Question

Realising the aims and objectives of the Muslim League when it was formed in 1906, do you think that more than the Muslim League, it was the British policy of Divide and Rule that encouraged the communal forces to create a rift between the two communities in India?

Answer 1

Yes, it is true that the British policy of Divide and Rule was responsible for creating a divide between Hindus and Muslims in India. Hindus and Muslims had lived together in India for centuries. Since both communities were being exploited by the British, they united during the First War of Independence in 1857. This unity threatened British rule. To weaken this unity and prolong their control in India, the British created divisions between the two communities to slow down the growing nationalism. They encouraged communal forces to disrupt the National Movement. They labelled the National Movement as a plan to create a 'Hindu Kingdom' and encouraged Muslims to form their own separate political group. This policy of Divide and Rule led to the rise of communalism and the formation of the Muslim League in 1906.