Qi Explain how the British reacted Hindu-led protests against the partition of Bengal between 1906 and 1908.
Answers
Answer:
Hindus did not oppose the partition of Bengal.
Bengalis did – both Hindus and Muslims.
There was a reason why the British divided Bengal. Because Bengal had become the hotbed of Indian nationalism. And as long as Hindus and Muslims stayed together, the British had no chance.
Hence the famous divide and rule policy – and partition of Bengal was one of the steps towards it.
Unfortunately, when I see questions like these, I realise that the British were all too successful.
Answer:
The British took immediate steps to deal with the Hindu-led protests. Initially, restrictions were placed on newspapers and public meetings. Between 1906 and 1908 editors were prosecuted and some were imprisoned. Besides this a Press Act in 1908 gave the government even greater control over newspapers.
Furthermore, organizers of Hindu-led demonstrations like Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Poona were arrested in June 1908 and were deported to Burma where he was sentenced to six years of imprisonment for impassioned provocative speeches against the British. Other radical leaders left India to avoid arrest. Influenced by Tilak, a group of young revolutionaries began an underground movement. The British took firm action against the group- those who were arrested were executed or imprisoned in the Andaman Islands.
But the British realized that using tough measures to crush the Hindus would not be sufficient themselves. A better approach would be to win the support of the moderate Hindus by making reforms. In 1905 Lord Minto was appointed Viceroy. He worked with the Secretary of State for India in London; John Morley, on what was to be known as the Morley-Minto Reforms (1909)
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