Reasons for the Formation of the All India Muslim League

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ESTABLISHMENT OF ALL INDIA MUSLIM LEAGUE 1906

REASONS FOR THE FORMATION OF THE ALL INDIA MUSLIM LEAGUE

After the creation of the Indian national Congress and its time as a ‘representative’ party for the people of the Indian sub-continent, there was felt a need to re-evaluate its claims at unbiased representation. Since its inception, Congress had shown clear its interest to only safeguard the rights of Hindus.

The three key factors which contributed in keeping the Muslims away from the Congress were:

1. The advice and prediction of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan that, “Hindus and Muslims are two different nations who have different ideologies”

2. Hindu protest against the partition of Bengal

3. Hindu revivalists’ aggression towards the Muslims

The Muslims stayed devoted to Sir Syed's recommendation, however events were rapidly changing the Indian arena and political issues were surfacing in all areas of the population. However the main motivating factor was that the Muslims' elite, intellectual class needed representation and that the masses required a platform to unite on.

Following are the reasons for the establishment of Muslim league:

1. Attitude of the Congress towards Muslims: All India National Congress was mainly a Hindu body. Its interests were always in benefitting the Hindus. By 1906, Muslim leaders were certain that they must have their own party which may speak for the community on all important occasions as the attitude of the Congress towards Muslims was indifferent to their interests.

2. Economic and Educational Backwardness: Muslims were far behind the Hindus in education and economic advancement. Educational and economic conditions could only be enhanced by forming a separate Muslims organizatio...

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...in all over the country.

In 1958, the League nearly lost all of its influence when martial law was imposed by General Ayub Khan to win the support of Iskander Mirza against Prime Minister Feroz Khan, a Muslim Leaguee.

The Constitution of Federation allowed the ailing Muslim League to reform itself as the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and supported Fatima Jinnah in the presidential elections of 1965.

Ever since then, Muslim League has split into several factions with one following Ayub Khan, called the Conventional Muslim League and the one in its opposition called Council Muslim League. while the other factions were also involved in supporting the presidential regimes of Zia ul Haq in 1980s, and the recent regime of Pervez Musharraf in 2000s. Hence, Pakistan Muslim League started being referred to several political parties in the country.

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