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Partition of Bengal
Write a short note on 1905 partition of Bengal.
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2 Replies
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The Partition of Bengal was the decision of separating eastern parts of Bengal from the rest of Bengal. It was announced on 19 July 1905 by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. The reason given for the decision was that Bengal with a population of 78 million had become too big to be administered. The real motive behind the partition was the British desire to weaken Bengal, the nerve center of Indian nationalism, So they divided the people of Bengal based on religion, that is, the Hindus and the Muslims. The British justified the partition by stating that The British said that the partition was an important step in the development of East Bengal. They felt that the partition gave more opportunities in higher education and employment for the Muslims in East Bengal. With the partition, the British could focus on spreading education and increasing employment opportunities in East Bengal. It was also a way to improve the trade capabilities of East Bengal whereas the original plan according to the British Viceroy, Lord Curzon, was to carve out modern-day Bangladesh and Assam as East Bengal and make Dhaka the new capital. The other part would be West Bengal including the regions of present-day West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. The British cited the administrative reasons for the partition of Bengal.
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This reply was modified 10 months, 3 weeks ago by
Srijita Chakraborty.
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This reply was modified 10 months, 3 weeks ago by
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In early 20th century, Calcutta was the capital city of India and Bengal was the hotspot of pro-independence activities with freedom fighters like Subash Chandra Bose, Khudiram Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, Pritilata Waddedar, Bipin Chandra Pal etc.
These accumulation of voices of freedom became an issue for the British authorities. In order to separate people, Britishers divided the state in two halves named West Bengal (Hindu majority) and East Bengal (Muslim majority). It was announced by Lord Curzon (viceroy of India) in July 1905 and implemented in October 1905. But the intent of Britishers was soon realized and the partition was undone 6 years later.
In 1911 British authorities shifted the capital city from Calcutta to Delhi.
Partition of Bengal again took place in 1947 with the formation of Pakistan. West Bengal was Under India and Eastern part was called East Pakistan (Pakistan was then known as West Pakistan). Later, East Pakistan was renamed as Bangladesh.