With reference to the Partition of Bengal, consider the following statements:
1. After the Partition of Bengal, the new Bengal province included Bihar and Orissa.
2. The British partitioned Bengal partly to develop Assam by bringing it under direct British control.
3. The British repealed the partition in 1908 to gain the Indian National Congress’ support for the Indian Councils Act of 1909.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
Explanation Statement 1 is correct: The Partition of Bengal, implemented on 16 October 1905, created two provinces:
Western Bengal included Bihar and Orissa and retained Calcutta as its capital.
Eastern Bengal and Assam had its capital in Dacca (Dhaka).
The division separated 41.5 million Bengali-speaking people, splitting Bengal primarily along religious lines.
Statement 2 is correct: The British justified the partition by claiming that Bengal was too large to be administered efficiently, with a population of 78 million. They argued that placing Assam under direct British control would promote its development. Previously, Assam was separated from Bengal in 1874 and made a Chief Commissioner’s province, including Bengali-speaking Sylhet.
Statement 3 is not correct: The partition was annulled in 1911, not 1908, primarily to curb the rising wave of revolutionary terrorism in Bengal. The British also shifted the capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911 as a gesture to appease Muslims, associating Delhi with their historical prominence. However, this annulment angered Muslim political elites, who saw the partition as beneficial to their political and cultural aspirations.
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