Travelling back to 1765, after the Battle of Buxar, Bengal – comprising West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Bangladesh, and Assam – came under British rule. Fast forward to the early 20th Century, and this vast province had grown to a population of nearly 80 million people. Kolkata, then known as Calcutta, served as the capital of both Bengal and British India. The story of Bengal took a dramatic turn in the early 1900s with the controversial partition of the province, leading to a legacy of communal tension and unrest.
Under British rule, Bengal experienced rapid growth but also deep-rooted inequalities. The seeds of conflict were sown with the partition of Bengal in 1905, a move designed to divide and rule.
1905: Partition of Bengal
In 1905, Viceroy Lord Curzon decided to shake things up by partitioning Bengal, claiming it was for better administration. The province was divided into two parts: Western Bengal, which included the areas of modern-day West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar, and East Bengal, which was combined with Assam. This split resulted in a Hindu-majority Western Bengal with its capital in Calcutta and a Muslim-majority Eastern Bengal with its capital in Dacca (presently- Dhaka). However, many saw through this move, recognizing it as a British strategy to create communal divisions and maintain control by setting communities against each other (divide and rule policy).
Resultant communal tension
The Bengal split wasn’t just about redrawing maps; it was a matchstick thrown into a powder keg. Prominent leaders, including Rabindranath Tagore, voiced their opposition, with Tagore’s song “Amar Sonar Bangla” becoming a powerful symbol of resistance. The Indian National Congress also stood against the partition, recognizing it as a ploy to create discord between Hindus and Muslims. While some Muslims saw potential benefits in the new arrangement, the overall reaction was one of anger and discontent. This unrest fuelled the Swadeshi and Boycott movements, where people protested by refusing to buy British goods.
Annulment of partition in 1911
Due to mass protests, the partition was annulled in 1911. New provinces were created based on linguistic lines rather than religious ones, with Bihar and Odisha becoming separate provinces. Assam was also made a separate province. This is also when the capital of British India was moved from Calcutta to Delhi. However, the annulment did not heal the communal rift that the partition had deepened.
Communal riots
The partition of Bengal in 1905, though annulled in 1911, left a lasting legacy of communal distrust and violence. The British policy of divide and rule entrenched divisions that persisted for decades, contributing to the tragic events during the Partition of India in 1947.