Pakistan Studies

Muslims’ Politics and Pakistan Movement

Week 5

Koonj Altaf
• Pre-1857 attempts
• Aligarh Movement (1875)
• Muslim delegation (1906)
• All India Muslim League (1906)
• Muslim, Hindu, British interactions (1907-1940)
• Lahore Resolution (1940)
• Muslim, Hindu, British interactions (1940-1947)
• Road to independence (1947)
 1907-1940
•All Parties Conferences, 1928-1929
British forwarded the problem to local leaders to come up with a solution
for subcontinent
Three conferences took place, attended by established political parties,
especially, Muslim League and Congress to draft a constitution
The clash of Muslims and Hindus particularly on minority rights almost
failed the conferences
In the end, dominion status of India was demanded and a committee was
made under Motilal Nehru to form the constitution
•Nehru Report, 1928
Adopted federal system and joint electorates for the subcontinent system
Recommended to abolish separate electorates, to eliminate weightage of
minority communities, to make Hindi the national language and to reduce
Muslim representation in central government
It was readily rejected by the Muslims as their pleas were not heard and the
report was adopted by Congress
 1907-1940
• Jinnah’s Fourteen Points, 1929
A constitutional reform plan, in reaction to Nehru report,
to safeguard Muslims political rights in (to be) self-
governing subcontinent
This scene united the factions of Muslim League
These demands afterwards became objectives of the
Muslim League and highlighted Jinnah
The important points were:
Federal system Provincial autonomy Representation of minority
1/3 Muslim seats Separate electorates Muslim areas protection
Religious liberty ¾ margin for bill passing Sindh as a province
Reforms in NWFP & Baloch Share in services Safeguard for Muslims
1/3 seats in cabinets Say in constitution
 1907-1940
• Muslim League/Congress annual meetings, 1930
Certain attempts were made by Jinnah to get support of Congress
like All Parties Convention at Calcutta in 1929, but all failed
Jinnah finally decided to part ways with Congress and leave
ambitions of unity
British indifference to Muslim demands made their call for
independence more louder
In 1930, both parties individually held meetings to convince
British to accept their demands
Congress demanded Britain make a pledge that the subcontinent
would receive dominion status as a prerequisite for
participating in discussions with the Simon Commission
Muslim League demanded the status of Muslims as a separate
nation and separate self-governing unit
This was the first public call for statehood for the subcontinent’s
Muslims
 Allama Iqbal’s speech, Allahabad,
1930
• “India is a continent of human groups belonging
to different races, speaking different languages,
and professing different religions. Personally, I
would like to see the Punjab, North-West Frontier
Province, Sindh and Baluchistan amalgamated
into a single State. Self-government within the
British Empire, or without the British Empire, the
formation of a consolidated North-West Indian
Muslim State appears to me to be the final destiny
of the Muslims, at least of North-West India.”
 1907-1940
• Round Table Conferences, 1930-1932
In 1930, the British convened a Round Table Conference in
London involving Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians
to discuss new constitutional reforms
Amidst the Muslims and Hindus demands clash, only
safeguard for minorities under federal rule were agreed
upon
In 1931, second Round Table Conference was held to
address the composition of the central government and
the communal issue.
However, the conference ended without results
In 1932, the third session was held but was limited to
discussing committee reports and accomplished little
 1907-1940
• Gandhi-Irwin Pact, 1931
Viceroy Lord Irwin and Gandhi signed the Pact, which restarted the
stalled constitution-drafting process
Under its terms Congress was to discontinue the civil disobedience
movement and participate in a second Round Table Conference
The British government was to withdraw all ordinances issued to
curb Congress, cease prosecution of all offenses relating to
nonviolent civil disobedience and release all persons serving
sentences for their activities in the civil disobedience movement
• Communal Award, 1932
British prime minister Ramsay MacDonald gave Communal Award
which guaranteed all minority communities the right of a separate
electorate
It was unpopular among all Indian political organizations
The Muslim League, somehow, was ready to accept if the award was
modified while it was completely unacceptable to Hindus
 1907-1940
• Government of India Act, 1935
After Third Round Table Conference, a white paper was published
in 1933 that became the basis for a reform constitution which
came to be known as the Government of India Act of 1935
Formed All India Federation and granted almost complete
autonomy to the provinces
It preserved British control over the central government and
introduced advisory body
Muslims were given one-third of the seats in the central
legislature and another third to nominees of Indian princes
The right to vote was expanded to include about one-sixth of
India’s adult population
This act revolutionized the political tactics of the region
 1907-1940
• Provincial Elections, 1936-1937
As per Act of 1935, elections were held in provinces of British India
The Congress won about 70 percent of the vote and 40 percent of the
provincial government seats, thus, emerging powerful in eight
provinces
Further through coalitions it gained an upper hand in the rule of most
provinces
The Muslim League won only 5 percent of the total Muslim vote and
not a single province under control
• Congress resignations, 1939
The times were gloomy for Muslims under Congress which in actual
revitalized the Muslim League
As World War II started, Congress and British conflict on demands
made Congress resign from governmental posts as a protest in
1939, which was celebrated by the Muslims
 Lahore Resolution, 1940
• A formal political statement adopted by the All
India Muslim League on the occasion of its three-
day general session in Lahore on 22–24 March
1940
• It was attended by 100,000 people and the
address was given by Jinnah
• The resolution soon became Muslim League’s
agenda
• The name Pakistan was not officially used
• This completely changed the political dimensions
for the subcontinent’s future
 Lahore Resolution, 1940

• “Muslims are not a minority as it is commonly

known and understood . . . Muslims are a
nation according to any definition of a nation,
and they must have their homelands, their
territory, and their state”
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
 Lahore Resolution, 1940
• The resolution declared:
“No constitutional plan would be workable or
acceptable to the Muslims unless geographical
contiguous units are demarcated into regions
which should be so constituted with such territorial
readjustments as may be necessary. That the areas
in which the Muslims are numerically in majority
as in the North-Western and Eastern zones of India
should be grouped to constitute independent
states in which the constituent units shall be
autonomous and sovereign”
 1940-1947
• August Offer, 1940
The viceroy proffered an offer promising that no constitution would
be adopted without the consent of Muslims
But denying the Muslim League the representation they sought on
the Defense Council
The Muslim League declined the offer
• Cripps Mission, 1942
Richard Stafford Cripps arrived in India on a high-level mission to
appease Muslim concerns and gain Indian support in the backdrop
of World War II
Cripps offered independence for the subcontinent at war’s end, an
assembly to draft a constitution, protection for minorities and
choice for the provinces as to whether to join the new Indian state
But without a guarantee for an independent Muslim state
The Muslim League and Congress rejected the plan
 1940-1947
• Jinnah-Gandhi meeting, 1944
Gandhi proposed talks with Jinnah on his two-nation theory and
negotiating on issue of partition
He tried to convince Jinnah against separate state
C. R. Formula and its rejection
The meeting turned out to be fruitless
• Simla Conference, 1945
Viceroy Lord Wavell unveiled his Wavell Plan at Simla for Indian self-
government
It reached a potential agreement for the self-rule of India that
provided separate representation for Muslims and reduced
majority powers for both communities in their majority regions
But the conference was a failure due to conflict on the selection of
the Muslim representatives
Protests by other community leaders also made it worse
 1940-1947
• Provincial Elections, 1946
Wavell somehow went forward with the election plan and
both parties agreed to accept the election results
Held to elect provincial members of the legislative councils
Congress won 80% of general seats, League won all 30
reserved seats (central)
Congress won 90% non-Muslim seats, League won 95%
Muslim seats (provincial)
Muslim League’s agenda: Pakistan is the demand of the
Muslims and the Muslim League is their sole representative
 1940-1947
• Cabinet Mission Plan, 1946
Came for discussion of the transfer of power from British to
Indians
They planned to grant independence to India but to the united
one, provincial autonomy for constitution
Following PM Attlee’s plan, Pethick Lawrence, Sir Stafford
Cripps and A.V. Alexander were sent on the mission
League first accepted but then refused due to Congress
attitude
Federal system of group A,B,C were decided and Congress was
made responsible to make constitution
Muslim League announced Direct Action Day leading to
violence
 1940-1947
• Direct Action Day, 1946
On 16 August, Muslim League proclaimed overall strikes and
demonstrations
Muslim unity was evident which ignited communal violence
The Great Calcutta Killings happened due to this leaving people
dead, injured and homeless
• Interim Government, 1946
Lord Wavell, in midst of his clashes with Congress, was directed
to form the government
He gave finance ministry to Muslim League candidate
Constituent Assembly session could not take place due to
Congress disagreement on power sharing leading British to
make a decision
Political deadlock and sectarian violence
 1940-1947
• Sectarian and political disturbance, 1946
British started a campaign to suppress Muslims
New government came in mid of chaos
Poor Man’s Budget
British took decisions on emergency basis
• Mountbatten’s Plan, 1947
Lord Mountbatten was made the last viceroy of the
subcontinent
He met leaders and realized the political situation
Jinnah convinced the viceroy about a separate land,
meanwhile, Congress also realized that Muslims have
emerged as a powerful entity
3rd June Plan
 1940-1947
• Political processes, 1947
Revised plan
The approval of the plan
The British and Congress influence
On June 4, all leaders and viceroy addressed the public in a
radio broadcast and announced a plan to draw borders
Different mechanisms were exercised for provinces’ territory,
inclusion and partition
Date for transfer of power was changed
• The Indian Independence Act, 1947
Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act on July 18 for
establishing Pakistan and India as dominions of the British
Commonwealth and dissolution of the Raj
 Birth of Pakistan, 1947
• Boundary commission
• Violence increased a hundredfold due to reactions on
partition, immigration, communal and sectarian insecurities
• But the political process, however, advanced unabated
• On August 11, the Pakistan Constituent Assembly held its
first session, Quaid gave his historical speech
• On August 13, Lord Mountbatten arrived with a message
from King George he read to the assembly
• Pakistan independence was announced on 14th August, 1947
• Jinnah took oath as Governor General on 15th August and
first cabinet was also formed
• Pakistan readily applied for membership in the UN
 Birth of Pakistan, 1947
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syjim9cm
qWg

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmaNi_c
2Dm8

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9359En
W4ZOg
• “We have undoubtedly achieved Pakistan, and that too
without bloody war, practically peacefully, by moral
and intellectual force, and with the power of the pen,
which is no less mighty than that of the sword and so
our righteous cause has triumphed. Are we now going
to besmear and tarnish this greatest achievement for
which there is no parallel in the history of the world?
Pakistan is now a fait accompli and it can never be
undone, besides, it was the only just, honourable, and
practical solution of the most complex constitutional
problem of this great subcontinent. Let us now plan to
build and reconstruct and regenerate our great nation”
Mohammad Ali Jinnah
• Why British decided for self government by
the inhabitants of the subcontinent?

• Did Muslims get their all demands 100%

fulfilled?
 Trivia
• Which day was marked and celebrated by
Muslim League/Muslims after Congress
government resignations?

• Who presented the Lahore Resolution?

• Who was the first governor general of newly

independent India?
• Assignment:
• Make a report on “Initial problems of Pakistan”
after it got independence in 1947 from the British
• It consists of 10 marks
• It must be between 500-1000 words
• Deadline: 09 December (till 12 am)
• Email your assignments on ID:
pslduk95@gmail.com
• No assignment will be accepted after the
deadline
 Mid Term
• A written paper will be taken on 8th week (3rd December,
2021)
• Same class and same timings
• Time allotted: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• It will consist of 20 marks
• 5 marks: objective (MCQs and True/False)
• 15 marks: subjective (Questions/Answers)
• Topics covered from week 1 till week 7 are included
(early history-1947) (do detailed study)
• Prepare from files available at Zabdesk (and other
sources as per your choice and convenience)
• No queries will be entertained (on phone/email) after
this class