On this day, the first partition of Bengal was approved of by the Secretary of State of India in London. The decision to divide Bengal was not only an administrative one. The division would be along Hindu- and Muslim-majority areas. The British felt that by creating this split between Hindus and Muslims — the “divide-and-rule policy” —
they would be able to weaken the growing nationalist movement in Bengal.
The Partition was implemented on October 16, 1905, but following huge protests, it was withdrawn in 1911 by King George V at the Delhi Durbar.
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The Bengali-speaking districts were reunited. Bihar and Orissa (now Odisha) were separated from Bengal.
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