Partition of Bengal, 1905

At a Glance

• What it is The division of Bengal Presidency in 1905 under Curzon
• Announced Decision public December 1903; announced July 1905; effective 16 October 1905
• New provinces Bengal (with Bihar and Orissa), and Eastern Bengal and Assam
• Real motive Weaken Bengal, the nerve centre of Indian nationalism
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Era of Militant Nationalism, 1905-1909

Where Does It Fit?

This is the second topic of the category on the era of militant nationalism. The previous topic gave the causes of the militant trend. This topic describes the partition that triggered mass action. The next topic covers the anti-partition campaign under the Moderates. Previous topic: Why Militant Nationalism Grew.

What Was the Partition Plan?

The British government’s decision to partition Bengal was made public in December 1903. The idea was to have two provinces: Bengal, comprising Western Bengal along with the provinces of Bihar and Orissa, and Eastern Bengal and Assam. Bengal retained Calcutta as its capital, while Dacca became the capital of Eastern Bengal.

What Was the Official Reason?

The official reason given was that Bengal, with a population of 78 million, about a quarter of the population of British India, had become too big to be administered. It was also said that the partition would help in the development of Assam if it came under the direct jurisdiction of the government. This was true to some extent.

What Was the Real Motive?

But the real motive behind the partition plan was seen to be the British desire to weaken Bengal, the nerve centre of Indian nationalism. This it sought to achieve by putting the Bengalis under two administrations, dividing them in two ways:

Risley, the home secretary to the Government of India, wrote in 1904 that a united Bengal was a power and a divided Bengal would pull in different directions, and that one of the main objects was to split up and thereby weaken a solid body of opponents to British rule.

Trying to win over the Muslims, Curzon, then the viceroy, argued that Dacca could become the capital of the new Muslim-majority province, which would give Muslims a unity not experienced by them since the days of old Muslim viceroys and kings. It was clear that the government was up to its old policy of propping up Muslim communalists to counter the Congress and the national movement. The Muslim response and the founding of the Muslim League are told in Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909, and the Formation of the Muslim League.

How Did the Partition Fit Curzon’s Policies?

The partition is listed among Curzon’s measures that left no doubt about the reactionary nature of British rule, along with the Official Secrets Act, the Indian Universities Act and the Calcutta Corporation Act, as told in Why Militant Nationalism Grew. As an analytical point, the partition combined two aims: an administrative claim that could be defended openly, and a political aim that Risley’s note put in plain words. That mismatch between the stated and real reasons is why Indians of all groups opposed it and why the argument about motive is still a standard question.

The first response was a campaign of petitions led by the Moderates, described in Anti-Partition Campaign Under the Moderates, followed by the swadeshi and boycott movement, described in Swadeshi and Boycott Movement Under Extremist Leadership.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Core event The partition of Bengal and its motive are asked in Prelims and Mains
• Statistics Provinces, capitals and population figures are tested
• Origin of Swadeshi The partition triggered the swadeshi movement

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the anti-partition campaign under the Moderates. Next topic: Anti-Partition Campaign Under the Moderates.

Key People and Terms

• Partition of Bengal The 1905 division of Bengal Presidency into two provinces
• Eastern Bengal and Assam The new Muslim-majority province with Dacca as capital
• Risley The home secretary who wrote that a divided Bengal would weaken opponents
• Nerve centre The centre of Indian nationalism, in the British view, Bengal
• Communalists People who promote the separate interests of a religious community in politics
• Division by language The splitting of Bengalis from Hindi and Oriya speakers

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask for the motive and impact of the partition. These points add depth.

• Divide by language Bengalis reduced to a minority in their own province
• Divide by religion A Hindu-majority west and a Muslim-majority east
• Appeal to Muslims Curzon’s argument about Dacca