Modern Indian History

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was a Muslim philosopher, social activist and educator who founded the Anglo-Mohammedan Oriental College which later came to be known as Aligarh Muslim University. He considered competence in English and Western sciences necessary skills for maintaining Muslims' political influence.The university is open to everyone irrespective of caste, creed, religion or gender.

The movement of Muslim awakening associated with Syed Ahmad Khan and M.A.O. College came to be known as Aligarh Movement. It aimed at social reforms among Muslims relating to purdah, polygamy, widow remarriage, women’s education, slavery, divorce, etc. It wanted to impart a distinct socio-cultural identity to Muslims on modern lines.

Sayyid Ahmad Khan's political stance and his emphasis on the distinct identity of Muslims in India are often cited as early catalysts for Muslim communal politics.

Lucknow Congress session of 1916 adopted an agreement known as the Lucknow Pact. It marked the coming together of moderates and extremists in Congress on common platform again after nearly a decade and concession given by the Congress to the Muslim League. The Congress  agreed to the demand of separate electorates for Muslims in provincial council elections.d" in 1765.

The Muslim league was founded in 1906 at Dhaka to safeguard the rights of Indian Muslims. It was a political group that led the movement calling for a separate Muslim nation to be created at the time of the partition of British India in 1947 because it feared that an independent India would be dominated by Hindus. It also supported the partition of Bengal announced by Lord Curzon in 1905. The Hindi- Urdu controversy relating to the use of court language was also one of the factors responsible for the formation of the League.

On December 30, 1906, Muslim league was formed under the leadership of Aga Khan, the Nawab of Dhaka and Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk at Dacca. It was formed  to safeguard the rights of Indian Muslims. Later, the league wanted a separate nation for India’s Muslims because it feared that an independent India would be dominated by Hindus.

Mohammad Iqbal is credited with the idea of Pakistan. He believed that Muslims are a distinct nation and thus deserve political independence from other regions and communities of India. He devised the idea of a north-western Muslim province when he became convinced that Muslims faced extinction in India. 

Mohammad Iqbal is credited with the idea of Pakistan. He believed that Muslims are a distinct nation and thus deserve political independence from other regions and communities of India. He devised the idea of a north-western Muslim province when he became convinced that Muslims faced extinction in India. 

The Home Rule League organization was established in 1915-16 during WW I, by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant. Many Indian revolutionaries supported the Britishers but Tilak and Besant considered this an opportunity to achieve independence from the British. Thus, they decided to organize a national alliance of leagues across India, specifically to demand Home Rule or self-government.

Hindu Mahasabha, politico- religious was formed by Madan Mohan Malviya in the year 1915 to protect the rights of the Hindu community in British India. The first All India Hindu Mahasabha Conference was organized at Haridwar in 1915. It became more aggressive after 1929 and started propagating Hindu Rashtra.

The Congress Working Committee passed a resolution in 1938 that prohibited members of the Indian National Congress from holding membership in communal organizations like the Hindu Mahasabha. This was an attempt to maintain a secular and unified stance against colonial rule.

Indian communalism has multiple characteristic features: extreme communalism (violent, intolerant), liberal communalism (milder, still religion-based), and communal nationalism (religion as nation). All these forms exist and represent different manifestations of communal ideology in Indian politics. Option D correctly includes all variants.

Chaudhry Rehmat Ali coined the name Pakistan. It was during the years 1930 through 1933 , that Chaudhry Rahmat Ali seemed to have established the Pakistan National Movement , with its headquarter at Cambridge. On January 28, 1933, he issued his first memorable pamphlet "Now or Never", Are we to live or perish forever?" He coined the word "Pakistan" for 30 million Muslims who live in the five northern units of India, Punjab , North West Frontier Province, Kashmir , Sindh and Baluchistan. The pamphlet also gave reasons for the establishment of Pakistan as a separate nation.He spoke of an independent homeland for Muslims , Pakistan , in the northern units of India , "Bang - i -Islam" for Muslims in Bengal , and "Usmanistan" for the Muslims in Hyderabad - Deccan.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is an organization founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. He was influenced by the ideas of V. D. Savarkar. The objective was to train the Hindu youths so that they united the Hindu Community and make India an Independent undivided country.

The Indian Councils Act of 1909 is also known as Morley-Minto reforms. Some of its provisions were as below: