Partition of Bengal, 1905 (Section II)

             Reasons of Partition (1905)

• Bengal was the most densely populated province in the British Indian Empire.
• Western half of Bengal ➤ 54 million, total people (42 million Hindus and 12 million Muslims).
• Eastern Bengal and Assam ➤ 31 million, total people (12 million Hindus and 18 million Muslims).
• There were ten times as many people in Bengal as there were in the whole Britain at that time.
• There were obviously huge administrative problems to govern large area.
• The natural hazards in the area also created great problems for the people and government. 
• Hindus were with a monopoly in trade with Calcutta and so became strong while Muslims were deteriorating in economy.
• Some areas, basically Hindu majority were developed, while Muslim majority areas were neglected. 
• So, Viceroy Lord Curzon proposed Bengal should be partitioned in West and East Bengal..
• Eastern Province ➤  Assam, and three districts previously considered to be part of west Bengal, Dhaka, Chittagong and Mymen Singh.
• Hindus didn't like the partition and were against the partition. 

                   Reasons for Reversal (1911)

• Hindus didn't likes the partition.
• Hindus thought, that British had divided Bengal as part of their "divide and rule policy".
• They thought that, British tries to weaken Hindu unity by division of Bengal and establishing East Bengal with a Muslim majority, which means "Hindu Threat" would be reduced.
• The Hindus proclaimed 16 October, the day of partition as a "Day of mourning"
• They put pressure on British to reverse partition by doing several marches and meetings.
• Hindus did not like the formation of Muslim Majority province. 
• Hindus basically cannot bear the prosperity of Muslims.
• Hindus introduced a boycott of British goods "Swadeshi Movement". which means Hindus would buy Indian produced goods instead of British goods. This was a threat to the British textile industry.
• Different restrictions were places on newspapers and public meetings, between 1906 and 1908, editors were persecuted and some were imprisoned
• A Press act passed in 1908, give more control to government
• The groups of Arya Samaj made two assassination attempts on Lord Minto-II.
• So there was unrest, all over, and So, British were forced the reverse the partition, which wasn't liked by Muslims.