Morning Star Textbook Solutions: Partition of Bengal | History and Civics Class 10 ICSE PDF Download

Very Short Questions

Q1: Mention one important anti-India policy adopted by Lord Curzon, which brought about aggressive nationalism in India.
Ans: The Partition of Bengal was a key anti-India policy by Lord Curzon, which sparked aggressive nationalism in India.

Q2: When and by whom was Bengal partitioned?
Ans: Bengal was divided on 16 October 1905 by Lord Curzon.

Q3: What reason was given for the partition of Bengal by the British?
Or
How did Lord Curzon justify the Partition of Bengal?
Ans: The British justified the partition by stating that it was meant to enhance the efficiency of the administration in Bengal.

Q4: Briefly state how people reacted to the partition of Bengal?
Ans: People marked 16th October 1905, the day of the partition, as a day of mourning. There were widespread protests, and people fasted, walked barefoot to the Ganges, and sang patriotic songs.

Q5: Who wrote the Vande Mataram?
Ans: Bankim Chandra Chatterjee composed the Vande Mataram.

Q6: Why was 16th October 1905 observed as Raksha Bandhan Day?
Ans: 16th October 1905 was celebrated as Raksha Bandhan Day to symbolize the bond of unity between the people of East and West Bengal.

Q7: What was the main impact of the partition of Bengal on the national movement?
Ans: The protests against the partition grew and evolved into a major national movement known as the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement.

Q8: Of which areas did the new Bengal province comprise?
Ans: The new Bengal province consisted of East Bengal, which included Assam, Chittagong, and fifteen districts from the old Bengal.

Q9: Why were the people from Bengal opposed to its partition?
Ans: The people of Bengal opposed the partition because they believed that Curzon aimed to divide their unity by inciting religious conflicts.

Q10: What is meant by Swadeshi?
Ans: Swadeshi means "from one’s own country," advocating for the use of domestically produced goods.

Q11: Which countries used the idea of Swadeshi and Boycott before it was used in the Indian National Movement?
Ans: The ideas of Swadeshi and Boycott were practiced by America and China before they were adopted in the Indian National Movement.

Q12: What virtues did the Swadeshi Movement instill among the Indians?
Ans: The Swadeshi Movement fostered unity among Indians and ignited a strong sense of nationalism, uniting the nation in its struggle for freedom from foreign rule.

Q13: Who was Anandamohan Bose? For what is he remembered?
Ans: Anandamohan Bose was a prominent leader from Bengal, remembered for founding The Federation Hall in Calcutta.

Short Questions I

Q1: What were Curzon’s two real motives behind the partition of Bengal.
Ans: Curzon's motives for partitioning Bengal were:
(i) To suppress the radical Bengali nationalists and thereby weaken the nationalist movement.
(ii) To create division between Hindus and Muslims.

Q2: What was Lord Curzon’s argument in favour of the partition of Bengal.
Or
What was the motives of Lord Curzon behind the Partition?
Ans: Lord Curzon argued that Bengal was too large to be effectively governed by a single provincial administration. The difficulties in administration led him to propose dividing it into two provinces to improve governance.

Q3: How did the ideas of Swadeshi help Indians to be united against the British?
Ans: Swadeshi inspired large crowds to take an oath, bringing together people from all classes and communities. It encouraged the press to be bold, fostered cooperation between Hindus and Muslims, and motivated students to challenge unjust authority, uniting Indians in their resistance against British rule.

Q4: How did Indians react to the call of Boycott and Swadeshi under Tilak’s leadership?
Ans: Under Tilak’s leadership, the Swadeshi and Boycott movements gained strength. Bengal’s youth held protests, burned British goods in public, women stopped wearing foreign bangles, and students rejected foreign-made paper.

Q5: Give two reasons for the partial failure of the Swadeshi Movement.
Ans: Two reasons for the partial failure of the Swadeshi Movement were:
(i) It failed to reach a wide section of the population, with the common man largely unaffected.
(ii) The British succeeded in creating a rift between the Moderates and the Assertives during the 1907 Surat session of Congress.

Q6: Give two examples to show how the Swadeshi Movement gave stimulus to native industries.
Ans: (i) The establishment of Swadeshi textile mills, match factories, soap factories, tanneries, and potteries across India.
(ii) The Tata Iron and Steel Company secured all of its funds from Indian sources within three months, rejecting foreign government assistance.

Q7: How did the Swadeshi Movement affect culture and education?
Ans: The Swadeshi Movement inspired a new wave of nationalist poetry, prose, and journalism filled with passion and ideals. It promoted national education by establishing institutions that provided literary, technical, and physical training.

Q8: Briefly describe how the partition of Bengal led to die separatist tendency between the Hindus and Muslims.
Ans: The creation of a Muslim-majority province led to a sense of empowerment among Muslims, fostering the idea of a distinct political and cultural identity, separate from the Hindus.

Short Questions II

Q1: How did the people express their unhappiness against this decision of the British.
Or
What was the reaction of the people to the partition?
Ans: When the proposal was published then there was a great hue and cry from all quarters. When the partition came into effect the people started a strong movement against it known as the Anti Partition Movement. The people, under the leadership of great Nationalist leaders, understood the real motive of the partition which was to flare up the confrontation between the Hindus and Muslims. The people felt humiliated, insulted and tricked. They were ready to sacrifice their lives and face death fearlessly.

Q2: What did the people do to make Swadeshi and Boycott Movement more successful.
Ans: In all public and Anti-Partition meetings all over the region (Bengal), even other States and big town the call for total boycott and for use of Swadeshi was given. Bal Gangadhar Tilak played a significant role as a leader and soon the Movement gained great force. Young and old men and women of Bengal marched in well-organised processions in protest against the division of Bengal. Thousands of meetings were organised in which British goods were burnt at public places. The crowds disallowed shopkeepers to sell British goods. People of all shades co-operated in this agitation.

Q3: What was the reaction of the British Government to the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement?
Ans: The British Government responded harshly:
(i) From 1905 to 1909, thousands of individuals were arrested and imprisoned.
(ii) Government funding for schools and colleges participating in the Swadeshi Movement was stopped.
(iii) The British used the Regulation of 1818 to suppress the movement, arresting and deporting several leaders.

Q4: Discuss how Anti-Partition Movement gave a stimulus to indigeneous industries.
Ans: The leaders of the Anti-Partition Movement used Boycott as a powerful tool against the partition of Bengal, which in turn boosted indigenous industries. Many new factories, mills, and businesses were established, producing everyday items in India. Swadeshi textile mills, match and soap factories, tanneries, and potteries flourished. P.C. Ray founded the Bengal Chemicals Factory, and the Tata Iron and Steel Factory was established with Indian resources. The movement also brought together both Moderates and Assertives.

Q5: How did the agitation bring about the ‘real awakening of India’ as Gandhiji said later?
Ans: The agitation led to the ‘real awakening’ of India through initiatives like the Swadeshi and Boycott Movements, which mobilized the masses, including women and youth. It promoted National Education and helped foster unity between Hindus and Muslims, despite British efforts to divide them. The slogan "Vande Mataram" resonated across the nation.

Long Questions

Q1: On the grounds of improving administrative efficiency, how Curzon justified the partition of Bengal.
Ans: Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India from 1898 to 1905, was unpopular due to his policies against Indians. He justified the partition of Bengal by claiming that the province had become too large to be managed by a single Governor. Curzon referred to the views of Sir A. Fraser, the Lt. Governor of Bengal, stating that Bengal, which included Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Chhota Nagpur, and other regions, was vast, covering 4,89,500 sq. km and with a population of about 7.8 million. On September 18, 1905, the Royal assent was granted for Bengal’s partition, creating a new province by merging Assam and Chittagong with 15 districts of Bengal. The new province spanned 2,74,540 sq. km and had a population of approximately 31 million.

Q2: Discuss how Curzon striked at the roots of Bengal nationalism to weaken the National Movement.
Ans: Upon taking office, Lord Curzon believed that growing nationalism needed to be countered, particularly by creating divisions between Hindus and Muslims in India. To achieve this, he proposed the partition of Bengal to gain the Royal assent, splitting the province in a way that hurt the unity of Bengal's nationalist leaders. The division created two regions based on religious majorities: East Bengal, predominantly Muslim, and West Bengal, predominantly Hindu, even though both shared a common language, culture, and traditions. The move stirred anger throughout the country, as Curzon’s real intent was to disrupt the unity of the people. In a letter, Curzon stated, "The Congress is tottering to its fall," revealing his goal to dismantle the Indian National Congress.

Q3: How did the Nationalists interpret Lord Curzon’s motives?
Ans: Indian Nationalists saw Curzon's actions as follows:

• Bengal, being the center of Indian nationalism, was targeted to curb the growing nationalist movement by splitting it into two parts.
• The partition aimed to weaken Bengali influence by placing them under two separate administrations and reducing their majority in Bengal.
• The partition was perceived as a means to divide the population along religious lines, with East Bengal becoming a Muslim-majority state and West Bengal a Hindu-majority state.
• It was believed that the partition was a reward for the Muslim League's loyalty to the British.

Q4: Discuss about the measures taken by the British to crush the Anti-Partition Movement.
Ans: The British government used oppressive tactics to suppress the Swadeshi and Boycott movements that arose in response to Bengal’s partition in 1905:
(i) Local leaders and protestors were brutally beaten, and many were imprisoned.
(ii) Public meetings were disrupted, and political leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh were deported. In 1906, Tilak was sentenced to six years of imprisonment.
(iii) Students were flogged, expelled, and teachers faced threats of disciplinary action.
(iv) The British pursued a divide-and-rule strategy, aiming to prevent Muslims from joining the Congress by conciliating them.
(v) Educational institutions suspected of supporting the movement had their government grants revoked.

Q5: “Anti-Partition movement roused the national sentiments which led to the outbusst of revolutionary activity”. Discuss in brief.
Ans: The partition of Bengal in 1905 sparked widespread discontent across India. While Curzon claimed the division was for administrative purposes, the people of Bengal saw it as an attempt to undermine their national spirit and stir religious divisions. The division created anger and indignation throughout the country, leading to the formation of the Anti-Partition Movement. Surendranath Banerjee rallied the people against the British action, and a boycott of British goods was organized in favor of Swadeshi goods. Volunteers, especially students, actively participated in stopping the sale of foreign goods and burning them. This agitation spread over six years, eventually forcing the British to reverse the partition in 1911.

Q6: Anti-Partition Agitation of 1905 was essentially aimed at undoing the Partition of Bengal. In this context what limitations did the agitation suffer?
Ans: The Anti-Partition Agitation suffered from many limitations which are often described as causes of the failure of the Movement. First of all the agitationists though spoke about overthrowing the British, they had no plan to provide any alternative Government in India. The Swadeshi and Boycott Movement focused only on economic aspects of the programme. It was not used as a political weapon to destabilise the Government. It had the potential of causing such a Revolution but nothing of that sort was done. Even the Congress remained a divided house between the Moderates and Assertives and the doors had finally to be closed to the Assertives at the Surat session of the Congress in 1907. These limitations however don’t undermine the significance of the Anti-Partition Movement.

Picture Based Questions

Q1: Answer the following:

(i) Name the person in the picture given alongside.
(ii) Which event the person showing in the picture was associated with? What justification he give for that incident.
Ans: (i) Lord Curzon.
(ii) He was associated with Partition of Bengal. He gave justification that the Bengal province was too large to be administered by a single governor and thus was partitioned for administrative reasons.