MUSLIMS VENTURE INTO POLITICS IN COLONIAL INDIA: A BRITISH PLOY OR AN INSTINCTIVE REACTION?

The formation of the All-India Muslim League, the first ever Muslim political party in British India to see the light of the day, represents a watershed in the political history of the Indian subcontinent.It was, in fact, the outcome of a long historical process during which the Muslims of India faced challenges at different levels, political, economic and socio-cultural.Yet, the origin of this political organisation has been a moot point among scholars.Did the British have a hand in its creation or was it a genuinely Muslim initiative?The aim of this article, therefore, is to investigate this issue as well as shed light on the circumstances that led to the birth of this party.