HIS-103

Lec-2

Partition of Bengal and Its

Annulment (1905-1911)

Background and Consequences

Partition of Bengal (1905)
 Introduction
• Since 1765 (following the Battle of Buxar), the
province of Bengal, which included present-day
West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Bangladesh and Assam
was under the British.
• Lord Curzon was the Viceroy of India from 1899 to
1905.
• The partition of the Bengal province came into
effect during his viceroyalty on 16th October 1905.
• The partition of Bengal was the most important
event during his rule.
 Causes of Partition
According to the British, the causes of partition
were as follows:
• Vastness of Province
• Limited Sources of Communication
• Difference of Language
• Need of the Time
 Vastness of Province
•Bengal was a very large area and the population rose to
almost 80 million by the first few years of the 20th century.
•Calcutta was the capital of the province and also of British
India.
•There were difficulties in administering such a large area.
•The eastern part, especially in rural areas were neglected.
•That region was lacking in the fields of industry, education
and employment.
•Much of the industry was centred in Calcutta.
•For administrative ease, the partition of the province had
been proposed even before Curzon had arrived in India.
 Limited Sources of Communication
• The sources of communication in the
provinces were limited due to rivers and
forests.
• The law and order condition of the province
was also worst due to insufficient police and
inefficient management.
• Therefore, the need of partition of province
was felt severally
 Difference of Languages
• There was also the difference of languages and
civilization of the natives of West Bengal and
East Bengal.
• The natives of West Bengal considered
themselves superior in civilization to the
resident of East Bengal.
• The condition demanded for the division of
Provinces.
 Need of the Time
• The division of Bengal was the need of
the time to develop trade in East Bengal
and to promote the Port of Chittagong
• This could be done only by division of
the Provinces.
 Causes of Partition
• The ultimate motive remains questionable, as
in two letters dated 7 February and 6
December 1904, Herbert Risley, Lord
Curzon’s Home Secretary, wrote, “Bengal
united is a force, Bengal divided will go in
different ways. That the Partition Plan is
opposed by the Congress is its merit for us.
Our principal motive is to weaken a united
party against the government.”
 Causes of Partition
• He further wrote, “the partition was to split up
and thereby weaken a solid body of opponents
to our rule”
• The “opponents” he referred to were, of course,
the Indian nationalists, who at the time were
most effectively mobilized in Bengal.
• In fact, Indian nationalism had found its earliest
expression in 19th century Bengal, and the
British were very well aware of this.
 The Plan
• According to the plan of Lord Curzon, after the
partition, the two provinces would be Bengal
(including modern West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar)
and Eastern Bengal and Assam.
• Eastern Bengal would consist of Hill Tripura,
Chittagong, Rajshahi and Dhaka divisions. Its capital
would be Dacca
• West Bengal would have a Hindu majority and
Eastern Bengal and Assam would have a Muslim
majority population. Its capital would remain Calcutta
 Reaction of the Muslims
• Favourable
• Muslims led by the Nawab Sir Salimullah Khan of Dacca supported
the partition
• Emancipation of Muslims socially and economically
• Free from Hindu dominance in economic field
• Dacca - the centre of Muslim culture- Muslims had a great
chance of success for social and cultural advancement than in
Calcutta 
• Political upliftment and securing represent action in the
Government
• Relieving from competing with Hindus, who were more advanced
in every field of life
• Lord Curzon’s promise to start a university in Dacca
 Reaction of the Hindus
• Not Favourable
• End of their monopolies and exclusive hold on
economic, social, political life of the whole of Bengal
• Wanted status quo
• 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
• Hindus had their monopoly over almost whole of the
province press
 General Reaction
• The general protest in the rest of the country was against this
partition ‘divide and rule’ policy of the British authorities
• Creating a rift between the two communities and breaking the
unity and nationalism in the country
• Partition as an insult to their motherland. Rabindranath Tagore
composed the famous song ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’
• Most of the Bengalis in the western part protested against this
step which would also make them a linguistic minority in their
own province
• There would be more Odia and Hindi speaking people than
Bengalis
• A few Muslims also were against the partition
 Protest Movements
• The Swadeshi and Boycott movements in the national
struggle started
• People started using home-made goods (deshi products)
• They made public bonfires of foreign cloths, cigarettes,
soap and anything that came handy.
• The sale of British goods fell between 6 and 20 per cent
of original levels.
• This was the time when extreme nationalists came to the
forefront.
• A large number of young leaders in Bengal took up the
task of educating people with Swadeshi spirit 
 Annulment
• When Lord Charles Hardinge assumed charge as
Governor General of India (1910-1916), Hindus
again became active and sent a representation to
him for the annulment of partition of Bengal.
• He recommended the same to the British Prime
Minister for Indian Affairs.
• On the occasion of the visiting King George V
and holding of Darbar at Delhi on 12th December
1911, the partition of Bengal was cancelled and
the two parts of Bengal was reunited.
 Aftermath
• The united Bengal was placed under a Governor and Assam
was placed under a Chief Commissioner.
• This decision was shattering blow to Muslims.
• It left them sullen and disillusioned.
• Their anger and indignation had widespread repercussions.
• The Muslims leaders and intelligentsia condemned the decision
as betrayal of worst kind.
• Created communal rift
• Impacted on the larger nationalist movement across India
• Created the idea of complete political freedom from British rule
• Contributed to the birth of All India Muslim League in 1906.