Simla Deputation

The deputation took advantage of the liberal values of the newly appointed Minto and his Secretary of State, John Morley, following the election of the Liberals in the 1906 United Kingdom general election, as well as the willingness of the British and the Indian Muslims to cooperate – the British wanted to use Indian Muslims as a bulwark against the Indian National Congress and Hindu nationalism, while the Muslims, based in Aligarh Muslim University, wanted to use the opportunity to secure more political representation for themselves.

Minto, finding himself sympathetic to the demands of the Muslims, put many of them into law through the Indian Councils Act 1909, granting the wishes of the deputation. The deputation also led indirectly to the creation of the All-India Muslim League in December that year, as the leaders of the Simla Deputation had taken the time to draft the constitution of the Muslim League to present at the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference.

Background

During the 19th century, Muslim political activism came to be centered on Aligarh Muslim University. The university and its associated Aligarh movement began to push for Muslim social and educational reform. Its leader, Sayyid Ahmad Khan, strengthened the Muslim community in northern India by drawing them to his pro-British writings and gatherings. However, his death in 1898 led to the university becoming dormant. However, in the 1900s, the university became heavily involved in politics again, starting with the Hindi–Urdu controversy. The beginning of the 20th century gave rise to the impetus for a Muslim political organization to advocate for Muslims throughout India, much as the Indian National Congress did for India as a whole.

In 1905, Lord Curzon, then Viceroy, reorganized the Bengal Presidency through the Partition of Bengal, splitting the region into East and West Bengal. The partition enraged Hindus, but Muslims, who had become a majority in the newly-formed East Bengal, found themselves opposed to the Hindus. The Muslims of East Bengal, led by Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury, found an increased power and voice to be used to push for better employment opportunities, education, and political representation. The British found in this Muslim opposition a bulwark against Hindu dominance and nationalism and supported the Muslims.

In late 1905, the government of Britain came under the Liberals following the 1906 United Kingdom general election. This coincided with the appointment of Lord Minto, who was more sympathetic to Indian desires for autonomy than his predecessor Lord Curzon, to the position of Vice-Roy following the resignation of Curzon. John Morley, a Liberal MP, was appointed Secretary of State for India in the Liberal government of the UK. Morley made a speech in the UK Parliament in July 1906 hinting at an increase of representation of native Indians in legislative councils for both moderate members of the Indian National Congress as well as Muslims.

Hearing Morley's speech, Muhammad Ismail Khan, a member of the legislative council of the United Provinces, as well as other notable people within politics, wrote to Mohsin-ul-Mulk, successor of Syed Ahmad Khan, suggesting an effort to increase Muslim representation in local councils. Mohsin-ul-Mulk formed a committee to possibly meet the new Viceroy and asked the Principal of Aligarh Muslim University, W.A.J. Archibold, who was in Simla at the time, to pass the committee's request for a meeting on to the Viceroy. The Viceroy agreed, and Syed Hussain Bilgrami drafted the deputation's address with help from Mohsin-ul-Mulk. The address was signed by more than 1182 people and was sent to the Viceroy on 6 September, a month before the deputation itself.

Historian Peter Hardy argues that the deputation knew that Lord Minto would be somewhat receptive to their requests, or at least that he would not be openly hostile towards them. He argues that this influenced the demands they made towards him.