Economic Condition:
After the War of Independence, Muslims were kept out of many fields. Even though they
played a big role in the war, they were not allowed to get government jobs, but as clerks or
peons. Muslim businessmen had a hard time getting loans because the rules were very tough
for them.
Congress said jobs should be given through exams, but since most Muslims didn’t have the
same level of education as Hindus, this idea was unfair to the muslims.
Social Condition:
In 1867, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan got very worried about the Hindi-Urdu issue. Hindus wanted
Hindi to replace Urdu as the official language. Since Urdu was important in schools and offices,
this demand hurt the feelings of Muslims. The Hindus were against Urdu and called Sir Syed
Ahmed Khan “wicked” because of his views about the Two Nation Theory. In Bombay, some
Hindu extremists showed disrespect towards the Muslim religion by playing loud music outside
the mosques during prayer time.
Political Condition:
In 1885, the Indian National Congress was formed. The Congress said it would speak for all
Indian communities, no matter what their religion was. But soon, it became clear that the
Congress was controlled by Hindus and was working to make Hindu rule over Muslims. The
Congress introduced a democratic system like the one used in Britain. This seemed fair, but there
were four times more Hindus than Muslims in the Congress.
Indian National Congress (1885)
The Indian National Congress was formed in 1885 as a political organization to represent all
Indians in dealing with the British. It was founded with the help of two liberal British men, Sir
Allan Octavian Hume and Sir Henry Cotton. From the beginning, the Congress was dominated
by the Hindu majority. At first, it focused on giving suggestions to the British government about
social issues. But later, it became more political. Over time, most Muslims, including
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, stopped believing that Congress represented all Indians and began to see
it as a Hindu political party. The Indian National Congress is often called the Congress Party.
Hindi-Urdu Controversy
In 1867, some important Hindus started a campaign to replace the Urdu language with Hindi.
They complained that Urdu was written in the Persian script, which looked like Arabic. Since
Arabic is the language of the Quran, Urdu was very close to Muslims and their religion.
Muslims quickly came forward to protect their language. They saw this attack on Urdu as a
danger to their culture and rights. To them, it showed that Hindus wanted to take control and
possibly even destroy Muslim traditions and their way of life.
Hindus, on the other hand, felt that Muslims had enjoyed too much power and importance for too
long. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan strongly defended Urdu and saw this controversy as a sign that
Hindus and Muslims were two separate nations.
Partition of Bengal
In 1905, Lord Curzon decided to divide Bengal because he believed that it was too big to be
managed properly. At that time, Bengal had a population of 54 million, and he thought it would
be easier to govern if it was split into two parts. He also had a political reason—he believed that
the Muslims of East Bengal would do better in a separate province with its own capital in Dhaka.
However, the Hindus were extremely angry. They thought the partition was done on purpose to
weaken their power. Violent protests broke out across Bengal. The Indian National Congress
started a boycott of British goods and held protest meetings all over India. In 1906, their protests
became stronger, and they started demanding that India should be allowed to govern itself.
Simla Deputation (1906)
On 8th October 1906, a group of important Muslims, led by Sir Agha Khan, went to meet Lord
Minto at Simla. This group is known as the Simla Deputation.
They put forward an important demand in all local and provincial elections, Muslims
should have their own representatives, and these representatives should be elected only
by Muslim votes. This system is called the Separate Electorate.
The aim was to protect Muslim political rights and ensure that their voice would be heard in a
Hindu-majority system.
In the councils, Muslims should have more seats than their percentage of the total population,
so their voice could be heard strongly.
They also demanded Muslim judges in the courts.
Lastly, they asked for a quota in government jobs for Muslims.
All India Muslim League – Objectives
At its first meeting in December 1906, the All India Muslim League announced its main aims. The
purpose of this organization was to protect Muslim rights and interests in British Indi a. The objectives
were:
To protect and promote the political rights and interests of Muslims in India.
To represent the needs and hopes of Muslims to the Government of India.
To create and promote good feelings and loyalty towards the British government.
To remove misunderstandings among Muslims about the intentions of any government laws or
actions.
To speak out against the growing hatred or unfairness towards Muslims from other
communities in India.
Quick Questions about Mr. Jinnah
a. Where did Mr. Jinnah complete his schooling?
Ans : He studied at Sindh Madressatul Islam High School in Karachi.
b. Why did he go to London?
Ans : He travelled to London to work for a company that traded with his father’s business.
c. When did he join the Congress Party?
Ans : He joined the Congress Party in 1906.
d. Why did he join the Muslim League?
Ans : He joined the Muslim League when he became convinced that Muslims needed their own voice,
and the League also supported self-rule for India.
e. Why was he known as the Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity?
Ans : He was called the Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity because he worked hard to build
cooperation between Congress and the Muslim League.
Q: What worried Mr. Jinnah about Gandhi’s methods?
Ans: He was worried that Gandhi’s methods could lead to violence, which would undermine the case
for Indian independence.
Q: Analyze the reasons for Muslim League’s failure in the general election of
1936–37.
The 1936–37 elections were the Muslim League’s first experience, and they weren’t prepared.
They didn’t know how to do an election campaign properly.
The leaders looked like princes and aristocrats, while most Muslims were poor and
uneducated, so people felt disconnected from them.
The Muslim League did not campaign properly in areas where Muslims were in the majority, so
they lost support in important regions.
Their planning and organization were weak, and the party couldn’t run a strong campaign.
Lastly, the Muslim League was divided from within. There were internal splits, which made the
party even weaker.
Benefits Muslim League Gained Despite Failure in First Elections (1937)
Yes, the Muslim League did gain some important benefits from their first elections in 1937,
even though they failed to win many seats.
**Reasons:**
1. **Realized Their Weakness**:
The League saw that it had little support among the common Muslims, especially in rural areas.
2. **Started Connecting with the Public**:
After the failure, the League began reaching out to ordinary Muslims and improved its image.
3. **Changed Strategy**:
The loss helped the League understand the need to become a mass political party, not just a
group of elite leaders.
4. **Unity Among Muslims**:
The unfair treatment of Muslims by Congress governments after the elections helped unite
Muslims under the League.
So, even though they lost, the experience helped the Muslim League grow stronger and prepare
better for the future.
Why The Congress rule from 1937 to 1939 is called the 'Tyranny Period'
because Muslims were treated unfairly. Congress used its power against Muslims in many
[Link] Rule (1937–1939) is Called the 'Tyranny Period'.
1. Social Measures (Religious):
Bande Mataram was forced in schools, which hurt Muslim feelings.
Worship of picture Gandhi's was made compulsory in some schools.
Attacks on Muslim culture like banning Urdu in some areas.
2. Economic Measures:
Muslims were removed from jobs, and fewer were hired in government offices.
Funds were given mostly to Hindu schools and organizations.
Muslim traders and farmers were treated unfairly in business matters.
3. Political Measures:
Congress flag was made national flag, ignoring Muslim identity.
Muslim League was not given any share in power.
Muslims were not allowed to express their views freely in assemblies.
These actions made Muslims feel unsafe and powerless, which is why this time is remembered as a
time of oppression and injustice.
Day of Dileverence, Impact of Congress rule, Congress resigning from governmentall
from journal
All second term also