MUSLIM INDIA RISE AND GROWTH OF THE ALL INDIA MUSLIM LEAGUE MOHAMMAD NOMAN (1942) Reproduced by Sani H. Panhwar MUSLIM INDIA RISE AND GROWTH OF THE ALL INDIA MUSLIM LEAGUE MOHAMMAD NOMAN, M.A., LL.B. (ALIG.) FIRST PUBLISHED 1942 Reproducedb y Sa niH. Pa nhw a r (2019) Dedicated to QAIDE AZAM Mr. M. A. JINNAH Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead thou me on ! The night is dark and I am far from home, Lead thou me on! Keep thou my feet, I do not ask to see, The distant path, one step's enough for me. CONTENTS Preface .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 I. The General Conditions of the Muslims .. .. .. .. 3 II. 1857—Before and After .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 III. A Political and Social Organization for the Mohammadan .. .. 24 IV. Simla Deputation and the formation of the All-India Muslim League 31 V. Muslim League from 1907 Onward .. .. .. .. .. 36 VI. The Anti-Partition Movement and its Aftermath .. .. .. 48 VII. The Annulment of Partition, Muslim League's Resolution on Self-Government, Cawnpore Mosque and Turkish Question .. 53 VIII. The League and the Congress Joint Scheme of Reform for India .. 65 IX. The Home Rule Agitation, Mr. Montague's Visit and his Report .. 76 X. The Khilafat and Non-cooperation Movement—The Failure of Hindu-Muslim Unity .. .. .. .. .. .. 85 XI. Appointment of Royal Commission Before and After .. .. 110 XII. The Simon and Nehru Report and the R. T. C. .. .. .. 128 XIII. The Act of 1935—League and Congress Conflict .. .. .. 156 XIV. The Year 1939 and since .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 181 PREFACE It is unfortunate that the men who made history had little time to write it. The History of the Mussalmans in India is read with much prejudice. The absence of an authentic history free from communal or political bias has led to considerable misunderstanding, with the result that the gulf between the two communities has become wider with the passage of the time. I have tried to give a true picture of the various phases in the development of the Muslim politics in India after the collapse of their power in 1857. Every effort has been made to be exact, impartial, free from passion unswayed by personal interest or fear and absolute fidelity to the Truth which is the basis of History. Our historians have chronicled only political events and omitted account of the political consciousness amongst the people of India. Willful misrepresentation and unbridled vilification have been indulged in against the Mussalmans and their history has been presented in the darkest colors. The present History presents the other side of the medal. It was a difficult task that I undertook to perform. The Muslim League though established in 1906, remained in a state of torpor from 1919 to 1933, and took a new turn in 1936. Throughout this long period it has experienced many vicissitudes. Yet in all these years the Muslim League has successfully represented the Muslim point of view and today claims to be the only representative body which can speak on behalf of the Muslims in India. The birth of the Muslim League was a natural reaction to the birth of the Congress, which in its early stages created suspicion in the mind of the Muslims and after some years they were convinced that to join the Congress would be tantamount to their complete annihilation as a separate political entity. It was also necessary for me to deal with the period preceding the formation of the League. It was necessary to meet the various criticisms leveled against the leadership of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. It is wrong to judge any action or move from the standard of our age and time. The Mussalmans passed through a great crisis from 1857 to 1906. The case of the Hindus is different. The policy of the British was directed towards the suppression of the Muslims in which the Hindus freely joined and the Muslims had to fight for their existence which depended upon the goodwill of the British. I received great help and encouragement from Mr. M. A. Jinnah. His files and other material were my guide and I must acknowledge the deep debt of gratitude I owe him for all the assistance he rendered me and for the great interest he displayed in the preparation of the book. My thanks are also due to Raja Sahib of Mahmudabad. I cannot adequately acknowledge the help, facilities and assistance he has invariably given me. I made free use of his library. If the public has the opportunity of going through these pages it is Muslim India - Rise and growth of the All India Muslim League; Copyright © www.sanipanhwar.com 1 due to the helping and guiding hand of our dear and loving friend the Raja Sahib of Mahmudabad. My gratitude is also due to my uncle Moulvi Mohammad Amin Sahib whose valuable collection and documents relating to the early period were of great help to me. I also owe thanks to Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan Sahib for placing the record kept in the Central office of the League at my disposal. In the end I have to thank all those who helped me by their suggestions and the loan of their files and books. Lastly I have to thank Sh. Abdul Rashid Sahib, my revered lecturer for going through the manuscript and to Messrs. Jamiluddin, lecturer Aligarh University and Mohammad Yamin Zuberi for their help. I would be failing in my duty if I do not thank Kitabistan, the publishers, for the great interest they have taken in publishing this book. To my readers, I can only say that I have tried my level best to confine myself to the facts relevant to the subject of the book. I have discussed at length the Congress activities which I consider to have been the cause which shaped the Muslim politics and gave them their present direction. In this I have followed the advice, "In many things it is not well to say, 'Know thyself', it is better to say, 'Know others'." MOHAMMAD NOMAN CIVIL LINES, ALIGARH December 10, 1941 Muslim India - Rise and growth of the All India Muslim League; Copyright © www.sanipanhwar.com 2 CHAPTER I THE GENERAL CONDITIONS OF THE MUSLIMS With the dawn of the eighteenth century, the seeds of disintegration and degeneration which were sown long in the body politic of the Moghul Empire had steadily sprouted. After the death of Aurangzeb a Moghul Emperor still ruled at Delhi, but in the words of Mill, "the forlorn Emperor, the nominal sovereign of so vast an empire, the representative of so illustrious a race, who now possesses hardly a roof to protect him," neither possessed the glamour nor wielded the influence of his illustrious ancestors. The vigor and vitality of the Moghul rule had become a myth. The forces of degeneration and decay were at work in every way. The Emperor enjoyed only nominal suzerainty. Owing to the weakness of the Moghul Empire, after the death of Aurangzeb, India had fallen a prey, not only to the rapacity of the Jats and Mahrattas, but desperate adventurers of every race and sect. The British, who had secured a foot- hold in the country, also stepped into the arena. They had built up their factories at Surat to carry on business, but they soon began to meddle in politics and side with one or the other of the contending parties. They gradually established themselves in various centers of the country. They exacted concessions from the weak government; they traded in the country without paying the customary duties. The French who had become the rivals of the British in their race for search of markets in different lands came to India, and the two nations began to compete with each other. The Mahrattas had made many inroads into the imperial territories and had become a menace to the peace and tranquility of the country. The refractory Jats came into hostility with the established Government, while the Rohillas established semi-independent states of their own. Small principalities, independent provinces were springing up, owing allegiance to no central authority. The Sikhs gathered strength again in the Punjab. In short, the whole country was in the grip of war, and anarchy and pursuit of power at the expense of the Moghul Empire which was rapidly falling to pieces. The central government was not strong enough to counteract these forces. The British people departed from their policy of confining themselves to their business. In playing the role of an aggressor, or lending their support to one of the parties, they visualized a future full of hopes for them. The lust for power blinded their eyes to the pledges they had made. After obtaining a foot-hold in Bengal as the servants of the Mohammadan ruler, they showed no pity in the hour of their triumph, and with insolence they trampled down their masters in the mire. The seed of British rule in India, was sown by the hand of aggression, in an atmosphere of social degeneration and political decay of the dominant race. It was nourished by Fortune, and cultivated and shaped by Necessity. It started as a commercial venture, Muslim India - Rise and growth of the All India Muslim League; Copyright © www.sanipanhwar.com 3 but by accession of military strength and acquisition of important territories became an important political power in the country. The people of India were, reduced to poverty by years of misrule and wars and were without hope of support or guidance from their natural leaders. The French who were at logger-heads with the British in Europe tried their best to avert the growth and finally destroy the rising British power.