Question

When were separate electorates first created by the British Colonial Government?

• A. 1919
• B. 1923
• C. 1909
• D. 1907

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The British Colonial Government first introduced separate electorates in India in 1909 under the Morley-Minto Reforms (Indian Councils Act, 1909).

Key Details:

Purpose:

• To divide electoral representation along religious lines, initially for Muslims, under the demand of the All-India Muslim League and to counter growing nationalist unity.

How It Worked:

• Muslim voters elected their own representatives (separate from general/Hindu electorates) to legislative councils.
• Later extended to other communities (e.g., Sikhs, Christians, Anglo-Indians) under the Government of India Act, 1919 and 1935.

Impact:

• Deepened communal divisions, legitimizing religion-based politics.
• Opposed by Congress and leaders like Gandhi, who saw it as a divide-and-rule policy.

Earlier Experiments:

• The principle of communal representation was first tested in the Punjab (1890s) and Bengal (1906), but formal, all-India separate electorates began in 1909.
• Thus, 1909 marks the institutionalization of this controversial colonial policy.