With the outbreak of the Second World War, the British needed Indian support but faced growing nationalist opposition. To win Indian cooperation, the Viceroy Lord Linlithgow announced the August Offer on 8th August 1940.
Provisions of the August Offer
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The promise to set up a representative body after the war to frame the new Constitution of India.
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Expansion of the Governor-General’s Executive Council, including more Indians.
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Assurance that the minority communities’ opinions would be safeguarded in any constitutional changes.
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Recognition of Indians’ right to expand participation in governance.
Response
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The Congress rejected the offer, as it fell far short of its demand for complete independence and an immediate transfer of power.
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The Muslim League welcomed it, as it provided protection to minorities and strengthened its bargaining position.
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Gandhi, calling it “a post-dated cheque on a crashing bank,” launched the Individual Satyagraha (1940–41) as a form of protest.
Significance
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The August Offer was the first time the British acknowledged Indians’ right to frame their Constitution.
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It exposed the deepening rift between Congress and Muslim League, as the League saw it as an opportunity to advance its demand for a separate homeland.
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It marked the beginning of new constitutional negotiations during the war, leading eventually to the Cripps Mission (1942).
Key Takeaway
The August Offer (1940) was a limited concession that failed to satisfy nationalist aspirations but gave the British a chance to play on the divisions between Congress and the Muslim League, further shaping India’s political destiny during the war.