Bengal Partitioned [7]

Question 1

Why did the British decide to partition Bengal in 1905?

Answer 1

• The British partitioned Bengal for political, administrative, and economic reasons.
• They wanted to weaken the Indian National Congress (INC), improve governance in the large province, and reduce Hindu dominance over trade and politics.

Question 2

How did the political activities of the INC influence the partition of Bengal?

Answer 2

• The Indian National Congress had become increasingly active in demanding self-rule.
• Leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak delivered passionate speeches urging independence.
• In 1897, he was imprisoned for writing a provocative article.
• Secret societies had emerged in the late 1870s, seeking to remove British rule, and in the same year, a British officer was assassinated.
• The British became concerned about the growing unrest and saw partition as a way to distract the INC from its demands.

Question 3

How did Bengal’s size contribute to its partition in 1905?

Answer 3

• Bengal was the largest province in British India, making it difficult to govern efficiently.
• West Bengal had a population of 54 million, including 42 million Hindus and 12 million Muslims, while East Bengal and Assam had 31 million people, with 12 million Hindus and 18 million Muslims.
• With a population ten times larger than Britain’s, administration became increasingly complex.
• The British claimed that dividing Bengal into smaller provinces would make governance easier.

Question 4

How did the economic disparity between Hindus and Muslims influence the partition?

Answer 4

• Hindus had a monopoly over trade, industry, and politics in Bengal, leaving Muslims economically disadvantaged.
• The British may have used partition as a way to weaken Hindu dominance by creating a separate Muslim-majority province in East Bengal.
• This division would reduce Hindu influence in the region and provide Muslims with more opportunities in administration and commerce.

Question 5

What administrative difficulties led to the partition of Bengal?

Answer 5

• In 1903, Viceroy Curzon proposed the partition to address administrative challenges.
• Bengal was densely populated, making governance inefficient.
• Tax collection was difficult, disaster relief was challenging due to frequent cyclones and floods, and law and order issues were growing.
• By dividing Bengal into two provinces—West Bengal and East Bengal, which included Assam, Dhaka, Chittagong, and Mymensingh—the British hoped to improve administration and maintain control over the region.