India a Dominion by 1939

mowque

Banned
I'm running with an idea that is much like this in my TL. Not quite the OTL 30's but the point still stands. I have them as a UK ally, but with distance built in on both sides.
 

Thande

Donor
It is possible (you really need to keep Churchill out of a position of power though) but it might not be stable in the long run.
 
Its going to be tricky getting all of India (and Burma?) into one dominion though, in the mid 30's teh Princely States werent that keen on the idea...
 
It's possible, though it probably requires Labour or Liberal governments in the '30s.

If Dominion status had been granted then, there would have been no partition either, since that demand only went mainstream post-WWII. (Plus, without WWII, the Muslim League would have remained quite weak - WWII and the Indian Natl' Congress' opposition to the war and subsequent imprisonment were enormous boosts to the Muslim League and the Pakistan demand.)

Keep in mind the Government of India Act of 1935 - passed under the Tories - actually *DID* set India on a path to independence (under a Dominion status, yes - but remember that post-Statute of Westminster Dominion status was recognized as independence). It's just that it was deliberately structured to try and phase in independence over a ten-year-period and in a way that empowered the most conservative, pro-British elements in India, so to preserve an India where British commercial and imperial interests wouldn't be challenged.
 

Ak-84

Banned
If the 1935 act gives independence, then there is no way India is going to be anything other then a major ally, it's economy and security are too tied to the British. Fear of the Japanese is enough,
 
India can become a dominion early, but like many have said already, you'd need to have a liberal or labour government. I don't see why Burma wouldn't be included in it...possibly as a "dominion protectorate or territory"
 

Ak-84

Banned
India is going to be a very different dominion from say Canada or Australia, the provinces will have the vast majority of power.

This is infact one of the reasons why Dominion status was delayed for so long and for Partition; Congress wanted a strong center, an anathema to most other parties.
 
I believe A Greater Britain makes this happen, though it's accelerated by other events outside of India (withheld for spoiler reasons).
 
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