Governor General During Bengal Partition?
VerifiedAnswer: Lord Curzon
Explanation:
Lord Curzon was the Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1899 to 1905 when the controversial Partition of Bengal took place in 1905. George Nathaniel Curzon, who later became the 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, was a British Conservative politician who played a significant role in shaping British colonial policy in India during the early 20th century.
The Bengal Partition of 1905 was one of the most significant and controversial administrative decisions during British rule in India. Lord Curzon announced this partition on July 20, 1905, which came into effect on October 16, 1905. The partition divided the large province of Bengal into two separate provinces: Bengal (with West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha) and Eastern Bengal and Assam (including East Bengal and Assam).
Lord Curzon justified this decision on administrative grounds, arguing that Bengal was too large to be governed effectively as a single province. The original Bengal province had a population of about 78 million people, making it difficult to administer efficiently. However, critics argued that the real motive behind the partition was the British policy of "divide and rule," aimed at weakening the growing nationalist movement in Bengal by creating religious divisions between Hindus and Muslims.
The partition had significant consequences for Indian politics and society. It led to widespread protests, boycotts of British goods, and the emergence of the Swadeshi movement. The decision also intensified communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims, as the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam had a Muslim majority, while the western part remained Hindu-dominated. This partition became a catalyst for the Indian independence movement and marked the beginning of more organized resistance against British rule.
Due to continuous opposition and unrest, the partition was eventually annulled in 1911 by Lord Curzon's successor, Lord Hardinge. The capital of British India was also moved from Calcutta to Delhi in the same year. However, the seeds of communal division sown during Lord Curzon's partition continued to influence Indian politics for decades to come, ultimately contributing to the partition of India in 1947.
