Partition of Bengal (1905)

Since 1765, Bengal, Bihar and Odisha had been a single region in British India. Bengal, which was ahead in size and wealth was announced in July 20, 1905 for partition by the viceroyalty of Lord Curzon. The partition came into effect on October 16, 1905. The government version was that the partition of bengal was purely an administrative measure. With this partition, bengal became two parts, a muslim majority region and a hindu majority region. Partition of Bengal led to staunch opposition. The indian national congress viewed the partition as an attempt to 'divide and rule' policy. Agitation against the partition manifested itself in the form of mass meetings, rural unrest and swadeshi movement. They started mass movement declaring October 16, 1905 as the 'days of mourning' in Calcutta. The ceremony of Raksha Bandhan was observed on October 16, 1905. Hindus and Muslims tied rakhis on each other's wrist showing solidarity. They sang Vande Mataram and took a dip in the Ganga river and took a pledge of brotherhood. Bengali leaders started the swadeshi movement to express the feelings of the people. 

The swadeshi movement was a great success. It started textile mills, soap and match box factories, handloom weaving mills, national banks, insurance companies etc. Nationalist poetry, prose, journalism etc flourished. National education was spread. Nationalists in Bengal and newspapers like Amrit Bazar Patrika, Sajeevini, Hitavadi and Vasumathi strongly opposed the partition. Due to extensive political protest against bengal partition, the eastern and western part of bengal were reunited in 1911. Lord Hardinge II was the viceroy when bengal was reunited. The capital of British India was shifted from Calcutta to New Delhi. Although the partition of Bengal was reunited in 1911, this led to many communal agitations. Finally, Bengal was partitioned again in 1947. This region later became the country of Bangladesh. In 1906, Rabindranath Tagore wrote 'Amar Sona Bangla' as a cry against the partition of bengal. Years later, this was made the national anthem of Bangladesh in 1972.