Two Nation Theory

INTRODUCTION:
The idea of two country ideology practically sprigged up with the rise of Islam on the Sub-
Continent. The sense of Pakistan's formation was very special in that it was largely based
on religious alliances in the light of Islam. The basic concept behind the principle of two
nations was Muslims and Hindus were two separate nations from all standards. The idea
of two-nations was the basis for India's partition in 1947. This theory supported the
proposal that the two distinct nations should be Muslims and non-Muslims. It is the
ideology that their religion, rather than their language or ethnicity, is the main identity and
unifying aspect of Muslims in the Indian subcontinent. Syed Ahmed Khan used the term
principle of two nations for the first time.

Quaid said:

“We should have a State in which we could live and breathe as free men and which
we could develop according to our own lights and culture and where principles of
Islamic social justice could find free play.”

Islam offered the definition of Two State Doctrine, since Islam has different characters a
nd personality. There are only two nations in the world according to Islam; Believers and
Non Believers

HISTORY OF TWO NATION THEORY

Two Nation's history had been as long as India's Muslims. Although the Muslims and
Hindus had lived together on the subcontinent for millennia, they never tried to advance
a working relationship among themselves and they instead existed as two separate
nations, two differentiated social structures, two separate societies and two different
civilizations. With the arrival of Islam in the Subcontinent there was always a question of
two nations (Hindus and Muslim). Yet, after the War of Independence of 1857, it was
turned into a belief. Sir Syed Ahmed khan is considered the Father of the Belief of Two
Nations. Syed Ahmed Khan understood for the first time that Muslim and Hindus were
unable to live together and treated Muslims as a separate nation and demanded a distinct
homeland where Muslims could follow their Islamic way of living. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan,
who was a leading 19th-century Muslim reformer, first proposed the notion that the two
religious communities were separate nations. Sir Syed saw his suspicion of Hindu
hegemony reinforced during the 1900 Hindi-Urdu crisis when Anthony MacDonnel, the
governor of United Provinces, replaced Urdu as the official language with Hindi. Since
Urdu was predominantly spoken by Muslims of British India, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
reacted to this move by articulating his thoughts about how Muslim rights were not being
protected in Hindu majority areas. Sir Syed’s thoughts were in no way a demand for a
separate country for Muslims of South Asia. He was simply pointing out the differences
between both cultures and voicing his disappointment at the lack of protection of rights of
Muslims in South Asia. But since he used the modern concept of the nation to articulate
his thoughts, this formed the foundation for what become the Pakistan movement in the
20th century. Pakistani philosophy took shape through an evolutionary process. Historical
experience laid the foundation for the time of Muslim self-awakening with Sir Syed Ahmad
Khan and started to raise awareness among Muslims of modern education after the
Muslim collapse in South Asia by the Hindus majority, Alama Iqbal gave the philosophical
explanation to the idea of Sir Syed, and Quaid-e-Azam supported the theory and turned
it into a practical work and turned it into a political reality.

COMPARISON BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND HINDUS IN THE EYES OF TWO NATION

THEORY:

There was such a huge difference between Muslim society and the Hindus. The big
difference was in terms of religion. Muslims believed in God's oneness and many gods
were worshiped by Hindus. We totally changed their way of living, their religious festivals.
Muslims believed in men's equality whilst Hindus were divided into different casts on the
other hand. Although the Muslims and Hindus lived together for a long time, they were
incapable of coexisting and cooperating. This analogy played a major role for the
development of the Two State Doctrine in the subcontinent. There are a few factors which
split the inhabitants of the sub-continent into two separate nations.
  Religious differences
 Cultural differences
 Social differences
 Economic differences
 Educational differences
 Political differences
 Language
 Beliefs
 Hindu Nationalism

Religious differences: Muslim believes in Islam while Hindu believes in many Gods.
Islam preaches Tawheed (oneness of ALLAH) and they believes that Allah is the creator
of the universe. Muslims are the believers of Allah, the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) the
messenger of Allah whereas Hindus believe that people who see their God and have
characteristics of God are their prophets. Muslims firmly believe on the Holy book Quran
and the life hereafter while Hindu have their writings called Vedas.

Hindu Nationalism: A number of Hindu nationalist movements were started in the

subcontinent that added fuel to the fire, and increased the conflict between the two
communities. The Hindu nationalist leaders totally ignored the great contribution of
Muslims on the side. There was also some movements that aimed to merge the Muslims
with Hindu culture.

Cultural Differences: Muslim culture is different from that of the Hindu culture such as
Muslims buried their dead bodies while Hindu burnt their dead bodies. Muslims
slaughtered cows whereas Hindus consider it as sacred animal and worship it. In Islam
each and every human beings are equal while Hindu have a caste system according to
which the treat people in lower caste in a very inhumane way.

Social Differences: The two communities of the Sub Continent differ in their social life
i.e. the clothes, the foods, the household, the words of greetings, the gestures and
everything about them was different and immediately represented to their distinctive
origin. The moral values, ethics and norms of both the communities are totally different.
Economical Differences: There exists differences such as there is a proper check and
balance of economy in Islam and no check and balance in Hindus. There is a concept of
Zakat in Islam while no such concept exists in Hindu Religion. Interest in forbidden in
Islam while there is no such concept for Hindus. Muslims were thrown outside the
government sector, they were financially week while Hindus were provided with ample
opportunities to progress economically. Muslims did not receive modern education which
heavily affected their economic condition. In contrary, the Hindu were advanced in the
educational field because they quickly and readily took to the English education. Muslims
could not cope with the society because they ignore the modern education while hindu
occupied the best social status because of the modern education.

Political Differences: The political differences between the Hindus and Muslims have
played an important role in the evolution of Two Nation Theory.

1. Hindi Urdu Controversy: In 1867, Hindus demanded that Urdu should be written in
Hindi script instead of Urdu script. This created another gap between Hindus and
Muslims.
2. Congress Attitude: The Indian national Congress was founded in 1885. It claimed
to represent all communities of India but oppressed all Muslim ideas and supported
Hindu.
3. Partition of Bengal: In 1905, the partition of Bengal ensured a number of political
benefits for the Muslims, but the Hindus launched an agitation against the partition
and partition was annulled in 1911.

Language: The language of the Muslims was Urdu and was written in Arabic Script. Urdu
language had the difference in writing, thoughts of poetry, arts, painting and words of
music. Hindi language was spoken by Hindus and it was written in Sanskrit. Hindi
language has its own way of writing in every art which is quite different from Urdu.

TWO NATION THEORY BEFORE THE MUSLIM DOWNFALL:

For many of the years Muslims ruled India. It's true as Muslims ruled over India there was
no such idea. As Mughal Emperors had a force there was no such idea of majority and
minority. There was increased British control, so that was the moment of the Muslim
decline of India. As the Islamic decline happened there was a period of the Myth of Two
Nations. This could probably be for independence from the British rule, but it is very clear
that the idea of two nations came just after the Indian Muslim collapse.

WAR OF INDEPENDENCE-1857:

It is very clear the British were controlled over it after the Muslims ' collapse in South Asia.
Therefore, the War of Independence called an effort by the Sub-Continent people to
eliminate the British rule from their homeland. But that attempt failed. And that influenced
all of the Sub-Continent populations living there. Both the Nations; Hindus and Muslims
were involved in the War of Independence. Some provinces like Punjab and Deccan were
not in favor of supporting this war but have tried to join this war of independence in part.
Several sepoys threatened to rebel at Noshera and Mardan. The war's loss triggers much
like political causes, economic causes, and religious factors, causes of social and military
origin. Political causes include slip law, statute and state frustration, state confiscation,
and much more. Political factors such as New Agrarian reform, rural urbanization,
Permanent settlement, Poverty. Religious factors still exist such as Christianity
proliferation, the Jihad Movement, and anti-Islamic laws. British believed Muslims were
responsible for the War of Independence and Muslims were therefore regarded as
outsiders. Bahadur Shah Zafar was publicly declared Emperor of India on 11 May 1857.
The Delhiwas controlled by the rebels and the Europeans who had taken refuge there
were then massacred. European soldiers were killed and the number of people from east
provinces joined the insurgents. The tide turned on July 1857 and Nana Sahab was
vanquished in Fatahpur, and later in Bithur. In September 1857, the British captured
Bahadur Shah, and two sons of Bahaur Shah were killed by the British because two days
later, the British residency at Lucknow was recovered. The Sikhs and the Marhattas were
sided with the British, and this act of Sikhs and Marhattas may have been the principal
cause of failure. The East India Company was exterminated, and the Sub-Continent
began to rule the British Empire. Then an Imperial Legislative Council was created in
British India, through the consequence of this War of Independence. During this War of
Independence, the Muslims and Hindus were both fought together and the time of Two
Nation Theory started.
HINDI URDU CONTROVERSY:

Pakistan has been India's birthplace. But there were not only Muslims who used the Urdu
language, but all of India's cultures joined hands to proliferate and develop the new
language. Then some of the influential Hindu leaders set off against the Urdu movement
and their proposal was to replace the Hindi Urdu. This circumstance had the Muslims
coming out to defend the importance of the language of Urdu. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's
life was greatly affected by this language controversy because this, he was a great
supporter of Hindu-Muslim Unity. Hindi Urdu Controversy was the beginning of the space
of division between Hindus and Muslims that would gradually increase, and that was a
day when both nations were divided.

TWO NATION THEORY AND SIR SYED AHMED KHAN:

A great Muslim leader, and a great philosopher, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Through time Sir
Syed compelled Muslims to receive modern education. Sir Syed was a first man in the
history of the Sub-Continent to create a term for Muslims and Hindus "TWO NATION,"
and he introduced an idea of becoming a founder in Two Nation Theory. With many
aspirations including faith, religious, language, and foreign identity, Syed Ahmed Khan
tried his best for the Muslims to recognize their disagreements with the Hindus and for
this reason he redirected Muslims ' attention to Two Nation Theory. The probably main
reason Sir Syed implemented this hypothesis is the decline of Islam, the conflict of
Muslims Hindus, the language question, and the resentment of Muslims from South Asia
by Hindus and British. Because of the non-acceptance behavior of Hindu Muslims, Syed
Ahmed Khan realizes that the two nations can no longer live together. He came forward
with Two Country Theory during the Hindu Urdu Controversy and announced that the
Muslims were a separate nation. He said: “

I am convinced now that Hindus and Muslims could never become one nation as
their religion and way of life was quite distinct from each other.”
CONCEPT OF TWO NATION THEORY FROM HINDUS:

Originally, the Hindus had arisen in the idea of Two State Theory. The Hindus and
Muslims are two separate nations is a historical fact. But, years ago, the Hindus laid the
foundation for the Two Nation Theory. Hindus has a somewhat narrow mindedness. They
considered themselves more superior to the other Sub-Continent races living there.
Hindus itself had a cast system, too. Some of the leaders of the Hindu people hated
Muslim a lot and there was a dream of rebuilding a great empire. One of them remarked:

“There was no place for them (Muslims) in the Hindu society he envisioned”.

So the policy of hatred against Muslims had been well in progress. This reason and many
others pressured the Muslim leader to claim a separate homeland for South Asian
Muslims, where they could live their way of life and enforce their own cultural and religious
values.

TWO NATION THEORY AND ROLE OF ALAMA IQBAL:

Alama Iqbal was born on 9 November 1877 in Sialkot. He was well-educated,

philosophical and called as Poet of East. Iqbal did his work after many of the cultures by
way of his poems and philosophy. Iqbal was one of the people who supported the concept
of Two Nation Theory for the very first time. Iqbal made it clear that the Muslim of Sub-
Continent had their own recognition from Hindus on the bases of their culture and religion.
He said:

“India is not a country. It is a Sub-Continent of human beings belonging to different

languages and practicing different religions. Muslim nation has its own religious
and cultural identity”.

Allama Iqbal's presidential speech to All India Muslim League's 1930 Allahabad session
talked together in one voice about the Punjab, North West Frontier Province, Sindh and
Baluchistan. He though India's final wealth was a separate state, without the law of Britain.
He presented some long terms and short terms solution for the independence and his
struggle from words was first promoted from the platform of Muslim League.
According to Iqbal:

“I remained the supporter of this idea but now I am of the view that preservation of
separate Nationhood is useful for Hindus and Muslims birth. To have the concept
of single nation In India is no doubt poetic and beautiful but impractical regarding
present circumstances”.

FORMATION AND POLITICS OF ALL INDIA MUSLIM LEAGUE:

All India Muslim League was founded by Mohsin ul Mulk in Dhaka on 30th December
1906. The British had been very dissatisfied with this new party being formed. But that's
also a fact that the All India Muslim League was pro-British, and was then highly criticized
by the people. Following the formation of All India Muslim League, the Minto-Morley
reforms or the Indian Council Act 1909 were adopted as a development. A party claiming
to be the sole representative of Muslim interests in India was the Muslim League. The
goals and objectives of the Muslim League were to develop unity between the Muslims
and the British Government, and this became the main reason why Pakistan was
established, and to eliminate all prejudices from either side, to preserve the sub-
continent's Muslims ' religious and political right. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the undoubted
Muslim League leader, played a key role and emerged as the Indian Muslims ' Quaid-e-
Azam. All India Muslim League's key goal was to bring forward the desire for the Indian
Muslims for a separate homeland. So they started to back up two country theory for this
application. They focused on it and trained South Asian people about the myth of two
countries that Muslims and Hindus were to different nations and that they could not exist
together. And, after a long struggle and diplomacy, the All-India Muslim League organized
the appeal for the Muslims of India for a separate Muslim state in 1940. Mohammed Ali
Jinnah, AIML's main spokesman, has played the role of political communism and
provincialism in creating the Pakistani movement.

TWO NATION THEORY IN THE EYES OF QUAID E AZAM:

Quaid e Azam did a long lasting struggle for the independence of a separate Muslim state
and Jinnah also took dependence on Two Nation Theory.
Quaid said:

“We should have a State in which we could live and breathe as free men and which
we could develop according to our own lights and culture and where principles of
Islamic social justice could find free play.”

Quaid e Azam was a solid defender of Two Nation Theory and he considered the Muslims
a separate nation from every aspects. He said:

“Pakistan came in to being the very day when first Non-Muslim became a Muslim.”

Mohammad Ali Jinnah had a great 14 points and these points issued by the All India
Muslim League, which was reunited, under the leadership of Quaid e Azam as the basis
for any Indian future Indian constitution. These demand were taken to the round table
conference, but were overshadowed by Allama Iqbal’s demands.

LUCKNOW PACT 1916:

On December 1916, an agreement known as Lucknow Pact made by the Indian National
Congress leaded by Maratha leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak and the Muhammad Ali Jinnah
from the All India Muslim League on the other side. The pact was all about the structure
of the government of India and about the relation between the Hindu and Muslim
communities. By signing this pact, the Quaid e Azam was playing the role of Ambassador
of Hindu Muslim Unity. But, after the return of Mohan Das Gandhi to India, this pact
mislaid its importance and the cooperation did not last long.

There was a general over separate electorates. In the minority provinces, like UP where
Muslims constituted 14 percent of population and are given 30 percent representation. In
Madras, Muslims made up less than 7 percent of the population but were given 15 percent
representation. But, this did not favor Muslims as they were remained a minority. In return

Bengali Muslims surrendered 25 percent, and in Punjab 10 percent of their entitlement.

This reduced the Muslim majority to minority and proved prejudicial to the Muslims.
It was the first time when Congress admitted the Muslim League as the political party of
the Sur-Continent representing the Muslims there, As Congress agreed to separate
electorates, in fact considered the Muslims as a separate nation. Thus, they accepted the
concept of the Two Nation Theory.

KHILAFAT MOVEMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON TWO NATION THEORY:

The Khilafat Movement did become the reason to vastly strengthen the Two Nation
Theory which was became the most important basis of establishment and demanding of
Pakistan. Muslims of India had an emotional attachment to the khilafat. They thought that
Ottoman Caliphate as the only surviving symbol for the Muslims of South Asia. Gandhi
joined this Muslims attitude over the khilafat. Quaid e Azam was not in favor to support
this movement and wrote to Gandhi and warn him about this movement but Gandhi
ignored him. The Quaid supported some form of non-cooperation and he was against the
schools, colleges, law courts and of foreign goods. He thought the people of South Asia
would be harmed by these boycotts.

As the result of this movement, All India Muslim League was weakened. Many Muslims
were ruined while migrating to Afghanistan, as Afghanistan closed its borders.

Its failure, realized by the Muslims, that, if they wanted to survive in the Sub-Continent,
they must rely on their own strength and political destiny. The movement later gave
momentum to the struggle for the independence and for a separate homeland for the
Indian Muslims.

ROLE OF TWO NATION THEORY IN DEMANDING OF PAKISTAN:

The Doctrine of the Two Nations has played a critical and singular role in seeking
Pakistan. This idea has benefitted every Muslim leader. Many events had occurred with
the role of Two Nation Theory and each Muslim leader, who was an independent Muslim
state's supporter, depended on Two Nation Theory. The entire Independence Period from
1857-1947 was relying on the theory of two nations. The entire Independence Era from
1857-1947 was dependent on Two State Doctrine. After the Hindi-Urdu conflict, Muslim
felt they were a separate nation from Hindus, and continued to seek a separate homeland.
LAHORE RESOLUTION 1940 AND DEMAND OF PAKISTAN:

The All India Muslim League held its annual session from March 22 to March 24, 1940,
at Minto Park, Lahore. The Lahore Resolution is totally noted for the formal adoption and
implementation of Two Nation Theory. According to M.A Jinnah:

“The Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religious philosophies, social
customs, and literatures. They neither intermarry nor interline, and indeed they
belong to two different civilizations which are based on conflicting ideas and
conceptions”.

The All India Muslim League was stronger after the Luck now Pact, between 1937 and
1942, the All India Muslim League won 46 out of 56 seats in by-elections. This success
was because of the Lahore session or resolution because it gave the Muslims of India, a
new aim and direction. Lahore resolution was basically based on Two Nation Theory
because it was final steps towards implementing the Two Nation Theory and Demand of
Pakistan.

TWO NATION THEORY IMPORTANCE AT PRESENT:

The Two Nation Theory in India was put forward to protect the rights of minority and to
protect the minority from majority. Muslims, when they was minority in India, struggled
hard to achieve separate electorates, But after Pakistan came in to being there is one
example, General Ziaul Haq did set separate electorates against the desire of minorities.

Now, there is no importance of Two Nation Theory because, if we consider it, Pakistan
would be separated in to many parts. We cannot implement any theory in every place;
theory is not for all the times, it could vary from time to time. So, if we talk about Two
Nation Theory, so there is no concept of this theory now in Pakistan

IMPORTANCE OF TWO NATION THEORY IN WHOLE SCENARIO:

The entire freedom movement revolves around the Two Nation Theory which became the
basis for the demand of Pakistan. It means that the Muslims of the Sub-Continent were a
separate nation with their distinct culture, civilization, literature, history, religion and social
values. Islam the religion of Muslims was based on the concept of Tauheed and therefore
could not be merged in any other system of religion. It means Islam gives us a concept
of Two Nation Theory. Muslims of India would ultimately have a separate homeland, as
they could not live with the Hindus in Sub-Continent. The demanding and achieving of
Pakistan was only based on the Two Nation Theory and completely revolving around this
theory.

CONCLUSION

The Muslims realized that they would lose their religious and cultural identity if they
remained a part of British India. They also able to understand the above mentioned
differences between them and hence demanded a separate homeland on the ground
where they freely practiced their religion in accordance with Quran and Sunnah and
Islamic teachings. They demanded a piece of land where their property and life would be
safe guarded and secure.
References:

URLS:

 http://storyofpakistan.com/the-ideology-of-pakistan-two-nation-theory/

 http://storyofpakistan.com/two-nation-theory-the-myth-the-reality/

 http://ajmalforum.blogspot.com/2011/07/lucknow-pact-december-1916.html

 http://www.cssforum.com.pk/386748-post13.html

 http://www.slideshare.net/TrUeJournlism/ideology-of-pakistan-and-two-nation-
theory

BOOKS:

 PAKISTAN STUDIES BY M. R. KAZIMI

 PAKISTAN STUDIES BY HAFIZ ASHFAQ AHMED

 NAZARIA E PAKISTAN BY PROFESSOR MUZAFFAR MIRZA

 THE IDEA OF PAKISTAN BY STEPHEN PHILIP COHEN