Lahore Resolution (1940)
Last Phase of Struggle
Start of Pakistan Movement
OutLine
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Background
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Apprehensions of Muslim Salariat in united India
Popularity of partition proposals
Atrocities of Congress Ministries
Desire for a Separate Muslim Homeland
Jinnah’S Sagacity
Features
Reaction
Significance! Impacts
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Establishment of an independent state
Beginning of Pakistan Movement
Unity of Entire Subcontinent
A sense of identity for Muslims
Only peaceful solution of Hindu Muslim Conflict
Protection of minorities rights
Objectives
22-24 March 1940
 Presented by A.K
Fazal Ul Haq
 Session Presided by
Quaid
 Two States to be
established
 Manto Park Lahore
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Introduction
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Lahore resolution ,a milestone in the Muslim
political movement of subcontinent and its
political struggle
It marked the beginning of Pakistan
movement
Never in the history of world a resolution
consisting mere 40 words had change the
destiny of a nation, Lahore Resolution did
this miracle
Lahore Resolution was passed on the 27th
annual session of AIML at Lahore
Back Ground
QUAID’S ATTEMPT AND
OTHER FACTORS
Background of the passage of The Lahore
Resolution
Quaid-e-azam made several attempts during
1935-39 to make the Congress leaders to
understand the Muslim point of view. Such as:
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i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
He started in 1935 with Rejinder Prasad (then congress
president) but failed
In 1937, he exchanged letters with Gandi and Nehru
and both refused to understand him
He exchanged letters with newly elected Congress
President Subhas Chandra Bose, which had no eventful
result.
Then again he exchanged letters with Nehru in 1939
who adamantly believe that there was no Hindu-Muslim
problem existed
Cont…
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Ideologically speaking Muslims had not
lived under the sovereignty of non-Muslim
rulers and believed in the Darul-Harb and
Darul-Islam
In history they passed through many ups
and downs since the birth of Islam but
always revived
Western education had given them the
concept of nationalism which they
redefined on the basis of Islamic
nationalism with reference to tradition,
religion and society
Five Points of Quaid for Settlement
Quaid-e- Azam made a last attempt to
reach at agreement with congress in1939,
if the congress accepted his five points:
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a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Coalition ministries in he provinces
No legislation affecting Muslims if 2/3 of the
Muslims opposed it
No congress flag to be hoisted on public
buildings
No Bande-Matran as national song
To stop Congress affect to destroy Muslims
League
Factors
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Hindu-Muslim Rifts
◦ Hindu Muslim rifts reached to the point that they could not
defied any solution
◦ All the suggestions given by the Muslims were rejected by
Congress
◦ Muslims were left with no other option but secession
◦ The only peaceful solution was the separation of country
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Disillusionment of Muslims
◦ Till 1940, Muslims had been thoroughly disillusioned from
Hindus
◦ The bitter experience of Congress Ministries and Hindu
Mentality for Ram Raj in India.
◦ Hindus wanted to subjugate Muslim under their tyrannical
rule Nationalist Muslim leaders turned into separatist (Jinnah,
lqbal etc)
Cont…
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Popularity of Partition proposals:
◦ The proposals received huge impetus in 1930s and 1 940s and
attracted popular response
◦ Abdul Haleem Sharar (1860-1926) made this proposal in his weekly
journal Mohazab.
◦ Kheri Brothers proposed the partition of India into Muslim and
Hindu India.
 At Stockholm Conference of Socialist International in 1917.
◦ In 1933, Ch. Rehmat All coined the term ‘Pakistan’ in a pamphlet
‘Now or Never.’ demanding a separate Muslim state
◦ In 1939, Dr. Zafar ul Hasan and Dr. Afzal Hussain Qadri in ‘The
Problems of Indian Muslims and their Solution’.
 Popularly known as ‘Aligarh Scheme,’ and proposed the partition of country into
three completely independent and autonomous states.
◦ There came about 170 proposals form 1858 to 1940 to divide India
Cont…
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Apprehensions of Muslim Salaried and
Business class in united India
◦ According to Hamza Alvi, Muslim salaried class
was fearful of domination of salaried class of
Hindus
◦ Hindus were far ahead of Muslims in education
and social development and commerace
◦ Salaried class of Bengal, Punjab, NWFP and Sind
got together under the banner of AIML
◦ This proved to be the economic rationale behind
the creation of Pakistan
Cont…
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Atrocities of Congress Ministries:
◦ Congress rule created a deep sense of insecurity
among Muslims which led to the creation of Pakistan.
◦ Congress ministries produced an unbridgeable gap
between Hindus and Muslims
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Desire for a Separate Muslim Homeland
◦ Muslims feared that their cultural identity might be
threatened.
◦ To save their culture, Muslims needed a separate
homeland where they would be able to practice their
religion, culture freely and openly
 Urdu and Islamic Traditions was under threat and Muslims
wanted to preserve it
Cont...
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Outlook of World War II and resignation of Congress
Ministries
◦ This was a colossal blunder on the part of Congress and
provided Jinnah with a pretext that Muslims want a
separate homeland
◦ Muslims constituted about 52% of the Indian army and
‘WW-Il could not be continued without Muslim support
◦ Jinnah played his trump card and made it clear to the
Hindus that there are three parties in India; Hindus,
Muslims and British.
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Jinnah’s Sagacity:
◦ Jinnah’s sense of timing, that he realized that the Muslims
had been alienated from Hindus and British needed
Muslim support in the Second World War
Factors-Summary
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Two Nation Theory
Denial of Separate Electorate
Defiance from Laknow Pact
Nehru Report
Hindu-Muslim Violence
Atrocities of Congress Ministries
Desire for independence
Islamic Political System
Economic Exploitation
Jinnah’s Vision
Features
No constitutional plan would be workable in this
country or acceptable to Muslim unless it is designed
on the geographical contiguous units
 Muslims are numerically in a majority as in the NorthWestern and Eastern Zones of India should be grouped
to constitute ‘Independent States’ in which the
constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign
 Adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards should be
specifically provided in the constitution
 In the regions steps to be taken for the protection of
their
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Cont…
Religious, cultural, economic, political,
administrative and other rights and
interests
 In other parts of India where the Muslims
are in a minority, adequate, effective and
mandatory safeguards shall be specifically
provided in the constitution for them and
other minorities for the protection of
their religious, cultural, economic, political,
administrative and other rights.”
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Quaid on Resolution
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In his presidential address the Quaid alluding to the religious and
cultural differences between the Hindus and Muslims said,
◦ The Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religious philosophies,
social customs, literatures.
◦ They neither intermarry, not inter dine together, and indeed they belong to
two different civilizations which are based on conflicting ideas and
conceptions.
◦ Their aspects on life and ideology of life are different.
◦ It is quite clear that Hindus and Musalmans drive their inspiration from
different sources of history
◦ They have different epics, different heroes, different episodes.
◦ Very often the hero of one is the foe of the other and likewise, their
victories and defeats overlap
◦ To yoke together two such nations under a single state, one as a numerical
minority and other as a majority, must lead to growing discontent and final
destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of such
a state.’
Reaction
The Hindu leaders and the Hindu press started a tirade against the
Resolution
 ‘Partap’, ‘Bande Matram’, ‘Milap’, ‘tribune’ and other Hindu
newspaper
◦ called it as the Pakistan Resolution
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It was done in spite of the fact that the word ‘Pakistan’ was not
used anywhere in Lahore resolution
The daily Tribune called
◦ The Pakistan scheme unacceptable and horrible
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Hindustan times and Modern Review
◦ Termed it as the ingenuity of the most ingenious constitution will be
unable to divide India
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Statesman wrote, ‘
◦ It is a revolutionary proposal but those who are willing to oppose it,
must study it before criticizing it. They must understand that the League
has seriously presented it; therefore, it cannot be ignored as a mere
fanciful dream.
Ghandi on Resolution
In October 1940, Gandhi announced his
plan of individual Satyagrah which led
oven 600 person including top Congress
leaders in to prison
Gandhi provoked a mass movement but
failed because it was not for the
freedom of India but for British
government to recognize Congress as
only representative of the Indian people
Others
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Hindu Leaders
◦ Ram Gopal Achria-division as Cutting Cow
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Britishers
◦ Was it divide and rule ?No
Significance! Impacts
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Establishment of Independent states
◦ Muslim India committed itself to the establishment of an
independent state as its final goal
◦ All the internal differences of Muslims came to an end and
they started efforts to create a separate homeland
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It marked the beginning of Pakistan Movement
◦ A political movement turned into Pakistan movement
when Muslim League adopted Lahore Resolution as its
main motto.
◦ Pakistan movement got public imagination in Muslim
majority provinces.
◦ In 1937, AIML won only 2 seats whereas in 1946, it set
record victory in Punjab. AIML won about 90% in centre
and 100% in provinces
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Beginning of the end of Administrative unity
of Entire Subcontinent:
◦ The administrative unity ,had been established by
Muslims and British further cemented it with 8
years from 1940-1947, Pakistan was created and
Muslims paved way for the end of administrative
unity of sub-continent
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Protection of the Minorities rights:
◦ The Lahore Resolution not only protected the
rights of the Mu in the subcontinent. Rather it
also pleaded the case for the protection of
minority rights.
Cont…
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A sense of identity for Muslims
◦ It provided a sense of direction to the Muslims.
◦ AIML was transformed into a movement when it
adopted Lahore Resolution as a slogan
◦ Lahore Resolution assured Muslims not only a
physical protection within a separate state, but also
secured them a political status as a community.
◦ Muslims were free to shape their destiny according to
the genius of people
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Only peaceful solution for Hindu Muslim Conflict:
◦ It afforded only peaceful solution to the age old
unresolved Hindu-Muslim Conflict
Cont…
Lahore resolution is regarded as a milestone in the
Muslim political movement of subcontinent mere 40
words made it a magna carte.
 It provided a mechanism upon which the provinces
were given hope that future form of government
would be based upon autonomy.
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◦ The resolution later created considerable confusion and
misunderstanding , Those Bengali leaders, who felt after
rift with the Center, that a state dominated by West
Pakistanis was not after the interests of Bengal, claimed
that the original Resolution visualized two independent
Muslim states, one of West Pakistan and the other of East
Bengal.”
Khalid bin Sayeed, Pakistan the Formative Phase 1857-1947 p.114
Conclusion
Start of Pakistan Movement
 A way to Muslim Separate homeland
 Aim of Muslim League
 First forceful demand of AIML
 Creation of Two States were promised
 Strengthening Muslim Nationalism
 Magna Carta of Pakistan Movement
 Final step to separatism
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Support
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After the presentation of the annual report
by Liaquat Ali Khan, the resolution was moved in
the general session by A.K. Fazlul Huq, the chief
minister of undivided Bengal and was seconded
by Choudhury Khaliquzzaman who explained his
views on the causes which led to the demand for
partition.
Subsequently, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan from
Punjab, Sardar Aurangzeb Khan Gandapurfrom
the North-West Frontier Province, Sir Abdullah
Haroon from Sindh, and Qazi Esa
from Baluchistan, and other leaders announced
their support
Correction
The Lahore resolution was actually
adopted on March 24, but officially in
Pakistan March 23 is considered the date
of its adoption.
 In 1941, it became part of the Muslim
League's constitution
 In 1946, it formed the basis for the
decision of Muslim League to struggle for
one state for the Muslims
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Paragraph 3 of the Resolution
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3. Resolved that it is the considered view of this
session of the All-India Muslim League that no
constitutional plan would be workable in this
country or acceptable to Muslims unless it is
designed on the following basic principle, namely,
that geographically contiguous units are
demarcated into regions which should be so
constituted, with such territorial readjustments as
may be necessary, that the areas in which the
Muslims are numerically in a majority, as in the
North-Western and Eastern Zones of India,
should be grouped to constitute 'Independent
States' in which the constituent units shall be
autonomous and sovereign
As Magna Carta
Ideology
 Action Plan
 Ensuring Rights
 Independent states
 Freedom
 Vision of a state
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DELIVERABLES
Two nation theory
 Safeguard of Identity
 Establishment of Islamic State
 Establishment of Islamic Society
 Freedom from Britishers and Hindus
 Protection of Muslims’ Culture and Civilization
 Protection of Urdu
 Economic Independency
 Peaceful existence-end of communal violence
 Start of Pan-Islamism
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Quote
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According to Stanley Wolpert, this was
the moment when Jinnah, the former
ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, totally
transformed himself into Pakistan's great
leader.