Eleanor Finch
The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India, with the goal of protecting and advancing the interests of Muslims in a predominantly Hindu country. While the organisation initially advocated for a united India with interfaith harmony, it later led the Pakistan Movement, calling for a separate Muslim state following the British departure from India. The AIML played a significant role in the country's politics, especially during the partition of British India in 1947, and experienced various transformations and setbacks throughout its existence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of Formation | 1906 |
| Place of Formation | Dhaka, British India |
| Founder | Nawab Salim Ullah Khan |
| Founding Proposal | To safeguard the interests of Muslims in British India |
| Initial Goal | To secure Muslim interests in South Asia |
| Later Goal | To create an independent Muslim state |
| Later Aimed for | Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, the North West Frontier Province, and Bengal |
| Later Aim | To be "wholly autonomous and sovereign" |
| Indian Provincial Elections of 1946 | Won 425 out of 476 seats reserved for Muslims |
| Percentage of Muslim Votes in 1946 | 89.2% |
| Current Members in Parliament | 4 |
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What You'll Learn
The All-India Muslim League's (AIML) formation and early years
The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was a political party founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India. The formation of the AIML was catalysed by the Nawab of Dhaka, Khwaja Salimullah, who proposed the creation of a political party to protect the interests of Muslims in British India. This proposal arose from the need for political representation of Muslims in British India, particularly in the face of the Indian National Congress-sponsored massive Hindu opposition to the 1905 partition of Bengal.
The AIML's constitution, known as the "Green Book", was framed in 1907 by Mohammad Ali Jauhar. The party's early years were marked by a clash between Fazl-i-Husain, representing rural interests in the Punjab, and Muhammad Shafi, an urbanite from Lahore. Initially, the AIML was encouraged by the British and supported their rule. However, in 1913, the party adopted self-government for India as its goal. During its first five years, the AIML met annually in various Indian cities, expressing Muslim views on political and social issues and striving to counter anti-League organisations.
In 1913, Mohammed Ali Jinnah joined the AIML, and the party's leaders, including Jinnah, continued to advocate for Hindu-Muslim unity in a united and independent India for several decades. The AIML played a decisive role in the 1940s, becoming a driving force behind the division of India along religious lines and the creation of Pakistan. In 1940, the AIML formally recommitted itself to creating an independent Muslim state, and in the 1946 Indian provincial elections, it won an overwhelming majority of the Muslim votes on this policy platform.
Following the formation of Pakistan in 1947, the AIML became Pakistan's dominant political party and was renamed the All Pakistan Muslim League. However, the party faced challenges functioning effectively as a modern political party in Pakistan, leading to a gradual decline in popularity and cohesion. By the 1970s, the AIML had disappeared, fracturing into various factions.
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AIML's role in the First World War
The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India, with the goal of protecting the interests of Muslims in South Asia. The party arose from the need for the political representation of Muslims in British India, particularly during the Indian National Congress-sponsored Hindu opposition to the 1905 partition of Bengal.
During the First World War, the AIML played a role in the freedom movement. Initially, the AIML was encouraged by the British and was generally favourable towards their rule. However, in 1913, the AIML adopted self-government for India as its goal. This shift in ideology was influenced by leaders such as Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who joined the AIML in 1913 and called for Hindu-Muslim unity in a united and independent India.
The AIML's role during the First World War was also shaped by the broader context of growing nationalism, increased militarism, imperial rivalry, and competition for power and influence among the European powers. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, on 28 June 1914, triggered a series of events that led to the outbreak of the First World War. As Europe marched to war, Britain's involvement, in particular, was influenced by its fears of German domination in Europe and its desire to defend its national interests.
The AIML's stance during the war was complex. While they initially supported the British rule, their call for self-government indicated a desire for more autonomy for India within the empire. The AIML's role in the freedom movement during the First World War was thus a pivotal moment in the evolution of their political ideology, marking the beginning of their shift towards advocating for a separate Muslim nation-state.
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AIML's relationship with the British
The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India, with the goal of securing Muslim interests in South Asia. The party arose from the need for the political representation of Muslims in British India, especially during the Indian National Congress-sponsored massive Hindu opposition to the 1905 partition of Bengal. The Nawab of Dhaka, Khwaja Salimullah, proposed the creation of a political party to protect the interests of Muslims in British India, suggesting the name 'All-India Muslim League'.
Initially, the AIML espoused a united India with interfaith unity and was encouraged by the British, generally favourable towards their rule. The AIML was influenced by the British government's divide-and-rule strategy, which encouraged aristocratic Muslim leaders to form a political body to protect Muslim interests. The party's objectives included loyalty to the British, protecting and advancing the rights of Muslims, and preventing hostility towards other communities.
However, in 1913, the AIML adopted self-government for India as its goal. For several decades, the league and its leaders, notably Mohammed Ali Jinnah, called for Hindu-Muslim unity in a united and independent India. Jinnah joined the Muslim League in 1913, and the party gradually shifted towards a Muslim separatist movement, with sentiment among students and faculty at Aligarh Muslim University mobilising behind Jinnah and the AIML after 1939.
In 1940, the AIML passed the Lahore Resolution, also known as the Pakistan Resolution, demanding an independent Muslim state of Pakistan and constitutional safeguards for Muslims and other minorities in regions where they were in the minority. This came after failed negotiations between the Indian National Congress and the British over granting independence to India. The AIML's call for a separate Muslim state was driven by the fear that an independent India would be dominated by Hindus.
The British and Indian press criticised the Pakistan movement, and relations between the AIML and the Congress soured due to disagreements over Muslim representation and the future of the Indian state. The AIML's struggle for the partition of British India into separate Hindu and Muslim states culminated in the Mountbatten Plan of 1947, which provided for the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan.
After the formation of Pakistan in 1947, the AIML became Pakistan's dominant political party, but it functioned less effectively as a modern political party in Pakistan than it had as a mass-based pressure group in British India. As a result, the party gradually declined in popularity and cohesion, eventually disappearing by the 1970s.
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AIML's demand for a separate Muslim state
The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India, with the goal of securing Muslim interests in South Asia. Initially, the AIML advocated for a united India with interfaith unity. However, over time, the AIML shifted its focus towards the creation of a separate Muslim state.
The demand for a separate Muslim nation was a key objective of the AIML, especially under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Jinnah joined the AIML in 1913 and became a prominent leader of the party. The AIML's demand for a separate state was based on the belief that Muslims and Hindus were two distinct nations living in British India. This idea, known as the Two-Nation Theory, argued that Muslims and Hindus had different religions, cultures, and social habits, making them incapable of living together in a unified nation.
In 1940, the AIML formally adopted the Lahore Resolution, calling for the creation of an independent Muslim state that would include Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, the North West Frontier Province, and Bengal. The AIML feared that an independent India would be dominated by Hindus, and thus, sought to establish a separate homeland for Muslims. This demand for a separate state led to the partition of British India in 1947, resulting in the creation of Pakistan.
The AIML's demand for a separate Muslim state was met with opposition from the Indian National Congress (INC), which advocated for a united, independent India. The INC, founded in 1885, sought to achieve political reforms and independence through peaceful protests. It represented the interests of all Indians, regardless of religion, and believed in a secular state that enshrined religious pluralism and composite nationalism.
The AIML's struggle for a separate Muslim state was not without setbacks. The party faced opposition from both Hindus and some Muslims, who conceived of India as a single nation with intertwined Hindu and Muslim communities. Additionally, the AIML's demands for separate electorates and greater representation for Muslims in the legislature were not always met by the British government, leading to agitation and protests. Despite these challenges, the AIML remained committed to its goal of establishing a separate Muslim state, which it saw as necessary to protect the rights and interests of Muslims in British India.
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AIML's decline and disappearance
The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India, with the aim of protecting the interests of Muslims in South Asia. Initially, the AIML advocated for a united India with interfaith harmony. However, in 1940, the party shifted its stance and began demanding the creation of a separate Muslim state, leading the Pakistan Movement. This change in position was driven by the fear that an independent India would be dominated by Hindus, who constituted the majority of the population.
The AIML's decline began soon after the formation of Pakistan in 1947, when it became the dominant political party in the new nation. The party faced challenges in governing Pakistan, particularly in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The issue of the Constitution of Pakistan and the Bengali Language Movement contributed to the AIML losing its mandate in East Bengal. The party also faced resistance from the Communist Party of Pakistan, which organised large-scale protests and strikes.
In the 1954 legislative elections, the AIML lost power in East Pakistan and subsequently in West Pakistan as well. The party struggled to function effectively as a modern political party in Pakistan compared to its role as a pressure group in British India, leading to a decline in popularity and cohesion. By the late 1960s, the AIML had fragmented into multiple factions, and by the 1970s, it had completely disappeared from the political landscape.
The AIML's disappearance can be attributed to its inability to adapt to the changing political environment in Pakistan and the rise of alternative political forces, such as the Communist Party. The party's initial success in British India was rooted in its role as a representative of Muslim interests, but it struggled to govern effectively and address the diverse demands of the new nation of Pakistan.
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Frequently asked questions
The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India, with the goal of securing Muslim interests in South Asia. The Nawab of Dhaka, Khwaja Salimullah, forwarded a proposal to create a political party that would protect the interests of Muslims in British India.
Initially, the All-India Muslim League espoused a united India with interfaith unity. However, in 1940, the league called for the formation of a separate Muslim state from territories in British India, which became known as the 'two-nation theory'. This demand arose from the fear that an independent India would be dominated by Hindus, as Muslims made up only a quarter of the population.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah was a prominent leader of the All-India Muslim League and played a key role in consolidating the views of Muslims in India. He was elected as president in 1916 and later led the struggle for the partition of British India into separate Hindu and Muslim states. Other notable leaders include Syed Ameer Ali, who established a branch of the league in London, and Syed Wazir Hasan, who served as joint secretary and secretary in the early years of the party.
