British Colonialism in Greater India-6.pptx

1. British Colonialism in Greater
India

2. The First Partition of Bengal (1905)
• Lord Curzon embarked on a plan to partition the province of
Bengal into two provinces of almost equal size-
• One Consisting of West Bengal and Bihar
• The other consisting of Eastern Bengal and Assam
• The declared objective was to raise administrative efficiency
by having two smallar provinces rather than one vast province
on which administration was difficult to conduct.
• However, the underlying reason was to undermine the
growing Hindu dominance in almost every aspect of Bengali
Life. So, to balance out this dominance, British Raj Ensured a
muslim majority status to the long neglected and admittedly
depressed Muslims in the new eastern province and to Biharis
and Oriyas in the West.

3. Results of First Partition of Bengal
• The Bengali Hindus responded with prolonged, countrywide anti-partition
agitation with Hindu religious symbolism.
• To the Bengali Muslims the partition seemes to offer an opportunity for
securing what they considered their rightful share in public affairs that
they had been deprived of so long.
• Muslims got appointed in the new provincial government’s posts at a large
number.
• The new provincial government also allocated funds and personnel for
Muslim education, and was making plans for a new university and High
Court in Dhaka.
• Dhaka and Chittagong, the capital and port of the new province boomed.
• However, due to this opposite stance from each community, serious
communal rioting broke out in Calcutta and in many other places in
Eastern Bengal. Amid heightened communal tension Hindu-Muslim
relation took a turn for the worse. And so in December 31, 1911 the
Bengals were reunified.

4. The Second Partition of Bengal (1947)
• Up to the second half of the 20s, the Bengali Hindus plays a
dominent role in the then Bengal’s political arena.
• However, after that, specially from 1926, the Hindus lost control of
many local bodies and also of the provincial legislature. Henceforth
the ministeries were led by Muslim politicians. (specially, A. K. Fazlul
Haque, Khawja Nazimuddin and H. S. Suhrawardy etc.)
• Taking allies from Low caste Hindus, Europeans, Anglo-Indians and a
few ‘responsivist’ Hindus; Muslims mounted a sustained attack – in
two phases. One on the bases of Hindu power at all levels – in the
civil service, the legislature, the universities, the local bodies
including the Calcutta Corporation, the educational boards etc. And
the ther other one was upon the Hindu dominance of the rural
economy.

5. The Second Partition of Bengal (1947)
• Many riots have occurred place between these two
community. The British also took opportunity in this
regard by frequently pitting one group against the
other. One such event occured in August 16, 1946
known as Jinnah’s declaration of Direct Action Day. This
civil war continues for four months in which Hindus
and Muslims butchered one another.
• Now, with the Muslim League Ministry firmly in the
driving seat, the demand for Pakistan was becoming
stronger every day. Nothing could have been more
disasterous for the Hindus: the absorption of Bengal, in
whole or in part, into a Muslim state.

6. The Second Partition of Bengal (1947)
• It was difficult, painful dilemma that the Bengali Hindus had to face
– a choice between the prospect of a unitied Bengal under Muslim
domination or a Bengal partitioned along communal lines.
• The Bengal Legislative Assembly, sat in two separate sessions to
decide Bengal’s future course. At this fateful session while the
Bengali Hindus unanimously voted for partition, where the Muslim
vote went against the partition.
• History thus turned a full circle. In 1947, at the middle of the
century, the long time staunch supporters and one time bitter
opponents of united Bengal, came to change places. In August 14,
1947 Pakistan was born and in August 15, 1947 India was born. And
Eastern Bengal became East Pakistan (a part of Pakistan).