Lucknow Pact

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The Luknow Pact was an agreement that

reached between the Indian National
Congress and the Muslim League at the
joint session of both the parties held in
Lucknow in October 1916. Through the
pact, the two parties agreed to allow
overrepresentation to religious minorities
in the provincial legislatures. The Muslim
League leaders agreed to join the
Congress movement demanding Indian
autonomy. Scholars cite this as an
example of a consociational practice in
Indian politics. Mahajan led the Congress
while framing the deal, and Mohammad Ali
Jinnah (who was part of both Congress
and Muslim League in 1916) and Mahatma
Gandhi also participated in this event.[1] [2]

Background
The British had announced under immense
pressure from Indians, in order to satisfy
the Indians, that they will be considering a
series of proposals that would lead to at
least half of the members of the Executive
Council being elected and the Legislative
Council having a majority of elected
members needed. Both the Congress and
the Muslim League supported these. Both
had realized that for further concessions
to be gained, greater cooperation was
required.[3]

Agreements by the Congress

The Congress agreed to separate
electorates for Muslims in electing
representatives to the Imperial and
Provincial Legislative Councils. Although
the Muslims were given this right in the
Indian Council Act of 1909, the Indian
National Congress opposed it. The
Congress also agreed to the idea of one-
third seats for the Muslims in the Councils
despite the fact that the Muslim
population represented less than a third.
Apart from that, the Congress agreed that
no act affecting a community should be
passed unless three-quarters of that
community's members on the council
supported it. After the signing of this pact
the rivalry between moderates and
extremists was reduced to some extent.
There was a significant change in their
relation.[3]

Demands presented to the

British
Both the parties presented some common
demands to the British. They demanded:

The number of elected seats on the

councils should be increased.
Laws/Motions which were passed by
large majorities in the councils should
be accepted as bindings by the British
Government.
Minorities in the provinces should be
protected.
All provinces should be granted
autonomy.[3]
Separating the executive from the
judiciary
At least half of the members of the
Executive Council being elected, the
 Legislative council having a majority of
elected members[4]

Importance
The Lucknow Pact was seen as a beacon
of hope for Hindu–Muslim unity. It was the
first time that the Hindus and Muslims had
made a joint demand for political reform
to the British. It led to a growing belief in
British India that Home Rule (self-
government) was a real possibility. The
pact also marked the high-water mark of
Hindu-Muslim unity. It established cordial
relations between the Muslim League and
the Indian National Congress. Before the
pact, both parties were viewed as rivals
who opposed each other and worked in
their own interests. However, the pact
brought a change in that view.

The Lucknow Pact also helped in

establishing cordial relations between the
two prominent groups within the Indian
National Congress – the 'extremist' faction
led by the Lal Bal Pal trio (Lala Lajpat Rai,
Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra
Pal), and the 'moderate' faction led by
Gopal Krishna Gokhale until his death in
1915 and later represented by Gandhi. [5]
Though Jinnah advocated a separate
nation for the Muslims 20 years later, in
1916 he was a member of both Congress
and Muslim League, was an associate of
Tilak, and hailed as 'ambassador of Hindu-
Muslim Unity’. [6]

References
1. Wilkinson, Steven Ian (September–
October 2000), "India, Consociational
Theory, and Ethnic Violence", Asian
Survey, 40 (5): 767–791,
 doi:10.1525/as.2000.40.5.01p01013 ,
JSTOR 3021176
2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ci
ty/lucknow/Historic-Lucknow-Pact-
enters-100th-
year/articleshow/50360098.cms
3. Kelly, Nigel (2014). The History and
Culture of Pakistan. Peak Publishing.
p. 61.
4. The History and Culture of Pakistan by
Nigel Kelly page 61
5. Remembering Gopal Krishna Gokhale ,
India Today, 19 February 2016.
 6. Historic Lucknow Pact enters 100th
year , The Times of India, 29
December 2015

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