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British Advent in Bengal

History

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23 views20 pages

British Advent in Bengal

History

Uploaded by

joriwalarakib10
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE FIRST PARTITION OF

BENGAL
The British plan introduced in 1905,but due to fierce
resistance from the leaders of West Bengal and
Congress members, annulled in 1911 and its eventual
impacts on politics

PRESENTED BY:
NISHAT ANJUM BINI
LECTURER
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL RELATIONS
EAST WEST UNIVERSITY
1
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
❑Background
❑Context for the British Partition Scheme, 1905
❑Reaction in East Bengal
❑Muslim Likings for Partition
❑Reaction in West Bengal
❑Reactions of the Hindu intelligentsia: Initiation of
Swadeshi Andolon and Anti-Partition movements
❑Annulment of the Partition Plan in 1911
❑Critical Overview
3
BACKGROUND OF THE FIRST
PARTITION OF BENGAL, 1905

❑At the end of the nineteenth century, Bengal


Presidency had a population of more than 78
millions and an area of 1,90,000 square miles.
❑The eastern part of Bengal was backward and
distant from Calcutta, the capital.
❑Plans for the partition of the unwieldy
province had been mooted before Lord
Curzon’s time, but in the end it was he who
had the courage to grasp the nettle.
4
5
BACKGROUND OF THE FIRST
PARTITION OF BENGAL, 1905
❑ Witnessing the emerging momentum of the Bengali
nationalism under the Hindu Bhadraloks in Kolkata,
proposal for dissecting Bengal was reviewed during
December 1903-January 1904.
❑ The colonial government argued that to administer united
Bengal was ‘too large 'as a single province & to relieve
‘administrative burden’ they took the initiative.
❑ They also demanded that for the development of Eastern-
Bengal (today’s Bangladesh) & backward Assam, the
attempt was imperative.
❑ Despite protests voiced after the proposal became known,
partition took effect on the appointed day that is on 16
October 1905. The plan was executed by Viceroy Lord
George Nathaniel Curzon.
6
LORD GEORGE NATHANIEL CURZON(1859-1925)
VICEROY OF INDIA(IN OFFICE: 1898-1905)

7
THE BUILDING IS NAMED AFTER LORD CURZON THE VICEROY WHO LAID
ITS FOUNDATION STONE IN 1904.

8
9
MAP SHOWING THE PARTITION OF BENGAL INTO THE
PROVINCE OF BENGAL AND THE PROVINCE OF EASTERN
BENGAL AND ASSAM IN 1905

10
THE NEW TWO PROVINCES AFTER
PARTITION OF BENGAL

❑ Bengal Presidency ❑Eastern Bengal and


(West Bengal, Bihar, Assam
Orissa, Jharkhand) ❑ Muslim Majority
❑ Hindu Majority ❑ Bangla language spoken
❑ Bangla speaking people by majority of people
were outnumbered by Hindi
and Oriya speaking people
❑ Capital: Dhaka

❑ Capital: Kolkata

11
REACTION IN EAST BENGAL AFTER
THE PARTITION OF BENGAL
❑ People of East Bengal were very much supportive to the decision of
partition. They thought that the partition would lead to economic and
social development of their region.
❑ Dhaka became the new capital in Eastern province.
❑ Important buildings, High Court and Secretariats were established in
Dhaka.
❑ Creation of new employment opportunities in East Bengal.
❑ Development in education and communication system in East Bengal.
❑ Publication of several newspapers
❑ Rise of Chittagong as a major port city
❑ Scope for the East Bengali farmers to free themselves from the
domination of Kolkata-based zamindars.
❑ Growth of jute and tea industries in East Bengal ( Jute –the golden
fibre of Bengal) 12
REACTION IN WEST BENGAL AFTER
THE PARTITION OF BENGAL
❑ Hindu activists claimed it as a ‘Vindictive treatment’ towards
the outspoken Bhadralok intellectuals & for fear of losing
economic & communal interests, they patronized opposition.
❑ Kolkata lawyers foresaw losing clients from East Bengal &
diminish of their importance as a result of the creation of a
new High Court in Dhaka.
❑ West Bengali business leaders perceived reduction of Kolkata
centric trade facilities with the emergence of port facilities in
Chittagong.
❑ Zamindars living in Kolkata anticipated fearful concerns in
maintaining their estates in East Bengal.
❑ They claimed that the British intended to split the ‘growing
solidarity’ of the Bengalis & promote Muslim power in East
Bengal to counteract the strength of the educated Hindus.
13
REACTION IN WEST BENGAL AFTER
THE PARTITION OF BENGAL
❑ The division of Bengal provoked agitation and angry reaction of West
Bengal’s people. It created widespread indignation.
• The day of partition( 16th October,1905) was observed as a day of
mourning. All business came to a standstill. On the suggestion of the
great poet Rabindranath Tagore the day was also observed as a day of
unity and solidarity of the people. “Rakhi Bandhan ceremony”and
Bande Mataram song, Ganpati and Kali festivals were introduced .
Acts like these antagonized Muslims from taking part in the Swadeshi
movement, as they thought that the movement was getting a more
communal colour and being more biased.
❑ New methods of struggle were adopted. These methods included the
initiation of Swadeshi and Boycott movements. Large number of people
joined in the anti-British political activities.
❑ Bengali people were urged to boycott British clothes from Manchester
and Lancashire and other foreign goods and to use Indian products
instead. In different places, English cigarettes, clothes and other goods14
were burnt in public.
NOTABLE LEADERS OF SWADESHI
MOVEMENT/ ANTI-PARTITION
MOVEMENT

❑Bipin Chandra Pal


❑Sri Aurobindo Ghosh
❑Pulin Bihari Das
❑Rabindranath Tagore
❑Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
❑Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

15
BENGAL PARTITION
ANNULLED
❑ Due to the increasing violent Swadeshi and anti-
partition protests and the terrorist activities by
organizations like “Jugantor” and “Anushilan Samiti”,
and also to secure trade interests, Lord Charles
Hardinge ,the new Viceroy, agreed to annul the partition
of Bengal in 1911. Through this decision East and West
Bengal were again merged together .
❑ The decision was announced at a durbar in Delhi on 12
December,1911 by King George V, who was visiting
India at that time for his coronation ceremony.

16
REACTION AND AFTERMATH OF THE
ANNULMENT OF PARTITION OF
BENGAL

❑The Swadeshi Andolon and the anti-partition


movements created tension within the Muslims
community in India, especially in East Bengal. It
occurred to them that the British government and
Indian National Congress would never prioritize the
interests of the Muslims .
❑After the announcement of the annulment of the
partition plan in 1911, being frustrated Sir Nawab
Khwaja Salimullah retired from politics.
17
REACTION AND AFTERMATH OF
THE ANNULMENT OF PARTITION
OF BENGAL
❑ After the annulment of the partition, Lord Hardinge and
Lord Curzon perceived the dissatisfaction and anguish of
the people of East Bengal and promised to build a new
university there. On 27th May,1912,Nathan Commission was
formed to prepare a complete arrangement for the
establishment of a university at Dhaka. Finally in the year
1921, University of Dhaka was established in Eastern
Bengal.
❑ In 1911,to remove power from West Bengal, British
Government shifted capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi.
❑ Assam, Bihar and Orissa were separated from Bengal
Presidency and they emerged as new separate provinces.
18
CRITICAL OVERVIEW:
❑ To the Muslims, the annulment of the partition in 1911
was a major tragedy that weakened the newly formed
trust towards the British rulers.
❑ For the Hindu Bhadraloks the annulment was a no win
game that eventually backfired their long-term
cherished goals & political interests in the sub-
continent.
❑ Following the partition episode, communal rivalry
emerged the main issue in the Indo-Pak sub-continent
that the British had designed long back under its divide
& rule policy.
❑ The partition experience was short-lived, but left a deep
watermark in the political history of the subcontinent.
19
FURTHER READINGS:

❑S.M. Burke and Salim Al-Din Quraishi , The


British Raj in India: A Historical Review,
University Press Limited,Dhaka,1995)
❑Kamruddin Ahmad, A Socio Political History of
Bengal and the Birth of Bangladesh (ZMI
publications,Dhaka,4th Edition,1975)
❑William Van Schendel, A History of Bangladesh,
pg 79-87 ***

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