SECTION II 1877-1926

(all possible 7 mark questions)

Why was the British rule hated in the late 19th century?[7]

Creation of Indian National Congress

Why was Indian National Congress created?[7]

Partition Of Bengal
Why was Bengal partitioned?[7]
Why was the partition of Bengal criticized?[7]

Simla Delegation
Why did a Muslim deputation visit the Viceroy at Simla?[7]
Whyy was Simla delegation an important turning point in the Muslim struggle in the subcontinent?[7]

Creation Of Muslim Leaugue

Why was the Muslim league created?[7]

Why was the creation of Muslim League criticized? [7]

Morley-Minto Reforms (MMR)

Why were MMR presented?[7]
Why were MMR critisized?[7]
Why were MMR considered as important?[7]

Reversal of the Partition of Bengal

Why was partition of Bengal reversed?[7]
Why did the relation between the Muslim and the British deteriorate after 1911?[7]

World War 1(WW1)

Why were the Indians reluctant to support the British in WW1?[7]
Why were there mixed views about supporting the British in WW1?[7]

Lucknow Pact
Why was the Lucknow pact drawn up?[7]
Why was the Lucknow pact considered as important?[7]

Montague Chemsford Reforms (MCR)

Why were MCR presented?[7]
Why were MCR criticized?[7]
Why were MCR considered as important?[7]

Rowlatt Act
Why was Rowlatt Act presented?[7]

Khilafat Movement
Why was the Turkish Empire important for the Muslims?[7]
Why was the K M launched?[7]
Why did the K M fail?[7]
Why was the K M considered as important?[7]
Why did the Congress support the K M?[7]
Why did the Congress withdraw support from the K M?[7]
Why did the relations between the Muslims and the Hindus deteriorate at the end of the Khilafat
Movement? [7]
 SECTION II

Years 1877 to 1911

LATE 19th CENTURY

Why was the British rule hated by the Indians in the late 19th century?

Firstly, the Indians resented the fact that they were kept away from the government of their own country.
The British occupied all governing bodies and key posts in administration leaving almost no role to play for the
Indians. Though the British had passed Charter Act in 1833 to allow Indians to join Indian Civil Service, it did
not bring about much change because the examination for Civil Service was conducted in English language and in
England. Practically speaking, there was one Indian member in Civil service by the end of 19 th century. Lack of
participation in government of their own country made the Indians hate the British rule.

Secondly, The British ruled India in a way that suited and benefitted them. The welfare of the Indians was
grossly neglected. The Indian cotton weavers were able to sell their cotton easily because the British cotton
entering India was more expensive due to the custom duties imposed on import. Lord Lytton decided to end
these custom duties. This step made the British cotton cheaper than the Indian cotton. The demand for Indian
cotton declined and many local cotton weavers lost their business. Such economic exploitation was another
reason why the Indians hated the British rule.

Thirdly, the British passed many repressive policies that denied Indians their basic human rights. The
Vernacular Act passed in 1877 put a ban on publication of anything against the British in the newspapers. The
Indians disliked this ban on the freedom of their expression. Besides this, the British introduced a ban on the
ownership of weapon by the Indians through the infamous Arms Act in 1877. These policies by the British made
the Indians hate the British rule in the late 19th century.

INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS 1885

Q: Why was Indian National Congress created?

Firstly, the British were aware of the fact that there were many Indians who saw the British as fair minded
people. These moderate minded Indians believed that the British rule in India had brought benefits for the
Indian people. The British wanted to form a relationship of co-operation with such Indian people. They decided
to form a political party to win the support of these moderate minded people to prolong their rule.

Secondly, the British also knew that their complete negligence and insensitivity to the sentiments of the Indian
people was mainly responsible for the Indian Revolt in 1857. The British policies were mostly introduced
without any consideration for the Indians which displeased the Indians to such an extent that they decided to
revolt. The British did not want another such rebellion. Thus, they decided to provide the Indians with a
platform to learn about their wishes and demands and avoid a revolt by diffusing the situation with political
talk.

Thirdly, the British had come to India to rule for a long time. They knew that the Indians would ultimately
form a political party by themselves because many small political groups had already started to form for
example ‘Servajanik Sabha’. A party was likely to come into being whether the British wanted or not. By
facilitating the creation of INC the British were able to improve their image in the eyes of the Indians.
PARTITION OF BENGAL 1905

Q: Why was Bengal partitioned?

Firstly, geographical factors/ large population large size (book page 54)

Secondly, Bengal was not only the largest province but also had a large number of educated people. In this
province the level of political awareness was increasing. There was a constant growth of nationalist ideas in
Bengal. It was considered to be the nerve center of Hindu nationalism. The British were concerned about the
situation in Bengal because the growth of such ideas posed a serious threat to their rule. Lord Curzon proposed
that the province of Bengal should be partitioned on religious lines to create a Mohammaden province. This was
done to drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims. It could be said that partition of Bengal was suggested
with political motive of divide and rule policy

Thirdly, Bengal was a highly productive province in India in terms of its natural resources especially agriculture.
It has productive lands in the eastern part and a port city (Calcutta) in the western part. In terms of economic
exploitation, Bengal was very profitable province. However, the province was suffering from backwardness in all
areas of economy. The British wanted to introduce reforms to fight this backwardness and take full advantage
of its economic potential. For the successful implementation of the reforms they decided to partition it into
two blocks.

Q: Why were the Muslims happy after the partition of Bengal?

Firstly, Bengal had a population of 85 million people at the start of the 20 th century. Out of this, 30 million
were Muslims while the others were mostly Hindus. This made Bengal a Hindu majority province though a huge
proportion of the population was Muslim. In an overall situation Muslims formed a minority in Bengal. The
partition of this province resulted into establishment of east and West Bengal. In the eastern part Muslims
gained the status of a majority. Thus, the decision of partition gladdened the Muslims.

Secondly, Bengal was an agriculturally productive region. After the decline of the power of the Muslims in the
subcontinent, the community was pushed to a serious state of poverty. The Muslims mostly formed peasantry
class in Bengal which was exploited by the rich and powerful landlords who were mostly British and Hindus.
After the partition of Bengal there was a hope that this exploitation would come to an end.

Thirdly, the Muslims had always shown hostility towards the British. As a result, the British had also shown
harsh attitude towards the Muslims. To save the Muslims from such severe measures of the British especially
after the war of Independence, many Muslims leaders mainly Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had worked towards
improving the relations between the two communities to put an end to this baseless hostility. The Muslims felt
happy when the British divided the province in a way that benefitted the Muslims. After years of suffering it
was the first time that British had made a political decision which was favorable to Muslims. Thus, the Muslims
felt happy.

Q: Why were the Hindus unhappy after the partition of Bengal? [7]

Firstly, Firstly, Bengal had a population of 85 million people at the start of the 20 th century. Out of this, 30
million were Muslims while the others were mostly Hindus. This made Bengal a Hindu majority province though a
huge proportion of the population was Muslim. When the British divided the province into two parts, the Hindus
were angered because their status as a majority was affected in the eastern part because the new
arrangement had made East Bengal a Muslim majority province.
Secondly, Bengal was emerging as the nerve center of Hindu nationalism. The British were concerned about the
situation in Bengal because the growth of such ideas posed a serious threat to their rule. Lord Curzon proposed
that the province of Bengal should be partitioned on religious lines to create a Mohammaden province. The
Hindu community claimed that the partition was done to drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims. They
claimed that this decision was taken to only make the Indians fight amongst themselves because the decision to
partition the province was made on religious lines. It was a “divide and rule” policy.

Thirdly, after the decline of the Muslim power in India in general and in Bengal in particular, the Muslims were
reduced to an acute form of poverty. They mostly formed peasantry class in Bengal. The rich and powerful
landlords who were mostly Hindus and British were in the position to exploit the weak Muslim position to their
benefit. The partition of Bengal established a new Eastern province with Muslim majority. This created an
impression that the landlords would no more be in any position to exploit Muslim peasants. This angered the
Hindu community.

Q: Why did the British reverse the partition of Bengal? [7]

Firstly, when the British divided Bengal into two smaller provinces the Muslim community welcomed the decision
but the Hindus were infuriated. They showed their displeasure by organizing protest, demonstration and
strikes. The day of partition was declared a “Day of Mourning.” Every year, on this day large scale protest and
demonstrations were organized, the law and order situation continuously deteriorated due to these violent
activities. Finally, the pressure increased so much that the British reversed the partition of Bengal.

Secondly, another attempt on part of the Congress to exert pressure upon the British for the reversal of
partition of Bengal came in the form of the “Swadeshi Movement”. The movement was targeted at encouraging
the Indians to use locally produced goods and boycott the imported goods from Britain. This movement not only
caused the British huge economic loss but also increased their concerns because of the growing nationalist
ideas. The British immediately reversed the partition of Bengal to prevent economic loss.

Thirdly, when the congress realized that the British were not taking Hindu agitation against the partition of
Bengal seriously they decided to take extreme measures. A murder attempt was made at the future viceroy
Minto when his train was derailed. This murder attempt was not successful but it was enough to tell the British
that they would go to any extent for the reversal. This failed murder attempt was another reason which forced
the British to reverse the partition of Bengal.

SIMLA DELEGATION 1906

Q: Why did a Muslim deputation visit the Viceroy at Simla in 1906?

Firstly, partition of Bengal Muslims happy because…… Hindus unhappy because….. Hindus reaction was
harsh….. Boycotts, strikes, protests Muslims feared reversal….. Went to the Viceroy to seek assurance that
partition of Bengal should be maintained (not reversed).

Secondly, at the start of the 20th century new liberal government was elected in Britain. The new government
showed inclination towards allowing Indian people in the government of India. The Muslims started to fear
because it was likely to leave them dominated by Hindus in the government if the British increased local
participation in Indian government. This fear arose because the Muslims formed a minority group in India. The
Muslims wanted to secure their position by demanding the right for separate electorates. To demand this, a
Muslim deputation./delegation visited the Viceroy.
Thirdly, the Muslim community in India was under constant religious and cultural threat. The Hindu nationalist
party Arya Samaaj was working towards forcible conversion of the Muslims to Hinduism. Not only this, the
Congress was demanding the replacement of Urdu language with Hindi as second official language of India.
Muslims decided that they needed to work for themselves on the political front for safeguarding their culture
and religion. This was another reason why a Muslim deputation/delegation visited the Viceroy.

Q. Why was the Simla deputation an important turning point in the Muslim struggle in the
subcontinent?

Firstly, after the War of Independence the British began to blame the Muslim community for this war and took
many tough measures against them. This deteriorated relationship between the Muslims and the British
further. In such situation, Muslim leaders like Sir Syed had worked towards improving the relationship between
the two communities. In 1906 when a Muslim deputation visited the Viceroy, the British showed a positive
response to th e Muslims. The Simla Deputation was important in showing that the effort of Sir Syed had been
successful.

Secondly, Sir Syed had presented the Two Nation Theory which stated that Muslims and Hindus were two
different nations because of their religious and cultural differences. When a Muslim deputation visited the
Viceroy the British promised to grant them the right for the separate electorates. This meant that the British
were prepared to accept the Muslim community as a separate nation. The Simla Deputation was important
because it established Muslims as a separate nation in the constitution of India with the grant of the separate
electorates.

Thirdly, the Congress has become a Hindu dominated party and Muslims were not being fairly represented from
the platform of the Congress. The British gave a positive response to the Muslims delegation at Simla. The
Muslims were encouraged to form their own political party especially after the promise of the separate
electorates. It could be said that the Simla Deputation was important because it led to the creation of the All
India Muslim League.

CREATION OF ALL INDIA MUSLIM LEAGUE 1906

Q. Why was All India Muslim League established?

Firstly, when the Indian National Congress (INC) was established in 1885, it was meant to be a political party
to represent all Indians regardless of their culture and religion. However, the Congress started to become a
Hindu dominated party as it demanded things more favourable for the Hindus such as democracy in India and
replacing Hindi with Urdu as the official language. When the POB took place in 1905 the Congress openly
criticized the decision much to the displeasure of the Muslim community. When the Muslim realized that the
Congress had failed to represent them and protect their rights, they decided to form All India Muslim
Laeague.

Secondly, when a Muslim Deputation had visited the Viceroy at Simla in 1906, the British showed a positive
response to the Muslims. This encouraged the Muslims to work towards improving their relations with the
British further. When the Muslim League was created in 1906 it had the objective of promoting feelings of
loyalty towards the British by removing misunderstanding. It could be said that the Muslim league was also
established to work towards improving the relationship with the British.

Thirdly, the Muslims in India were also appalled by the growing feelings of Hindu nationalism. The parties like
Arya Samaaj posed constant threat to the Muslim culture and religion. This party established by Dayanand
Sarasvati targeted at the revival of Hinduism by bringing back the converts. This meant forcible conversion of
the Muslims to Hinduism. The Muslims decided to have a political party to protect their culture and religion and
decided to form Muslim League.

Q Why was the establishment of All India Muslim League criticized by the Congress?

Firstly, when the Congress was created it had aimed to be a political party representing all Indians whatever
religion they belonged to. However, the Muslims soon realized that it was working in favor of Hindus more than
any other community. This realization made them create Muslim league. The Congress members were offended
because the creation of Muslim league clearly indicated that the Congress had failed in its aim of representing
all Indians.

Secondly, the Muslim league had clearly stated that it was going to work towards promoting the feelings of
loyalty towards the British. This objective of Muslim league created an impression that the British were behind
its creation to cause division among Indian population. The impression that the Muslim league was a pro-British
party made the Congress criticize it.

Thirdly, India was a country where different groups of people lived together. Their religious and cultural
differences posed a big threat to the unity of Indian people. With the creation of all India Muslim League to
represent the Muslim community, the other communities were likely to get encouraged towards making parties
for themselves e.g. the Sikh in Punjab. The fact that the creation of the Muslim League was likely to encourage
others to make separate political parties made the Congress criticized it.

MORLEY MINTO REFORMS

Q Why were the Morley Minto reforms introduced?

Firstly, since the start of the British rule in India, the Indian were largely excluded from the government of
their own country. As the political awareness in India started to grow the Indians resented this lack of political
participation. At the start of 20th century the British announced that they would increase local participation in
the government of India. Morley Minto Reforms were introduced to give Indians some role in the government
of their country.

Secondly, in 1905 the British partitioned the province of Bengal much to the displeasure of the Congress. The
Muslims were happy with this decision and wanted the British to maintain it. They visited the Viceroy for
assurance. During this visit they also demanded the right for separate electorates. The British promised to
give this. The reforms were introduced to grant the Muslims the separate electorates to win their support
especially when the support from the Congress was at a decline.

Thirdly, the Hindu community had shown an angry reaction because their status as a majority was badly
affected by the British decision of the partition of Bengal. They organized regular protests and strikes to put
pressure upon the British to reverse this decision. The British tried to deal with this unrest by passing some
tough measures. However, the situation did not improve. Therefore, the British adopted a different approach.
They introduced reforms to calm down the Hindu agitation instead of taking more of the tough measures they
had already taken.

Q; Why were the Morley-Minto reforms criticized?

Firstly, (pg # 58 of book) because of the advisory role

Secondly, the Congress was demanding self government in India. On the other hand the reforms clearly
indicated that the British had no desire to establish a democracy in India. Morley stated that the reforms
were not part of a move towards setting up a parliament in India. The British were ready to make as few
concessions as needed to bring stability. Morley-Minto reforms were criticized because they did not appear to
take any step towards democracy in India.

Thirdly, the Muslims were granted the right for separate electorates. This established the Muslim community
as a separate nation in the constitution of India. The Congress was totally against the idea of separate
electorates as it believed that the separate electorates did nothing good except dividing the Indian population
into different groups. Due to the grant of the right for the separate electorates to Muslim community, the
Morley-Minto reforms were criticized.

Why were the Morley Minto reforms considered important?[7]

Firstly, the Muslims considered themselves to be a separate nation but no other community was ready to
accept this. When the British granted the Muslims the right for separate electorates the status of the
Muslims as a separate nation was established in the constitution of India. This was a big achievement for the
Muslims which ultimately led them to demand a separate homeland within a few decades.

Secondly, since the start of British rule the Indians were largely kept away from the government of their own
country. These reforms increased the number of seats for all Indians in all councils. Though the council
members had an advisory role only, the reforms clearly indicated that the British were ready to make
concessions to maintain stability in India. However, this made Indians realize that they could force the British
by being more persistent in their demand for self-government. Morley-Minto reforms were important in the
Indian struggle for being the first step towards self-government.

Thirdly, though the reforms had pleased the Muslims as they received the right for separate electorate, the
Indians in general were unhappy and dissatisfied with these reforms as their role in the government was
restricted to giving advices only. The common dissatisfaction with these reforms and the British policies in
general during the WWI brought the Muslim League and the Congress closer and they finally signed a pact of
understanding and cooperation in 1916 at Lucknow. The reforms were important as they made both communities
realize the need for united effort against the British.

SECTION II

YEARS 1912-1926
1911-1914

During this time period the relationship between the Muslims and the British deteriorated (became bad).

Q: Why did the relationship between the Muslims and the British deteriorate?

Firstly, Muslims felt betrayed after the reversal of partition of Bengal which the British had promised to be
their final ‘decision’

Secondly, though MMR gave the Muslims the right for the separate electorates, they soon realized that the
reforms did not give them any real say in the government due to the advisory role only.
Thirdly, in the 1912 when the Balkan wars started, the British officially supported the Ottoman Empire but
maintained secret contacts with Greece and Bulgaria during the wars. Besides this, when WWI started in 1914,
the British were openly fighting against the Turkish Empire.

1914-1915

When WWI started, the British needed support from the Indians for their war effort.

Q: Why were there mixed views about supporting the British in World War I (WWI)?

Firstly, the moderate minded Indians were ready to extend their support to the British during WWI. They
believed that co-operating with the British in that critical situation would bring them closer to self-
government in India. The British would reward them greater role in the government in return of their support
to them during WWI. For this reason many Indians were ready to support.

Secondly, the revolutionary minded Indians on the other hand saw the British “necessity” as an “opportunity”
for themselves. There was a sudden rise in rebellious activities in India after the start of WWI. These
Indians wanted to exploit the situation by weakening the British rule in India. They considered it an
opportunity to break away from the British rule. Thus, they were not keen to provide any support to the
British during the War.

Thirdly, the Muslims in India were not willing to participate in WWI as they were already upset at the British
for betraying them by reversing the partition of Bengal. They did not want to co-operate with the British
because the British were fighting against the Turkish Empire in the WWI. This made them unwilling to offer
any support.

LUCKNOW PACT (1916)

It was a pact of mutual understanding and cooperation between the Congress and the Muslim League.

Q. Why was Lucknow pact drawn up?

Firstly, the Congress considered the Muslim League a pro-British party. However, when then the Muslim League
dropped its aim of promoting the feelings of loyalty towards the British after the reversal of POB the
Congress started to change its opinion about the Muslim League. In 1913, the Muslim League declared that it
was working towards self government in India. This brought both the parties closer because both were working
towards the same objective. This brought them closer and led to the formation of the Lucknow pact.

Secondly, the Muslim as well as the Hindus was equally dissatisfied with the Morley Minto reforms because of
the advisory role the reforms gave. When WWI started the British had passed repressive policies like Defense
of India Act (1915) to deal with Indians who were creating political disturbances. This common dissatisfaction
with the reforms and the repressive Act brought the two communities to one platform to make a political pact
at Lucknow.

Thirdly, the Muslims in India were divided up in their opinion concerning how to protect the rights of Muslims in
India. The ‘realist’ leaders believed that the Muslims should work for themselves instead of co-operating with
other communities. On the other hand the ‘idealist’ leaders believed that working together with other
communities, Muslims stood greater chance of success in safeguarding their rights. Jinnah was an idealist
leader and it was partly due to the effort of Jinnah that the Lucknow pact was drawn up.

Q: Why was Lucknow pact considered as important?

Firstly, the Congress had never believed in the existence of the ideology of ‘Two Nation Theory’ and therefore
always denied the rights of Muslims to have separate electorates. It was the first time that the Congress
accepted the Muslims’ right for the separate electorates. It meant that the Congress was indirectly ready to
accept that Muslims were a separate community. The lucknow pact was important because it showed that the
congress was ready to accept that certain degree of partition was necessary in any self governing India.

Secondly, the British had always taken advantage of the disunity which prevailed in India. In fact, one of the
reasons for the British success in India was the way Indians were divided up. The Lucknow pact led to the
establishment of unity between two major communities in India. The British could feel the pressure upon them
due to this recently established unity. The Lucknow pact was important in putting pressure upon the British to
force them to introduce constitutional reforms in India.

Thirdly, in 1919 Muslims had started a political movement to save the Turkish Empire from ill-treatment by the
British after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in WWI. The Muslims in India started the Khilafat Movement
to save the Empire and the caliphate. At that time the Congress also extended its support to the cause of the
Khilafat Movement. Lucknow pact was important because it made the Congress support the Muslims during the
Khilafat Movement.

ROWLATT ACT 1919

WWI started  revolutionary activity in India also started  Defence of India Act was passed in 1915 to deal
with the rebellions in India  Revolutionary activity still continued  In 1917, the British appointed Justice
Rowlatt and gave him two tasks  1st to investigate whether there was revolutionary activity in India still
present and 2nd to recommend how to deal with it  In 1918 he gave recommendations  In 1919, his
recommendations were made into the infamous Rowlatt Act.

Q: Why was Rowlatt Act presented?

Firstly, to curb the revolutionary activity in India (details in the flow chart given above)

Secondly, after the end of the WWI in 1918, the British were planning to introduce reforms in India especially
due to the pressure they felt after the formation of the Lucknow pact. The British knew that the Indians were
expecting greater concessions in the upcoming reforms due to their support to the British in WWI. The British
knew that the reforms which they intended to introduce were actually not meant to meet the Indians’
expectations. The Rowlatt act was passed to deal with all those who were likely to oppose the upcoming
reforms.

Thirdly, during WWI the British rule in India had become slightly weak because the British government had
been busy in the War for four years. After the War was over, the British intended to tighten their control on
India. It could be said that the Rowlatt act was passed to make an impression of the British strength upon the
Indians.

MONTAGUE CHELMSFORD REFORMS (MCR) 1919

Q: Why were MCR introduced?

Firstly, the Indian were largely excluded from the government of their own country. In 1909, the British
introduced reforms which did not go down well with the Indians because the reforms provided the Indians an
advisory role in the government. Ten years had passed and according to the British policy it was time to
introduce new reforms. MCR were introduced as part of the British policy in India.

Secondly, when WWI started in 1914 there were mixed views in India about supporting the British. It was only
after a number of promises that the Indians agreed to support the British e.g. a promise was made with the
Muslims that the British would do no harm to the Turkish Empire after the War. Many Indians were expecting
greater role to play in the government in return of their support to the British during WWI. MCR were
introduced to reward the Indians for their support to the British war effort.

Thirdly, the reforms were presented due to the pressure the Lucknow pact caused (refer to second reason of
why Lucknow pact was important for details)

Q: Why were MCR criticized?

Firstly, the Indians had fought with the British in the war and they expected much greater concessions. The
Congress and the League had recently come together calling for self-rule. The MCR were criticized by the
Indians because the reforms hardly changed anything in the Central government set-up. The Viceroy could still
pass any law he chose if he felt it was necessary for the safety of India. Besides, the Executive Council was
still made up of the nominated members only. The Indian hardly had any role in the Central government which
made them criticize the reforms.

Secondly, a new system of government called ‘diarchy’ was introduced in the provinces. It gave the Indians
certain degree of role to play in the government especially in the ‘transferred subjects’. However, it was the
Viceroy who had the power to choose ministers from the councils to run the transferred subjects. He also had
this authority to dismiss the provincial Legislative Council. Due to a limited role in the provincial government
the Indians criticized these reforms.

Thirdly, the Indians were calling for self rule in India which was only possible when the Indians had freedom to
choose their government. In MCR, the British claimed that they were extending voting rights to more local
people but the new regulations still meant that only 2% of Indian population could vote. The reforms were
criticized because they did not appear to be any step in the direction of self-rule through a system of
democratic elections.

THE KHILAFAT MOVEMENT 1919

Q What led to the formation of the Khilfat Movement?

 In 1914 WWI started

 The British needed support from India
 The Indian Muslims were not so keen to give support 
 The British were fighting against the Turkish Empire
 The British made a promise with the Indian Muslims that no harms would be done to the Empire after
the WWI 
 Muslims finally agreed to support 
 In 1918 the WWI ended 
 The British started taking tough measures against the countries that were defeated
 Treaty of Versailles was announced to give punishment to Germany
 Austria was also punished 
 Muslims started to fear that Turkish Empire would also be punished in the same way
 To make the British keep their promise regarding no punishment for Turkey the Muslims formed a
movement.
Q: Why Turkish Empire was important?

Firstly, the Turkish/ Ottoman Empire was the last Muslim empire in existence in the world.

Secondly, it was ruled by a khalifa/caliph that was considered to be a symbolic head of all Muslim living all over
the world.

Thirdly, Turkish Empire consisted of areas which had many Muslim holy places e.g. Mecca, Medina, and
Jerusalem etc.

Q: Why was Khilafat Movement launched?

Firstly, to save the caliph and the holy places by reminding the British about the promise they had made
concerning the Turkish empire at the start of WWI (refer to Q: what led to the formation of khilafat
movement for details).

Secondly, it should not be thought, however the khilafat movement sprang solely from the British threat to
dismember the Turkish Empire. It had its roots in a deep seated mistrust of the way the west and Britain in
particular had been treating the Muslim countries. When the British and Russians made an agreement
concerning Afghanistan and Persia little attention was paid to the views of the native Muslim population. It
could be said that Khilafat Movement was started to show opposition to the discriminating British policy
towards Muslims in general.

Thirdly, the Muslims believed in the concept of universal brotherhood. They believed that suffering of any
Muslim community in any part of the world should be a matter of concern for the whole Muslim community
regardless of where they live. A Muslim leader called maulvi fazl-ul-haq had stated that every instance of a
collapse of the Muslim powers of the world was bound to have an adverse influence on the political importance
of their community in India. In the light of this, it could be said that the Khilafat Movement was launched to
protect the political future of Indian Muslims.

Q: Why did the Congress/Gandhi support the Khilafat Movement?

Firstly, the Congress claimed that it was a political party meant to represent all Indians regardless of their
religious identities. However, the Muslim community in India blamed the Congress to be a political party working
towards the Hindu interests only. It was time for the Congress to prove this accusation wrong. The Congress
supported the Khilafat movement to suggest that it was ready to support the Muslims cause as well.

Secondly, in 1916 All India Muslim League and the Indian National Congress had formed a pact at Lucknow for
improving unity among the Muslim and Hindu communities. The two communities had promised to work together
against the British. When the Muslims started the Khilafat Movement to save the Turkish Empire, the
Congress felt bound to support it due to the Lucknow pact.

Thirdly, the Congress was determined to work towards self government/self rule in India. The Congress saw
the Khilafat Movement as an opportunity to exert pressure upon the British for self rule/government. The
Congress wanted to make use of Muslim agitation by participating in the Khilafat Movement for pressurizing
the British to give India self government/rule. For this reason it supported the Khilafat Movement.

Q: Why did Khilafat Movement fail?

Firstly, Khilafat movement was formed congress support the Movement Khilafat Movement progressed
no positive response from the British  finally Non Cooperation Movement (NCM) was startedmeant to be
peaceful  based on the idea of “passive resistance” by Gandhi  peaceful rejections of the British Raj  did
not remain peaceful  became violent  in Nilambur, Timur and Chauri Chaura  NCM was called off support
was withdrawn from the Khilafat movement by the Congress/Gandhi Movement was pushed to failure

Secondly, experiences of hijrat movement to Afghanistan demoralized the Muslims (details in book in the topic
“hijrat-to protect and foster Islam”)

Thirdly, the Khilafat movement failed largely because the Indian Muslims were more concerned with the fate
of the khalifa than were the western powers and the people of Turkey. In 1922 the sultan (the caliph) was
deprived of his political power. Two years later, the new leader, Mustafa kamal Ataturk abolished the khilafat
and exiled the khalifa Muhammad VI. It made no difference what Indian Muslims or British politicians wanted.
The Turks themselves had abolished the khilafat consequently the Khilafat Movement in India also came to an
end.

Q: Why was the Khilafat Movement considered as important?

Firstly, the Khiilafat Movement was the first ever large scale campaign run by the Muslim community in India.
This movement taught the Muslims that they had political power to mobilize the whole Muslim community for a
common cause. The experiences of running this movement proved beneficial for the Muslim leaders when they
started the Pakistan Movement calling for a separate country. The Khilafat movement was also important in
giving Muslim leaders experience for running a political movement.

Secondly, the Muslim community also learnt that it was useless to depend upon British promises to protect
their rights. The British had failed to fulfill the promise of not harming the caliphate in Turkey. The Muslims
were convinced that the British were not concerned about the need for Muslims to have rights. The
experiences of the Khilafat Movement told the Muslims that they had to organize themselves to demand their
political rights instead of depending upon other communities.

Thirdly, the Khilafat Movement brought Muslims nearer to having their own independent state (details in book,
last point in “negative consequences of khilafat movement”).

Past Paper Questions

PARTITION OF BENGAL
4 marks questions

(a) What was the Swadeshi Movement? [4] Oct/ Nov 2010

(a) Describe the Swadeshi Movement. [4] Oct/Nov 2014

(a) What was the Swadeshi Movement? [4] May/Jun 2018

7 marks questions

How did the Hindus oppose the Partition of Bengal between 1905 and 1911? [7] (Oct/Nov 2002)

Why was the partition of Bengal reversed in 1911? [7] (Oct/ Nov 2003)

Why was Bengal partitioned in 1905? [7] (May/June 2004)

Why was the partition of Bengal reversed in 1911? Oct/Nov 2005

Why did the British decide to reverse the partition of Bengal in 1911? [7] 2007 May/June

Why was Bengal partitioned in 1905? [7] 2012 Oct/Nov

Why did the British reverse the partition of Bengal in 1911? [7] 2014 May/June

Explain why the British partitioned Bengal in 1905. [7] 2016 May/June

Explain how the British reacted to Hindu-led protests against the Partition of Bengal between 1906 and 1908. 2018 Oct/Nov

14 marks questions

‘Bengal was partitioned in 1905 because of geographical factors.’ Do you agree? Explain your answer. [14] 2006 May/June

‘The reasons for partitioning Bengal in 1905 were more important than those that caused its reversal in 1911.’ Do you agree? Explain
your answer. [14] 2009 May/June

‘Partition or reversal?’ Were the reasons why Bengal was partitioned in 1905 more important than those regarding its reversal in 1911?
Explain your answer. [14] 2011 May/June

How successful was the Partition of Bengal in 1905? Explain your answer. [14]2015 Oct/Nov

How successful was the 1905 Partition of Bengal? Explain your answer. [14] May/ June 2020

SIMLA DEPUTATION

7 marks questions

Why was the Simla Delegation of 1906 an important turning point for the Muslims of the subcontinent? [7] 2006 Oct/Nov

Why was the Simla Deputation of 1906 an important event for the Muslims of the subcontinent? [7] 2010 Oct/Nov

CREATION OF THE MUSLIM LEAGUE

7 marks questions

Why was the Muslim League founded in 1906? [7] (May/June 2003)

Why was the Muslim League founded in 1906? [7] (May/June 2005)

Why was the Muslim League established in 1906? [7] 2009 May/June
Why was the Muslim League established in 1906? [7] 2012 May/June

Explain why the Muslim League was formed in 1906. [7] 2014 Oct/Nov

Explain why the Muslim community felt it necessary to form their own political party in 1906. [7] 2018 May/June

Explain why the Muslim League was formed in 1906. May/June 2021

14 marks questions

‘The Muslim League was established in 1906 because the Hindus had their own political party.’ Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons
for your answer. [14] 2010 May/June

Was the need for their own political party the most important reason why the Muslim League was established in 1906? Explain your
answer. [14] 2013 Oct/Nov

Was the partition of Bengal the main reason for the formation of the Muslim League in 1906? Give reasons for your answer. [14]
2016 Oct/Nov

Was the Simla Deputation of 1906 the most important reason for the formation of the Muslim League later that same year? Explain
your answer. [14] 2019 Oct/Nov

MORLEY MINTO REFORMS

4marks questions

(a) What were the terms of the Indian Councils Act of 1909? [4] May/Jun 2016

7marks questions

Why did the Congress Party oppose the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909? [7] (Oct/Nov 2004)

Why did Congress oppose the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909? [7] 2008 Oct/Nov

Why were the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1906 opposed by the Congress Party? [7] 2013 May/June

Explain why the Congress Party opposed the Morley–Minto reforms of 1909. Oct/Nov 2021

14 marks question

The Morley-Minto reforms were the most important of the attempts by either the Muslims, Hindus or the British government in
seeking a solution to the problems in the sub-continent between 1906 and 1920.’ Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. [14]
2003 May/June

Were the Morley Minto Reorms the most important attempt by either the Muslims, Hindus or the British government in seeking a
solution to the problems in the sub-continent between 1906 and 1920? Explain your answer. Oct/ Nov 2005

‘The Morley-Minto reforms were more important than any other political developments between 1909 and 1919’. Do you agree or
disagree? Give reasons for your answer. [14] 2007 Oct/Nov

How successful were political developments in finding a solution to the problems in the sub-continent between 1909 and 1919? Explain
your answer. [14] 2014 May/June

Which of the following had the most important effect on the Pakistan Movement between 1909 and 1919?

the Morley–Minto reforms, 1909

the reversal of the Partition of Bengal, 1911

the Lucknow Pact, 1916

Explain your answer with reference to all three of the above. [10] 2018 Oct/Nov

LUCKNOW PACT

4 marks questions

(a) What was the Lucknow Pact? [4] May/ June 2012

(a) Describe what happened at Lucknow in 1916. [4] Oct/Nov2016

7 marks questions

Explain why the Lucknow Pact of 1916 came about. [7]2006 May/June

Explain why the Lucknow pact of 1916 came about [7] May/June 2013

Explain the importance of the Lucknow Pact of 1916. May/June 2021

14 marks question

‘The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was the only beacon of hope for Hindu-Muslim unity between 1914 and 1930.’ Do you agree? Give reasons
for your answer. [14] (Oct/Nov 2004)

The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was the most important attempt by either the Muslims, Hindus or the British government in seeking a
solution to the problems in the sub-continent between 1909 and 1919.’ Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. [14] 2012
Oct/Nov

ROWLATT ACT

4 marks question

(a) Describe the Rowlatt Act. [4] May/ June 2011

14 marks question

Was the introduction of the Rowlatt Act in 1919 the sole cause of violence in India during 1919 and 1920? Explain your answer. [14]
2016May/June

MONTAGUE CHELMFORD REFORMS

7 marks question

Why were the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms opposed by Indians in 1919? [7] 2015 Oct/Nov

Why was India not granted self-rule by Britain in 1919? [7] 2018 Oct/Nov

14 marks question

‘The Montague-Chelmsford reforms were more important than any other political developments between 1909 and 1919.’ Do you agree
or disagree? Give reasons for your answer. [14] 2011 Oct/Nov

Were the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms the main reason for the outbreak of violence across India in 1919? Explain your answer. [14]
2014 Oct/Nov

To what extent had India benefited by the early 1920s from supporting Britain in the First World War? Explain your answer. [10]
May/June 2021

AMRITSAR MASSACRE
4 Mark Question
(a)Who was General Dyer? May/ June 2020

(a)Describe the events that took place at Jallianwalla Bagh in 1919. . Oct/Nov 2021

KHILAFAT MOVEMENT

4 marks question

(a) Describe the hijrat. [4] Oct? nov 2011

(a) Describe the Chauri-Chaura incident. [4] Oct? Nov 2012

(a) What was the All India Khilafat Conference? [4] May/June 2015

(a)What was Satyagraha? [4] Oct? Nov 2019

(a)Describe the Hijrat Movement. Oct/ Nov 2020

7 marks question

Why was the Khilafat Movement founded? [7] (May/June 2002)

Why did the Khilafat Movement fail? [7] (Oct/ Nov 2003)

Explain why the Khilafat Movement had failed by 1924. [7] 2006 May/June

Explain the reasons for the failure of the Khilafat Movement. [7] 2009 May/June

Why was the Khilafat Movement founded? [7] 2010 May/June

Why did the Khilafat Movement fail by 1924? [7] 2013 Oct/Nov

Why did the Khilafat Movement emerge? [7]2016Oct/Nov

Explain why the Khilafat Movement ended in 1924. May/ June 2020

14 marks question

Was the withdrawal of Gandhi’s support from the Khilafat Movement the most important reason for its failure? Explain your answer.
[14] (Oct/Nov 2002)

Was the Chaura Chauri incident of 1922 the most important reason for the failure of the Khilafat Movement? Give reasons for your
answer. [14] (May/June 2004)

Was the Khilafat Movement founded because the Muslims feared the break up of Turkey after the First World War? Explain your
answer. [14] (May/June 2005)

Was the abolition of the institution of the caliphate in 1924 the main reason for the failure of the Khilafat Movement? Give reasons
for your answer. [14] 2006 Oct/Nov

‘The Khilafat Movement failed by 1924 because of poor leadership.’ Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. [14] 2008 Oct/Nov

Was the migration to Afghanistan the most important reason why the Khilafat Movement failed? Explain your answer. [14] 2010
Oct/Nov

‘The Khilafat Movement failed by 1924 because Gandhi withdrew his support.’ Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. [14]

2012 May/June

Was the migration to Afghanistan (Hijrat) the most important reason why the Khilafat Movement failed? Explain your answer. [14]
2014 May/June
Were concerns about British policies towards Muslims the most important reason for the foundation of the Khilafat Movement?
Explain your answer. [14] 2014 Oct/Nov

Was the withdrawal of Gandhi’s support the most important reason for the decline of the Khilafat Movement? Explain your answer.
[14] 2017May/June

Was the Moplah uprising in 1921 the most important reason for the end of the khilafat Movement? Explain your answer. [14] 2019
May/June

The imprisonment of its leaders was the main reason for the Khilafat Movement ending.’ How far do you agree with this statement?
Explain your answer. [14] Oct/Nov 2021