Bengal was partitioned in the year 1905. Two provinces were formed named East and West Bengal. East Bengal means today's Bangladesh, Assam and West Bengal included Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand. This partition was done on the basis of religion by the then Viceroy Lord Curzon. East Bengal was Muslim majority and West Bengal was Hindu majority. As soon as this was announced, massive protests started across Bengal.
The British government tried hard to suppress this rebellion but the matter kept increasing. At that time the British considered Calcutta as their capital and ruled from here. However, Lord Curzon had made the basis of this partition not on Hindu-Muslim lines but on streamlining the administrative system.
divide and conquer
He said that this is necessary for the system and development. But, the intention was to divide and rule. This partition was announced on 20 July 1905 and it was implemented on 16 October 1995. Only after this announcement, all Hindus and Muslims participated in a huge rally held in Calcutta. Everyone also opposed this partition.
Within no time it took the form of a rebellion. Violence started everywhere. In fact, at that time the winds of nationalism were blowing in Bengal. There was a different kind of love for the country. In such a situation, Bengal would oppose every decision of the British government in which it smelled of some conspiracy. When this started happening at extreme levels, the British rulers felt that something concrete needed to be done for this. And from here the role of shifting the country's capital from Calcutta to Delhi was prepared.
The protest continued. This rebellion continued to be recorded from India to Britain. All this continued for many years. The Indians had troubled the British.
Darbar held in Delhi
In the year 1911, King George V of Britain visited India for the first time. Even then the opposition was at its peak. A court was held for him in Delhi instead of Calcutta. Where kings and nawabs from outside the country were invited. It is found in the books that King George V announced the shifting of the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi on 12 December 1911 in front of a crowd of 80 thousand people.
The British feared that the biggest opposition to this decision would come from Bengal, so they started making arrests on a large scale. The script of shifting the capital to Delhi and its announcement was already ready. This was formally said through the mouth of King George. It was believed that when the ruler would make the announcement, the possibility of opposition would be reduced. Delhi was beautifully decorated that day. Diwali like decorations were visible on the streets. There were tight security arrangements.
Poisonous seed of difference between Hindu and Muslim
Whatever the British may have said or prepared the basis for the partition of Bengal, they sowed the seeds of Hindu-Muslim divide at the same time and they also succeeded in later days. Today, when we look back, we realize that the product of the same poisonous seed became two countries named Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Hindus and Muslims, who used to live together, became intent on killing each other. The massacre that started since then is recorded in history as very horrifying and is being seen even today in some form or the other. It can be said that this wound given about 112 years ago is still not healed, but turns green from time to time.
However, the British also found it difficult to make Delhi the capital. He could not rule India for long. After the proclamation of King George, the responsibility of developing Delhi as the capital went to famous architects Edward Lutyens and Herbert Baker. This work was to be completed in four years but it took about 20 years to prepare Delhi as the capital.
Delhi was formally inaugurated as the capital on 13 February 1931 and the country became independent just 16 years later. The British had to go back. Because Delhi did not tolerate even the Mughal rulers for a long time.
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