Foundation Day of Muslim League

Syllabus: GS1/ Modern History

Context

• On December 30, 1906, the All India Muslim League (AIML), which played a pivotal role in India’s partition, was founded in Dhaka.

Background

• On October 1, 1906, thirty-five Muslim leaders in Simla submitted a memorandum urging the cautious adaptation of European-style institutions to safeguard Muslim interests.
• The objectives of the formation of Muslim leagues were:
  • Protection of Muslim Interests,
  • Promoting Political Awareness and Unity among Muslims,
  • Advocacy for Equal Educational Opportunities.

Factors Responsible for its formation

• Reaction to the Indian National Congress (INC): As the INC became increasingly nationalistic, many Muslims felt that their distinct cultural, religious, and social identity was not being adequately represented.
• Decline of the Mughal Empire: Following the decline of Mughals and due to the British colonial policies, many Muslims lost their traditional economic and political dominance.
• The establishment of institutions like Aligarh Muslim University which promoted English education among Muslims.

Key Resolutions

• The Lucknow Pact: In 1916, the Congress under Bal Gangadhar Tilak and the Muslim League under Muhammad Ali Jinnah signed the Lucknow Pact.
  • The pact provided for joint Hindu-Muslim political action, agreeing on separate electorates for Muslims while accepting a more significant role for Muslims in the legislative process.
• The Lahore Resolution, 1940: The League’s transformation into a mass movement under Jinnah culminated in the Lahore Resolution. 
• Held in March 1940, this session called for an independent state for Muslims, asserting that Muslims would not receive fair treatment in a “Hindu Rashtra” dominated by Congress.

Shifts in Muslim League’s Strategy

• 1920s Shift in Political Aspirations: Following the Khilafat Movement’s failure, the Muslim League began to reposition itself, advocating for Muslim-specific issues.
• Emergence of Jinnah: Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s leadership in the late 1920s and 1930s saw the League transition into a mass movement.
• 1937 Provincial Elections: The Congress’s dominance and alleged sidelining of Muslim interests in governance reinforced Jinnah’s narrative of Muslims requiring a separate nation.

Impact of league policy

• Religious Polarization: The League’s demand for a separate Muslim state gradually led to religious polarization, pitting Hindus and Muslims against each other. 
• Rise of Communal Violence: The idea of separate nations made the Hindu-Muslim divide more rigid, contributing to large-scale violence and distrust. 
• Political and Social Segregation: The separate electorates and the League’s emphasis on Muslim identity fostered a sense of segregation, having lasting effects on post-independence India.

Post-Independence Status

• The Muslim League’s political presence in India faded after independence.  In 1975, the All India Muslim League was formally dissolved in India.
• In Pakistan and later in Bangladesh too, the League broke into factions and did not survive long.

Concluding remarks

• The AIML’s journey reflects its dynamic evolution from a dormant organisation focused on educational upliftment to a powerful political movement advocating Muslim political identity and autonomy. 
• Under Jinnah’s leadership, it became a catalyst for partition, leading to the creation of Pakistan in 1947—a development that irrevocably reshaped the Indian subcontinent’s political landscape.

Source: IE