Explain the following statements with reasons.

Lord Curzon decided to partition Bengal.

The Partition of Bengal was announced on 19 July 1905 by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon. The partition took place on 16 October 1905 and separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas.

The reasons for the partition were:

• Partition was promoted for administrative reasons since Bengal was geographically large and had a significantly larger population.

• The reason behind the partition that was formally announced was that the Bengal province was too large. Therefore, it was difficult to be administered by a single governor, and so it would be partitioned for administrative purpose.

• The eastern region of Bengal was neglected and under-governed. By splitting the province, an improved administration could be established in the east, and later the population would benefit from new schools and employment opportunities.

• The real reason behind the partition was political and not administrative. East Bengal was dominated by the Muslims and West Bengal by the Hindus. Partition was yet another part of the divide and rule policy of the British.