Blog Partition Of Bengal 1905

Partition of Bengal 1905

The decision to partition Bengal in 1905 is considered one of the landmarks in the timeline of British India and a topic of controversy.

This act that was sponsored by the British colonial administration entailed the demarcation of such territories’ boundaries and other impacts on the political, social, and economic aspects of the affected territories.

The history of partition, the reasons that led to it, the manner in which it was executed and the resultant consequences ensure that the reader is well equipped with the overview of this key event.

Background to the Partition

To continue our exploration of colonial administrative agents, our next focus is going to be British Colonial Administration in India.

This persistent imperial control had been established by the British in the Indian subcontinent by the beginning of the twelfth decade of the 20th century.

The administration of this huge and multi–ethnic state became a question of great challenge.

Bengal being the largest and richest zone of population, was a matter of special concern.

Poxa of Bengal comprised present-day Bangladesh and West Bengal of India along with some parts of Bihar, Odisha and Assam.

Socio-Economic Context

During the early 1900s the population of Bengal was nearly 78 million which made administration for the rulers from the ‘administrative capital’ of Calcutta , now known as Kolkata quite a challenging task.

The socio-economic structures were polarized – on one hand were the industries powered by markets and capital that were increasingly evident in the cities and on the other hand were the backward agrarian villages containing poor peasants.

For administration of the region it was quite hard because both cults had different culture and or social practices; indeed the two major cults in this region were Hindus and Muslims.

India had an intricate situation in terms of Socio-economic well being. Read here.

Administrative Rationale

The British administration, with the permission of the Viceroy, Lord Curzon, claimed that the size of the province had surpassed the administrative capacity for controlling it.

Curzon put forward his idea that secession would be the most appropriate development since it would lead to improved administration and management of the region.

The stated reason that the government gave to the people involved rationalizations such as rationalization of railway services, cutting down on bureaucratic procedures and initiating railway construction in the less explored east side of Bengal.

The Decision to Partition

Lord Curzon’s Role

The partition was mainly the work of Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905 who partitioned the province into two halves.

He served the company during the administrations which were characterized by a number of administrative measures primarily intended to strengthen British domination.

Curzon conceptualized that by the partition, there could be a more effective management of the regions because of the economic and infrastructural problems that were perceived in the eastern areas.

Lord Curzon was responsible for several controversial decisions, get a detailed read here.

Proposals and Plans

The proposals that Curzon made during his early years received mixed response from the British most especially regarding the administration.

Nevertheless, he did not give up, trying to reach her on a regular basis.

The plan involved dividing Bengal into two separate provinces: Western Bengal, which comprises Bihar, Odisha, and has Hindu dominance; and Eastern Bengal and Assam, which Muslim dominates.

Thus it was intended that the headquarters of Eastern Bengal were at Dacca (now Dhaka) with Western Bengal remaining at Calcutta.

Official Justifications

The real reasons that were given by the British included the issue of finding what was termed as ‘official misrule’, the issues to do with the economic development that was believed to be curtailing the progress of the people as well as the matters concerning improved governance that was supposedly lacking.

The British also stated that the partition was better since it would help in rationing appropriate resources and focus administrative attention towards the comparatively deprived areas of the East.

Implementation of the Partition

Notification and Announcement

The partition plan was declared on July the twentieth in 1905 and implemented on the sixteenth of October in 1905.

This left many people shocked as the British had not consulted the locals or their leaders back in what they allowed into the country in a while.

This lack of transparency and consultative approach engendered a lot of suspicion and animosity towards the government.

Administrative Changes

The administrative machinery experienced a change of leadership since they were rearranged on the political boundaries of the population through the implementation of partition.

Some new provinces were formed, and a new capital was awarded to Eastern Bengal at Dacca.

With power being shifted to the provinces, the British sought to establish new administrative centers and embarked on the formulation of new bureaucratic institutions so as to enable the newly formed provinces to attain a new order of functionality.

This indicates reaction from the local population in as far as matters concerning the provision of basic services are concerned.

Residents of the country received the action rather unfriendly, receiving negative feedback at almost every turn at the beginning.

There were actually two wars launched against partition, both by Hindus and both by Muslims but for opposing reasons.

This partition was seen by the Hindus, especially the Bengali Hindus in Calcutta, as a move aimed at diminishing their control over both political and economic opportunities.

Others opposed the new province as it would reinforce their status as minorities within a Muslim-dominated region.

The Muslims, on the other hand, had major concerns particularly on the aspect of social cohesion and the consequences of the partition on the economic status of Indian Muslims.

Political and Social Repercussions

The Swadeshi Movement

The imposition of partition in Bengal that took place in 1905 led to outrage and called for the Swadeshi Movement.

Swadeshi, which literally translates as ‘of one’s own country,’ also concentrated on the policy of Home-Spinned industry and refusing to use goods manufactured in Britain.

According to Amrita Mukerji this movement was led by the Indian nationalists who believed that the partition was intentional so that Britain could continue to rule India through the creation of the two mutually hostile entities.

Boycott of British Goods

Swadeshi movement can be seen as the major cause of boycotting the British products along with leveraging Indian products.

This was a big boost to economic independence and propelled the unity of the nation, a thing that most people wanted.

It engaged students, women and workers across its active participation during the course of the movement.

Cultural Renaissance

The Swadeshi Movement also triggered a lot of social transformation more so in the aspect of culture.

The revival of arts, literature, and music was due to a search for identity as the Indians were struggling to produce anything unique.

Another famous personality who contributed greatly to Bengal was Rabindranath Tagore who wrote songs and poetry which stirred the goodness of people.

Emergence of Nationalist Leaders

The idea of partition in Bengal stirred nationalist spirits among leaders who came out to be leading icons in the fight for Indian independence.

Ungurit leaders such as Surendranath Banerjee, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurobindo Ghosh took much effort to spread awareness against the partition and for self-rule.

Impact on Hindu-Muslim Relations

The partition also fueled inter and intra religious tensions between religious communities particularly Hindus and Muslims.

The British’s divide and rule technique became popular as one community was set against the other.

Although it was a united show of protesting the move, it sowed seeds of discord, which are evident in the Indian context regarding the larger question of the politics of minority communities.

Reversal of the Partition

Growing Unrest

Despite this, other waves of ‘Stop India’ remained unceasing which pressured the British to reverse their decision following societal turmoil in Bengal and other parts of the Indian subcontinent.

The passionate nature of the protests and how well the Swadeshi Movement went to show just how nationalist the Indian population was.

Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms

The British government had to adopt a range of changes due to an increase in the desire for autonomy among the subjects.

The Montagu Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 proposed the self-governing provinces in India which was a direct outcome of nationalists struggles.

Annulment of the Partition

The final decision regarding the annulment of partition was given on 12 December 1911, when the King George announced during the Delhi Durbar.

To do so, Atlee had to listen to the Indian leadership and the common public, from where the continuing troubles emerged as the final trigger to bring the reverse partition.

Bengal was again annexed and the capital of British India was transferred from Calcutta to New Delhi which was very much appreciated officially by the Bengalis.

Legacy of the Partition

How such fetters imposed a long-term impact on the future of Indian nationalism Movement?

It is also seen that the partition of Bengal did affect the Indian nationalist movement in a considerable manner.

It was typical of a change to more systematic and coordinated rebellion against the British.

Therefore, the manifesting ideologies and strategies that were formed during the anti-partition stand out as the foundation for further struggles for independence.

Communal Tensions

This social disruption carried the seeds of tension which were to surface later when the community was partitioned.

Regional separation on the basis of religious demography dictated future decisions as leading to the creation of two separate entities, India and Pakistan, in 1947.

The British invariably used the Indians’ large-scale hostility to them for the sake of gaining power and soon enough after the British left the subcontinent, the hatred manifested itself again.

Economic and Social Developments

Economic wise there were effects as well as socially there were also effects of the partition.

Commissioned in 1945, unabated dislocation by the partition, and subsequent reversal, threw trade industry agriculture to Bengal.

The policy of Swadeshi and self- reliance was a direction in India, which shaped the economic policies in future.

Watch the full documentary on British raj ulterior motives for Bengal here.

Conclusion

The policy of ‘Partition of Bengal’ in the year 1905 is considered to be a very significant political event for British India.

Educationally, it provided a clearer understanding on the nature of colonialism and the difficulties that came with the task of ruling a large and populated colony.

The partition, racially motivated by administrative convenience and politically influenced, had a lot of impact on the shaping of nationalism in India and the relations between the religious communities in the South Asian region.

This is because despite the numerous opposition and the subsequent change of heart which saw the partition never to be later on, the Indian people stood firm and united in the hope of attaining this sovereignty.

The expansion of the partition as a process and the consequences of such a process to this day remain an issue for analysis for people, who would like to think about the history of the Indian subcontinent.

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