Pakistan Movement Development

2026 Syllabus Objectives

By the end of these notes, you should be able to:

  1. Understand what the Muslim League wanted to achieve and how it started
  2. Explain how successful British rule was and evaluate their constitutional reforms between 1909 and 1919
  3. Describe how and why the relationship between Muslims and Hindus changed between 1916 and 1927
  4. Explain the main features of key events including: the Partition of Bengal (1905-11), the Simla Deputation (1906), the formation and aims of the Muslim League (1906), cooperation and breakdown between Muslim League and Congress, the Morley-Minto reforms (1909), the impact of World War I, the Lucknow Pact (1916), the Rowlatt Act (1918), the Amritsar Massacre (1919), the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919), the Non-Cooperation Movement, the growth of Communalism, divisions in Congress, and the Delhi Proposals (1927)

1. The Partition of Bengal (1905-1911)

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Background and Implementation

In 1903, the British Viceroy (the British ruler in India) Lord Curzon proposed dividing Bengal into two separate provinces. This plan was actually put into action in 1905.

Why was Bengal divided?

Bengal was huge—about the size of France—with roughly 85 million people living there. The British said it was too difficult to manage such a large area efficiently. However, there were other reasons behind this decision:

  • To help Muslims: Muslims had been treated badly since the 1857 rebellion. Creating a Muslim-majority area would give them better opportunities
  • "Divide and Rule" policy: The British wanted to weaken the power of the Indian National Congress (a mainly Hindu political party) by separating Hindus and Muslims

What Changed?

Three regions—Dhaka, Chittagong, and Mymensingh—were separated from Bengal and joined with Assam. This created a new province called East Bengal, which had a Muslim majority.

Population breakdown:

  • West Bengal: 42 million Hindus, 12 million Muslims
  • East Bengal: 18 million Muslims, 12 million Hindus

Muslim Reaction

Muslims were happy with the partition because:

  • They gained better political representation (more say in government)
  • More schools were built in East Bengal
  • A new railway service was introduced
  • They could develop their region according to their needs

Hindu Opposition

Hindus strongly opposed the partition. They felt it divided their community and weakened their political power. They fought back through:

  • Swadeshi Movement: Hindus boycotted (refused to buy) British goods like cloth and cigarettes to hurt the British economically. Instead, they made their own cloth called "Desi khadar" at home
  • Protests and hunger strikes
  • Some extremists even used terrorist activities

Reversal of Partition (1911)

The Hindu opposition was so strong that in 1911, King George V reversed (cancelled) the partition at the Delhi Durbar (a grand meeting). Bengal was reunited.

This reversal greatly upset Muslims, who felt betrayed. It showed them that the British could not be fully trusted to protect their interests.

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