While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Copy CitationShare
Share
Share to social media
Facebook Twitter
URL
//www.britannica.com/topic/Simon-CommissionGive Feedback
External Websites
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Feedback Type
Your Feedback Submit FeedbackThank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
- IndiaNetzone - History of India - Simon Commission
Print Cite
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Copy CitationShare
Share to social media
Facebook Twitter
URL
//www.britannica.com/topic/Simon-CommissionFeedbackExternal Websites
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Feedback Type
Your Feedback Submit FeedbackThank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
- IndiaNetzone - History of India - Simon Commission
By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Edit History
Table of ContentsSimon Commission, group appointed in November 1927 by the British Conservative government under Stanley Baldwin to report on the working of the Indian constitution established by the Government of India Act of 1919. The commission consisted of seven members—four Conservatives, two Labourites, and one Liberal—under the joint chairmanship of the distinguished Liberal lawyer, Sir John Simon, and Clement Attlee, the future prime minister. Its composition met with a storm of criticism in India because Indians were excluded. The commission was boycotted by the Indian National Congress and most other Indian political parties. It, nevertheless, published a two-volume report, mainly the work of Simon. Regarded as a classic state document, the report proposed provincial autonomy in India but rejected parliamentary responsibility at the centre. It accepted the idea of federalism and sought to retain direct contact between the British crown and the Indian states. Before its publication its conclusions had been outdated by the declaration of October 1929, which stated that dominion status was to be the goal of Indian constitutional development.
History at your fingertips – Sign up here to see what happened On This Day, every day in your inbox!
Enter your email
Subscribe
By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Click here to view our Privacy Notice. Easy unsubscribe links are provided in every email.
Thank you for subscribing!
Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.
As no Indian was part of that commission which was made to decide the fate of Indians, the political leaders of India felt humiliated and decided to boycott the commission. The Liberal Federation, headed by Tej Bahadur Sapru, the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress and the Hindu Mahasabha, supported the call to boycott the Simon Commission. With Mohammed Ali Jinnah bringing the majority with him in favour of a boycott, the Muslim League split on the subject.
In December 1927, Sir Muhammad Shall, who wanted to comply with the commission, agreed to convene a session of the Muslim League in Lahore. The Jinnah faction held a session of the Muslim League in Kolkata and agreed to form a sub-committee to meet with the Indian National Congress Working Committee and other organisations to draft a constitution for India.
Hence, the correct answer is option (B).
Note: One protest has become infamous against the Simon Commission. The Indian nationalist Lala Lajpat Rai led this agitation. He had moved a resolution against the Commission in the Legislative Assembly of Punjab in February 1928. On 30 October 1928, the Commission came to Lahore where it was greeted by demonstrators raising black flags. The local police force continued to beat protesters in order to make way for the Tribunal. Lala Lajpat Rai sustained serious injuries and died a fortnight later.