The partition separated the largely muslim eastern areas from the largely hindu western areas on 16 october 1905 after being announced on 19 july 1905 by the viceroy of india of that period lord curzon. The largest number, mostly hindu bengalis, settled in west bengal with districts of 24 parganas, calcutta. If one considers the north east, orissa, the central provinces, the bombay state and the whole of peninsular india, not much happened there between july and october of this fateful year. The partition of bengal presidency in 1947 resulted in bengals division on religious grounds, between the india and pakistan prominently called radcliffes line. Though there is plenty literature in bengali on the partition, a concerning issue is the dearth of work done by scholars on the effects of partition on the lives of women or. The first in 1947 partitioned bengal into a largely muslim east, which became east pakistan later bangladesh, and a largely hindu west, which became the state of west bengal in india first map in.
Scheme of partition the area of bengal was very large and it was mostly densely populated and because of. Predominantly hindu west bengal became a state of india, and predominantly muslim east bengal now bangladesh became a province of pakistan. The fourth section uses historical documents and contemporary inter. The false premise of partition university of hawaii. Partition of bengal, 1947 latest major change in the political geography of bengal. There were three pa11itions in 1947of british india and of the provinces of. Partition of bengal, 1905, division of bengal carried out by the british viceroy in india, lord curzon, despite strong indian nationalist opposition.
Reinstatement of industrial labour and other documents in cr 1i 1853 1155. Whereas previous studies of the end of british rule in india have concentrated on the negotiations of the transfer of power at the allindia level or have considered the emergence of separatist politics amongst indias muslim minorities, this study provides a reevaluation of the history of bengal focusing on the political and social processes that led to the demand for partition in bengal and tracing. Need for partition unofficail reason curb the uprising of the rising power of bengal muslim would welcome this action divide the unity of muslim and hindu oficial reason it was to big province consited of bihar, orisa and bengal mention population with area of bengal it was administratively starved it had less police stations. Bangladesh simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. East dinajpur, rangpur, dhaka, rajshahi, bogra, pabna, mymensingh, sylhet except barak valley, khulna, bakerganj, tippera, noakhali, chittagong, jessore, east nadia, chittagong track hills. The partition of bengal in 1947, part of the partition of india, was a partition that divided the british indian province of bengal between india and pakistan, with west bengal becoming a province. Myriad kingdoms and principalities of ancient eastern india had been always changing in their extent and influences until a transbengal political unity was achieved by the husain shahi rulers under the imperial banner of shahi bangala. The british government planned to separate bengal on 19th july 1905. West bengal has a border running 2,216 km along bangladesh. The partition of the british indian empire in the summer of 1947 was a watershed in. The first partition of bengal in 1905 brought that province to the brink of open rebellion. What happened in 1947 was not so much the partition of the whole of britains indian empire as the partition of two of its eleven provinces. Bengal s troubles did not end with the partition and there were continuous migrations till 1971, while also continuing after that at a smaller scale. The conditions for the emergence of militant nationalism had developed when in 1905 the partition of bengal was announced.
Bengal was one of the provinces for whom partition was demanded, but the newly formed coalition government of bengal have asked for their case to be. Refugee documents, border slips, and passports became the means through which. Violent punjab, quiescent bengal, and the partition of india. The partition of punjab was characterised by massive migrations of hindus and sikhs into india and of muslims into the new state of pakistan within a very short period of time. As early as the 1920s, bengali muslims asked for a separate.
Inspite of the separation of assam which had taken with it the bengali. The western part with predominantly hindu population became a part of india west bengal, while the predominantly muslim eastern part east bengal became a part of pakistan. Download partition of bengal 1905 notes pdf from the link given below. The british had tried to partition bengal in order to weaken a.
Pdf partition, the breakup of colonial india in 1947, has been the subject of. How syama prasad mookerjee saved bengali hindus from. Hunter in his book on the indian musalmans 23 june 1871 published from london in 1876 3rd edition in the preface said. Figure 1 bengals partition of 1947 and pakistans partition of 1971 4. From plassey to partition download ebook pdf, epub. In 1955, east bengal became east pakistan, and in 1971 became the independent state of bangladesh after a successful war of independence with west pakistan. Click download or read online button to get from plassey to partition book now.
In this year 1905 16th october, the plan of partition of bengal was officially implemented. The partition of bengal in 1947, part of the partition of india, divided the british indian province of bengal based on the radcliffe line between india and. Partition here refers also to the division of the bengal province of british india into the pakistani state of east bengal later east pakistan, now bangladesh and the indian state of west bengal. Cambridge studies in indian history and society 15 editorial board c. On 20 july 1905, lord curzon issued an order dividing the province of bengal into two parts i.
The partition of india was the division of the presidencies and provinces of british india conceived under the twonation theory that resulted in formation of two independent dominions, india and pakistan, in the british commonwealth of nations. Millions of muslims migrated from india to pakistan. It is estimated that there are about 15 million bangladeshi nationals living in india illegally. Finally, the paper will emphasize the impact of the 1947 partition. Download pdf herebackground of the partition it can be said that the seeds of the partition of india were sowed in the partition of bengal when the province was divided on a religious basis. Communal politics and the partition of bengal, 19321947. One of the most enduring and potent symbols of the 1947 partition are the trainloads of the dead. Partition story based on both oral interviews and secret british documents. But the east and west provinces were on either side of india and separated by 930 miles 1,500 km. The british recognized that bengal, with some 85 million people, was much too large for a single province and determined that it merited reorganization and intelligent division.
The line drawn by lord curzons government, however, cut through the heart of. India, 194779, in low and brasted, freedom, trauma, continuities, 107109 1051. The partition of bengal in 1947, part of the partition of india, divided the british indian province of bengal based on the radcliffe line between india and pakistan. In the year 1874, assam was separated from bengal as a distinct region. Hill k 1, seltzer w2, leaning j 3, malik sj 3, russell ss 4 1 department of population and family health sciences, johns hopkins bloomberg school of public health. First, a joint session of the house voted against 126. Please be aware that the text in the supplied thesis pdf file may not be as clear as text in a thesis that was born digital or digitised directly from paper, due to the conversion in format. Figure 1 bengals partition of 1947 and pakistans partition of 1971. The partition of the bengal province came into effect during his viceroyalty on 16 th october 1905. The indian independence act 1947 partitioned british india bringing an end of the british raj. The period between the partition of bengal in 1905 and the partition of india in 1947 was witness to a unique experience of imagining nations in bengal. Popular outrage and protests against this move forced the viceroy, lord curzon, to reverse the decision. With neither the bengali muslims nor the bengali hindus envisioning homogenous ideas about nationhood, many contesting and alternative visions emerged, both within and between the two communities. Provoking people against the british was made an offence as per the curzons act of 1898.
The western part with predominantly hindu population became a part of india west bengal, while the predominantly muslim eastern part east bengal. From 1947 to 1971 pakistan consisted of two halves divided by miles of indian. The partition of india led to the partition of bengal 1947 dividing the british indian province of bengal into two. In 1947 east bengal and the dominion of pakistan were separated from presentday republic of india and thus formed a new birth of country named pakistan. Her areas of interests are displacement and forced migration, communalism and minority condition in south asia, partition and nation. The primary aim of this book is to unravel the intricate socioeconomic and political processes that led up to partition, as hindus and muslims competed ferociously for the new power and privileges to be. This article talks about the partition of bengal, 1905 and the causes, effects and outcomes of the partition. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The partition of bengal in 1947 was the cruelest partition in the history of the world and caused forced illegal migration from erstwhile east pakistan. The largest number, mostly hindu bengalis, settled in west bengal with districts of 24 parganas, calcutta, howrah and burdwan taking the largest influx. Any place that endures a muslim majority along with favourable conditions for partition, like a manipulative foreign power calling the shots, weak national leadership as was the case with congress under. August 14, 1947 and august 15 1947, respectively upon the granting of independence to british india by the united kingdom. The greatest wrong that the english can do to their asiatic subjects is not.
Partition agitations and the role of the ulama ever since the constitution of assam as the chief commissioners province in 1874, the presidency ofbengal comprised ofbengal proper, bihar and orissa and chota nagpur. Eastern bengal and assam with a population of 31 million and the rest of bengal with a population of 54 million, of whom 18 million were bengalis and 36 million were biharis. In 1947, bengal was partitioned for the second time, solely on religious grounds, as part of the partition of india following the formation of the nations india and pakistan. The fraught relationship between identity documents and citizenship has a distinctive history in the postcolonial indian subcontinent. Background background about bengal reason for bengal partition bengal partition repercussion of bengal partition muslim reaction on bengal partition hindus reaction on bengal partition. Communal politics and the partition of bengal, 1932 1947.
It began a transformation of the indian national congress from a middleclass pressure group into a nationwide mass movement. Finally, the paper will emphasize the impact of the 1947 partition by discussing. In postpartition bengal, the discourse over citizenship animated the project of. The annulment of the partition sorely disappointed and had a negative effect not only the muslims of bengal but also the muslims of the whole of india. Bangladesh is part of the historic province of bengal which was. Myriad kingdoms and principalities of ancient eastern india. Muslim refugees sit on the roof of an overcrowded coach railway train near new delhi in trying to flee india. The partition of bengal 1905 was one of his administrative measures which resulted in strong resentment. Bangladesh was created out of two violent partitions. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website.