Question

Which section of the population rose up in opposition to the partition of Bengal province?
A) Zamindars
B) Merchants
C) Lawyers
D) All above

Answer 1

Hint: The British Raj implemented the first Partition of Bengal (1905), which was a territorial reform of the Bengal Presidency. The rearrangement divided the predominantly Muslim eastern regions from the predominantly Hindu western regions.

Complete answer:
The division of Bengal was proclaimed by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India, on July 19, 1905, and enacted on October 16, 1905; however, it was undone only six years later. West Bengal Hindus complained that the partition would reduce them to a minority in a province that would include Bihar and Orissa.

Nationalists across India rallied behind the Bengali cause, appalled by the British disrespect for public sentiment and what they saw as a "divide and rule" strategy. Protests also took place in Bombay, Poona, and Punjab. Although Lord Curzon believed the Congress had lost its effectiveness, he gave it a purpose to unite the public behind and gain new strength. The Indian National Congress was likewise embarrassed by the partition.

Bengal's partition sparked a massive uprising that brought people and political leaders together. The split was opposed by the Indian National Congress and Bengali nationalists. Various sections of the Bengali community, including zamindars, merchants, attorneys, students, and women, protested the province's split.

Hence, all the options are correct as Zamindars, Merchants, Lawyers and various other sections of the society rose up in opposition to the partition of Bengal province.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (D) i.e, all above.

Note: In reaction to the Swadeshi movement's riots in protest of the policy, Lord Hardinge unified Bengal in 1911 to assuage Bengali feelings. Following the partition of Bengal, the Swadeshi movement was formally launched on August 7, 1905, from Town Hall in Calcutta, with the goal of reducing foreign imports by relying on native manufacture.