Partition of Bengal 1905: Causes, Impact & More - UPSC Notes

The Partition of Bengal was the territorial reorganization of Bengal which was announced by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon on 20 July 1905. The Partition of Bengal was the masterpiece of Curzon’s internal policy. The Partition of Bengal was carried out on 16 October 1905 under Viceroy Lord Curzon’s presidency. which resulted in the division of Bengal into Eastern Bengal and Western Bengal. Indians were told that the partition of Bengal was due to the huge population which was difficult for the Britishers to administrate. However, the real intention of the British was to wreck the nerve centre of Nationalism (Bengal) in order to safeguard their interests. This was rejected widely by the people. Militant Nationalism emerged as a result of the Partition of Bengal.

This article on the Partition of Bengal 1905 UPSC is a very important topic under Modern History and will be useful for the aspirants of UPSC CSE.

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Partition of Bengal 1905

In December 1903, the British Government conveyed their idea of the Partition of Bengal. Lord Curzon announced the Partition of Bengal on 20 July 1905. The idea was to divide Bengal into two – Bengal and Eastern Bengal. The Western Bengal, Bihar and Orissa were retained under Bengal while the remaining portion of Bengal and Assam formed the Eastern Bengal. Calcutta was the capital of Bengal whereas Dhaka was made the capital of Eastern Bengal. The British government partitioned Bengal on the basis of language and religion. The western half was to be Hindu majority while the eastern half was to be Muslim majority.

Background of the Partition of Bengal

The decision to partition Bengal was made by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India. It was officially announced on July 19, 1905. The partition aimed to address administrative challenges by creating two smaller provinces:

• Bengal with a predominantly Hindu population in the west and
• Eastern Bengal and Assam with a predominantly Muslim population in the east.

However, the partition was met with strong opposition from various sections of society, including Indian nationalists, intellectuals, and religious leaders. They saw it as a deliberate attempt to weaken the nationalist movement and sow communal divisions. The partition of Bengal became a significant catalyst for political mobilization. It led to widespread protests, the emergence of the Swadeshi movement, and the growth of Indian nationalism. The partition was eventually annulled in 1911 due to intense popular pressure. Bengal was reunified as a single province.

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Reasons for the Partition of Bengal

The official causes of partition of Bengal quoted by the British administrators was that it was an administrative necessity. Bengal had a population of about 78 million which was hard to administer. They also stated that with the partition, Assam would be brought under direct administration which would result in the development of the state.

• Bengal was the nerve centre of nationalism in British India. The British believed that by partitioning Bengal the rising tide of nationalism could be controlled.
• Another important reason for the partition was to bring an end to the political influence of the educated middle class among whom the Bengal intelligentsia was prominent.
• The English-educated middle class of Bengal saw this partition as a tactic to diminish their authority. Before the partition was effected Indian national Congress arranged meetings where petitions against the partition were collected and given to impassive authorities.
• Surendranath Banerjee conceded that the petitions were ineffective and as the partition date approached, he advocated for stronger measures including boycotting British goods. He prefers it to be called swadeshi.
• Another motive was to divide the Hindus and Muslims. They aimed to turn the Muslim communalists against Congress and hamper the national movement.

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Role of Lord Curzon in the 1905 Partition of Bengal

Lord Curzon was the Viceroy of India during the years 1899-1905. The Partition of Bengal in the year 1905, during his viceroyalty, was an event that he had given much importance to. He had advocated the division of Bengal into two zones on the basis of administrative efficiency. As he said, because of its enormous size and diversity, it was impossible to govern Bengal effectively.

Curzon's aim was a Muslim majority in East Bengal and Assam with Dhaka as its administration unit, and a Hindu majority in West Bengal with Calcutta as its capital. This move was also in tune with the British 'divide and rule' policy since it would weaken the rising jingoist movement in Bengal by introducing religious and regional divisions into it. His move brought about state-wide protests and the Swadeshi Movement, which later resulted in the annulment of the partition in 1911 and had far-reaching effects on Indian nationalism and the freedom struggle.

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Reaction to the Partition of Bengal 1905

The 1905 Partition of Bengal prompted widespread protests and upheaval, igniting the Swadeshi Movement and uniting Indians against British colonial policies.

Nationalist’s Reaction to Bengal Partition

Moderates such as Surendranath Banerjee, and K.K.Mitra led an anti-partition campaign. They followed a petition, prayer and protest method Meetings were held all over Bengal and a decision was taken to boycott foreign goods. The message to Boycott the Manchester cloth and Liverpool salt was spread throughout Bengal by the leaders. The Indian National Congress under the leadership of Gopal Krishna Gokhale rejected the Partition of Bengal and resolved to support the Swadeshi movement and boycott.

People’s Reaction to Bengal Partition

The Partition of Bengal paved resulted in a mighty upsurge in the country. The day of partition i.e. 16 October 1905 was considered the day of mourning throughout Bengal. People from all walks of joined the anti-partition campaign and walked barefoot on the streets crying Bande Mataram. People tied Rakhis on each other’s hands to symbolize the unity between the two halves of Bengal.

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Reunification of Bengal

Due to the relentless anti-partition movement, in 1911 the Partition of Bengal was annulled by King George and Bengal and Eastern Bengal were reunited Based on the linguistic lines, Bihar and Orissa were carved out of Bengal and made into separate provinces. Likewise, Assam was also made a separate province The capital of British India was shifted from Bengal to Delhi.

The Partition of Bengal 1905 marked the turning point in the history of Indian nationalism. Though the Partition was annulled in 1911, it created a permanent division between two major communities – Hindus and Muslims. In 1947, Bengal was partitioned again wholly on the basis of religion.

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