The Partition of Bengal is one of the most controversial administrative decisions in the history of British India. Announced by Lord Curzon on July 20, 1905, and implemented on October 16, 1905, this decision divided the province of Bengal into two separate entities. The eastern part became Eastern Bengal and Assam with its capital at Dacca, while the western part retained the name Bengal with its capital at Calcutta. The British justified the partition on grounds of administrative convenience since Bengal was too large to be governed as a single unit.
However, the Indian nationalists saw through this excuse and recognized the partition as a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus and Muslims along communal lines. The partition triggered a massive wave of protests across Bengal and other parts of India. The Swadeshi Movement and the Boycott Movement emerged as direct responses to this act. Leaders like Surendranath Banerjea, Rabindranath Tagore, and Bipin Chandra Pal played prominent roles in opposing the partition. The day of implementation was observed as a day of national mourning. Eventually, the British annulled the partition in 1911 during the Delhi Durbar under King George V.
30 MCQs on Partition of Bengal – Indian History
Q1. Who was the Viceroy of India who announced the Partition of Bengal?
A) Lord Minto
B) Lord Curzon
C) Lord Ripon
D) Lord Dalhousie
Q2. In which year was the Partition of Bengal officially implemented?
A) 1903
B) 1904
C) 1905
D) 1906
Q3. On what date was the Partition of Bengal carried out?
A) August 15, 1905
B) October 16, 1905
C) January 26, 1905
D) July 20, 1905
Q4. What was the capital of the newly created province of Eastern Bengal and Assam?
A) Calcutta
B) Chittagong
C) Dacca
D) Murshidabad
Q5. What reason did the British government officially give for the Partition of Bengal?
A) To promote trade
B) Administrative convenience
C) To strengthen defense
D) To reduce corruption
Q6. The Partition of Bengal was annulled in which year?
A) 1909
B) 1910
C) 1911
D) 1912
Q7. Who among the following composed the song “Amar Sonar Bangla” during the anti-partition movement?
A) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
B) Rabindranath Tagore
C) Kazi Nazrul Islam
D) Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
Q8. Which movement was launched as a direct response to the Partition of Bengal?
A) Non-Cooperation Movement
B) Civil Disobedience Movement
C) Swadeshi Movement
D) Quit India Movement
Q9. The annulment of the Partition of Bengal was announced during which event?
A) Lahore Session of Congress
B) Delhi Durbar
C) Shimla Conference
D) Lucknow Pact
Q10. Which British monarch announced the annulment of the Partition of Bengal?
A) Queen Victoria
B) King Edward VII
C) King George V
D) King George VI
Q11. The Partition of Bengal aimed at dividing the population on what basis?
A) Linguistic lines
B) Economic lines
C) Communal lines (Hindu-Muslim)
D) Caste lines
Q12. Who was the first Lieutenant Governor of Eastern Bengal and Assam?
A) H.H. Risley
B) Bampfylde Fuller
C) Andrew Fraser
D) John Woodburn
Q13. On October 16, 1905, Rabindranath Tagore organized which symbolic event?
A) Flag hoisting ceremony
B) Rakhi Bandhan ceremony
C) Mass prayer meeting
D) Bonfire of British goods
Q14. Which leader was known as the “Surrender Not” during the anti-partition agitation?
A) Bipin Chandra Pal
B) Surendranath Banerjea
C) Aurobindo Ghosh
D) Ashwini Kumar Dutt
Q15. The Swadeshi Movement that followed the Partition of Bengal primarily promoted what?
A) English education
B) Indian-made goods
C) Western clothing
D) British imports
Q16. Which session of the Indian National Congress officially supported the Swadeshi and Boycott movements?
A) Surat Session, 1907
B) Calcutta Session, 1906
C) Benaras Session, 1905
D) Madras Session, 1903
Q17. Who presided over the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress in 1906?
A) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
B) Surendranath Banerjea
C) Dadabhai Naoroji
D) Pherozeshah Mehta
Q18. The National Council of Education was established in 1906 as part of the anti-partition movement in Bengal. Who was its president?
A) Rabindranath Tagore
B) Aurobindo Ghosh
C) Rashbehari Ghosh
D) Surendranath Banerjea
Q19. Which newspaper played a major role in spreading the anti-partition sentiment and was edited by Aurobindo Ghosh?
A) The Statesman
B) Bande Mataram
C) Amrita Bazar Patrika
D) Kesari
Q20. The formation of the Muslim League in 1906 is often linked to which event?
A) Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
B) Partition of Bengal
C) Rowlatt Act
D) Morley-Minto Reforms
Q21. Where was the All India Muslim League founded in December 1906?
A) Aligarh
B) Lucknow
C) Dacca
D) Lahore
Q22. Which extremist leader from Bengal was deported to Mandalay during the anti-partition movement?
A) Bipin Chandra Pal
B) Aurobindo Ghosh
C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
D) Lala Lajpat Rai
Q23. What was the total population of the Bengal province before the partition in 1905?
A) 58 million
B) 68 million
C) 78.5 million
D) 88 million
Q24. After the annulment of the Partition of Bengal in 1911, what new administrative changes were made?
A) Bengal was merged with Bihar
B) The capital of British India was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi
C) Bengal was divided into three parts
D) Assam was merged with Bengal permanently
Q25. Which of the following leaders initiated the idea of partitioning Bengal even before Lord Curzon?
A) Lord Ripon
B) Sir Andrew Fraser
C) H.H. Risley
D) Lord Lansdowne
Q26. October 16, 1905, was observed in Bengal as what?
A) Independence Day
B) A day of national mourning
C) Republic Day
D) Victory Day
Q27. Which revolutionary secret society gained strength during the anti-partition movement in Bengal?
A) Indian National Army
B) Anushilan Samiti
C) Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
D) Ghadar Party
Q28. Who among the following organized the famous “Barisal Conference” in 1906 during the anti-partition movement?
A) Surendranath Banerjea
B) Ashwini Kumar Dutt
C) Bipin Chandra Pal
D) Rabindranath Tagore
Q29. The Partition of Bengal led to the rise of which group within the Indian National Congress?
A) Swarajists
B) Moderates
C) Extremists
D) Socialists
Q30. Which act of 1909, partly a result of the unrest caused by the Partition of Bengal, introduced separate electorates for Muslims?
A) Indian Councils Act (Morley-Minto Reforms)
B) Government of India Act
C) Rowlatt Act
D) Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms
Correct Answers
- B) Lord Curzon
- C) 1905
- B) October 16, 1905
- C) Dacca
- B) Administrative convenience
- C) 1911
- B) Rabindranath Tagore
- C) Swadeshi Movement
- B) Delhi Durbar
- C) King George V
- C) Communal lines (Hindu-Muslim)
- B) Bampfylde Fuller
- B) Rakhi Bandhan ceremony
- B) Surendranath Banerjea
- B) Indian-made goods
- B) Calcutta Session, 1906
- C) Dadabhai Naoroji
- B) Aurobindo Ghosh
- B) Bande Mataram
- B) Partition of Bengal
- C) Dacca
- C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- C) 78.5 million
- B) The capital of British India was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi
- C) H.H. Risley
- B) A day of national mourning
- B) Anushilan Samiti
- B) Ashwini Kumar Dutt
- C) Extremists
- A) Indian Councils Act (Morley-Minto Reforms)
Conclusion
The Partition of Bengal in 1905 remains a turning point in the Indian freedom struggle. It awakened a new political consciousness among Indians and gave birth to the Swadeshi and Boycott movements. These movements inspired people to reject British goods and embrace self-reliance. The partition also marked the transition from moderate politics to extremist nationalism within the Indian National Congress. It brought leaders like Aurobindo Ghosh, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak to the forefront of Indian politics.
For students preparing for UPSC, SSC, State PSC, and other competitive exams, the Partition of Bengal is a frequently tested topic. Practicing these 30 MCQs will help strengthen your grasp of this subject and improve your performance in the Indian History section. Regular revision and practice with such questions will give you an edge in your exam preparation.