Partition Of Bengal-cause, Process and Consequences

1. THE PARTITION OF
BENGAL-1947
CAUSES, PROCESSES AND CONSEQUENCES

2. Group-5
Aviation Elite
 Members:
Sahib Jada Eyakub Khan
Nazmus Shahadad Alam
Mohammad Ashraful Miah
Shaheed Al Mamun

3. Sequences
 Introduction & Background - Sahib Jada Eyakub Khan
 Causes - Nazmus Shahadad Alam
 Process - Mohammad Ashraful Miah
 Consequences - Shaheed Al Mamun
 Conclusion - Shaheed Al Mamun
 Q & A

4. Map of Ancient Bengal

5. Significant Events Leading to
Partition of 1947
7th AD
• Shashank
8th to 11th
AD
• Pala Dynasty
12th AD
• Sena Dynasty
12th to 17th
AD
• Muslim Rule
1757
• Battle of
Palassey
1757 to
1947
• 1905 – 1st
partition of
Bengal
• 1911 –
Reunification
• 1943 – Femine
• 1946-47 –
Communal
Violance
1947
• Final partition of
Bengal

6. Behind the Scene of the Partition of
Bengal
 Trans-Bengal Unity was achieved by Husain Sahi rule; named by
Shah-I- Bangla.
 Under the Mughal and early British regime; the Bengal had
undergone a little change of its boundaries.
 Bengal, Bihar and Orissa had formed a single province of British
India since 1765.
 On 16 October,1905 the first Bengal partition was held by Lord
Curzon.
 Due to public controversy the Bengal was reunited on 1911.

7. Causes
 Administration of this region did not function properly.
 The Eastern region of the British India was neglected, under
governed, and poor means of communications.
 East Bengal was dominated by the Muslims and West Bengal by
the Hindus
 Hindus were in a better position in terms of economic status and
professional qualities than the Muslims.
 The benefits of the Western education were given only to the
Hindus and not the Muslims.

8. Hindu Vs Muslim
 The Hindus by and large opposed the 1905-partition and most Muslims
rendered their support to it;
 The Hindu Mahasabha, who proposed the partition of Bengal in 1947 and
Muslim leadership first opposed and later accepted the proposal sullenly.
 The rapid change in the political mood of the Hindus and Muslims of the
province ought to be measured by the complex politics of communalities,
communalism, and imperialism of the time.
 HS Suhrawardy, Chief Minister of Bengal, made a last moment attempt to
transcend the limits and keep Bengal united with the status of an
independent state. However, his move for a United Independent Bengal
floundered.

9. Causes
 Muslims’ Response
 It received a favorable response from the Muslims. It was thought that it would bring
the emancipation of Muslims socially and economically. The Muslims welcomed the
Partition of Bengal for the following reasons:
 1. In the majority province of East Bengal the Muslims would be free from Hindu
dominance in economic field. They would get opportunities of services and
advancement of agriculture.
 2. The city of Dacca, where the Muslims were in majority was the centre of Muslim
culture. In Dacca Muslims had a great chance of success for social and cultural
advancement than in Calcutta.
 3. The Partition could result in political uplift and securing represent action in the
Government.
 4.The partition of Bengal relieved the Muslims from competing with Hindus, who were
more advanced in every field of life.

10. Causes
Hindus Response
The Hindus did not accept it, as it dealt a telling blow to their monopolies and
exclusive hold on economic, social, Political life of the whole of Bengal. They
called it as a deliberate attempt by British Government
 The Partition of Bengal had brightened the possibility of betterment of Muslims;
while the Hindu landlords, capitalists and traders wanted status quo and to continue
the exploitation of the Muslims.
 Hindu lawyers also reacted to the partition of Bengal because they thought that the
new province would have its separate courts and thus their practice would be
affected.
 Hindu press was not different from that of Hindu advocates. Hindus had their
monopoly over almost whole of the province press. They were afraid that new
newspapers would be established which would decrease their income naturally.
 The Hindus launched Swadeshi Movement whose sole purpose was to boycott of
British goods.

11. Official declaration Vs. Actual fact
 The cause behind the partition that was officially announced that the
Bengal province was too large to be administered by a single Governor
and therefore was partitioned on administrative purpose.
 But the actual cause behind the partition was political and not
administrative. East Bengal was dominated by the Muslims and West
Bengal by the Hindus.

12. Key Personalities

14. Process
 1906-Muslim League Founded in the primary aim of securing adequate Muslim
political re-presentation based on separate electorates for Muslims and Hindus
 1909-Separate electorates conceded by the colonial government
 1911- Annulment of partition
 1914 -First world war started , Muslim support Garman in faith of Turkey
 Lucknow Pact, 1916- Joint action against the British by Hindus and Muslims
 Congress accepted the Muslim demand of separate electorate

15. Process (Cont…)
• Non-cooperation movement(1920-1922)-led by Mahatma Gandhi
• It involves non-payment of taxes and boycott of the new ‘reformed’ councils
• 1930-1933: Gandhi launches further all-India Civil Dis-obedience campaigns, now
based on the demand for full independence from British rule.
• Second World War 1939-1945: Congress resigns its ministries in protest against the
British
• The Lahore Resolution presented by AK Fazlul Haque in 1940- on be half of Muslim
League to demarcate the territories for the Muslims along the line of Iqbal’s two
nation theory.

16. Process (Cont…)
 1940- in Lahore Muhammad Ali Jinnah, gave a seminal speech setting out
the need for a separate state for Muslims on the subcontinent.
 Congress announced “Quit India “ campaign in 1942
 Tens of thousands were imprisoned by the British
 Japan set up an Army of the Prisoner of War which fought against the
British Army

17. Process (Cont…)
 A major famine in Bengal in 1943- millions of death s by starvation and remains a highly
controversial issue regarding Churchill’s decision to not provide emergency food relief.
 The Calcutta Riots of 1946, also known as the “Great Calcutta Killing,” were four days of
massive Hindu-Muslim riots in the capital of Bengal, India; resulting in 5,000 to 10,000
dead, and some 15,000 wounded, between August 16 and 19, 1946.
 In the 1945-46 elections, both at the national and at the provincial level, Congress had
won most of the seats in the Hindu majority areas and the Muslim League in the Muslim
majority areas.
 Suhrawardy realized that if Bengal was partitioned, it would be economically disastrous
for East Bengal as all coal mines, all jute mill but two and other industrial plants would
certainly go to the western part since these were in an overwhelmingly Hindu majority
area.

19. Bengal Famine (1943)

20. Riots of 1947

21. Riots of Calcutta 1946-47

22. Consequences

23. Consequences
 The End of British Empire
 Holding of notional system of voting by the members of the Hindu-majority and
Muslim-majority
 Referendum in the Surma Valley of Assam i.e;, the Sylhet district in the North-East to
determine their future
 A Boundary Commission to demarcate the adjoining areas between the proposed
states

24. Consequences
 Sir Cyril Radcliffe did territorial demarcation within fifteen days
 Th border demarcation was very drastic and unrealistic
 Neighbors, relatives and friends, who were living side by side for
many generations, to be separated and to migrate
 The new border also created a very strange type of `island' which is
known as Chitmahal

25. Consequences
 Greatest mass migration of humans in 20th century
 Over 15 Million Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus moved across
borders
 Communal violence took 1 million lives
 Tens of thousands of women raped and kidnapped

26. Consequences
 Creation of India and Pakistan on the basis of religion
 The power was finally officially transferred to Pakistan and India on
14 and 15 August respectively
 East Pakistan lost the hub of economy, culture and education---
Kolkata
 East Pakistan suffered deprivation and discrimination from the
West Pakistan
 1971, East Pakistan fought for independence and with aid from
India, broke off from West Pakistan
 December 16,1971, Independent Bangladesh was created under
the leadership Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

27. Conclusion
 The geography of Gangetic Delta, present day Bangladesh witnessed many changes
in her territorial boundary
 The land was ruled by Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and British Rulers
 The peaceful population Bengal always fell victim of politics and religious motives
 During the Muslim Rule ( 12-17th AD), most of the population turned to Islam
 In the British Period, the local Hindu population dominated business, education,
administrative aspects which resulted in a sense of deprivation in majority of Muslim
population
 1905, Partition of Bengal gave Muslims opportunity to see the light of prosperity
 1947, The Partition Bengal of 1947 eventually paved the way for creation of
Bangladesh in 1971

28. Q & A