The Rising Of Muslim Communal Politics In Indian Bengal During The First Half Of The Twentieth Century

In the early period of the twentieth century , the communal politics emerged in India . What was the influence of the Muslims elite in the rising of the communal politics in Bengal ?In fact ,the Chinese historical learners have been paying little attention to its history in India . Moreover, the study on the influence of the Muslim elite has ahnost been nothing .In the first half of the twentieth century ,it was not necessary the situation that more than one religion co-existed in India must lead to the communal politics in Bengal .Taking the rising of the communal politics in Bengal as a specimen ,the paper try to study the Muslim elite's influence in it .Maybe my vvork would deepen and widen the study of the history of Indian politics and society .The paper includes five parts .The first part will teli us its current significance and learning meanings .The second part will discuss the social situations in the Muslim community of Bengal on the eve of before the tvventieth century. Within the Muslim society ,the Muslim community was divided into many sub-communities because of the difference of é‘‘ste, race ,language ,culture ,etc. As far as the position of the Muslim commvmity in Bengal was concerned , the old Muslim elite lost their privileges after the coming of the colonial rulers .The slow responding of the Muslim to the modernistic change in the Bengal society brought by the British colonialists made their development far behind that of the Hindu community as a vvhole . .However ,the situation changed in the late 19* century .With the development of the capitalism in Bengal ,there emerged a new Muslim elite from the Muslim community who preferred to expanding the modem education in their community and to searching for the care of the British -Indian government in order to improve the conditions of the community . At the pressure of the nationalists in India ,the colonial authority took great pleasure in giving themsuch help because they needed the support of the Muslim .However ,the resources was so scare that the Muslim elite had to compete against the Hindus to abstain what they needed .In the third part ,the paper will point out that through the religious reformist-revivalist movements in the two communities ,the Muslim communal consciousness intensified which was helpful for the grovving of the influence of the communalisni within the Muslim community, while it unified their members .Therefore ,when the British-Indian government partitioned Bengal deliberately ,the Muslim elite conformed with it and they founded the Muslim League to safeguard their communal interests .The attitude of the Muslim elite was encouraged and supported by the authority . In 1909, the Indian Councils Act allowed the Muslim separate electorates in Bengal which marked the emergence of the communal politics in Bengal .Hovvever ,the communal politics was hindered by the nationalists of the two communities on some occasions .The fourth part will point out that the Indian Councils Act of 1919 and the Khilafat Movements in Bengal made it possible that the communal politics developed again because they led to the grovving of the mass coimnunalism in the Muslim community and the rising of the influence of the elite on their community .In the competition with their Hindu rivals ,the Muslim elite made use of the influence and went to struggle for the "Pakistan" under the leadership of the Muslim League in the end .The fifth part will conclude that the rising of the Muslim communal politics sprang from a lot of factors including the activities of the Muslim elite.In a vvord ,the Muslim elite ,particularly the new elite ,played an important role in the rising of the communal politics in Bengal.