The Partition of Bengal, 1905
The Viceroy's 1905 division of Bengal into a Muslim-majority east and a Hindu-majority west, which sparked the Swadeshi movement.
What the paper can ask
- Took effect 16 October 1905; created East Bengal and Assam with Dacca as capital.
- Triggered the Swadeshi and Boycott movements; Tagore promoted rakhi-tying as a symbol of unity.
- Many Muslim leaders supported it; the All-India Muslim League was founded in Dacca in 1906.
- Annulled in 1911 at the Delhi Durbar; Bengal reunited, Bihar and Orissa separated, capital moved to Delhi.
Why exams ask
The Viceroy who ordered it, the date, the movement it sparked and the year it was undone are the usual questions.
The full story
In 1905 the British Viceroy split the huge Bengal Presidency, creating a new province of East Bengal and Assam with its capital at Dacca. Officials cited administrative convenience; nationalists saw divide and rule. Protest took the form of the Swadeshi movement (use Indian goods) and boycott of British goods, with Tagore urging people to tie rakhis as a sign of unity. The All-India Muslim League was founded in Dacca in 1906.
Test yourself
1.Which Viceroy announced the partition of Bengal, which took effect on 16 October 1905?
Correct. Curzon's partition was reversed in 1911 and sparked the Swadeshi movement.
Not quite. Curzon's partition was reversed in 1911 and sparked the Swadeshi movement. It goes into your error book.
2.The partition of Bengal was annulled in 1911 during the viceroyalty of
Correct. At the Delhi Durbar of 12 December 1911 King George V announced the annulment of the 1905 partition and the shift of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi; Lord Hardinge was Viceroy.
Not quite. At the Delhi Durbar of 12 December 1911 King George V announced the annulment of the 1905 partition and the shift of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi; Lord Hardinge was Viceroy. It goes into your error book.