British Rule in the Sub-continent, The Europeans came to the Sub-continent for trade. They were allowed their trade activities in India from Akbar's times. However, they did not interfere in government affairs. First came the Portuguese sailor, Vasco da Gama, in 1498. Later came the Dutch, who made their trading companies in India, but they were not successful. French also tried to establish in India. They started their activities in Pondicherry and other small cities but could not hold for long against Britishers. When the Mughal Empire became weak, and India was divided into small kingdoms, the Britishers formed the East India Company. The company raised an army and extended its control over Indian territory throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Treaties were made with Indian princes who provided for the stationing of British troops within these princely states.
This gave them indirect control over these areas. The increasing control of Britishers on Indian territory contributed to a War of Independence against British rule. This movement began in 1857 when some Indian soldiers of the British army were forced to load the rifles by biting off the ends of greased cartridges, which were coated with the fat of cows and pigs. This outraged both Hindus, who regard cows as sacred, and Muslims, who regard pigs as dirty animals. The last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was asked to exercise his role in ousting the outsiders with the help of the local army. However, the Britishers were able to crush the movement with the help of the Sikh army in 1859. As a result of the freedom movement, the East India Company was abolished, and India became a colony under the direct rule of Britain. Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was dethroned and exiled to Burma (now Myanmar).
The failure of the freedom movement finished the Muslim rule in the Sub-continent. For the next two hundred years, India remained a British Colony and was ruled directly by the king of England. After the Britishers got complete control over India, they started discriminating between the local people and themselves. Although they did a lot of developmental work in India by making new roads, railways, trade activities, educational institutions, etc.,,, it was all for their own benefit. The Britishers introduced and implemented their ways of life, language, and culture. The riches of India started following Britain. The local languages, traditions, and values were being replaced by enforcing the British ones. The locals were used only to serve and work for them. They mistreated them and employed Indian nationals at low positions, mainly for menial jobs. Everybody had to obey their orders and remain loyal to the British government. This created hatred among the local Muslims and Hindus against Britishers. They demanded self-rule for India.
Many leaders like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, M.K.Gandhi, Allama Iqbal, Maulana Azad, Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar, Pandit Nehru, Liaquat Ali Khan, and several others led the Indians and struggled hard to get freedom from the British rule. These leaders made many sacrifices, and most of them were sent to jail. In the beginning, the Muslims and Hindus of the Sub-continent joined hands in carrying out the activities of the Indian National Congress. As things moved further, the Muslim leaders realized that Hindus are in the majority in the Sub-continent and wanted their dominance on Muslims after independence. Hindus were controlling most of the big businesses and important positions in government under Britishers. The Muslim leaders thought that the poor Muslim population of the Subcontinent would be subservient to Hindus after the British left. So Muslim leaders made their own party called the All India Muslim League in 1905. Before the Britishers left India, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Liaquat Ali Khan, and many other Muslim leaders of the All India Muslim League demanded a separate homeland for the Muslim population of the Sub-continent.
They believed that two separate nations are living in this region, and both should be free by having their own countries (this is also called the two-nation theory). Hindus were against the partition of India. However, Muslims of the Sub-continent got united under the All India Muslim League headed by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Quaid negotiated with Hindus, the British government in India and England, and convinced all stakeholders. It was decided that Muslim majority areas should be combined into a separated country- Pakistan and Hindu majority areas into a Hindu country - Bharat. After a long and patient struggle of the Muslims of the Sub-continent and their leadership Almighty Allah blessed us with a country of our own - Our beloved PAKISTAN ~ Creation of Pakistan was announced on 14th August 1947. It was divided into West Pakistan (Sindh, Punjab, NWFP,, and Balochistan) and East Pakistan (Bengal - now Bangladesh).
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