What was two nation theory

Editors: Zayn R. Contents Search. Two-Nation Theory. Authors Authors and affiliations Clinton Bennett. Reference work entry First Online: 06 July How to cite. This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access. Seton-Watson H Nations and states: an enquiry into the origins of nations and the politics of nationalism. Methuen, London Google Scholar. Chakravarty D Muslim separatism and the partition in India.

However, a specific group of Muslims in India—the Ashraaf—continue to hail the Pakistani icon as a true nationalist, a patriot and a bearer of our mixed culture of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb. Celebrating his birthday as Urdu Day is a clear attempt to establish him as a hero in India. How can a figure who is supposed to have given the vision for the founding of Pakistan be a heroic personality in India?

The idea is to know whether he was truly an icon of this mixed culture or not. Allama Iqbal propounded the two-nation theory and the ideology of Pakistan Tehreek at a time when even the biggest of the Ashraaf leaders did not have the courage to publically make a case for Partition of India. This is evident from his address at the Muslim League session at Prayagraj Allahabad on 29 December Iqbal was a staunch Muslim League supporter and an anti-Congress.

He, just like Maulana Thanvi renowned Deobani cleric, was of the opinion that it was harmful for both Islam and Muslims if the later chose to join the Congress party without any condition. Iqbal believed that the Ulemas maulana belonging to the Congress ideology were committing a big mistake by supporting the Hindus, they did not understand that if the people supported it, its result would be fatal for them.

Page No. In one of his famous poems, Wataniyat , Iqbal glorifies the large-scale migration that would result from the Partition of the country, linking it with the migration of Prophet from Mecca to Medina.

Among these new gods, nation is the biggest one. Its attire is like the coffin of religion. Your hands are powerful because of the strength bestowed by the monotheism, Islam is your only country because you are a follower of Mustafa another name for Prophet Muhammad. Show this old and empirical philosophy to the entire world, O followers of Muhammad, vanquish this idol nation into the soil.

Chin-o-arab hamara , hindostan humara. Jamhuriat ek Tarj-e-hukumat hai ki jismen. Democracy is a style of government where the persons are counted only and not evaluated properly.

Iqbal was much too perturbed about this. Being installed in power through the separate electorate system, some Muslim leaders now began to think turning the beneficial separate electorate system into a separate nationalist thought called two-nation theory asserting that the Muslims of India formed a separate nation altogether historically, culturally, intellectually, and socially. This idea was first articulated by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan who first started the movement for Muslim self-awakening and identity.

Sir Syed Ahmed discourged the Indian Muslim community to join the band wagon of the Congress nationalist movement. He articulated that the Indian Muslims themselves formed a nation and in their own interest should not ally themselves with the Congress-led movements for self-rule. His idea found good reception from the colonial rulers, who needed allies to manage the growing Indian nationalist movement launched by the Congress.

The congress non-co-operation of the Diarchy constitution at provincial level had alienated considerable Muslim political elements from the nationalist politics of the Congress and consequently, the Muslim League, which was moribund until , became increasingly the vehicle of Muslim politics in Bengal and also in other Muslim majority provinces.

Poet and philosopher Sir Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address at the Muslim League's conference in December laid the theoretical framework of the two nation theory.

He further elaborated his viewpoint of Muslim nationhood in a rejoinder to a statement made by Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru at the London Round Table Conference stating that the attitude of the Muslim delegation was based on 'reactionarism'.

Iqbal concluded his rejoinder:. Either the Indian majority community will have to accept for itself the permanent position of an agent of British imperialism in the East, or the country will have to be redistributed on a basis of religious, historical and cultural affinities so as to do away with the question of separate electorates and the communal problem in its present form.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, president of the Muslim League now in power in several provinces of India including Bengal, explained his Two Nation Theory in its final form in his presidential address at Lahore on March 22'23, He explained:.

They are not religions in the strict sense of the word, but are, in fact, different and distinct social orders, and it is a dream that the Hindus and Muslims can ever evolve a common nationality, and this misconception of one Indian nation has troubles and will lead India to destruction if we fail to revise our notions in time.