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.
