The first Partition of Bengal was a territorial reorganization of the Bengal Presidency implemented by the authorities of the British Raj in 1905. Hindus of West Bengal complained the division would make them a minority in a province that would incorporate the province of Bihar and Orissa. Muslims led by the Nawab Sallimullah of Dhaka supported the partition and Hindus opposed it.
About Partition of Bengal (1905) in brief
The first Partition of Bengal was a territorial reorganization of the Bengal Presidency implemented by the authorities of the British Raj in 1905. The partition separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas on 16 October 1905 after being announced on 19 July 1905 by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India. Hindus of West Bengal complained the division would make them a minority in a province that would incorporate the province of Bihar and Orissa. Muslims led by the Nawab Sallimullah of Dhaka supported the partition and Hindus opposed it. The middle class of Bengal saw this as the rupture of their dear motherland as well as a tactic to diminish their authority. Bengali Hindus were upset with their status in the new province. They began an angry agitation, featuring belief among Hindus that East Bengal would have its own courts and policies. Government schools were spurned and on the day of partition, schools and shops were blockaded.
This was followed by violent confrontations, due to which the older leadership in the Congress became anxious and convinced the younger Congress members to stop boycotting the schools. To appease Bengali sentiment, Bengal was reunited by Lord Hardinge in 1911, in response to the Swadeshi movement’s riots in protest against the policy. In the absence of this partition, more liberal Indian nationalism would have been more liberal over the Bengali cause and all over India were shocked at the British disregard for opinion and ostensible divide and rule. The Poona Pravachar movement was a rallying cry for Bengali Nationalists who were outraged by the British rule and its ostensible disregard for the goddess Kali. Although there were prominent Muslim speakers, there were also prominent Bengali speakers who were indifferent to the movement. With each case of suppression, assertive nationalism increased in Bengal.
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This page is based on the article Partition of Bengal (1905) published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 14, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
