Tag: partition of bengal and anti-partition movement

The Swadeshi movement started as the response to the partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon and continued till 1911. Its chief architect includes Aurobindo Ghosh, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Lala Lajpat Rai. The key strategy of this movement was Swaraj (self-rule). 

Tilak was charged with the seditious writings and was deported to Mandalay prison in Burma. After Tilak's deportation, Lala Lajpat Rai was deported to Mandalay, Burma (now Myanmar) without trial in May 1907. Along with him, Bipin Chandra Pal was also sent to Mandalay.

Aurobindo Ghose was an Indian Poet, Guru, Yogi, and Philosopher. In 1905 when VIceroy of India Lord Curzon partitioned the Bengal there was an outburst of public anger against British. At this time Aurobindo Ghosh also led a nationalist campaign by a group of revolutionaries and entered into the fold of Indian National Movement. He was also arrested in 1908 on charges of planning to kill the magistrate Kingsford but was released on May 6, 1909.

In the year 1911 Calcutta became the former capital of British India and it was shifted to Delhi. The decision was taken during the reign of Lord Hardinge, the then Viceroy of India. Hardinge's explanation was that Calcutta was located in the extreme east so the capital should be centralized for betterment. Though historians stated that in Bengal the situation was gradually going beyond control and rigorous extremist movement was giving sleepless nights to the British Raj.

Historically it is known as Delhi Darbar or Imperial Darbar. The Darbar in Delhi were held thrice in India, i.e in 1877, 1903 and 1911. George- V, and Queen of India visited the Darbar in 1911. It was held to mark the succession of an emperor or an empress. 

Lord Hardinge held a durbar in December, 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V. Here, the partition of Bengal was cancelled and the capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi. The reason was the widespread oppoasition to the partition and in the face of growing Bengali nationalism, the partition was annulled.

The issue of Partition of Bengal and failure of National Congress as an active party gave birth of extremism in the Indian National Congress. The Congress followers then divided into two groups i.e extremist and moderates. In Surat (1907) Rash Bihari Ghosh became the president of INC who was a moderate. Whereas the extremists demanded Bal Gangadhar Tilak or Lala Lajpat Rai should become the president. In Surat meeting, the tug of war between these two groups became more prominent.