Question

Name the theory that led to the partition of British India.

Hint:

The Two-Nation Theory directly rejected the multi-religious, secular nationalism advocated by the Indian National Congress, leading to the creation of India and Pakistan as two separate sovereign states in 1947.

Answer 1

Step 1: Origin and Concept of the Theory:
The partition of British India in 1947 was ideologically driven by the Two-Nation Theory. This theory asserted that the Hindus and Muslims of the Indian subcontinent did not merely represent two distinct religious groups, but were two fundamentally separate nations with distinct cultures, social codes, historical memories, and civilizational values.

Step 2: Proponents of the Theory:
The theory was aggressively formulated and championed by the All-India Muslim League under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. In the late 1930s, Jinnah argued that Muslims would face permanent political and economic marginalization in a Hindu-majority undivided India. This culminated in the Lahore Resolution of March 1940, which formally demanded the creation of a separate, sovereign state of Pakistan.