Why this matters now
1905 is a turning point — the first large-scale use of boycott and swadeshi, the rise of the Extremists, the seeds of revolutionary nationalism, and an early instance of divide-and-rule. It is examined for its causes, methods and significance.
The partition
In 1905, Viceroy Lord Curzon partitioned the large Bengal province, ostensibly for administrative efficiency, into a largely Hindu west and a Muslim-majority east. Nationalists saw the real motive as divide and rule — splitting the politically active Bengali community along religious lines and weakening the nationalist movement.
The Swadeshi and Boycott movement
The response was the Swadeshi (own-country) and Boycott movement: boycotting British goods, institutions and titles, and promoting indigenous products, national education and self-reliance (atmashakti). Methods included public meetings, the burning of foreign cloth, the founding of national schools (and the National Council of Education) and swadeshi enterprises. Rabindranath Tagore contributed songs (later India’s anthem grew from this milieu) and the festival of Raksha Bandhan was used to symbolise Hindu-Muslim unity.
Significance and annulment
The movement marked the shift from petitioning to mass politics, brought the Extremists (Lal-Bal-Pal) to prominence, drew in students and women, and spawned a revolutionary underground (Anushilan Samiti). Faced with sustained agitation, the British annulled the partition in 1911 and shifted the capital from Calcutta to Delhi — a major nationalist victory, even as Swadeshi’s organisational momentum waned.
UPSC angle
Remember the divide-and-rule motive, the Swadeshi/Boycott methods (atmashakti, national education), the rise of the Extremists and revolutionaries, and the 1911 annulment + capital shift to Delhi.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Curzon partition Bengal in 1905?
Officially for administrative convenience, but nationalists saw it as a divide-and-rule move to split Bengal on religious lines and weaken the nationalist movement.
What was the Swadeshi movement?
A movement to boycott British goods and institutions and promote indigenous products, national education and self-reliance (atmashakti) — triggered by the Partition of Bengal.
What was the significance of the Swadeshi movement?
It shifted nationalism from petitions to mass politics, raised the Extremists to prominence, drew in students and women, and spawned revolutionary activity.
When was the Partition of Bengal annulled?
In 1911, when the British reversed it and moved the capital from Calcutta to Delhi.