Simla deputation

AN IMPORTANT STEP TO FORM ALL INDIA

MUSLIM LEAGUE
introduction
 Simla deputation that called on viceroy Lord Minto, on 1 October 1906, was led
by Sir Aga Khan III
 Sir Aga Khan was chosen confidently that the British would listen to him.
 Mohsin ul Mulk as a secretary of Aligarh College, who was the successor of Sir
Syed was expected that the Muslim community would listen to him.
 Mohsin ul Mulk had to earn a personal loan of Rs.2000 from Kings and Kings
company.
 The memorial was drafted by Nawab Imadul Mulk and was signed by 1,461,183
Muslims.
 The deputation stressed that the Muslims were a large and distinct community in
India and formed at least one-fifth of the total Indian population.
 They said that their importance should not be measured only by their population,
but by their cultural and historical role.
 Demands of Simla deputation
1. Separate Electorates: This meant that Muslim voters would be registered separately
from the Hindus and would vote only for Muslim candidates. The candidates could be
independent or belong to any party.
2. Weightage: This meant that minorities would be given more representation than their
population proportion. For example, the Muslims of UP were 13% of the total
population; they would get 20% representation.
3. Government and judicial Service: This was the most wanted demand for
employment. It brought handsome salaries, power and influence in society at large.
People adopted western education mainly to qualify such posts. Appointments as
Judges were even more important. They enjoyed an independent status which even
British officers had to respect.
Conti…,
 Aligarh was the nerve center of Muslim political rivals. As long as the College was
secondary (lesser) to a University for examinations and award of degree, it could not
freely recommend its own syllabus or award post-graduate degrees. The college
acquired university status in 1920.
 Lord Minto's Response towards the Demands.
In his reply to these demands of Simla Deputation, Lord Minto expressed
thoughtful sympathy for the Muslims especially their request that their should be
more than their numbers.
Contrary to the general impression, Lord Minto did not accept any of the
demands of the delegates. He was sympathetic but did not commit himself to any step
at all.
The conspiracy theory
 It is often said that the Simla Deputation was a British conspiracy to subvert the
movement for Indian Independence. It was also said that the Simla Deputation was
called by the viceroy following the announcement of the separate electorates which
divided the Hindus and Muslims.
 Fuller’s departure caused uneasiness for the Muslims. Mohsin ul Mulk wrote to
A.J Archbold, principal of Aligarh college to ask if Lord Minto would receive a
delegation of Muslims.
 Archbold connected the viceroy’s secretary Dunlop Smith, in Simla who, after
using conversion replied to Mohsin ul Mulk that a delegation would be welcome.
 Archbold’s reply was quoted but Mohsin ul Mulk’s letter was suppressed to
create an impression that initiate came through Archbold.
Conti…,
Peter Hardy, while insisting that a conspiracy existed, wrote that “the members of
the Simla Deputation knew in advance that they would not meet with a hostile
reception from Lord Minto.”
Francis Robinson, on the other hand refutes this argument by observing that
“yet in Oct 1906 Minto promised and intended to promise nothing except
sympathy”.
 The correspondence between Morley and Minto also confirms that the initiative
had not come from the British, nor did the Muslims gain anything from sending this
deputation.
 It has assumed importance only because it was seen as a step leading to the
foundation of the Muslim League.