📜 Partition of Bengal (1905) & Formation of the Muslim League (1906) – A Detailed Overview

The Partition of Bengal (1905) and the formation of the Muslim League (1906) were two major events in India’s freedom struggle that had a long-lasting impact on Indian politics.

The British partitioned Bengal, citing administrative reasons, but their real motive was to weaken the growing nationalist movement by dividing Hindus and Muslims. This decision led to mass protests and the Swadeshi Movement.

In response to the rising nationalist activities, the British encouraged Muslim leaders to form the All India Muslim League (1906) to create a separate political identity for Muslims, which later played a crucial role in the demand for Pakistan in 1947.

📜 Partition of Bengal (1905)

🔹 Background & Causes of Partition

📌 Lord Curzon’s Justification for Partition

• Bengal was a large province with a population of 80 million, which the British claimed was too difficult to administer.
• Curzon’s official reason: Administrative convenience—to improve governance and efficiency.

📌 Real Motive: Divide & Rule Policy

• Bengal was the center of the nationalist movement, with Calcutta as the headquarters of Congress.
• The British wanted to weaken Hindu-Muslim unity and reduce nationalist influence.
• By dividing Bengal, the British favored Muslims, hoping to turn them against the growing national movement.

📜 Announcement & Implementation of Partition

📌 Official Date of Partition: July 19, 1905
📌 Enforced on: October 16, 1905

📍 New Provinces After Partition:
✅ Eastern Bengal & Assam (Muslim-majority, capital: Dhaka)
✅ Western Bengal (Hindu-majority, capital: Calcutta)

📌 British Strategy

• The British portrayed the partition as a benefit to Muslims, claiming it would help their development.
• Muslim elites, like Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka, supported it initially.

📜 Immediate Reaction & Swadeshi Movement

📌 Mass Protests & Boycotts

• Hindus & Muslims united in opposition through protests, strikes, and boycotts of British goods.
• Swadeshi (self-reliance) & boycott movements were launched, promoting Indian-made goods.

📌 Cultural Resistance

• Rabindranath Tagore wrote “Amar Sonar Bangla” (later, the national anthem of Bangladesh).
• Nationalists organized mass Rakhi Bandhan ceremonies to symbolize Hindu-Muslim unity.

📌 Rise of Extremist Nationalism

• Leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai (Lal-Bal-Pal) demanded direct action.
• The partition radicalized the Indian freedom struggle, leading to a shift from moderate to extremist politics.

📜 British Response & Annulment of Partition (1911)

📌 Repressive Measures by the British

• Lathi charges, arrests, and newspaper bans were imposed to suppress protests.
• British tried to appease Muslims by promoting the Muslim League in 1906.

📌 Annulment of Partition (1911)

• Due to strong nationalist resistance, the British revoked the partition in 1911.
• Capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi to reduce Bengali influence.

📌 Impact of the Partition
✅ Strengthened nationalism & mass political participation.
✅ Promoted Swadeshi Movement & self-reliance.
✅ Created a deep Hindu-Muslim divide, leading to the formation of the Muslim League (1906).

📜 Formation of the All India Muslim League (1906)

🔹 Background & Reasons for Formation

📌 British “Divide & Rule” Policy

• The British saw the Hindu-Muslim unity against the Bengal partition as a threat.
• To counterbalance the Congress, they encouraged Muslim leaders to form a separate political organization.

📌 Fear of Hindu Domination

• Many Muslim elites, including Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka, feared that an independent India would be dominated by Hindus.
• They wanted separate political representation for Muslims.

📌 Support from Syed Ahmad Khan’s Ideology

• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (founder of Aligarh Movement) had already promoted the idea of Muslims being a separate entity.
• His ideology encouraged Muslims to stay loyal to the British instead of joining the nationalist movement.

📜 Formation & Objectives of the Muslim League

📌 Founded on: December 30, 1906
📌 Place: Dhaka
📌 First President: Aga Khan

🔹 Objectives of the Muslim League

📍 Loyalty to the British Government
✅ Initially, the League aimed to support the British in return for Muslim political safeguards.

📍 Separate Electoral Representation
✅ The League demanded separate electorates for Muslims, which was granted in the Morley-Minto Reforms (1909).

📍 Protection of Muslim Identity
✅ It worked to promote Muslim education, culture, and political rights.

📜 Growth of the Muslim League & Hindu-Muslim Divide

📌 1909 Morley-Minto Reforms

• Introduced separate electorates for Muslims, officially dividing Indian politics on religious lines.

📌 Lucknow Pact (1916) – Temporary Hindu-Muslim Unity

• Congress & Muslim League agreed on some common political demands.
• However, this unity was short-lived.

📌 Shift Towards Muslim Nationalism

• The League became more aggressive in demanding Muslim rights.
• In 1940, it passed the Lahore Resolution, demanding a separate Pakistan.

📜 Impact & Significance of the Partition of Bengal & Muslim League

✅ Rise of Mass Nationalism

• The Swadeshi & Boycott Movements strengthened the freedom struggle.

✅ Hindu-Muslim Divide Deepened

• The British successfully created a political division between Hindus and Muslims.

✅ Formation of the Muslim League

• The League eventually led to the demand for Pakistan (1940) and the Partition of India (1947).

✅ Increased Political Awareness

• Indians realized the importance of unity against British policies.

📜 Conclusion

The Partition of Bengal (1905) was a strategic British move to divide Indians on religious grounds. However, the mass protests & Swadeshi Movement forced the British to annul it in 1911.

The formation of the Muslim League (1906) was a major turning point in Indian politics, as it created separate political identities for Hindus and Muslims. This later contributed to the Partition of India in 1947.