Political Awakening in India – Workshop Handout by Anum Sheraz

1. Partition of Bengal (1905): Emergence of Muslim Activism

• Background:
• Decision by Lord Curzon to partition Bengal in 1905.
• Officially for administrative efficiency but seen as a political move.
• Social and Religious Implications:
• Creation of East Bengal and Assam (Muslim majority) and the rest of Bengal
(predominantly Hindu).
• Viewed as an attempt to "divide and rule."
• Muslim Response:
• Muslims in East Bengal saw it as addressing political and economic grievances.
• Heightened Muslim identity and political consciousness.
• All India Muslim League (1906):
• Formation in response to the partition.
• Advocacy for Muslim rights and interests.
• Demand for Separate Electorate:
• Growing demand for a separate electorate for Muslims.
• Laid the foundation for the demand for a separate Muslim state.
• Impact on Political Landscape:
• Marked the beginning of Muslim activism in India.
• Contributed to religious and political consciousness.

2. Simla Deputation (1906) and its Impact on Political Awakening of Muslims

• Background:
• Group of Muslim leaders meeting Lord Minto in Simla in 1906.
• Objectives:
• Seeking assurances for safeguarding Muslim political rights.
• Key Points:
• Presentation of Muslim grievances and concerns.
• Emphasis on separate electorates and reserved seats for Muslims.
• Positive Outcomes:
• Recognition of Muslim demands by Lord Minto.
• Led to the Minto-Morley Reforms of 1909, introducing separate electorates for
Muslims.
• Impact on Political Awakening:
• Strengthened the political voice of Muslims.
• Contributed to the development of the Two-Nation Theory.

3. Morley-Minto Reforms (1909): Increasing Muslim Voice

• Background:
• Response to demands presented during the Simla Deputation.
• Key Features:
• Introduced separate electorates for Muslims.
• Increased Muslim representation in legislative bodies.

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• Impact:
• Enhanced political participation and representation for Muslims.
• Contributed to the institutionalization of communal representation.

4. Lucknow Pact (1916): Unity of Hindus and Muslims

• Background:
• Agreement between the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League.
• Objectives:
• Mutual cooperation for political reforms and increased representation.
• Key Provisions:
• Joint electorates with reservation of seats for Muslims.
• Weightage for minorities in provinces.
• Significance:
• Demonstrated Hindu-Muslim unity for political goals.
• Marked a crucial step towards constitutional reforms.

5. Khilafat Movement (1919-1924):

• Background:
• Response to the Ottoman Caliphate's situation after World War I.
• Objectives:
• Protection of the Ottoman Caliphate.
• Sympathy and support from Indian Muslims.
• Leadership:
• Led by Ali Brothers (Maulana Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali).
• Significance:
• Mobilized Muslims on a pan-India level.
• Collaboration between Khilafat and Non-Cooperation Movements.

6. Defense of India Act, Rowlatt Act, and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919):

• Defense of India Act (1915):

• Empowered the government with extra-ordinary powers during wartime.
• Rowlatt Act (1919):
• Allowed for the arrest and detention of individuals without trial.
• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919):
• British troops fired on a peaceful gathering in Amritsar.
• Impact:
• Increased resentment against British rule.
• Contributed to the demand for self-governance.

7. Montague-Chelmsford Reforms (1919):

• Background:
• Response to the political unrest and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
• Key Features:
• Introduced dyarchy in provinces.
• Expanded the franchise but with separate electorates.

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• Impact:
• Increased limited self-governance at the provincial level.
• Dissatisfaction among Indians for not meeting nationalist aspirations.

8. Delhi Proposals (1927):

• Background:
• Proposed by the British government to address constitutional reforms.
• Key Provisions:
• Provincial autonomy with safeguards for minorities.
• No immediate move towards full Dominion status.
• Response:
• Rejected by Congress and some Muslim leaders.
• Led to further negotiations and demands for more significant reforms.

9. Nehru Report (1928):

• Background:
• Response to the rejection of the Delhi Proposals.
• Key Provisions:
• Dominion status for India.
• Fundamental rights and no separate electorates.
• Response:
• Widely accepted by Congress but rejected by Muslim League.
• Reflects the growing divergence between Congress and Muslim League.

10. Jinnah's Fourteen Points (1929):

• Background:
• Response to the Nehru Report.
• Key Points:
• Separate electorates and reserved seats for Muslims.
• Full religious freedom for Muslims.
• Significance:
• Outlined non-negotiable demands for Muslim representation.
• Set the stage for future constitutional negotiations.

11. Allahabad Address (1930):

1. Background:
• Delivered by Allama Iqbal.
2. Key Points:
• Emphasized the idea of a separate Muslim state.
• Called for Muslim unity.
3. Significance:
• Laid intellectual groundwork for the creation of Pakistan.
• Contributed to the ideological basis for the demand for a separate nation.

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 12. Government of India Act 1935:
• Background:
• Enacted by the British Parliament.
• Aimed at devolving power to Indians and establishing a federal structure.
• Key Features:
• Divided British India into provinces and princely states.
• Introduced bicameral legislatures at the center and in provinces.
• Increased provincial autonomy but with safeguards.
• Significance:
• Marked a significant step towards self-governance.
• Laid the foundation for the future constitution of independent India.

13. Elections of 1937:

• Context:
• Conducted under the Government of India Act 1935.
• First elections under a federal structure.
• Key Points:
• Indian National Congress (INC) emerged as the dominant party.
• INC formed governments in most provinces.
• Impact:
• Showed the popularity of the Congress and its leaders.
• Led to the formation of provincial ministries with Indian leaders.

14. Day of Deliverance (22nd December 1939):

• Context:
• A day of protest organized by the Muslim League.
• Reason:
• Protest against the Congress ministries' refusal to resign in protest against the
Viceroy's decision to involve India in World War II without consulting Indian leaders.
• Key Events:
• Demonstrations and public meetings organized by the Muslim League.
• Muslim League observed the day as a day of thanksgiving.
• Significance:
• Highlighted communal tensions and differences.
• Contributed to the growing political divisions in pre-Independence India.

15. Lahore Resolution (1940):

• Context:
• Passed during the All India Muslim League's annual session in Lahore on March 23,
1940.
• Chaired by Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
• Objective:
• Articulated the Muslim League's demand for the creation of an independent Muslim
state.
• Key Points:
• Formalized the idea of a separate nation for Muslims in British India.
• Proposed the creation of an independent state comprising Muslim-majority areas.

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• Resolution Text:
• "That geographically contiguous units are demarcated regions which should be
constituted, with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary that the areas in
which the Muslims are numerically in a majority, as in the North-Western and Eastern
zones of India, should be grouped to constitute independent states."
• Significance:
• Marked a decisive shift from the demand for constitutional safeguards to the demand
for a separate nation.
• Laid the foundation for the creation of Pakistan.
• Two-Nation Theory:
• Emphasized the Two-Nation Theory, asserting that Hindus and Muslims were distinct
nations with their own religious, social, and cultural values.
• Response:
• Widely supported by the Muslim League.
• Met with opposition from some quarters, including Congress leaders.
• Impact:
• Accelerated the demand for the partition of British India.
• Set the stage for subsequent political developments leading to the creation of Pakistan
in 1947.