Study Guide · Chapter 5
4. PARTITION OF BENGAL (1905) & THE SWADESHI MOVEMENT
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4. PARTITION OF BENGAL (1905) & THE SWADESHI MOVEMENT
4.1 Partition of Bengal
- Announced by Viceroy Lord Curzon, implemented 16 October 1905.
- Official reason given: administrative convenience (Bengal was too large a province).
- Real motive (widely believed): to weaken Bengali nationalism by dividing Bengalis on communal lines — creating a Muslim-majority Eastern Bengal & Assam (capital Dacca) and a Hindu-majority Western Bengal — classic "divide and rule."
- Sparked massive protest across Bengal and India — seen as the first great mass political agitation against British rule.
- Bengal reunited in 1911 (announced at the Delhi Durbar by King George V); simultaneously, capital of British India shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
4.2 Swadeshi Movement (1905–1908)
- Launched in direct response to the Partition of Bengal; the 16th of October 1905 (day partition took effect) was observed as a day of mourning — people tied rakhis on each other as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity (Rakhi Bandhan ceremony, an idea popularised by Rabindranath Tagore).
- Core methods:
- Boycott of British/foreign goods (especially Manchester cloth and Liverpool salt).
- Swadeshi — promotion of indigenous (Indian-made) goods.
- Boycott of government schools/colleges, courts, titles, and government services.
- National education — establishment of Bengal National College (1906) with Aurobindo Ghosh as first principal; National Council of Education.
- Promotion of Swadeshi industries — e.g., Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works (P.C. Ray).
- Tagore composed "Amar Sonar Bangla" (later Bangladesh's national anthem) during this movement; also wrote Banglar Mati Banglar Jol.
- The movement spread beyond Bengal — to Punjab (Lala Lajpat Rai), Bombay/Maharashtra (Tilak), Madras (Chidambaram Pillai).
4.3 Key Leaders of Swadeshi Movement — "Lal-Bal-Pal"
| Leader | Region | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Bal Gangadhar Tilak | Maharashtra | "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"; used Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English) newspapers; started Ganesh Chaturthi and Shivaji festivals as tools of mass mobilisation |
| Bipin Chandra Pal | Bengal | Fiery orator, "Father of Revolutionary Thought in India"; edited journal New India |
| Lala Lajpat Rai | Punjab | "Punjab Kesari" (Lion of Punjab); later died from injuries in a lathi charge (1928) while protesting Simon Commission |
| Aurobindo Ghosh | Bengal | Edited Bande Mataram newspaper; later turned towards spiritual life after Alipore Bomb Case; settled in Pondicherry |
Key Facts / Quick Revision Points — Partition of Bengal & Swadeshi
- Partition of Bengal: 16 Oct 1905, by Lord Curzon; annulled 1911.
- Swadeshi Movement = boycott + swadeshi + national education + Rakhi Bandhan.
- "Lal-Bal-Pal" = Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal.
- Tilak's paper: Kesari; Aurobindo's paper: Bande Mataram.
- Bengal reunited 1911; capital shifted Calcutta → Delhi (1911).
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