Question

The partition of Bengal was meant to foster division on __________.
A. The basis of religion
B. The basis of language
C. The basis of colour
D. The basis of food habits

Answer 1

Hint:
> The first division of Bengal was the regional reorganization of the Bengal Presidency, carried out by the British Raj authorities in 1905.
> The partition divided the eastern regions from the western regions by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India and were on the same grounds that later became the region of War of 1947.

Complete answer:
At the time, the provincial state of Bengal had a population of nearly 80 million. Included were the Hindi-speaking regions of Bihar, the Odia-speaking parts of Odisha and the Assamese-speaking region of Assam. All of the reasons for the partition is administrative. Bengal was as strong as France and had a slightly bigger population. Curzon had said that the eastern region was neglected and under-governed, and therefore an improved administration could be formed there by dividing the province. The other explanation for partition is thought to be that the Hindus were in a better position than the Muslims in terms of economic standing and technical qualities; and Hindu merchants had greatly supported the British during the pre-Sepoy Mutiny era, while their Muslim counterparts were not. The Government announced the partition policy in January 1904. Henry John Stedman Cotton, the Chief Commissioner of Assam, rejected the proposal. But on October 16, 1905, the partition of Bengal by Viceroy Curzon began to take place after being announced on 16 July 1905. 'Bengal' (which includes western Bengal and the provinces of Bihar and Orissa) and eastern Bengal and Assam, with Dhaka as the capital of the latter is split into two separate provinces in the former province of Bengal. It was undoubtedly the 'divide and rule' strategy for the Indians and the entire nation was outraged by the fact that in order to rule, the colonisers turned local peoples against themselves. In 1947, as part of the division of India after the establishment of India and Pakistan, Bengal was partitioned for the second time, purely on religious grounds.

Therefore, the correct answer is A

Note:
The partition was embraced by East Bengal Muslims and their support was inspired by both their weak economic circumstances in East Bengal and the alleged superiority of the Hindu merchants in West Bengal over the government of Bengal.

Bengali Hindus were at the frontline of political unrest. Following the partition, the anti-British movement was founded in protest. This included non-violent and violent demonstrations, boycotts and even assassination threats against the governor of the new province of West Bengal.
After partition, the Hindu revolt erupted as the Swadeshi revolution started with the Indian National Congress. The Muslims did not support this movement because the Muslims in East Bengal wished that a different area would allow them more influence and thus they opposed the movements.