The partition of Bengal was enforced on administrative grounds by Viceroy Lord Curzon in 1905 because Bengal was a huge province in area and population. But the Hindus and Congress protested strongly against this because they did not like the creation of a province with Muslim majority giving a chance to Muslim population for progress and development. It also harmed the economic interests of Hindu businessmen.
Thus, the Hindus and Congress started holding protest meetings and protest marches all over the province. Terrorist activities were started and an attempt was made to assassinate the Viceroy Lord Minto. The British government yielded to Hindu agitation and in 1911 the partition was cancelled.
The new province of East Bengal and Assam was created. It was a Muslim majority province and Muslims saw a chance to progress economically and educationally. This made the Hindus jealous and they strongly opposed the partition of Bengal giving it religious and nationalistic colour. Protest meetings, processions and marches were held. Swadeshi Movement was started to boycott the British goods specially clothes. People were urged to use locally woven cloth. It was a threat to the British textile industry. Civil disobedience movement was also launched. It harmed the British textile industry.
The Congress also supported the agitation which encouraged terrorist activities and bomb explosions. Two attempts were made on the life of the Viceroy of India. The outcry by Hindus was so great that the British decided to cancel the partition of Bengal in 1911. Hundreds of protest meetings and marches were arranged. The Hindu view was that the partition had divided the Bengali people. The opposition was so great that it caused the British to reconsider it. Infact the Hindus did not like the creation of a Muslim majority province. The partition also harmed the interests of Hindu businessmen of Calcutta who controlled the trade of the whole province of Bengal.
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