Maulana Azad was a great leader of the Indian National Movement. He was born in Mecca to a Bengali father and an arab mother. He was well versed in many languages.
He was a scholar of Islam and an exponent of the notion of Wahadat-i-deen, the essential oneness of all religions. He was an active participant in the movements launched by Mahatma Gandhi. He was a great advocate ot Hindu-Muslim unity and never approved Jinnah's two-nation theory.

The consequence of the partition of Bengal were:
(i) The partition of Bengal made people angry allover India.
(ii) All sections of the Congress including moderates and radicals opposed it.
(iii) Large public meeting, demonstrations were organised and new methods of mass protest took place.
(iv) The Swadeshi Movement started which opposed British rule, encouraged the ideas of self-help, Swadeshi enterprise, national education and use of Indian languages.

During 1921 and 1922 the Non-Cooperation Movement gained impetus. Thousands of students left government controlled schools and colleges. Many lawyers like, Motilal Nehru, CR Das, C Raja Gopalachari and Asaf Ali gave up their practices.People lit public bonfires of foreign cloth. The imports of foreign cloth fell drastically between 1920-1922. In Kheda, Gujarat, Paridar peasants organised non-violent, campaigns against high land revenue fixed by the British.

In Bengal, Maharashtra and Punjab, many leaders adapted more radical means to gain freedom from the British. Some of the important Radical leaders were Bepin Chandra Pal, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and La!a Lajpat Rai who were known as La! Bal Pal. They criticised the moderates for their 'politics of prayers' and emphasised the importance' of self-reliance and constructive work. Radicals argued that people rely on their own strength, not on the 'good' intentions of the colonial power.

During the first rwenry years, after its formation the Congress was 'moderate' in its objectives and methods. Some of the moderate leaders were Dadabhai Naoraji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, WC Bonnerji, Surendranath Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutr, S Subramania Iyer.
(i) They proposed to struggle against the British in a non-violent manner, which the Radicals called the politics of prayers.
(ii) They demanded that Indians be placed in high positions in the government.
(iii) They wanted the Legislative Council to be made more representative, given more power and introduced in provinces where its was not.
(iv) They criticised British rule and sent representatives to different parts of the country to mobilise public opinion.

(i) Mahatma Gandhi is driving the Krishna's chariot.
(ii) Jawahar Lal Nehru is holding the flag.

Mahatma Gandhi and other prominent leaders of the Freedom Movement thought that it was sinful to tax salt because it is an essential item of our food. In 1930, Gandhiji decided to break this law. Gandhiji felt that his Salt March would become popular and would represent the general desire of freedom from a specific injustice. Gandhiji and his followers marched for over 240 miles from Sabarmati to the coastal town of Dandi where they broke the law by making salt from sea water. Salt March was an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism because:
(i) All classes could identify with salt as it was an essential food item.
(ii) Monopoly over manufacturing and selling salt was a sign of oppression of the British.
(iii) Breaking the law would affect British economy.

The developments leading to the creation of Pakistan are as follows:
(i)A two-nation theory: From the late 1930s, the Muslim League began viewing the Muslims as a separate "nation" from the Hindus.
(ii) Provincial elections of 1937: The provincial elections of 1937convinced the League that Muslims were a minority, and they would always have to play second fiddle in any democratic structure. It feared that Muslims may even go unrepresented.
(iii) Rift between Congress and Muslim League: In 1937, the Congress rejected-the Muslim League's proposal for a joint Congress-League government in the United Provinces. This annoyed the League.
(iv) Wide mass support base for Muslim League: In the 1930s, the Congress failed to mobilise the Muslim masses. This allowed the Muslim League to widen its social support. It sought to expand its support in the early 1940s,when most Congress leaders were in jail.
(v) Failure of talks: At the end of the Second World War in 1945, the British opened negotiations between the Congress, the League and themselves for the independence of India. However, the talks failed as the League saw itself as the sole spokesperson of Indian Muslims, and the Congress could not accept this claim since a large number of Muslims still supported it.
(vi) Provincial elections of 1946: Elections to the provinces were again held in 1946. The Congress did well in the "General" constituencies but the League's success in the seats reserved for Muslims was spectacular. This led to increased demand for a separate nation for Muslims.
(vii) Failure of talks again: In March 1946, the British cabinet sent a three-member mission to Delhi to examine this demand and to suggest a suitable political framework for a free India. This mission suggested that India should remain united and constitute itself as a loose confederation with some autonomy for Muslim-majority areas. But it could not get the Congress and the Muslim League to agree to specific details of the proposal. Partition was now more or less inevitable.
(viii) Mass agitation and riots: After the failure of the Cabinet Mission, the Muslim League decided on mass agitation for winning its "Pakistan" demand. It announced on 16^th August 1946 as "Direct Action Day". On this day, riots broke out in Calcutta, lasting several days and resulting in the death of thousands of people. By March 1947, violence had spread to different parts of Northern India.
(ix) Partition: Finally, the demand for the partition of India was sanctioned, and "Pakistan" was born.