Emergence of communalism in India

• 1887: Dufferin and Colvin launched a frontal attack on the Congress, propping up Syed Ahmed Khan and Raja Shiv Prasad as an anti-Congress front.

• 1906: Agha Khan led the Shimla delegation demanding separate electorates for Muslims and the formation of the All India Muslim League to preach loyalty to the British.The All India Muslim League was founded by the Agha Khan, Nawab Salimullah of Dacca, Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk, and Nawab Waqar-ul-Mulk to preach loyalty to the British government and to keep the Muslim intelligentsia away from the Congress.

• 1909: Separate electorates were awarded under Morley-Minto Reforms, and the Punjab Hindu Sabha was founded.

• 1915: First session of the All India Hindu Mahasabha was held under the Maharaja of Kasim Bazar.

• 1916: The Congress accepted the Muslim League's demand for separate electorates, and the Congress and the League presented joint demands to the government.

• 1920-22: Muslims participated in the Rowlatt and Khilafat Non-Cooperation agitations, with a communal element in their political outlook.

• 1928: Jinnah proposed 14 points, demanding separate electorates and reservation for Muslims in government service and self-governing bodies, which the Congress opposed.

• 1932: The Communal Award accepted all Muslim communal demands contained in the 14 points.

• After 1937: The Muslim League resorted to extreme communalism, projecting Muslims as a separate nation and launching vicious propaganda against the Congress.

• 1937: The provincial elections in India result in a Congress party victory, but the Muslim League only wins a few seats. This leads to frustration among Muslims who feel that their interests are not being represented.

• 1940: The Muslim League passes the Lahore Resolution, which calls for the creation of a separate Muslim state in India.

• 1941: The All India Muslim League elects Muhammad Ali Jinnah as its president, who becomes a strong advocate for the creation of a separate Muslim state.

• 1942: The Quit India Movement is launched by the Congress party, calling for the end of British rule in India. The Muslim League initially supports the movement, but later withdraws its support, citing concerns about the potential domination of Hindus in a future independent India.

• 1946: The Direct Action Day is called by the Muslim League in Calcutta, which leads to widespread violence between Hindus and Muslims. This marks a turning point in the relationship between the two communities.

• 1947: India gains independence from British rule, and is partitioned into two separate countries – India and Pakistan. The partition is accompanied by widespread violence and displacement, particularly in the Punjab and Bengal regions.

The Muslim League

• The Muslim League was founded in 1906 in Dhaka, Bengal Presidency, British India.

• The League's initial goal was to safeguard the political and religious rights of Muslims in India.

• The League's early leaders included Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Allama Iqbal, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

• The League's demands included separate electorates for Muslims, reserved seats for Muslims in government jobs, and protection of Muslim culture and identity.

• The League worked with the Indian National Congress in the early years of the independence movement, but eventually the two parties became estranged due to differences over Muslim representation and rights.

• The League held its annual session in Lahore in 1940, where the famous Lahore Resolution was passed, which called for the creation of an independent Muslim state in the northern and northwestern regions of British India.

• The League's demand for a separate Muslim state led to the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

• Muhammad Ali Jinnah became the first Governor-General of Pakistan.