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PARTITION OF BENGAL
MUHAMMAD YOUSUF MEMON
PARTITION PLAN
The Viceroy Lord Curzon proposed to partition Bengal in 1903 but it was
implemented in 1905.
Three areas Dhaka, Chittagong, and Myemnsingh were separated and merged
with Assam to create a new province called East Bengal, which was Muslim
majority area
Due to this partition Hindus and Muslims were divided along communal lines.
WHY PARTITION WAS DONE?
BENGAL WAS MOST DENSELY POPULATED PROVINCE
It was done because Bengal was considered as the most densely populated
province in the British India & about 85 Million people were living in that
part.
There were many administrative problems for the British government and it
was difficult to control as well.
Bengal was of the size of France and it was difficult for the British rulers to
control such a huge land.
British fear that they would lose their control over India.
TO GIVE RELAXATION TO MUSLIMS
They wanted to give more relaxations & power to the Muslims due to the role
played by the reformers like Sir Syed to remove misunderstandings between
the Muslims & the British.
They had realized that Muslims were victimized after war of 1857 so they
should be given advance in this new province.
The Hindus were in majority in West Bengal i.e. 42 million while the muslims
were only 12 million.
The muslims were in majority in East Bengal i.e. 18 million while the hindus
were only 12 million.
British thought that muslims were in majority in new province so it would be
able for muslims to prosper and dominate in different sectors which will help
to improve relations between muslims and british.
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TO BREAK THE POWER OF CONGRESS
MUHAMMAD YOUSUF MEMON
They wanted to break the power of the Hindus in many parts of India &
Bengal was its perfect example that they followed the policy of divide & rule
in those areas.
In United Bengal, hindus dominated and exploited muslims and kept them as a
deprived section of a society.
The area of Bengal could easily be controlled by the Hindu extremists, so
british had a fear of losing control on such a vast province.
TO DEVELOP EAST BENGAL
According to british, partition will result in equal development throughout
Bengal.
There were great differences between east and west Bengal.
The east being the more neglected.
The west being developed and was using the resources of east Bengal to
develop itself.
It was therefore decided to partition Bengal to allow for development in
education and employment to be generated throughout the Bengal which
would improve Bengal economically for future.
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
As Bengal was densely populated province so different communities were
living there, belonging to different races, speaking different languages &
practicing different religions.
This multicultural environment created problems for the government so
british divided the Bengal.
DIVIDE AND RULE POLICY
The Hindus believed that the partition would come about as part of the
British ‘divide and rule’ policy which would weaken Hindu unity and its
influence in the new East Bengal.
RESULTS OF PARTITION
Muslims expressed complete satisfaction over this partition, Now they can
send their representatives in the assembly. The number of primary and high
schools increased. The number of muslim students were also increased. New
steam service of railway was also started in East Bengal.
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Muslims of India realized that they could not more live with the hindus, and
MUHAMMAD YOUSUF MEMON
they should organize themselves to have their own political party to
safeguard their political rights and interests.
Muslims of india had organized to put forward their demands against the
british government for approval through SIMLA DEPUTATION.
Hindus made a huge large cry as they were not happy. They lost their
monopoly over muslims in every aspect. They felt it great threat to their
domination.
Moderate and liberal Hindus protested through constitutional methods,
passed resolutions, sent petitions to the government and to the Secretary of
State, wrote in print media, met with English politicians in India and
conveyed them Indian grievances.
Hindus kept fast on the day of partition as symbolic hunger strike, wore
threads on their arms to convey message of solidarity and unity.
Protests, strikes, demonstration with banners in hands, marches, public
speeches.
Swadeshi movement launched encouraging the use of home made goods,
boycott of british goods.
Hindu militant groups emerged launching attacks on British officials.
Strong agitation and protest forced the British to reverse the partition of
Bengal.
In 1911. King George V reversed the partition in Delhi Durbar.
HOW BRITISH REACTED TO HINDU-LED PROTESTS?
Newspapers and public meetings had restrictions placed upon them. Editors
of newspapers and journalists who made reports against british were either
prosecuted or imprisoned.
The Press Act of 1908 placed further restrictions on newspapers and gave
the government greater control over them which means main control of press
was in hands of british.
One organiser of Hindu-led demonstrations, Tilak of Poona was sentenced to
6 years imprisonment. Others were deported or left the country of their
own accord rather than face imprisonment.
Another approach intended to win support of the more moderate Hindus by
making reforms. Lord Minto the Viceroy worked with John Morley, the
Secretary of State for India, on reforms that became the Morley Minto
reforms in 1909.
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WHY PARTITION WAS REVERSED?
MUHAMMAD YOUSUF MEMON
PROTEST, STRIKES, RALLIES
The Hindus’ objection to Partition was so great that it caused the British to
reconsider it.
Congress opposed it by holding meetings and there were mass rallies which
put pressure on the British government.
They thought it was a deliberate attempt to ‘divide and rule’ on the part of
the British. In many areas of India, they started strikes, protests and
marches.
There was also an outbreak of terrorist activities and the Hindus closed
Calcutta for few days.
SWADESHI MOVEMENT
The Hindus did not like British policies as well as their products so they
started their boycott of British goods under the Swadeshi Movement.
They prepared their own hand make Khaddar to wear and as a result of this
the British face net loss in the sale of British Silk.
British cotton was thrown in fire & local cotton became a matter of honour.
Swadeshi movement gave economic damage to british government.
ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE LORD MINTO
The Hindus were so angry that they attempted to assassinate Lord Minto
because he was the future viceroy of India and Lord Curzon, originator of
the idea, was no longer viceroy so a change of policy was easier.
So they tried their best to convince the British to reverse the partition of
Bengal.
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ALL INDIA MUSLIM LEAGUE
MUHAMMAD YOUSUF MEMON
WHY WAS AIML FOUNDED?
INC WAS A HINDU ORGANIZATION
Muslim rights would not be advanced if they continued to rely on the Indian
National Congress.
It was seen as an organization which would only advance Hindu views.
The Congress was demanding that India should be treated as a cultural whole
(Democratic) and Hindi should be declared the official language.
Sir Syed also also warned muslims not to become congress member as Sir
Syed knew that it was a hindu dominated party and which will only safeguard
the rights of hindus.
INC rejected the partition of Bengal.
TO ORGANIZE AND UNITE THE MUSLIMS
By not organizing a Muslim group they would continue to be disorganized and
disunited.
The Muslims were needing a political platform to organize all the Muslims
against the other parties of India.
This new political party could also be used to raise their voice in front of the
British govt.
TO PROTECT THE RELIGIOUS RIGHTS OF MUSLIMS
Even more worrying was the growth of extreme Hindu nationalist groups like
“Arya Samaj” who demanded that Muslims be forcibly converted to
Hinduism.
Therefore, a number of prominent Muslim leaders founded the Muslim
League to protect the religious rights of the Indian Muslims because the
Muslims were facing problems to practice Islam freely under the Hindu
domination.
TO IMPROVE RELATIONS BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND BRITISH
The Hindus were beginning to protest against partition of Bengal and the
Muslims saw this as a sign of the influence the Hindus had and they were
worried about their own interests.
So the Muslims wanted to reduce the influence of the Hindus.
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The protests, strikes and rallies were giving bad impression to British about
MUHAMMAD YOUSUF MEMON
Indians (not hindus only) so Muslims thought that if they will continue with
INC so this will make their relations worse as in war in 1857.
The Muslims also wanted to remove the misunderstandings between the
British and the Muslims so that they could get the advantage of the better
relations of the British in the absence of Sir Syed.
SUCCESS OF SIMLA DELEGATION
The successes of Simla delegation and partition of Bengal also gave the
Muslims a motivation to start their political party because they were aware
of that again and again groups of people would not have that importance
which was under the Congress platform so they needed a political platform
to counter the problems caused by the Hindus.
EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMICAL BACKWARDNESS
Muslims had lagged far behind from the hindus in education and economic
progress.
Educational and economic condition could only be upgraded by establishing a
separate muslim organization that could represent the wishes of the
muslims.
PARTITION OF BENGAL
Hindus protested against the partition of Bengal
Muslims saw this as a sign of the influence the Hindus had over the British
The Muslims started to think about their own survival and political
representation
Muslims were also increasingly aware that their political rights would not be
advanced if they continued to rely on the Indian National Congress.
By not organising a Muslim group they would continue to be disorganised and
disunited over the partition.
FORMATION
In 1906 the 20th annual meeting of the Muslim Educational Conference was
going on at the residence of Nawab Salim Ullah Khan of Decca.
NawabWaqar Ul Mulk presided over the meeting & members of the meeting
stressed on a separate party for the Muslims.
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After the meeting Nawab Salim Ullah Khan proposed the formation of a
MUHAMMAD YOUSUF MEMON
separate political party for the Muslims and suggested the name of All India
Muslim Confederacy for it.
On 30th December 1906 All India Muslim League was formed in Dhaka.
Nawab Waqar-Ul-Mulk was nominated as the president and Nawab Mohsin-ul-
Mulk as the General Secretary.
The 1st annual session of AIML was held in 1907 at Karachi under the
chairmanship of Sir Adamjee Pir Bhai and 2nd Session in 1908 in Aligarh, on
this occasion Sir Agha Khan was appointed as the president and Bilgarmi as
the new General Secretary. Its 3rd President was Muhammad Ali Jauhar.
Mian Muhammad Shafi was its 4th while Jinnah became life time President in
1934.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To save the interests of Muslims of sub-continent and no convey their
demands to the government
To create feelings of good will and respect for the government amongst the
Muslims
To remove misunderstandings about any action of the government
To bring all nations of India closer together to achieve the targets
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