Communalism is not something, India was born with. In fact Communalism in India is not older than some 140 years. India, however conquered and intruded by various foreign rulers like Turk, Afghan, Mughal and British, lived in peace and communal harmony for a long period until it was strategically divided among different castes and religion for the political benefits of the foreign rulers.
Being Hindu Or Being Muslim is Not Communalism
Hindus and Muslims have been living together in India peacefully for more than 1000 years. They practiced their own faiths and religions, celebrated Eid and Diwali together and made pilgrimage to both Ajmer Sharif and Kashi for hundreds of years, without getting agitated over each other's religious beliefs.
Religion was a part of peoples life from the very beginning of Indian civilization and people often quarreled over religion but there was hardly any communal ideology.
Communalism is a modern phenomenon.
What made these peace loving Indian people turned against each other? What made a Hindu start feeling like he is a different 'human' than a Muslim and vice-versa?
The Thin Line b/w Being Religious and Being Communal
When a community starts believing in the ideology that since they follow a particular religion, their social, economic and political interests are same - they start turning communal.
Communalism enters its next level when a particular group of people are convinced that the social, economic and political interests of the followers of one religion are different from the interests of the follower of another religion. And moreover, they are mutually incompatible or they could not be met together.
The ideology of a religion based socio-political identity is Communalism.
5 major causes behind the growth of Communalism in India:
There was hardly any communal ideology before 1870 in India. It was only after the First War of Indian Independence or what the British called it, the 1857 Indian Mutiny, that the seeds of Communalism were deliberately sown in Indian soil.
1) The targeting of Muslim Community by the British after the Revolt of 1857.
The British primarily held the Muslim community responsible for the Revolt. However, Hindus and Muslims both fought shoulder to shoulder in the Revolt, but after the Revolt was suppressed, the British officials had taken a particular vindictive attitude towards the Muslims. More than 27,000 Muslims were hanged in Delhi alone. The Muslims, from now onward were looked upon with suspicion. This was the first time in India, when Muslim community started feeling that they are being targeted particularly for their being the followers of a specific religion.
2) The lower middle class Muslims remained untouched by the growing Nationalism for a long period.
As the feeling of Nationalism was growing rapidly among the Hindus and Parsis of lower middle classes, it did not spread equally among the Muslims of similar classes.
3) Slow growth of Education, Trade and Industry among Muslims.
The smaller number of educated persons and men of trade among Muslims were the big landlords and zamindars, who have a strong influence over the Muslim masses. And the landlords, whether they are Hindus or the Muslims were always the supporters of the British rule, out of their self-interest.
4) Limited job opportunities in govt. services and priority to one community over another.
Since modern education was needed for job in Govt. services, the relatively uneducated Muslims lagged behind the Non-Muslim masses. Moreover, the government had consciously discriminated against the Muslims after 1857 since they primarily held them responsible for the Revolt.
5) Historians named the Turk, Afghan and Mughal rule in India as the Muslim Rule as if the Muslims ruled the Hindus.
Another reason behind upbringing of the communal ideology was the presentation of the Indian history by the historians of that time, most of whom where English, in a wrong and misinterpreted manner. They called all the medieval period as the period of Muslim rule. However, the truth was that the common people, farmers and laborers, may they be Hindus or Muslims, were equally oppressed by the foreign rulers. The taxes they have to pay and the humility they bear was same irrespective of the religion they follow.
Even Gandhiji told once, that a highly distorted version of history is being taught in our schools and colleges which is a major blocker in the path of communal harmony.
Leaders who knowingly or unknowingly watered the seeds of Communalism in India:
1) Sayyid Ahmed Khan
He played an important role in the rise of the separatist tendency along communal lines in India. He preached complete obedience to the British rule. He openly opposed the Indian National Congress and along with Raja Shiva Prasad of Varanasi, he launched a movement of loyalty to British Govt.
He was convinced that since Muslims were in minority, if ever the British rule is overthrown in India, the Hindu majority will dominate the Muslims. Sayyid Ahmed Khan also raised the demand of special reservations for Muslims in govt. jobs and other services.
2) Lokmanya Tilak
Though not openly opposed to any particular religion, Tilak started celebrating various festivals of radical nature.
He highly propagated the Shivaji festival and the Ganapati Mahotsava in Maharashtra.
Such festivals, celebrated among the masses and which are of highly radical nature never got associated with the Muslim class.
3) Aurobindo Ghose
His concept of India as the mother and Nationalism as religion was never designed to be accepted by the Muslim community. The terrorist oaths before the Goddess Kali and Holy dips in the river Ganga all helped in alienating the Muslims from the nationalist movement.
Being Hindu Or Being Muslim is Not Communalism
Hindus and Muslims have been living together in India peacefully for more than 1000 years. They practiced their own faiths and religions, celebrated Eid and Diwali together and made pilgrimage to both Ajmer Sharif and Kashi for hundreds of years, without getting agitated over each other's religious beliefs.
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| Communal Harmony in India before 1870 |
Religion was a part of peoples life from the very beginning of Indian civilization and people often quarreled over religion but there was hardly any communal ideology.
Communalism is a modern phenomenon.
What made these peace loving Indian people turned against each other? What made a Hindu start feeling like he is a different 'human' than a Muslim and vice-versa?
The Thin Line b/w Being Religious and Being Communal
When a community starts believing in the ideology that since they follow a particular religion, their social, economic and political interests are same - they start turning communal.
Communalism enters its next level when a particular group of people are convinced that the social, economic and political interests of the followers of one religion are different from the interests of the follower of another religion. And moreover, they are mutually incompatible or they could not be met together.
The ideology of a religion based socio-political identity is Communalism.
5 major causes behind the growth of Communalism in India:
There was hardly any communal ideology before 1870 in India. It was only after the First War of Indian Independence or what the British called it, the 1857 Indian Mutiny, that the seeds of Communalism were deliberately sown in Indian soil.
1) The targeting of Muslim Community by the British after the Revolt of 1857.
 |
| The brutal suppression of Muslims continued for a decade after the Revolt of 1857 |
The British primarily held the Muslim community responsible for the Revolt. However, Hindus and Muslims both fought shoulder to shoulder in the Revolt, but after the Revolt was suppressed, the British officials had taken a particular vindictive attitude towards the Muslims. More than 27,000 Muslims were hanged in Delhi alone. The Muslims, from now onward were looked upon with suspicion. This was the first time in India, when Muslim community started feeling that they are being targeted particularly for their being the followers of a specific religion.
2) The lower middle class Muslims remained untouched by the growing Nationalism for a long period.
As the feeling of Nationalism was growing rapidly among the Hindus and Parsis of lower middle classes, it did not spread equally among the Muslims of similar classes.
3) Slow growth of Education, Trade and Industry among Muslims.
The smaller number of educated persons and men of trade among Muslims were the big landlords and zamindars, who have a strong influence over the Muslim masses. And the landlords, whether they are Hindus or the Muslims were always the supporters of the British rule, out of their self-interest.
4) Limited job opportunities in govt. services and priority to one community over another.
Since modern education was needed for job in Govt. services, the relatively uneducated Muslims lagged behind the Non-Muslim masses. Moreover, the government had consciously discriminated against the Muslims after 1857 since they primarily held them responsible for the Revolt.
5) Historians named the Turk, Afghan and Mughal rule in India as the Muslim Rule as if the Muslims ruled the Hindus.
 |
| By no definition, Akbar and Aurangzeb be declared a foreigner, unless being a Muslim be made the ground for doing so. |
Another reason behind upbringing of the communal ideology was the presentation of the Indian history by the historians of that time, most of whom where English, in a wrong and misinterpreted manner. They called all the medieval period as the period of Muslim rule. However, the truth was that the common people, farmers and laborers, may they be Hindus or Muslims, were equally oppressed by the foreign rulers. The taxes they have to pay and the humility they bear was same irrespective of the religion they follow.
Even Gandhiji told once, that a highly distorted version of history is being taught in our schools and colleges which is a major blocker in the path of communal harmony.
Leaders who knowingly or unknowingly watered the seeds of Communalism in India:
1) Sayyid Ahmed Khan
He was convinced that since Muslims were in minority, if ever the British rule is overthrown in India, the Hindu majority will dominate the Muslims. Sayyid Ahmed Khan also raised the demand of special reservations for Muslims in govt. jobs and other services.
2) Lokmanya Tilak
He highly propagated the Shivaji festival and the Ganapati Mahotsava in Maharashtra.
Such festivals, celebrated among the masses and which are of highly radical nature never got associated with the Muslim class.
3) Aurobindo Ghose
His concept of India as the mother and Nationalism as religion was never designed to be accepted by the Muslim community. The terrorist oaths before the Goddess Kali and Holy dips in the river Ganga all helped in alienating the Muslims from the nationalist movement.
The author is a graduate from IIT-BHU Varanasi and a self-enthusiast in Indian History - Ancient, Medieval and Modern. He has long been posting his thoughts, opinions and comments on the social, religious and political developments in India on various blogs, forums and discussion boards.
