India’s contribution

• India made a huge contribution to Britain’s war effort. It sent staggering numbers of volunteers to fight and die on behalf of the allied forces
• The country also supplied 170,000 animals, 3,7 million tonnes of supplies, jute for sandbags, and a large loan (the equivalent of about £2 billion today) to the British government.

India’s reaction to the War

• The nationalist response to British participation in the First World War was three-fold:

• the Moderates supported the empire in the war as a matter of duty
• the Extremists, including Tilak (who was released in June 1914), supported the war efforts in the mistaken belief that Britain would repay India’s loyalty with gratitude in the form of self-government
• the revolutionaries decided to utilise the opportunity to wage a war on British rule and liberate the country

Impact of WW1 on India

• Political influence
• The withdrawal of Punjabi troops into India after the end of the war stimulated political activities against colonial rule in the province which later took the form of widespread protests. Also after the war, a large section of soldiers became active in Punjab to spread nationalism in a big way
• Nationalism and mass civil disobedience emerged in India when the 1919 Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms failed to meet the expectations of ‘home rule’.
• The resentment generated by the forced recruitment of soldiers for the war set the backdrop for the promotion of nationalism

• Social Impact
• Between 1911 and 1921, there was a significant increase in the literacy rate among the enlisted military communities. In those days, soldiers learned to read and write for their foreign campaigns
• In addition, a large number of non-combatants were also recruited from India – such as nurses, doctors, etc. Therefore, during this war, the work area of ​​women also expanded and they also gained social importance

• Economic impact
• The demand for Indian goods in Britain increased rapidly as the war on production capabilities in Britain was adversely affected
• Although the war caused a disruption in the shipping lanes, it meant that Indian industries had to suffer inconvenience due to the lack of inputs previously imported from Britain and Germany. Hence supply constraints were present along with additional demand
• Inflation was a consequence of war as well

• Industrial prices almost doubled in the six years after 1914 and the rise in rising prices benefited Indian industries.

• Food inflation also increased drastically due to an increase in demand for food supplies, especially grain.
• Export of cash crops like jute also suffered heavy losses due to loss of European market

• It is noteworthy that in the meantime there was a shortage of workers engaged in jute production in India due to increase in the demands of the soldiers and the production of jute mills of Bengal was also damaged

• At the same time, the decline in British products in domestic manufacturing sectors like cotton also benefited which dominated the pre-war market.