Causes Of Decline Of Muslim In SUBCONTINENT:

Eighteenth century witnessed major change in to two continents of the world i.e; Europe and
Asia
In Europe strong monarchies and corporate communities or merchant communities were on
the rise where as india the Rule of Muslims in India were taking last breath. Several causes lead
to the decline of muslims power in India contributory factors which proved last straw for
muslim empire in India.
1) No suceesion Plan:- first and Major reason of decline of Muslim rule in Indian subcontinent
was that there was no succession in muslims after the death of one king his brothers, sons
fought with each other at that time Darwinian theory of “survival of fittest” was suited to Indian
kings where only powerfull has ascend to throne and weaker was killed or incarcinated.

2) Geographical expansion of The empire:- The second reason was that the empire of muslim
was vast it stratches from Present india, Pakistan and Afghanistan it was near to impossible to
govern that vast area while sitting in one capital city which ultimately creates the feeling of
sovereignty in small states which lead to unrest in small states.

3) Deterioration of Morality:- Most of Kings were fond of liquior and women these two factors
lead the way for decline of Mugh al Empire abundance of wealth, luxurious life and leisure
made them reckless and incompetent to rule.

4) Lack of orginised Army specialy Navay:- Muslims were lacked the orginised Army after death
of jehangir the commanders of the Army were involved in conspiricies in order to get to the
throne where as their main foucs was the power then to concentrate on Preparation to face
aggression from out side. Portougees, French and English entered through sea route for
commercial purposes where they captured coastal areas and built their Garrisons and formed
strong orginsied force consist of locals as well their own manpower.

5) Intellectual Bankrupcy:- As muslim rules indulged in immoral activities there concentration

to create a viable education has diverted to leisure and luxurious life…..

6) Corrupt administration:- Minsters,courtiers accepted bribes which ultimately weakend the

foundation of Muslim rule in Indian .

7) Invasion of Nadir shah and Ahmed shah Abdali:- Invasion of Nadir shah and Ahmed shah
abdali in india aggrandized the situation for rulers destruction of dehli loot and plunder of Nadir
shah has weaknd the authority of rulers and the empire had become economically weak.

8) Rise of Sikhs and Marahtas:- During the days of farukhsiar and jahandar shah Banda Bahadar
has killed the governor of sirhandi wazir khan and captured the area where as nationalism of
Marahtas also rose to the extent that their influence was to the Dehli.

9) Advent of East india Compony:- Advent of east india compony into Indian soil become the
last straw in to rule of muslims they came to india as the traders where they started their
disruptive activities and finaly became the rulers of subcontinents
Conquer Your Fear,it is a key to success.

WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 1857:

The War of Independence is an important landmark in the history of Sub-Continent. This War
was fought in 1857 by Indians against the British in order to get rid of their domination. It is also
given names as Indian Rebellion, Indian Mutiny as well as Indian Revolt. The main causes of the
War were political, social, economical, military and religious. It was an extreme effort made by
Indians, but they failed due to certain reasons including mutual jealousies, disunity, and lack of
central leadership etc.

This war was not spread throughout India but it was limited to few areas mainly Meerut, Delhi,
Kanpur, Lucknow etc. The main event which became the immediate cause of the war was the
refusal of the Sepoys to use the grease covered cartridges (greased with fat of pig and cow) on
January 23, 1857. At the same time, an Indian sepoy killed two British officers at Barrackpore,
when he was forced to use greased cartridges. He was arrested and hanged to death on April 8,
1857. This news spread as fast as jungle fire.

Meerut

On 6th May, 1857 A.D. 85 out of 90 Indian soldiers at Meerut refused to bite the greased
cartridges with their teeth. These 85 soldiers were court-martialled and imprisoned for 10
years. They were stripped off their uniforms in the presence of the entire Indian crowd. It was
too much of a disgrace and this incident sent a wave of indignation. On 10th May 1857, the
Indian soldiers at Meerut broke into open revolt. They released their companions and
murdered a few European officers. On the night of 10th May the mutineers marched to Delhi
and reached there on 11th May.

Delhi

The revolutionaries reached from Meerut to Delhi on 11th May, 1857 and the small British
garrison at Delhi was not able to resist and consequently fell into their hands within 2 days. The
Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was proclaimed Emperor of India. In order to regain
Delhi, Sir John Lawrence sent a strong British force commanded by John Nicholson. After a long
siege of four months, the British recovered Delhi in September 1857 A.D. The Mughal Emperor
Bahadur Shah Zafar was captured, his two sons and a grandson were shot dead before his eyes
and he was sent to Rangoon where he died in the year 1862 A. D.

Kanpur

At Kanpur the struggle for Independence was led by Nana Sahib Dondu Pant (The adopted son
of Peshwa Baji Rao II). A number of British fell into his hands and he showed great kindness to
them. But when he heard about inhuman attitude of Gen. O’Neil towards Indians, he became
very furious and killed all the British. General Havelock captured Kanpur after defeating Nana
Sahib in a hotly contested battle on June 17, 1857. Later on Nana Sahib, with the help of Tantya
Topi, recaptured Kanpur in November, 1857 but not for a long time and British defeated them
once again in a fierce war from December 1 to 6, 1857. Nana Sahib fled towards Nepal, where
he probably died, while Tantya Tope migrated to Kalpi.

Lucknow

The struggle for independence at Lucknow was led by Nawab, Wajid Ali Shah. The Chief
Commissioner, Sir Henry Lawrence, sought refuge with 1000 English and 700 Indian soldiers
inside the Residency. The Indians did not make any concession and killed most of the
Englishmen, including Sir Henry Lawrence and the notorious English General O’Neil. At last, the
Commander-in-Chief General Collin Campbell, marched towards Lucknow and captured it after
a fierce battle in March 1858.

Jhansi and Gwalior

The leader of the revolutionaries in Central India was Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi. General Sir Huge
Rose attacked Jhansi in March 1858 but the brave Rani Laxmi Bai kept the British General
unnerved for quite some time. She with the help of Tantya Tope created problems for the
British troops. Both fought many successful battles against the British. A fierce battle was
fought between the British and the revolutionaries under Rani Laxmi Bai and Tantya Tope from
June 11 to June 1 8, 1 858 A. D. But the personal velour of Rani and Tantya Tope could not
match the resources at the command of the British. Tantya Tope was betrayed by the Gwalior
Chief Man Singh and fell into the hands of the British. He was subsequently hanged on April 18,
1859.

Bihar
In Bihar, the Revolt was led by Kunwar Singh, a zamindar of Jagdishpur. Though he was eighty
years old, he played a prominent part in the revolt. He fought the British in Bihar and then
joined Nana Sahib’s forces and took part in various encounters with the English in Oudh and
Central India. He died on April 27, 1858, leaving behind a glorious record of valour and bravery.

Conclusion

Most of the European historians have pointed out that it was a revolt of Indian soldiers who
were offended at the use of greased cartridges. In their opinion, the discontented sepoys were
incited by the landlords and the deposed native princes and the people of India were not
directly involved in this rebellion. They further assert that it was not a national war of
independence, in as much as the revolt was confined to a particular region and not to the
whole of India; large areas like the Punjab, Sind and Rajputana remained unaffected. It was
admittedly a great and courageous effort by patriotic Indians to get rid of the foreign
domination. It was a glorious landmark in our history in as much as Hindus and Muslims fought
shoulder to shoulder to win back their lost independence. One cannot but admire the patriotic
spirit of boatmen of Lucknow who refused to carry British soldiers across the river. The sepoys
and the people fought gallantly up to the very end. Though the revolt was unsuccessful, the
spirit of the people remained unshaken. The revolt left an impression on the minds of the
Indian people and thus paved the way for the rise of a strong national movement.

1940 -1947
1941 - Civil Disobedience Movement
The twenty eighth Annual Session of the All India Muslim League was held at Madras and a
resolution was adopted on the Civil Disobedience Movement started by Congress. This movement
was aimed at forcing the British Government to accept the Congress demands regarding the future
constitution of India. Congress wanted that power should be transferred to them so that the Muslim
nation should become mere subjects of Hindu Raj.

1942 - Cripps Mission

Soon after the Lahore Resolution was passed in March 1940, there came a reassuring statement
from the Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, on 8 August 1940, which dearly stated that British Government
could not contemplate the transfer of their present responsibilities for peace and welfare of India to
any system of government whose authority is directly denied by large and powerful elements in
India's national life.
British Government recognized the genuineness in demand for Pakistan, indirectly in the proposals
for the transfer of power after the Second World War which Sir Stafford Cripps brought to India in
1942. Both Congress and All India Muslim League rejected these proposals for different reasons.
The principles of secession of Muslim India as a separate dominion was however, conceded in these
proposals. After this failure, a prominent Congress leader, C. Rajgopalacharia, suggested a formula
for a separate Muslim state in the working committee of the Indian National Congress, which was
rejected at the time, but later on, in 1944, formed the basis of the Jinnah-Gandhi talks.

1942 - Quit India Movement

The Indian National Congress decided to start "Quit India Movement" and demanded that British
should immediately withdraw from India. Mr. Gandhi advised his people to "do or die" to achieve
their aim. This movement was termed an "open rebellion" against British Government in India. As a
result of the Movement 940 people were killed within a period of four months and state property
worth rupees one crore and thirty five lakhs was destroyed. In response to the Congress demand of
Quit India, the League demanded "Divide and Quit." The League remained aloof from the Movement
since it was aimed as much against Muslims as it was against British.

1945 - Simla Conference

The Viceroy called a conference at Simla, since known as the First Simla Conference, where the
formation of an Executive Council was discussed. The Congress claimed that it represented all the
communities in India and as such it could nominate Muslims as members of the new Council. All
India Muslim League did not accept the claim of Congress and stated that only All India Muslim
League had the right to nominate Muslim members in the Executive Council.
All India Muslim League was pledged to the formation of a separate homeland for Indian Muslims,
whereas Wavell Plan envisaged a united India. When question of representation of various religious
groups on the Executive Council came under discussion, a deadlock occurred. All India Muslim
League claimed that no other political party had the right to nominate Muslim members for the
Executive Council.
Congress was opposed to this claim. The Unionist Party in Punjab was also pressing for
representation on the Executive Council. Lord Wavell requested the two parties to send him a list
giving the names of the members of their parties who could be included in the proposed Executive
Council. Congress immediately submitted a list of its members which also included names of two
Muslims. All India Muslim League did not submit the list and insisted that Muslim members of the
proposed Executive Council should be chosen from the All-India Muslim League. On 14 July, 1945,
Viceroy Lord Wavell announced that the Simla Conference had failed and that the efforts to bring
Hindus and Muslims together have proved fruitless.

1946 - Cabinet Mission

The Cabinet Mission Plan, proposed by Cripps, represented Britain's last, desperate attempt to
transfer the power it retained over India to a single union. The mission put forward a three-tier
federal form of government in which central government would be limited to power over defence,
foreign relations, currency and communication; significant over powers would be delegated to the
provinces. The plan also prescribed the zones that would be created: north-west Bengal and Assam
would be joined to form a zone with a slight Muslim majority; in north-west, Punjab, Sindh, N.W.F.P.,
and Balochistan would be joined for a clear Muslim majority; and the remainder of the country would
be third zone, with a clear Hindu majority. The approximation of boundaries of a new Pakistan was
clear from the delineation of the zones. The mission also suggested the right of veto on legislation by
communities that saw their interests adversely affected. Finally, the mission proposed that an interim
government be established immediately and that new elections be held.

The Plan of June 3, 1947

This was a plan for the partition of India prepared by Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of
India, in consultation with British Government. It was based on a fundamental principle that transfer
of power should take place according to the wishes of the people. It provided for ascertaining the
wishes of the people with regard to the framing of their constitution by:
(a) The existing Constituent Assembly OR
(b) A new and separate Constituent Assembly consisting of the representatives of those areas which
decide not to participate in the existing Constituent Assembly. Members of the provincial legislatures
of Bengal and Punjab were to decide on issue of partition and as soon as the decision involving
partition had been taken, separate Boundary Commissions would be set up which would demarcate
the boundaries of two parts of the provinces. In North West Frontier Province referendum was to be
held to ascertain the wishes of the people and in Sindh Indian members of the Legislative Assembly
were to take their own decision. In his broadcast statement Quaid-e-Azam said that the plan did not
meet, in some respects, our point of view. He, however, expressed his satisfaction on some of the
matters dealt within the Plan. But it is for us now to consider whether the Plan should be accepted by
us as a compromise or a settlement.
July 18, 1947, Indian Independence Act; a bill providing independence was introduced in the House
of Commons on July 4, 1947 and was passed on July 15, 1947. On July 16, 1947, it was passed by
the House of Lords and received the Royal assent on July 18, 1947. It provided that "from the
fifteenth day of August, nineteen hundred and forty seven, two independent dominions shall be set
up in India, to be known respectively as India and Pakistan". The Act provided that for each new
dominion there would be a Governor General. The Act also provided that as long as the Constituent
Assembly does not prepare a constitution of its own, the new dominions will be governed by the
Government of India Act, 1935.

First Constituent Assembly of Pakistan

Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah arrived in Karachi on August 7, 1947 and addressed the
Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947 as its first Governor General. He said that the
Assembly had two main functions to perform. The first was to frame the future constitution of
Pakistan and second was to act as a Federal Legislature of Pakistan.

Radcliffe Award
The Boundary Commission appointed under the Indian Independence Act 1947, submitted its report
commonly known as the Radcliffe Award. The Punjab Boundary Commission was constituted on
June 30, 1947, as under:

 Lord Cyril Radcliffe (Chairman)

 Justice DM Mohammad
 Justice Mohammad Munir
 Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan; and
 Justice Teja Singh

It worked from July 21, 1947 to July 30, 1947, and produced the Award in which the Muslim majority
areas of Gurdaspur, Batala, Ferozepur, Zira and Jullundhar were given to India. Quaid-e-Azam said
that it was an unjust, incomprehensible and even perverse Award. He further said that as he had
agreed to abide by it, it was binding on us.

Transfer of Power
The transfer of power ceremony took place at Karachi. Lord Mountbatten and Quaid-e-Azam
Mohammad Ali Jinnah addressed the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. On 15 August, Quaid-e-
Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah sworn in as the first Governor Genera! of Pakistan. Mr. Liaquat Ali
Khan was appointed as the first Prime Minister of Pakistan.