Question

What were Curzon's two real motives behind the Partition of Bengal?

Answer 1

Hint - The Partition of Bengal took place in 1905 as a result of the "Divide and Rule" policy used by the British government in India.

Complete Step by Step Answer - The Partition of Bengal was an administrative reorganisation of the Bengal Presidency. It was a territorial division of the province. It was announced on 19 July 1905 by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India and implemented on 16 October 1905. The division separated the Muslim majority eastern areas from the Hindu Majority western areas. The ostensible purpose of the decision was to make administration more feasible, however, historians argue if that was so, the Hindi speaking areas of Bihar and Odia speaking area should have been separated from the Bengali speaking areas of Bengal. The division was made on religious lines. Taking evidence from this and some personal letters, it is established that the real reason for the division of Bengal we're something else instead of administrative convenience. The real motive of Curzon was to firstly weaken the ongoing National movement whose nerve centre was Bengal by disturbing the existing system there and secondly to divide the Hindus and Muslims. Lord Curzon wanted to promote the ideology that Hindus and Muslims are two different communities who have to be governed separately, this was done to sow the seeds of communalism in the till that point largely united Indian society. However due to intense protests as well as the Swadeshi and Boycott movement the decision had to be reversed in 1911, by the then Viceroy, Lord Hardinge.

Note - The two real motives of Lord Curzon for partitioning Bengal was to weaken the Nationalist movement spreading like fire in the Bengal presidency and to deepen differences between the Hindus and Muslims. However the ostensible reason presented to the public was that the partition was being done to facilitate administration.