CLASS 10
HISTORY AND CIVICS
LESSON 5
TOPIC: TE MUSLIM LEAGUE
SESSION:2023-2024
DAY 1
TODAY’S LESSON:
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INTRODUCTION
GROWTH OF COMMUNALISM
CAUSES THAT LED TO THE FORMATION OF THE MUSLIM LEAGUE
THE MUSLIM LEAGUE
ITS OBJECTIVES
Relavant videos for the topic:
https://youtu.be/7-skQkfy2Q8
INTRODUCTION
• In India, there was unity between the two communities
(Hindus and Muslims)
• Such a unity between the two communities posed a
threat to British imperialism.
• The unity was evident in the Uprising of 1857.
• Hence, the British tried to sow the seeds of
discord(division) between them in order to check the
rising tide of nationalism.
• The British government dubbed the National Movement
as a movement for establishing the ‘Hindu Kingdom ‘ in
India and encouraged the Muslims to set up their own
separate political organisation.
• Thus, the British implemented the policy of ‘Divide and
Rule ‘ that led to the rise of communal trend in India.
FACTORS LEADING TO THE FORMATION OF THE MUSLIM
LEAGUE
1. Loss of Sovereignty by Mughal Rulers:
The Mughal rulers were dethroned by the British and the
British held them responsible for the uprising of 1857. This
is how the British established their supremacy in India. The
Muslims participated in Wahabi Movement (Sunni Islamic
Revivalist Movement), aimed at ending British Domination
of India. This made the British view them with suspicion.
The British government consciously discriminated against
the Muslims, holding them responsible for the uprising of
1857.
After the 1870s after the 1870s ,the British government
changed its attitude and followed the policy of appeasing
the Muslims in order to undermine the national movement.
It sowed the seeds of dissension between the two
communities I.e. the Hindus and the Muslims and
encouragedtendencies and communal tendencies.
2. British policy of Divide and Rule:
In order to check the growth of a united national feeling in
India and to encourage communal and separatist
tendencies they decided to follow the policy of ‘Divide and
Rule’. It was implemented in the following manner:
• In 1871 Mayo's government adopted A resolution
which made Urdu Medium of instruction for Muslims
in primary and secondary schools and increased
government aid to educational institutions run by the
Muslims.
• They Tried to create hatred among the Hindus and the
Muslims by portraying Muslim rulers as plunderers and
Hindu rulers as cruel kings to their Muslim subjects.
• The British government tried to justify the partition of
Bengal by convincing the Muslims that Bengal was
being partitioned to create a new Muslim majority
province where the Hindus would not be able to
subvert their interests.
• The British government also tried to utilise the caste
system to divide the people of India.
• They treated Hindus Muslims and Sikhs as separate
communities.
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They tried to spread communal hatred through the
press ,posters ,literature and public platform.
3. Relative Backwardness of the Muslim Community in
Education, Trade and Industry:
• Islam in India during the 70 years of the 19 th century
had almost decided a war against the western
education. The upper class Muslims comprising
zamindars and aristocrats during the first 70 years of
the 19th century were anti British.
• British government in India had consciously
discriminated against the Muslims after 1858, holding
them responsible for the uprising of 1857.
• The Muslim community lacked growth of any
organised industry.
• The Muslims were led to believe that supporting the
government was the surest way of getting government
jobs or any other rewards.
• The Muslims were proud of their own literature and
culture and did not adopt the western system of
education. Many Hindus on the other hand adopted
the western system of education.
4. Role of Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan:
• He was a social reformer and regarded Hindus and the
Muslims to be one Quam or nation
• He founded the muhammadan Anglo oriental college
at Aligarh which had both Hindu and Muslim patrons.
• However under the influence of Mr Theodore beck, the
British principle of Muhammad and Anglo oriental
college Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Declared that the
political interests of Hindus and Muslims were
different.
• He opposed INC when the Indian National Congress
was founded.
• He founded the United Indian Patriotic Association in
1888.
• It was said that Sir Syed Ahmed believed that in case
of a withdrawal of the British rule in India the Hindus
would dominate the Muslims as they were the
majority of the population.
5. Erroneous Interpretation of History:
• Due to the implementation of British divide and rule
policy, The rule of Turks, Afghans and Mughals were
called the Muslim rule. On the other hand in the socalled Hindu period, Muslim rulers were dubbed as
foreign invaders who had settled in India.
• The British ignored the notion of a composite culture
in India.
• The British highlighted the myth that the Indian
society and culture had reached great heights during
ancient period, but was declining during the medieval
period which was dominated by Mughal rulers.
• The communal bias was propagated through poetry
,drama, novels ,newspapers etc.
6. Rise of Assertive Nationalists:
Do to British divide and rule policy, The growth of national
unity witnessed a step back. A religious tinge was added to
the national movement which could be prominently visible
in the following:
• Propagation of shivaji and ganpati festival’s by Tilak.
• Aurobindo Ghosh’s concept of India as mother and
nationalism as religion.
• The initiation of the anti partition agitation with
bathing in the Ganga did not appeal to some of the
Muslims.
7. Economic Backwardness of the Country:
• It was due to growth of communalism in India.
• It lacked modern industrial development.
• Acute unemployment was there among the educated
youth.
• Fierce competition among the youth led to the few
available jobs for them and hence the people
demanded reservation in jobs on the basis of caste,
creed or religion.
• In this ongoing situation the British capitalised their
policy of divide and rule and fan communal rivalry
among the educated Indians.
Events leading to the formation of the Muslim League
• The Hindi-Urdu Controversy:
In the United provinces (present Uttar Pradesh) Urdu was
the court language and all the petitions to the offices and
quotes were submitted in Urdu.Some sections of the society
protested against this practise. On April 8 1900 the
government instructed that all petitions were to be
submitted in hindi,In Devanagri script and the quote
summons and official announcements to be issued in Hindi
as well as in Urdu. This was later resented by the Muslims.
• Foundation of Muhammad and Anglo oriental
association: In order to counter the growing influence of
the Congress,The British encouraged the formation of
the muhammadan Anglo oriental defence association in
the year 1893. Principal Beck of MAO college Aligarh was
its secretary. It was mainly done to promote loyalty to
the British and to prevent Muslims from participating in
any political movement.
• The Aligarh Politics: Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk led the
Aligarh Politics after Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan in 1898. The
Aligarh movement worked to instil into the minds of the
Muslims a spirit of loyalty towards the British
government. When the Hindi would do controversy
reached in 1900 than a Bob was the secretary of MAO
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college trust and he criticised the government order
granting equal status to Hindi and Urdu in UP. The never
was asked to resign from the secretary ship of the trust
or separate himself from the agitation against the
government order. As the Muslim leaders became angry
they suggested that the political organisation of the
Muslims should be set up.
Partition of Bengal: Refer to the notes given Second
Phase of the Indian National Movement.
Muslim Deputation to the Viceroy, Lord Minto:
The viceroy Lord Minto appointed a committee to work
out an expansion of the legislative council.
A delegation of 35 influential Muslims had put forward
their demands (led by Agha Khan in Shimla)which
included the following on October 1,1906 :
Representation of Muslims in elected bodies on the basis
of their political importance and not on their numerical
strength.
Separate electoral constituencies for the Muslims in the
provincial council and the imperial legislative council.
Preferencee to be given to Muslims while nominating
members of the viceroy’s council.
Reservation of seats for Muslims in the state services.
More state aid for promoting new Muslim universities.
The viceroy received the deputation and expressed his
sympathy with their aspirations. He assured them that their
political rights and interests as a community would be
safeguarded.
Formation of the Muslim League
The proposal to form a central organisation for Muslims was
accepted and a political association ‘All India Muslim league’
was set up on December 30, 1906. under the presidentship of
nawab salimullah agha Khan was elected as permanent
president of the Muslim league its headquarters were to be
at a legal but its central office was shifted to Lucknow in
1910.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE MUSLIM LEAGUE
• To promote among the Muslims support for British
government.
• Direct and advance the political rights and interests of
the Muslims. To present the needs and aspirations of the
Muslims to the government in mild and moderate
language.
• To prevent the hostility between the Muslims of India and
other communities.
Impact of the Muslim League on the national movement
The British welcomed the formation of the Muslim league and
supported it in order to provide an opposition to the
Congress. They won initially the support of the Muslims by
asserting that the Muslim interests were different from those
of the Hindus. Does the policies of the Muslim league to some
extent weakened nationalist sentiments.
Government support to the League:
• Lord minto burthen viceroy secured the demand for
separate electorates, I.e. , The system of election to
legislatures which divides voters on the basis of religion
caste or occupation.
• The Morley -Minto reforms of 1909 provided separate
electorate for Muslim whereby seats were reserved for
the Muslims from where Muslims could vote for the
Muslim candidates.
The LUCKNOW PACT
The Lucknow pact referrers to the joint scheme of political
reforms agreed to by both the Congress and the Muslim
league in 1916 regarding the structure of government in india
and the relationship between the hindus and the muslims.
Partition of the country on communal lines
In 1930 the idea of two nation states was born and in the 1940
session of the league at Lahore, Gina put forward his two
nation theory. Later on in 1947 a separate country Pakistan
came into existence after India gained its independence.
Circumstances leading to the lucknow Pact
• The change of attitude of the Muslims towards the
Congress because of the pro Turkey and pro- Caliph
sentiments.
• The annulment of the partition of Bengal in 1911.
Nationalist Muslims like Abdul kalam Azad and the Ali
Brothers- Molana Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali- Made
use of this opportunity to spread nationalist ideas
among the Muslims for mobilising public opinion in
favour of self government.
• Change in the objectives of Muslim league which made it
agree with the Congress to have a political goal for
India.
• A compromise between the assertive nationalists and the
early nationalists(Annie Besant tried to reunite them).
CLAUSES OF LUCKNOW PACT
• Abolition of the India Council
• Provincial Legislatures- Four-Fifths of its members were
to be directly elected and one-fifth to be nominated.
• Minorities in Elected Bodies
• Autonomy in Provinces
• Separation of Judiciary from Executive
SIGNIFICANCE OF LUCKNOW PACT
• Hindu- Muslim unity :
The joint scheme symbolised Hindu Muslim unity and both the
communities agreed to compromise in some areas for the
common good. The Congress compromised on its secular
character by accepting the scheme of separate
electorates for Muslims. Slim league accepted the
principles of election and the majority rule. This unity as a
result of the pact worked together from 1916-1922.
• Unity within Congress:
The Surat session of 1907, Witnessed the split of Congress
into two wings. The early nationalists and assertive
nationalists came together in 1916 dhe to Lucknow pact
and as a result of this the Congress was strengthened.
• Pressure on the government:
The unity between the Congress and the Muslim league as
well as between the early nationalists and assertive
nationalists became a threat to the British Government of
India.Government now has no excuse for dealing political or
constitutional reforms.
• Necessity to pacify Indians:
As the First World War continued, The leaders of the Congress
and the Muslim league impressed upon the British government
with their demands for constitutional reforms not to be
rejected if they wished Indians to be loyal to the British.
The government, therefore, Felt it necessary to pacify the
Indians by the declaration of August 20, 1917 which promised a
policy of gradual development of self -government
institutions in India.
DRAWBACKS OF THE LUCKNOW PACT
• It did not involve masses.
• It emphasised the separate political existence for the
Hindus and the Muslims.
• By accepting separate electorates for Muslims, The
Congress lost its secular character.
• It did not resolve the deadlock between the executive
and the legislatures.
• The pact provided for a communal veto in legislation.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q1. State the aims and objectives of the Muslim League.
Answer:
• To promote among the Muslims support for British
government.
• Direct and advance the political rights and interests of
the Muslims. To present the needs and aspirations of the
Muslims to the government in mild and moderate
language.
• To prevent the hostility between the Muslims of India
and other communities.
Q2. Why did the British treat the Muslims harshly
immediately after the uprising of 1857? Why did the British
attitude towards the Muslims change in the later part of the
19th century.
Answer:
The Mughal rulers were dethroned by the British and the
British held them responsible for the uprising of 1857. This
is how the British established their supremacy in India. The
Muslims participated in Wahabi Movement (Sunni Islamic
Revivalist Movement), aimed at ending British Domination
of India. This made the British view them with suspicion.
The British government consciously discriminated against
the Muslims, holding them responsible for the uprising of
1857.
After the 1870s after the 1870s ,the British government
changed its attitude and followed the policy of appeasing
the Muslims in order to undermine the national movement.
It sowed the seeds of dissension between the two
communities I.e. the Hindus and the Muslims and
encouraged tendencies and communal tendencies.
Q3. What was the Lucknow Pact? State its significance.
Answer:
The Lucknow pact referrers to the joint scheme of political
reforms agreed to by both the Congress and the Muslim
league in 1916 regarding the structure of government in india
and the relationship between the hindus and the muslims.
Significance of the Lucknow Pact are as follows:-
• Hindu- Muslim unity :
The joint scheme symbolised Hindu Muslim unity and both
the communities agreed to compromise in some areas for
the common good. The Congress compromised on its
secular character by accepting the scheme of separate
electorates for Muslims. Slim league accepted the
principles of election and the majority rule. This unity as a
result of the pact worked together from 1916-1922.
• Unity within Congress:
The Surat session of 1907, Witnessed the split of Congress
into two wings. The early nationalists and assertive
nationalists came together in 1916 dhe to Lucknow pact
and as a result of this the Congress was strengthened.
• Pressure on the government:
The unity between the Congress and the Muslim league as
well as between the early nationalists and assertive
nationalists became a threat to the British Government of
India.Government now has no excuse for dealing political
or constitutional reforms.
• Necessity to pacify Indians:
As the First World War continued, The leaders of the Congress
and the Muslim league impressed upon the British
government with their demands for constitutional reforms
not to be rejected if they wished Indians to be loyal to the
British.
The government, therefore, Felt it necessary to pacify the
Indians by the declaration of August 20, 1917 which promised
a policy of gradual development of self -government
institutions in India.
Q4. Explain the British Divide and Rule policy (any five
points).
Answer:
• In 1871 Mayo's government adopted A resolution
which made Urdu Medium of instruction for Muslims
in primary and secondary schools and increased
government aid to educational institutions run by the
Muslims.
• They Tried to create hatred among the Hindus and the
Muslims by portraying Muslim rulers as plunderers and
Hindu rulers as cruel kings to their Muslim subjects.
• The British government tried to justify the partition of
Bengal by convincing the Muslims that Bengal was
being partitioned to create a new Muslim majority
province where the Hindus would not be able to
subvert their interests.
• The British government also tried to utilise the caste
system to divide the people of India.
• They treated Hindus Muslims and Sikhs as separate
communities.
Q5. How did the Hindi-Urdu controversy become an
important factor in the formation of the Muslim League.
Answer:
In the United provinces (present Uttar Pradesh) Urdu was
the court language and all the petitions to the offices and
quotes were submitted in Urdu.Some sections of the society
protested against this practise. On April 8 1900 the
government instructed that all petitions were to be
submitted in hindi,In Devanagri script and the quote
summons and official announcements to be issued in Hindi
as well as in Urdu. This was later resented by the Muslims.