Growth of Communalism
The Growth of Communalism in India represents one of the most tragic developments in the history of the Indian National Movement. Communalism—the belief that religious communities have distinct, mutually exclusive socio-economic and political interests—was systematically nurtured under Communalism During British Rule.
Background of Communalism in Colonial India
Pre-colonial India featured localized socio-religious identities alongside shared cultural practices. The Rise of Communalism in India began when colonial authorities categorized citizens primarily by religion, transforming fluid identities into rigid political blocs.
Causes of the Growth of Communalism
Understanding the Causes of Communalism in India requires examining multiple socio-political factors:
- British Divide and Rule Policy: Systematic colonial effort to prevent unified anti-imperialist resistance.
- Socio-Economic Backwardness: Lagging modern education and employment opportunities among Muslims, breeding insecurities.
- Religious Reform Misinterpretation: Revivalist undertones in 19th-century reform movements that alienated minority communities.
- Middle-Class Competition: Intense rivalry for scarce colonial civil service jobs and municipal representation.
Early Development of Communal Politics
Political communalism began taking root in the late 19th century. Leaders like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan advocated educational modernization while advising Muslims to stay away from the Indian National Congress, fearing Hindu majority dominance in elective bodies.
Separate Electorates and Communalism
The introduction of Separate Electorates in India under the Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) institutionalized communal divisions by allowing Muslim voters to elect only Muslim representatives, permanently damaging Hindu Muslim Relations During British Rule.
Rise of Communal Organisations
- Muslim League 1906: Founded in Dhaka to safeguard Muslim political rights and foster loyalty to the British Crown.
- Hindu Mahasabha: Formed in 1915 to consolidate Hindu political interests in response to communal electorate demands.
Communalism During the National Movement
The Lucknow Pact 1916 temporarily united the Congress and Muslim League. However, by accepting separate electorates, Congress inadvertently legitimised communal political bargaining. The subsequent Khilafat-Non-Cooperation alliance temporarily fostered unity, but its abrupt end triggered a severe communal backlash.
Communalism in the 1920s
The 1920s witnessed widespread communal riots, the rise of the Shuddhi/Sangathan and Tabligh/Tanzeem movements, and the failure of all-party conferences. The Nehru Report 1928 rejected separate electorates, leading to M.A. Jinnah’s counter-demands in the Jinnah Fourteen Points (1929).
Communalism in the 1930s
The British government deepened religious fissures through Ramsay MacDonald’s Communal Award 1932, extending separate electorates to depressed classes alongside existing minorities.
Communalism During the 1940s
The decade of the 1940s marked the extreme phase of extreme communalism. The Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution 1940, formally demanding a separate sovereign state based on the Two Nation Theory.
British Policies and Communalism
The British Divide and Rule Policy consistently patronized communal groups, using them as political counterweights against the nationalist demands of the Congress.
Role of the Muslim League
Under Jinnah’s leadership, the Muslim League 1906 transformed into a mass organization claiming to be the sole spokesman of Indian Muslims, culminating in the violent Direct Action Day 1946.
Role of the Indian National Congress
While committed to secular nationalism, the Congress occasionally compromised with communal demands and failed to effectively counter communal ideology among rural and urban masses.
Communalism and Constitutional Developments
From the Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) and Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919) to the Government of India Act 1935, every constitutional milestone progressively expanded communal representation.
Why Did Communalism Grow
Communalism grew because it satisfied the interests of colonial rulers seeking survival, feudal elites seeking privileges, and middle-class elites competing for political representation.
Consequences of Communalism
It eroded anti-colonial unity, sparked violent riots, disrupted social cohesion, and diverted political focus away from pressing economic issues.
Communalism and Partition of India
The ultimate tragedy of extreme communal politics was the Communalism and Partition of India in 1947, which resulted in massive displacement, bloodshed, and enduring geopolitical rivalry.
Communalism vs Secular Nationalism
- Communalism: Assumes religious affiliation dictates political and economic identity, promoting sectarian interests.
- Secular Nationalism: Envisions a unified nation state where citizenship is independent of religious faith.
Timeline of the Growth of Communalism
- 1906: Formation of the Muslim League 1906 in Dhaka.
- 1909: Morley-Minto Reforms introduce Separate Electorates in India.
- 1916: Signing of the Lucknow Pact 1916.
- 1928: Publication of the Nehru Report 1928.
- 1929: Proposal of Jinnah Fourteen Points.
- 1932: Announcement of the Communal Award 1932.
- 1940: Adoption of the Lahore Resolution 1940 and Two Nation Theory.
- 1946: Call for Direct Action Day 1946.
Conclusion
Studying the Growth of Communalism in India provides indispensable lessons for understanding modern statecraft. For Communalism in India UPSC preparation, analyzing these historical events highlights how colonial policies engineered division, leading ultimately to the Communalism and Partition of India.
UPSC Prelims: PYQs & Practice Questions
Practice Questions
Q: With reference to the Indian freedom struggle, consider the following events:
1. Announcement of the Communal Award by Ramsay MacDonald
2. Passing of the Lahore Resolution by the Muslim League
3. Signing of the Lucknow Pact between Congress and the Muslim League
4. Release of the Nehru Report
What is the correct chronological sequence of the events given above?
(a) 3 – 4 – 1 – 2
(b) 4 – 3 – 2 – 1
(c) 3 – 4 – 2 – 1
(d) 4 – 3 – 1 – 2
Answer: (a) 3 – 4 – 1 – 2
Explanation:
The correct chronological sequence is:
Lucknow Pact – 1916:
Signed between the
Indian National Congress and the Muslim League
in December 1916.
Nehru Report – 1928:
Published in August 1928 as a
draft constitutional framework for India.
Communal Award – 1932:
Announced by British Prime Minister
Ramsay MacDonald
in August 1932.
Lahore Resolution – 1940:
Passed by the
All-India Muslim League
in March 1940, calling for separate political arrangements for Muslim-majority regions.
Therefore, the correct sequence is
3 – 4 – 1 – 2.
Q: The Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909 are best remembered for which of the following?
(a) Introduction of Dyarchy in Provinces
(b) Extension of provincial autonomy
(c) Introduction of Separate Electorates for Muslims
(d) Granting complete independence to Indian legislatures
Answer: (c) Introduction of Separate Electorates for Muslims
Explanation:
The
Indian Councils Act, 1909,
popularly known as the
Morley-Minto Reforms,
introduced
Separate Electorates for Muslims.
Under this system,
Muslim voters elected Muslim representatives separately,
thereby formally introducing communal representation into the electoral system.
Dyarchy was introduced later by the
Government of India Act, 1919,
while substantial
provincial autonomy
came under the
Government of India Act, 1935.
Therefore, option (c) is correct.
Practice Questions
Q: With reference to Jinnah's "Fourteen Points" (1929), consider the following statements:
1. They were formulated as a reaction against the rejection of communal demands in the Nehru Report.
2. They included demands for a federal constitution with residual powers vested in the provinces.
3. They advocated for the immediate abolition of separate electorates in favour of joint electorates with reservation of seats.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Explanation:
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. M. A. Jinnah presented his
Fourteen Points in 1929
in response to the
Nehru Report of 1928,
which did not accept several Muslim League demands.
The Fourteen Points demanded a
federal constitutional structure
in which
residuary powers would vest in the provinces.
They also sought safeguards such as
one-third Muslim representation in the Central Legislature.
Statement 3 is incorrect.
Jinnah did not demand the immediate abolition of
Separate Electorates.
Instead, the Fourteen Points supported their continuation unless a community voluntarily chose to abandon them.
Therefore, Statements 1 and 2 are correct.
Q: Which of the following events/factors contributed to the escalation of communal politics in India during the 1920s?
1. The sudden withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement by Mahatma Gandhi.
2. The launch of the Shuddhi and Sangathan movements by Hindu reform groups alongside Tabligh and Tanzeem by Muslim groups.
3. The rejection of the Delhi Proposals (1927) by Hindu communal groups during All-Party Conferences.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation:
All three statements are correct.
The withdrawal of the
Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922
weakened the phase of Hindu-Muslim political cooperation and created space for the growth of
communal organisations and politics.
Religious mobilisation also intensified through
Shuddhi and Sangathan
campaigns on one side and
Tabligh and Tanzeem
movements on the other, contributing to communal tensions.
The failure to reach agreement over the
Delhi Proposals of 1927
and subsequent constitutional negotiations further widened political differences between communal groups and national political organisations.
Therefore, option (d) 1, 2 and 3 is correct.
UPSC Mains – Previous Year & Practice Questions
Mains Previous Year Questions
[15 Marks | 250 Words]
Question: Assess the main factors that led to the rise of communalism in colonial India. How far was the British policy of “Divide and Rule” responsible for it? (UPSC CSE Mains 2020, GS Paper I)
[15 Marks | 250 Words]
Question: Analyse the circumstances that led to the signing of the Lucknow Pact of 1916. Did its short-term tactical unity lay the seeds for long-term communal division? (UPSC CSE Mains 2017, GS Paper I)
[10 Marks | 150 Words]
Question: Highlight the differences between the approach of Mahatma Gandhi and M. A. Jinnah towards the secular concept of nationalism. (UPSC CSE Mains 2014, GS Paper I)
[15 Marks | 250 Words]
Question: Examine the impact of the Communal Award of 1932 on Indian national politics and analyse the terms of the Poona Pact. (UPSC CSE Mains 2002, Modern History)
[15 Marks | 250 Words]
Question: Discuss how the failure of the Congress to integrate Muslim masses into the anti-imperialist struggle enabled the Muslim League to transform into a mass organisation in the 1940s. (UPSC CSE Mains 1998, Modern History)
Mains Practice Questions
[15 Marks | 250 Words]
Question: “ Communalism was not merely a remnant of medieval religious fanaticism; it was a modern colonial ideology engineered by British policies and fuelled by middle-class competition for jobs and political opportunities.” Analyse.
[15 Marks | 250 Words]
Question: Critically evaluate the Congress strategy of negotiating with communal leaders rather than directly combating communal ideology at the grassroots level between 1916 and 1940.
[10 Marks | 150 Words]
Question: Trace the evolution of Muslim League politics from its liberal constitutional demands in 1906 to the emergence of the Two-Nation Theory, culminating in Direct Action Day in 1946.
Growth of Communalism-FAQs
What is communalism in India?
Communalism is the belief that religious communities have separate and conflicting political, social and economic interests.
What caused the growth of communalism during British rule?
Major causes included British divide-and-rule policy, separate electorates, socio-economic backwardness, middle-class competition and communal political organisations.
How did separate electorates promote communalism?
Separate electorates made religion the basis of political representation, encouraging communities to view politics through religious identity.
What was the role of the Muslim League in communal politics?
The Muslim League gradually claimed to represent Muslim political interests and later demanded Pakistan through the Lahore Resolution of 1940.
Why is the Growth of Communalism important for UPSC?
It is important because it explains separate electorates, Muslim League politics, communal awards, Two Nation Theory, Partition and the limits of colonial constitutional reforms.
