HAIDER NOTES | O Level Pakistan Studies | Section 2
HAIDER NOTES
O LEVEL PAKISTAN STUDIES
SECTION 2 — COMPLETE NOTES
Covers:
✦ Partition of Bengal (1905) ✦
✦ Simla Deputation (1906) ✦
✦ All India Muslim League (AIML) ✦
✦ Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) ✦
✦ Lucknow Pact (1916) ✦
✦ Montague-Chelmsford Reforms (1919) ✦
✦ Khilafat Movement ✦
✦ Delhi Proposals & Simon Commission ✦
✦ Nehru Report & Jinnah's 14 Points ✦
✦ Allahabad Address (1930) ✦
✦ Round Table Conferences (1930–32) ✦
✦ Government of India Act 1935 ✦
✦ Elections of 1937 & Congress Rule 1937–39 ✦
✦ Lahore/Pakistan Resolution (1940) ✦
✦ August Offer, Cripps Mission & Quit India ✦
✦ Gandhi-Jinnah Talks & Simla Conference ✦
✦ Elections 1945–46 & Cabinet Mission ✦
✦ Direct Action Day & 3rd June Plan ✦
✦ Radcliffe Award & Independence Act ✦
✦ Key Personalities: Iqbal, Rahmat Ali, Jinnah ✦
Haider Notes | All Rights Reserved
Page 1 | Haider Notes — All Rights Reserved
,HAIDER NOTES | O Level Pakistan Studies | Section 2
PARTITION OF BENGAL
PARTITION PLAN
✓ Viceroy Lord Curzon proposed to partition Bengal in 1903, but it was implemented in 1905.
✓ Three areas — Dhaka, Chittagong, and Mymensingh — were separated and merged with Assam
to create a new province called East Bengal, which became a Muslim-majority area.
✓ Due to this partition, Hindus and Muslims were divided along communal lines.
WHY WAS THE PARTITION DONE?
1. Bengal Was the Most Densely Populated Province
✓ Bengal was considered the most densely populated province in British India — about 85 million
people lived there.
✓ There were many administrative problems for the British government; it was difficult to control such
a large area.
✓ Bengal was the size of France, making it extremely difficult for British rulers to control.
✓ The British feared they would lose control over India if Bengal remained unsplit.
2. To Give Relaxation to Muslims
✓ The British wanted to give more relaxation and power to Muslims following the role played by
reformers like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in removing misunderstandings.
✓ They realised Muslims had been victimised after the War of 1857 and deserved advancement in
the new province.
✓ West Bengal: Hindus numbered 42 million, Muslims only 12 million.
✓ East Bengal: Muslims numbered 18 million, Hindus only 12 million.
✓ The British believed that with Muslims in the majority in the new province, they would be able to
prosper and dominate various sectors — improving British-Muslim relations.
3. To Break the Power of Congress
✓ The British wanted to break Hindu dominance in many parts of India — Bengal was a perfect
example of their 'divide and rule' policy.
✓ In United Bengal, Hindus dominated and exploited Muslims, keeping them as a deprived section of
society.
✓ The British feared losing control over Bengal to Hindu extremists.
4. To Develop East Bengal
✓ According to the British, partition would result in equal development throughout Bengal.
✓ There were great differences between East and West Bengal — East Bengal was the more
neglected region.
✓ West Bengal was developed using the resources of East Bengal.
Page 2 | Haider Notes — All Rights Reserved
,HAIDER NOTES | O Level Pakistan Studies | Section 2
✓ Partition was intended to allow development in education and employment throughout Bengal,
improving it economically for the future.
5. Cultural Differences
✓ Bengal was densely populated with communities belonging to different races, speaking different
languages, and practising different religions.
✓ This multicultural environment created serious governance problems, prompting the British to
divide Bengal.
6. Divide and Rule Policy
✓ Hindus believed that the partition was part of the British 'divide and rule' policy — intended to
weaken Hindu unity and reduce Hindu influence in the new East Bengal.
RESULTS OF PARTITION
✓ Muslims expressed complete satisfaction — they could now send representatives to the assembly.
✓ The number of primary and high schools increased, and Muslim student enrolment also rose.
✓ A new steam railway service was started in East Bengal.
✓ Muslims of India realised they could not continue to live with Hindus without political protection —
they needed their own political party, leading to the Simla Deputation.
✓ Hindus protested loudly — they lost their monopoly over Muslims and felt their dominance was
threatened.
✓ Moderate and liberal Hindus protested through constitutional methods: resolutions, petitions to the
Secretary of State, print media, and meetings with English politicians.
✓ Hindus kept fasts on the day of partition as a symbolic hunger strike, and wore threads on their
arms to convey solidarity.
✓ Protests, strikes, demonstrations with banners, marches, and public speeches followed.
✓ The Swadeshi Movement was launched — boycotting British goods and encouraging homemade
products.
✓ Hindu militant groups emerged and launched attacks on British officials.
✓ Strong agitation and protests forced the British to reverse the partition.
✓ In 1911, King George V reversed the partition at the Delhi Durbar.
HOW DID THE BRITISH REACT TO HINDU-LED PROTESTS?
✓ Newspapers and public meetings had restrictions placed on them. Editors and journalists who
reported against the British were prosecuted or imprisoned.
✓ The Press Act of 1908 placed further restrictions on newspapers, giving the government greater
control — effectively placing the press under British authority.
✓ Tilak of Poona, a key organiser of Hindu-led demonstrations, was sentenced to 6 years'
imprisonment. Others were deported or left India voluntarily.
✓ To win moderate Hindu support, Lord Minto (Viceroy) worked with John Morley (Secretary of State
for India) on reforms that became the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909.
Page 3 | Haider Notes — All Rights Reserved
, HAIDER NOTES | O Level Pakistan Studies | Section 2
WHY WAS THE PARTITION REVERSED?
1. Protests, Strikes, and Rallies
✓ Hindu objections to the partition were so intense that the British were forced to reconsider.
✓ Congress held meetings and mass rallies, putting enormous pressure on the British government.
✓ They believed it was a deliberate 'divide and rule' attempt. Strikes, protests, and marches followed
across India.
✓ There was also an outbreak of terrorist activities, and Hindus closed Calcutta for several days.
2. Swadeshi Movement
✓ Hindus boycotted British goods under the Swadeshi Movement, producing their own handmade
Khaddar cloth.
✓ As a result, British silk sales suffered a net loss; British cotton was thrown into fires, and local
cotton became a matter of honour.
✓ The Swadeshi Movement caused significant economic damage to the British government.
3. Attempt to Assassinate Lord Minto
✓ Hindus, furious with the decision, attempted to assassinate Lord Minto — the serving Viceroy.
✓ Lord Curzon, the originator of the partition idea, was no longer Viceroy, making a policy change
easier.
✓ The intense pressure led the British to ultimately reverse the partition of Bengal.
Page 4 | Haider Notes — All Rights Reserved
HAIDER NOTES
O LEVEL PAKISTAN STUDIES
SECTION 2 — COMPLETE NOTES
Covers:
✦ Partition of Bengal (1905) ✦
✦ Simla Deputation (1906) ✦
✦ All India Muslim League (AIML) ✦
✦ Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) ✦
✦ Lucknow Pact (1916) ✦
✦ Montague-Chelmsford Reforms (1919) ✦
✦ Khilafat Movement ✦
✦ Delhi Proposals & Simon Commission ✦
✦ Nehru Report & Jinnah's 14 Points ✦
✦ Allahabad Address (1930) ✦
✦ Round Table Conferences (1930–32) ✦
✦ Government of India Act 1935 ✦
✦ Elections of 1937 & Congress Rule 1937–39 ✦
✦ Lahore/Pakistan Resolution (1940) ✦
✦ August Offer, Cripps Mission & Quit India ✦
✦ Gandhi-Jinnah Talks & Simla Conference ✦
✦ Elections 1945–46 & Cabinet Mission ✦
✦ Direct Action Day & 3rd June Plan ✦
✦ Radcliffe Award & Independence Act ✦
✦ Key Personalities: Iqbal, Rahmat Ali, Jinnah ✦
Haider Notes | All Rights Reserved
Page 1 | Haider Notes — All Rights Reserved
,HAIDER NOTES | O Level Pakistan Studies | Section 2
PARTITION OF BENGAL
PARTITION PLAN
✓ Viceroy Lord Curzon proposed to partition Bengal in 1903, but it was implemented in 1905.
✓ Three areas — Dhaka, Chittagong, and Mymensingh — were separated and merged with Assam
to create a new province called East Bengal, which became a Muslim-majority area.
✓ Due to this partition, Hindus and Muslims were divided along communal lines.
WHY WAS THE PARTITION DONE?
1. Bengal Was the Most Densely Populated Province
✓ Bengal was considered the most densely populated province in British India — about 85 million
people lived there.
✓ There were many administrative problems for the British government; it was difficult to control such
a large area.
✓ Bengal was the size of France, making it extremely difficult for British rulers to control.
✓ The British feared they would lose control over India if Bengal remained unsplit.
2. To Give Relaxation to Muslims
✓ The British wanted to give more relaxation and power to Muslims following the role played by
reformers like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in removing misunderstandings.
✓ They realised Muslims had been victimised after the War of 1857 and deserved advancement in
the new province.
✓ West Bengal: Hindus numbered 42 million, Muslims only 12 million.
✓ East Bengal: Muslims numbered 18 million, Hindus only 12 million.
✓ The British believed that with Muslims in the majority in the new province, they would be able to
prosper and dominate various sectors — improving British-Muslim relations.
3. To Break the Power of Congress
✓ The British wanted to break Hindu dominance in many parts of India — Bengal was a perfect
example of their 'divide and rule' policy.
✓ In United Bengal, Hindus dominated and exploited Muslims, keeping them as a deprived section of
society.
✓ The British feared losing control over Bengal to Hindu extremists.
4. To Develop East Bengal
✓ According to the British, partition would result in equal development throughout Bengal.
✓ There were great differences between East and West Bengal — East Bengal was the more
neglected region.
✓ West Bengal was developed using the resources of East Bengal.
Page 2 | Haider Notes — All Rights Reserved
,HAIDER NOTES | O Level Pakistan Studies | Section 2
✓ Partition was intended to allow development in education and employment throughout Bengal,
improving it economically for the future.
5. Cultural Differences
✓ Bengal was densely populated with communities belonging to different races, speaking different
languages, and practising different religions.
✓ This multicultural environment created serious governance problems, prompting the British to
divide Bengal.
6. Divide and Rule Policy
✓ Hindus believed that the partition was part of the British 'divide and rule' policy — intended to
weaken Hindu unity and reduce Hindu influence in the new East Bengal.
RESULTS OF PARTITION
✓ Muslims expressed complete satisfaction — they could now send representatives to the assembly.
✓ The number of primary and high schools increased, and Muslim student enrolment also rose.
✓ A new steam railway service was started in East Bengal.
✓ Muslims of India realised they could not continue to live with Hindus without political protection —
they needed their own political party, leading to the Simla Deputation.
✓ Hindus protested loudly — they lost their monopoly over Muslims and felt their dominance was
threatened.
✓ Moderate and liberal Hindus protested through constitutional methods: resolutions, petitions to the
Secretary of State, print media, and meetings with English politicians.
✓ Hindus kept fasts on the day of partition as a symbolic hunger strike, and wore threads on their
arms to convey solidarity.
✓ Protests, strikes, demonstrations with banners, marches, and public speeches followed.
✓ The Swadeshi Movement was launched — boycotting British goods and encouraging homemade
products.
✓ Hindu militant groups emerged and launched attacks on British officials.
✓ Strong agitation and protests forced the British to reverse the partition.
✓ In 1911, King George V reversed the partition at the Delhi Durbar.
HOW DID THE BRITISH REACT TO HINDU-LED PROTESTS?
✓ Newspapers and public meetings had restrictions placed on them. Editors and journalists who
reported against the British were prosecuted or imprisoned.
✓ The Press Act of 1908 placed further restrictions on newspapers, giving the government greater
control — effectively placing the press under British authority.
✓ Tilak of Poona, a key organiser of Hindu-led demonstrations, was sentenced to 6 years'
imprisonment. Others were deported or left India voluntarily.
✓ To win moderate Hindu support, Lord Minto (Viceroy) worked with John Morley (Secretary of State
for India) on reforms that became the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909.
Page 3 | Haider Notes — All Rights Reserved
, HAIDER NOTES | O Level Pakistan Studies | Section 2
WHY WAS THE PARTITION REVERSED?
1. Protests, Strikes, and Rallies
✓ Hindu objections to the partition were so intense that the British were forced to reconsider.
✓ Congress held meetings and mass rallies, putting enormous pressure on the British government.
✓ They believed it was a deliberate 'divide and rule' attempt. Strikes, protests, and marches followed
across India.
✓ There was also an outbreak of terrorist activities, and Hindus closed Calcutta for several days.
2. Swadeshi Movement
✓ Hindus boycotted British goods under the Swadeshi Movement, producing their own handmade
Khaddar cloth.
✓ As a result, British silk sales suffered a net loss; British cotton was thrown into fires, and local
cotton became a matter of honour.
✓ The Swadeshi Movement caused significant economic damage to the British government.
3. Attempt to Assassinate Lord Minto
✓ Hindus, furious with the decision, attempted to assassinate Lord Minto — the serving Viceroy.
✓ Lord Curzon, the originator of the partition idea, was no longer Viceroy, making a policy change
easier.
✓ The intense pressure led the British to ultimately reverse the partition of Bengal.
Page 4 | Haider Notes — All Rights Reserved
