HSC STUDY BUDDY

Mohammed Ali Jinnah

Born: December 25th 1876- Karachi
Died: September 11th 1948- 78 years of age- Pakistan
Political Party: Indian National Congress- 1896- 1913
Muslim League- 1913- 1948
GENERAL TIMELINE
Introduction
- 20th century politician and statesman
- Regarded as the founder of pakistan
- Served as the leader of the Muslim League
- First governor general of pakistan
- Known in pakistan as:
- Quaid-e-Azam/ Urdu (great leader)
- Baba-e-Qaum (father of the nation)
- Equally admired by his opponents due to his visionary approach to the use of constitutional and legal
channels as a lawyer to bring about the end to British rule in India and the creation of Pakistan
- Rise to prominence
- INC, idea of hindu-muslim unity
- Helped shape the 1916 lucknow pack
- Leader of the AIML
- Proposed 14-point-plan (guard the political rights of Muslims in a self-governing India)
- Embrace the goal of creating a separate state for muslims- lahore resolution
- 1946 elections won most muslim seats
- Launch of the Direct Action Day
- Led efforts to rehabilitate millions of refugees and to frame national politics on foreign affairs, security and economic
development
Early Life
- Born in the Karachi District 1876
- Eldest of 7 children
- Father
- Prosperous Gujarati merchant
- Religion
- Family belonged to the Ismaili Khoja branch of Shia Islam
- Later converted to Shia Islam
- Schooling
- Studied at several schools
- Passed the matriculation examination of the university of bombay
- Offered apprenticeship at the london office of Grahams shipping and trading company
- Left apprenticeship to study law
- Became the youngest south asian to be called to the bar in england
- Became interested in politics
- Admirer of Indian political leaders (Dababhai Naoroji)
- Worked with other Indian students on the formers successful champaign for a seat in the British
Parliament
- Condemned both the arrogance of the British officials in Indian and the discrimination practiced by them
against Indians
- Lawyer in Bombay
- Gained fame from his handling of the Caucus Case
Early Political Career
- 1896 joined the Indian National Congress
- Did not favour outright independence
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- Considered British influences on education, law, culture and industry as beneficial to Indian
- Joined the Imperial Legislative Council
- No real power or authority
- Instrumental in:
- passing the Child Marriages Restraint Act
- Helped establish the Indian Military Academy
- All indian muslim league
- Initially avoided joining
- Regarded in too muslim orientated
- Joined in 1913
- Became president in 1916
- Architect of the Lucknow pact
- Between congress and the league
- Bringing them together on most issues regarding self-government and presenting a united
front to the british

- Demanded home rule of india

- Status of a self-government dominion the in empire
- Married second wife- Rattanbai Petit
- 24 years younger
- Great opposition to the marriage
- Ruttie converted to Islam
- Resulted in permanent estrangement from her family and the parsi society
- Bore child- Dina Jinnah
14 Points
- Problems with congress
- Opponent of Gandhi
- Espoused non-violence civil-disobedience and Hindu values as the best means to obtain Swaraj
- Very popular with the indian people
- Use of the Indian language and dress
- Jinnah believed that only a constitutional struggle could lead to independence
- Saw Gandhi's support of the Khilafat movement an as endorsement of religious zealotry
(excessive indolence)
- 1920 resigned from congress
- Prophetic earning that Gandhis method of mass struggle would lead to divisions between Hindu
and Muslims
- 1923 elected as Muslims member for Bombay in the new Central legislative Assembly
- 1925 offered knighthood
- I prefer to be plain Mr. Jinnah
- 1927, Simon Commission
- Jinnah entered into negotiations with the Muslim and Hindu leaders on the issue of a future
constitution
- League wanted separate electorates
- Nehru report favored joint electorates
- Jinnah put forward a compromise that he thought would satisfy both (14 points)
- Rejected by the congress
- Death of Ruttie
- Marriage suffered during this period due to jinnahs political work
- Couple separated in 1927 after Jinnahs appointment to the Sanhurst committee
- Died in 1929 after a serious illness
- Jinnah deeply saddened
- Round Table Conference
- Worked hard to fight for the rights of neglected Muslims in India
- Decided to stay in India
- Worked closely with Allama Iqbal

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- 1934 returned to India to re-organise the Muslim League

- Personal Life
- Care and support from sister Fatima
- Close advisor and travel companion
- Helped raise daughter
- Became estranged from daughter after she decided to marry pasi born businessman
Leader of the Muslim League
- Prominent muslim leaders (Aga Khan, Muhammed Iqbal and Choudhary Rahmat Ali) made efforts to convince jinnah
to return to india and take charge of the reunited muslim league
- 1934 return
- Closely assisted by Liaquat Ali Khan
- 1937 elections
- League emerged as a competent party
- Captured a significant amount of seats under the muslim electorates
- Lost in the muslim majority punjab, sindh and northwest frontier province
- Jinnah offered alliance with congress
- Both parties would face the british together
- Share of the power
- Accept separate electorates and the league as the representative of Indias muslims
- Latter 2 terms were unacceptable to the congress
- Congress believed that jinnah would use his position as a lever for exaggerated
demands
- Demanded that the league merge with congress
- All talks failed
- Some historians assert that although jinnah had a celebration of the resignation of all congress
leaders in 1938 (day of deliverance), he still remained hopeful for an agreement
- Idea of Pakistan
- Speech to the league 1930
- Mohammad iqbal mooted for an independent state for muslims in northwest india
- Following the failure to work with congress, jinnah was converted to the idea that muslims needed a separate
state to protect their rights
- Muslim and hindus were distinct nations with unbridgeable differences (the two nation theory)
- Jinnah declared that a united india would lead to the marginalisation of muslims and eventual civil
war
- Heavily influenced by Iqbal
- Lahore conference 1940
- Pakistan was adopted as the main goal of the party
- Maddened congress and many muslim leaders
- Attempted assassination by a member of the extremist Khaksars
- 1941, Jinnah founded Dawn- major newspaper that helped him propagate the leagues point of view
- Cripps mission
- Jinnah demanded parity between the number of congress and league ministers
- Supported the British effort in WW2
- Opposed the Quiet India movement
- Leagues influence in the punjab increased after the death of unionist leader Sikander Hyat Khan 1942
- Gandhi talks
- 14 talks held in 1944
- About a united front
- Talks failed
Founding Pakistan
- 1946 elections for the constitute assembly
- Congress won most the the elected seats
- League won a large majority of Muslim electorate seats
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- 1946 british cabinet mission to india (may 16th)

- Called for a united indian state
- Comprising on provinces (division based on religion)
- 1946 2nd plan (June 16th)
- Called for the separate of south asia along religious lines
- Congress rejected the plan
- Jinnah gave leagues assent to both plans
- Knew that the power would go to the party that supported the plan
- Congress accepted the 1st plan
- Jinnah decried this acceptance as dishonest and accused the british negotiators of treachery
- Withdrew the leagues approval of both plans
- Boycotted the assembly
- Denied the legitimacy of the government by the muslims
- Jinnah calls for direct action- August 16th
- To achieve pakistan
- Strikes and violent protests (particularly calcutta)
- Interim government
- League entered the government (major victory for Jinnah)
- Having rejected both plans the league was allowed to appoint an equal number of ministers despite

being the minority party

- The coalition was unable to work
- Resulted in a rising feeling within congress that the independence of pakistan was the only
way of avoiding political chaos and possible civil war
- Congress agreed to the division of punjab and bengal
- Northwest frontier province voted to join pakistan in July 1947
Independence
- Jinnah asserted that the league had accepted independence of pakistan because the consequence of any other
alternative would have been to disastrous to image

Governor General
- Jinnah became first governor general of pakistan and president of its constituent assembly
- Inauguration speech
- Spoke of an inclusive and pluralist democracy
- Equal rights for all citizens regardless of religion, caste or creed
- Debate in pakistan over whether Jinnah wanted a secular state
- Islamic supporters assert that his speech was taken out on context
- Comparison of other speeches
- On October 11, 1947, in an address to Civil, Naval, Military and
Air Force Officers of Pakistan Government, Karachi, he said:
We should have a State in which we could live and breathe as
free men and which we could develop according to our own
lights and culture and where principles of Islamic social justice
could find free play
- Endless violence between hindus and muslims
- Agreed with indian leaders to organise a exchange of populations in the punjab and bengal
- Millions of people left as refugees
- Personally effected and depressed by the intense violence
- Annexation of the princely state of Kalat
- Suppress the insurgency in baluchistan
- Owing to his role in the states creation- popular and influential politician
- Pivotal role in
- Protecting the rights of minorities
- Establishing colleges
- Military institutions
- Pakistans financial policy

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- Made urdu national language

- Worked for an agreement with indian settling disputes regarding the division of assets
Death
- 1940s, Jinnah suffers from tuberculosis
- Not many aware of his condition
- 1948, health falters
- Heavy workload
- Died September 11, 1948
- Mass funeral in Karachi
ANALYSIS
Legacy and Criticism
- Few individuals alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited
with creating a nation-state. Mohammed Ali Jinnah did all three- Stanley Wolpert
- In pakistan
- Honored with the official title Quaid-e-Azam
- Depicted n all pakistani rupee notes
- Namesake of many pakistani public institutions
- Historians H M Seervai and Ayesha Jalal
- Assert that Jinnah ever wanted partition of India
- Outcome of the congress leaders being unwilling to share power with the league
- Arrest that Jinnah only used the pakistan demand as a method to mobilise support and obtain significant
political rights for Muslims
- Critics
- Allege that Jinnahs courting the princes of hindu states and his gambit with Junagadh is proof of ill
intensions towards india
- Patel: A Life by Rajmohan Gandhi
- Asserts that jinnah sought to engage the the question of Junagadh with an eye on Kashmire
- He wanted india to ask for a plebiscite in Junagadh, knowing this that he principles then would have
to be applied to Kashmire, where the muslim-majority would, he believed, vote for pakistan
Views of statehood
- Controversy over whether Jinnah wanted pakistan to be a secular state or an Islamic state
- Speech on his policies, 11 August 1947
- If you change your past and work together in a spirit that everyone of you, no matter to what
community he belongs, no matter what relations he had with you in the past, no matter what is his
colour, caste or creed, is first, second and last a citizen of this State with equal rights, privileges, and
obligations, there will be no end to the progress you will make.
- Therefore, we must learn a lesson from this. You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you
are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may
belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State.
- While it is clear that Jinnah wanted a secular state he did on occasion refer to islam ad islamic principles
- Pakistan not only means freedom and independence but the Muslim Ideology which has to be
preserved, which has come to us as a precious gift and treasure and which, we hope other will share
with us Message to Frontier Muslim Students Federation June 18, 1945.
- Also pointed out on various occasions that the countries constitution and its financial setup must be based on
islamic principles
- The constitution of Pakistan has yet to be framed by the Pakistan Constituent Assembly. I do not
know what the ultimate shape of this constitution is going to be, but I am sure that it will be of a
democratic type, embodying the essential principle of Islam.- Broadcast talk to the people of the
USA on pakistans record Feb 1948
- We must work our destiny in our own way and present to the world an economic system based on
true Islamic concept of equality of manhood and social justice. We will thereby be fulfilling our
mission as Muslims and giving to humanity the message of peace which alone can save it and
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secure the welfare, happiness and prosperity of mankind. Speech at the opening ceremony of State
Bank of Pakistan, Karachi July 1, 1948
It has been argued by many people that in this speech Jinnah wanted to point out that Pakistan would be a
secular state as mostly people think that an Islamic state is a theocratic state, this perception is however
wrong and is miss interpreted, the reason is because a true Islamic state is not a theocratic state ,as rightly
stated by Jinnah in his speech. Because in a theocratic state the civil leader is believed to have a direct
personal connection with god, which is contrary to the principles of an Islamic state.

Describe the Role

His rivals accused him of many a sin, his friends of a slight. But no one, friend or foe would ever accuse Jinnah of a
lack of willpower

- Regarded as the father and founder of Pakistan

- Untiring efforts to unite Indian Muslims under the Banner of Muslim League
- Use of legal channels to end British rule and partition of India
- Unification of Muslims for a collaborative objective
- Joined Congress 1896 and committed himself to politics and bringing about independence
- Left party due to clashes with Gandhi over mass strategies- non-violence
- Joined the Muslim League
- Drafted the Lucknow pact
- Gained him status- bring together Muslims from all over India
- Campaigned for Muslim rights and representation
- Proposed 14 points- safeguarded the political the political rights of Muslims in a self-governing
India

- 1937- Jinnah approached Gandhi and offered an alliance with congress

- Both parties would face the British on a united front
- Failure- the differences between Hindus and Muslims are too great, the gap cannot be
bridged, we must have pakistan

- Role take different course- instead of being a strong advocate for Hindu Muslim unity- Jinnah became a decisive
figure for the division of people and a nation
- After 1940 Lahore conference- Pakistan adopted as the main goal of the League- Jinnah fought tirelessly for
the partition of India
- New role to cause dire consequences for a state where the two religious of Hinduism and Islam had lived side
by side

British Imperialism in India

- British Imperialism had a large impact on India

- Previously been a group of independent and semi-independent territories
- Underwent change under the British administration- Consolidate control
- Establishing population that spoke the same language
- Establishment of English as the unifying language
- Previously India fragmented and multilingual
- English served a common ground for Indians
- Allowed separate cultural and ethnic groups to identify with
-

each other
- Rise in the amount of journals= rise in nationalism
Educate Indian in a western fashion- British legislator- Richards 1979)
- Led to the rise in Indian resentment of British imperialism and loss of British
control
- Well read Indian encourted European principles- e.g. Human rights
liberalism
- Direct contrast to the imperialism practiced by the British in India
- Led to Indians desire for freedom to practice their own customs

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- India was the brightest jewel in the imperial crown

- Importance to the British economy
- 60% of Britain's cotton exports went to India
Divide and Rule

- Main instrument of British rule= the army and civil service

- Policed vast areas- from Mediterranean to China
- Without Indian army- the British government would not have been able to maintain its position east
would have been seriously undermined

- 6000 British + 300 million Indian

- Tactic of dividing the Muslims and Hindus- begun as the strings of a nationalist movement against British rule
emerged

- Head of movement= Congress

- Radicalized by the strategic draining of wealth from the subcontinent produced famine and plague
- League- members felt squeezed between the peasantry and competition of Hindu landowners- feared the
rising nationalist movement might threaten their property
Rise of Muslim Identity

- Sir Khan- first prominent Muslim nationalist- Aligarh Movement

- Viewed that Muslims should have a friendship with the British if they want to take their due rights
- Had to convince the British that the Muslims were not against them
- Asked the Muslims to keep themselves away from the Congress
- Predicted the party would prove to be a pure Hindu party
- Known as the founder of two-nation theory in the modern era
Rise of Indian Nationalism

- Congress
- 1885, Hume secured the Viceroys approval to crate an Indian National Union- affiliated with the
government and act as a platform to voice Indian public opinion
Background
Family Background and Education

- Born 25th December karachi

- Eldest of 5 children
- Born to a prosperous merchant
- Belonged to a branch of Shia Islam
- School- Christian Missionary Society HIgh School
- London
- Went to London to work for Grahams shipping and Trading Company
- Left the apprentice to study law- joined Lincons Inn
- Became the youngest south asian to be called to the bar in England
- Came under the spell of 19th century British liberalism
- Exposed to the idea of the democratic nation and progressive politics
- Worked with other Indian students on the campaign to become the first Indian to hold a seat in British
-

parliament
Developed largely constitutionalist views on Indian self-government
- Condemned the arrogance of the British soldiers in India and the discrimination practiced by them
against Indians
Western world- inspired his political life and personal preferences
- When it came to dress- donned western style clothing

Early career as a lawyer

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- Settling in Bombay- became a successful lawyer

- Gained fame for his skilled handling of the caucus Case
- Tilak hired him do his sedition trial
- Jinnah argued that it was not sedition for an Indian to demand freedom and self-government in his
own country
Congress and the All India Muslim League Leader

- Jinnah joined Congress in 1896

- Jinnah did not favour outright independence
- Considered British influences on education, law, culture and industry beneficial to India
- Passed the Child Marriages Restraint Act
- Legitimised the muslim waqf (religious endowments)
- Supported the WWI effort
- Hoped that India would be rewarded with political freedoms
- Initially avoided the League- regarded it as too Muslim orientated
- Joined in 1913
- Architect the 1916 Lucknow pact- between Congress and the League
- Bringing them together on most issues regarding self-government and presenting a united from to the British
- Became known as the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity
- Due to him that the parities began to hold joint sessions
Rise to Prominence
Differences with Gandhi

- Had very different views about how to achieve change

- Gandhi= non-violence and civil-disobedience
- Gave him mass popularity
- Dress and Indian language
- Jinnah= constitutional methods to achieve independence
- Jinnah leaves Congress- criticized Gandhis support of the Khilafat movement- viewed as an endorsement of religious
extremism
- Booed off stage- after his final speech rejecting Gandhis tactics
- Felt that Gandhis methods would lead to communal divisions
The Nehru Report and RTC

- 1927- Jinnah entered negotiations with Muslim and Hindu leaders on the issue of a future constitution
- During the Simon Commission
- League wanted separate electorates
- Drafted the 14 point plan
- Failure = Metcalf- distrust which was never subsequently to be overcome
- Seen as a turning point after which partition became far more likely
- Congress wanted joint ones
- RTC
- Gandhi claimed that Congress represented everyone and that no minority safeguards were needed
- Communal Award- gave separate electorates to all minority groups
- 1930- Iqbal proposed the idea of a separate Muslim nation
- Jinnah dismissed the idea
- Disillusioned by the collapse of the RTC
- Muslim student- published a pamphlet- advocated a separate Muslim stated- named Pakistan
- Jinnah= furious
- Believed India should remain a united whole

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Return to India and Revival of the Muslim League

- Muslim interests were being sacrificed by the chaotic situation within the Muslim League
- In the hands of the rich landlords with limited horizons
- Vs the Congress which was emerging as the leading party for Indian independence
- Publication of the now or never pamphlet- highlighted the concept of a separate Muslim state
- Motivated young Muslim intellectuals
- Prominent Muslim leaders made efforts to convince Jinnah to return from London and take charge of a nowreunited League

- Jinnah realised that organising the Muslims of India into a powerful and dynamic organised was badly needed
- Combined a meeting of various fractions of the League- Jinnah elected president
- Radical transformation of the League into a mass party
- Represent all sections of the Muslim Community
- Performed 2 important tasks
- Unite and activate the league as the sole representative body of the Muslims of India
- Continue the struggle for freedom on India on constitutional lines
- Stressed that Congress would not win the battle of freedom until it gained the support of all

communities
- I am convinced that the Congress policy is to divide the Muslim community amongst
themselves. It is the same old tactic of the British government. Don't fall into the trap
Reorganization = difficult task
- Opposition from petty politicians with local interests
- Peter Hardy- no one foresaw the transformation of the arrogant, proud, cold blooded lawyer Jinnah
into the charismatic Muslim leader of the 1940s and the transformation of the League inot a mass
movement

Significance and Evaluation

Impact of the 1937 election

- 1937 elections to the central legislative assembly

- League emerged as a competent party- captured a significant number of seats under the Muslim electorates
- Jinnah offered an alliance with Congress- face the British together
- Congress had to share power, accept separate states and the Leagues as the representative of Indias
Muslims

- Latter 2 terms unacceptable to Congress

Development of the Muslim League as a mass party

- Jinnah started to understand that in order for him to gain the approval of the Muslims- he had to reshape himself as
more of a religious leader
- Change his appearance- started to create a public image- symbolic dress
- Came up with the two nation theory
Demand for Pakistan

- Jinnah converted to the idea that Muslims needed a separate state to protect their rights
- Failure to work with congress
- Came to believe that Muslims and Hindus were distinct nations with unbridgeable differences- 2 nation
theory

- A united India would lead to the marginalisation of Muslims and eventual civil war
- Why?
- Correspondence with Iqual
- 1940, Lahore session- Pakistan adopted as the main goal of the party
- Wolpert- this is the moment when Jinnah as the former ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity totally
transformed himself into Pakistan's great leader
- Cripps mission
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- Demanded parity between the number of Congress and League minsters

- The Leagues exclusive right to appoint Muslims
- WWII
- Jinnah supported the war effort
- League formed provincial governments and entered the central government
- Jinnahs strength was his unwillingness to go away, his capacity to stick to his guns
Role during WWII

- Muslim league had to rethink its strategy

- Saw the immense pressure the British empire was under from WWII
- Wolper- The was Jinnah, the tactician at his best. This understanding carried Jinnah far in his later
negotiations with others
Independence and Partition
The Gandhi-Jinnah Talks

- Jinnahs status heightened by Gandhis recognition of him

- Simla conference- Jinnah insisted that all Muslims belonged to the League
- 1946 elections- showed that League support was growing
- 1946 cabinet Mission
- Released 2 plans
- Called for a united Indian state compromising considerable autonomous province formed on the basis of
religion

- Separation of South Asia along time religious line

- Jinnah gave assent to both- knew that power would go to the party that supported a plan
- Called for a direct action day to achieve pakistan
Evaluation: Nationalist? Communialist?

- Jinnah left a legacy as one of the most controversially portrayed figures in contemporary Asian history
- Historians Seervia and Jala-assert that Jinnah never wanted partition
- It was the outcome of the Congress leaders being unwilling to share power with the League
- That Jinnah only used Pakistan as a method to mobilize support to obtain significant political rights for
Muslims

- Not many man in history can boast of creating a nation single handedly and altering the map of the world but Jinnah
-

did so and this became a legend

Aziz- the greatest Muslim leader of the 20th century who was able to turn a dream state of Pakistan into a reality
Critics- Gandhi
- Allege that Jinnahs courting the princes of Hindu states and his gambit with Junagadh is proof of ill
intentions towards India
- Former princely state of India
- Given a choice whether or not to join Pakistan after partition
- Decided that Junagadh should be part of Pakistan even though an overwhelming majority
of the population was Hindu
- Hindus outraged that Jinnah could have accepted this despite his argument that Hindus and
Muslims could not live as one nation
- Qureshi- refers to him a the messiah. He wanted partition to be peaceful one because he believed in nonviolence and practiced and preached it -what about direct action?
Hindu nationalist perspective
- Jinnah depicted as a cunning and relentless force
- Compromised the unity of India to create Pakistan
Pakistanis view
- Revered as the founding father, a man dedicated to safeguarding Muslim interests whatever the cost
Despite any range of biases, it is almost impossible to argue that despite motive and manner, there is any figure during
the first half of the 20th century that had more influence on the formation of modern day Pakistan than Jinnah

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ESSAY 1

Describe the personal background and historical context of your personality

Mohammed Ali Jinnah (1876- 1948) was born to a middle class, Islamic family in the Karachi
district of India. The India which Jinnah lived was an India which had been largely impacted by
British imperialism. Instead of consisting of semi-independent states, the British consolidated their
control by unifying India. In doing so, they established English as the national language, which
allowed the separate cultural and ethnic groups to identify with each other. This common language
also prompted a rise in the amount of journals which propagated nationalism. The British also
attempted to educate Indians in a western fashion. However, British legislator, Richards comments
that these efforts only led to a rise in anti-British sentiments as well read Indians encountered
principles such as human rights, principles that were in contrast to the imperialism practiced by the
British.
In this zeitgeist of rising nationalism and British resentment, there was a rise in the Muslim identity
and nationalism. In 1885, a nationalist movement developed with the formation of the India
National Congress. Congress was to act as a platform to voice Indian public opinion, and claimed to
be representative of all Indians. However, many Muslim community leaders viewed Congress
negatively, owing to its predominantly Hindu membership and in 1906 established the All India
Muslim League. The principles of the League were espoused in the Green Book which included
the Leagues constitution, and stated their goal protecting Muslims rights and maintaining a positive
relationship with Britain. The Leagues president, Sir Jahn, also asked the Muslim population to
keep themselves away from Congress and he predicted that the party would be purely Hindu.
It was in this context of burgeoning community divisions and rising nationalist sentiments that
Jinnah lived and prospered. After completing his schooling at the Christian Missionary Society
High School, Jinnah was offered an apprenticeship at the London office of Grahams shipping and
trading company. After leaving the company, Jinnah became compelled to study law and became
the youngest south asian to be called to the bar in England. Whilst in London, Jinnah was inspired
by English society and their systems of law which was to have a major impact on his later life. He
was exposed to the British constitution and democratic system of government, all of which he
wished to extend to India. Jinnah was also exposed to politics by Indian politician Dadabhi Naoroji
and helped with Naorojis successful campaign for a seat in British parliament.
After being place under substantial pressure to return home when his fathers business was ruined,
Jinnah returned to India in 1896. Settling in Bombay, he became a successful lawyer, gaining
considerable fame for his skilled handling of the Caucus Case. In 1896, Jinnah also joined the
Congress. Like many fellow Congressmen, Jinnah did not favour outright independence as he
considered British influences on education, law and culture beneficial to India. As a member of
Congress, Jinnah was able to join the Imperial Legislative Council and became instrumental in
passing the Child Marriages Restraint Act. Although Jinnah was of Muslim heritage, he did not
initially join the Muslim League as he believed their platform anti-nationalist and too muslim
orientated. However, due to the decision of the British Government to annul the partition of Bengal,
the Muslim leadership decided to change its stance on British loyalty. In 1913, Jinnah entered the
League with the aim of bridging the gap between the Muslims and Hindus and rose to presidency in
1916. He architected the Lucknow Pact in hope of bringing the two parties together on major issues
and presenting a united front to the British. As a result, Jinnah was named the ambassador of
Hindu Muslim unity and the two groups began holding joint sessions.

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Outline the main features in the background and rise to prominence of the personality you have
studied.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah (1876- 1948) was born to a middle class, Islamic family in the Karachi
district of India. Growing up in the context of burgeoning community divisions and rising national
sentiments, Jinnah from a young age was confronted with the issues surrounding the occupation of
India by the British. After completing his schooling at the Christian Missionary Society High
School, Jinnah was offered an apprenticeship at the London office of Grahams shipping and trading
company. After leaving the company, Jinnah became compelled to study law and became the
youngest south asian to be called to the bar in England. Whilst in London, Jinnah was inspired by
English society and their systems of law which was to have a major impact on his later life. He was
exposed to the British constitution and democratic system of government, all of which he wished to
extend to India. Jinnah was also exposed to politics by Indian politician Dadabhi Naoroji and
helped with Naorojis successful campaign for a seat in British parliament.
After being placed under substantial pressure to return home when his fathers business was ruined,
Jinnah left for India in 1896. Settling in Bombay, he became a successful lawyer, gaining
considerable fame for his skilled handling of the Caucus Case. In 1896, Jinnah also joined the
Congress. Like many fellow Congressmen, Jinnah did not favour outright independence as he
considered British influences on education, law and culture beneficial to India. As a member of
Congress, Jinnah was able to join the Imperial Legislative Council and became instrumental in
passing the Child Marriages Restraint Act. Although Jinnah was of Muslim heritage, he did not
initially join the Muslim League as he believed their platform anti-nationalist and too muslim
orientated. However, due to the decision of the British Government to annul the partition of Bengal,
the Muslim leadership decided to change its stance on British loyalty. In 1913, Jinnah entered the
League with the aim of bridging the gap between the Muslims and Hindus and rose to presidency in
1916.
As a decisive member of both parties, Jinnah began to rise to prominence. In 1916, he architected
the Lucknow Pact in hope of bringing the two parties together on major issues and presenting a
united front to the British. As a result, Jinnah was named the ambassador of Hindu Muslim unity
and the two groups began holding joint sessions. In 1920, Jinnahs standing within the Congress
came under question. As Congress moved towards strategies for gaining independence, Congress
leader Gandhi proposed non-violence and civil-disobedience. Jinnah on the other hand, who had
learnt the importance of constitutional methods from his time in London strongly opposed Gandhis
methods in fear that they would lead to communal divisions. These differences in ideology
eventually forced Jinnah to resign from Congress.
Despite the fallout with Congress, Jinnah was determined to keep the two parties united and avoid
mass communal divisions. In 1927, Britain conducted a review of the Indian administration and
sent over the Simon Commission. The League and Congress constructed responses to this
commission but while Congress wanted joint electorates, the League pushed for separate electorates
in majority Muslim provinces. Jinnah tried to come to a compromise with his 14-point-plan but his
efforts were rejected by Congress. Historian Metcalf suggests that this was a turning point for
Jinnah as it led to his distrust of Congress, distrust which was never subsequently to be overcome.
Jinnah spent his next few years in London. However, back in India Muslim interests were being
sacrificed due to chaotic situation Jinnah had left behind. The League had fallen into the hands of
the rich landlords which allowed Congress to emerge as the leading party for Indian rights. After
being begged by prominent Muslim leaders, such as Muhammad Iqbal, Jinnah returned to India to
reorganised the League into a dynamic organisation. In doing so, he performed two vital tasks;

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activating the League as the sole representative body of the Muslims in India and stressed that
Congress would not win the battle for independence until it gained the support of all communities.
Historian Peter Hardy sums up the importance of Jinnahs return to India in his rise to prominence.
No one foresaw the transformation of the arrogant, proud, cold blooded lawyer Jinnah, into the
charismatic Muslim leader and his transformation of the League into a mass movement.
ESSAY 2

Describe the role played by the personality you have studied in national and/or international
history.
His rivals accused him of many a sin, his friends of a slight. But no one, friend or foe would ever
accuse Mohammed Ali Jinnah of a lack of willpower- Collins and Lapierre
Born 25th of December 1876, Mohammed Ali Jinnah a 20th century politician and statesman is
regarded as the father and founder of Pakistan. Jinnah is equally admired by his supporters and
opponents for his untiring efforts to unite Indian Muslims under the banner of Muslim League, his
constant endeavor to defend the Muslim culture, his visionary approach to the use of legal channels
and as a decisive figure for bringing about the end of British rule and partition of India.
Jinnahs principal role in Indian national history was the unification of Muslims for a collaborative
objective. In 1986 he joined the Indian National Congress and committed himself to politics and
bringing about independence. However in 1920 Jinnah left the party due to numerous clashes with
Gandhi, over the strategies employed by Congress such as non-violence through civil-disobedience.
Jinnahs strong leadership qualities and admiration acquired after the architecture of the Lucknow
pact allowed him to bring together Muslims from all of India.
As a committed leader of the League, Jinnah campaigned for Muslim rights and representation. In
1929 he proposed a constitutional reform plan known as the fourteen points which safeguarded the
political rights of Muslims in a self-governing India. Although the plan was rejected by Congress,
the League emerged as a competent party under new leadership. Thus Jinnahs role as an
ambassador for Hindu Muslim unity was reinforced by his grouping together of Muslims for a
common goal of a united India. In 1937, with the real possibility of an independent India, Jinnah
approached Gandhi and offered an alliance with Congress so that both parties would face the British
on a united front. Following the failure of these talks, Jinnah stated that the differences between
Hindus and Muslims are too great, the gap cannot be bridged, we must have pakistan.
After this, Jinnahs role in Indian national history would take on a different course. Instead of being
a strong advocate for Hindu Muslim unity, Jinnah became a decisive figure for the division of
people and a nation. After the 1940 Lahore conference, Pakistan was adopted as the main goal of
the party and Jinnah fought tirelessly for the partition of India. Mountbatten, last Governor General
of India states that he was a psychotic case, hell bent on his Pakistan. Historian Symonds takes a
different perspective on Jinnahs new role stating that he had worked himself to death, but had
contributed more than any other man to Pakistan's survival. Jinnahs new role in India was to
cause dire consequences for a state where the two religions of Hinduism and Islam had lived side by
side each other with little violence.
Those who are inspired by an ideal rather then self-interest make the biggest impact on history
To what extent does your study of Mohammed Ali Jinnah support this view?
From a devoted nationalist to the partition of a nation in Karachi,1947, Mohammed Ali Jinnah
changed the course of national and international history. As defined by the Oxford English
Dictionary, an ideal as an ultimate object or aim of endeavor of high or nobel characters. This
notion of idealism inspired Jinnah of a united India free from British rule. Jinnah took on the role of
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politician, innovator and leader in order to achieve this goal not only for himself, but for Muslims
all across India. From an in depth study of the personality of Jinnah, it is conclusive that those who
are inspired by an ideal rather then self-interest make the biggest impact on history.
1890, a young Jinnah at the gates of Lincons inn. Although his education had been relatively
narrow he remained captivated by his one great passion, the law. After returning to India, Jinnah
was inspired by the ideal of Hindu Muslim unity. He joined the Indian National Congress in 1986
and gave several speeches in hope of awakening India to the virtues of unity including its role in an
independent state. But with the coming of Mahatma Gandhi in 1919, everything changed. Jinnahs
ideal of unity was tested with the introduction of the the Rowlatt Bills. Historian McPherson asserts
that Jinnah was bitterly offended by the Bills which he regarded as against all the proclaimed
standards has British law and justice. As a strong advocate for British law systems Jinnah was now
placed in a position of doubt. Caught between two viewpoints he was angered by the anticonstitutional activity of the British whilst at the same time he could not accept the rejection of the
reform proposals which were coming from Congress. Jinnahs final break from Congress came at
Calcutta in 1928. Party member Nehru presented his own set on constitutional reform which
completely reject Muslim demands for separate electorates. Jinnah rejected Nehrus proposal and
was howled down by the Congress delegates. His inspirational ideal of Hindu Muslim unity now
shattered and subsequent distrust in Congress led Jinnah to withdraw from public life and relocation
to London.
Although Jinnah had split from Congress he was not yet ready to abandon his drive and passionate
ideal of Hindu Muslim unity. In 1936 the Muslim League held a special session in Bombay to
discuss the newly formed Government of India Act. This session was dominated by Jinnah who
proclaimed his nationalist sentiments and criticised the act as falling short of complete
independence. To underline his sense of nationalism he announced the formation of central and
provincial Muslim parliamentary board to nominate Muslim candidates for the 1937 elections. Such
candidates would co-operate with any groups, Muslim and non-Muslim. Jinnah was still offering an
olive branch of peace. After the 1937 elections Jinnah approached Gandhi and offered an alliance
with Congress. Historians Metcalf and Metcalf state that the failure of these talks led to Jinnahs
ultimate distrust of Congress and loss of ideal. His aim was to make the Muslim League the
undisputed party of all Indias Muslim and himself their sole spokesman. Jinnah was finally ready
to accept his defeat and move forward with his new goal of Muslim unity and representation. By the
early 1940s, Jinnah was moving fast with the concept of separatism. His new inspiration for the
need for separate states had placed him as the frontier for Muslim rights in India. Although Jinnahs
ultimate goal had changed notably he still was stimulated by the needs of the community rather then
his own self-interest. The Direct Action Day 1946 demonstrated Jinnahs decisive change in heart
and new ideal of an independent nation for Muslims in the form of Pakistan.
In the thirty years from Lucknow to Karachi, Mohammed Ali Jinnah had changed from a devoted
secular nationalist to the supreme communalist who destroyed the unity of India. His life was full of
ironies but perhaps the greatest of all was the the very concepts of legalism and fair play which
promoted Jinnah in 1916 still flourished within him during the 1940s. Although not as ambitious as
figures such as Gandhi, his love for his country and its people and the inspiration of a united,
independent India motivated Jinnah to not only unite a scattered religion but partition and shape a
new nation. This was the biggest impact on history.
Events shape people more than people shape events
How accurate is this statement in relation to Mohammed Ali Jinnah?

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If a historian was to look at the events of the early 1900s, he or she would conclude that events that
took place including Gandhis policy of civil-disobedience, and the failure of talks post 1937
election shaped Jinnah and his ever changing policies towards Hindu Muslim unity. In stark
contrast, surveying the events of the 1940s would lead an historian to deduce that the actions taken
personally by Jinnah such as Jinnahs definitive personality during the Gandhi talks and the Direct
Action Day shaped the course of Indian history. With the creation of Pakistan, Jinnah not only
altered national history but transformed international history for years to come.
In March 1919, the British responded to mounting nationalist agitation by introducing the Rowlatt
Bills. Historian McPherson asserts that Jinnah was ofutraged by these bills and states Jinnahs first
move was to quietly withdraw from active participation in the Home Rule League and then to wait.
Whilst waiting, Jinnah saw the nationalist movement take a new direction which was to shape
Jinnahs attitude in years to come. A major turning event for Jinnah was the annual Congress
session in Nagpur where he denounced Gandhis program and spoke in favour of constitutionalism.
As Jinnahs warnings of the involvement of the masses had been ignored he had been pushed to the
limit of his patience with Congress. Historian Symonds states that he also viewed the involvement
of the poor, ill educated masses of the Khilafat movement with great distaste. After the Congress
session, Jinnah and a host of other moderates abandoned Congress and the ranks of the three
political organisations. As the disheartened Jinnah left for London, his clashes with Congress and
following distrust of Hindu leaders led to considerable resentment and questioning of his previous
commitment to Hindu Muslim unity.
The failure of the talks post 1937 elections was the second major event to shape Jinnahs goals and
perspectives. During his exile in Britain the leadership of the League was taken over by Sir
Mohammed Iqbal. Unlike the ambassador for Hindu Muslim unity, Iqbal had radical ideas about the
creation of a Homeland for Muslims in the form of Pakistan. But, when a group of students
proposed this new idea to Jinnah he was greatly angered as he claimed the British brought Hindu
Muslim unity to India and the League was trying to destroy it. Historian Akbar Ahmed suggests that
this event proves that although Jinnahs trust in Congress had been tested, Jinnah had not yet lost
faith in the possibility of a united India. The 1937 elections proved to the the final straw for Jinnah
and the ever expanding advent of communalism. Congresss claim to be the only representative
nationalist party in the country and refusal to allow solely Muslim lead provinces left Jinnah feeling
felt alienated led him to become a determined opponent of Congress and its policies. This event
propelled him to believe that Hindu Muslim unity could not be achieved due to the stubborn and
uncompromising nature of Congress.
By the late 1930s Jinnah was fast moving towards a concept of separatism. As Jinnah had been
guided down a new path of Muslim unity by the events of the early 1900s, he was now ready to
shape his own future and the fate of Muslims living in India. Throughout 1946, the newly elected
British Labour government headed by Attlee attempted to weave its way through the maze of Indian
politics but was constantly thwarted by the suboreneess of the League and Congress. Elections for a
constituent Assembly were called and the League won 76 of the 79 Muslim seats but Congress still
held a majority. Exasperated, Jinnah withdrew from all negotiations and decided on an exhibition of
Muslim strength. August 16th 1946 Jinnah declared a Direct Action Day and set off a series of
communal riots which claimed tens of thousands of lives. We do not want war, if you want war we
accept your offer unhesitatingly. We shall have India divided or we shall have India destroyed.
This event clearly demonstrates Jinnahs leadership role and willingness to act upon and shape the
course of Indias history.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah was a man who not only shaped Indias history but was shaped by it. With
the title Ambassador for Hindu Muslim unity, Jinnah set out to marry the two conflicting nations
under a united India. It was only when he met opposition from Congress on fundamental ideals that
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he began to campaign for a separate state for Muslims. In the words of Jinnah, Think 100 times
before you take a decision, but once that decision is taken, stand by its as one man.
ESSAY 3
"Originally Jinnah supported the creation of a united India but gradually came to believe that a
separate Muslim state was a necessity." In light of this statement, explain why Jinnah changed his
political views.
In examining Jinnahs conversion from the ambassador for Hindu-Muslim unity to the
figurehead for a separate Muslim state, there was no definitive turning point. Rather, there
was an emergence of altered beliefs accompanying contributing events which cause
Jinnahs different belief structure.
Pre-1919, Jinnah was the advocate for religious unity as the basis for purna swaraj,
however he had always acknowledged that the Muslim minority was at a disadvantage. He
was part of the Viceroys Executive Council and thereby was able to use his position to
further the Muslim cause for equal rights, however resigned this position of power soon
after the Amritsar massacre of 1919.
There had, indeed, been an All-India Muslim League which intended to protect the rights of
the minority, however in reality, this League were neither well-known nor an effective
political force. Jinnahs return in 1924 to revitalise the League meant that not only did the
League begin to function well as a political force, but it became the main rival to the Indian
Congress in Indian national politics.
Apart from the Rowlatt Acts, another direct result of British imperialism post-WW2
was the Khilafat issue. By removing the sacred Turkish Khalif from power, he was no
longer able to protect the three holiest of Muslim places, Mecca, Edina and Jerusalem.
This angered Muslims all around the world, not least of all in India where this British
tyranny had been witnessed for years.
This was clearly one event which highlighted the intense cultural difficulties between
Muslims and Hindis. Although united by a common hatred for the British during this time,
the cultural and religious differences were sufficient to pave the way for later communal
conflict. At first, the Non-Cooperation Movement, fuelled by Gandhi, united the Muslim
Khilafat issue and the Hindus affected by the Rowlatt Acts, to become an effective
motivator for change. However, the collapse of the Khilafat movement when Ataturk made
Turkey a republic meant that Muslims were now lacking a cause to fight against the British
Raj.
The pent up frustration that followed led to communal rioting, an enormous setback to the
goals of religious unity. At this point, there was little positive spirit and direction in the
League and consequently, they were unable to focus on the Independence Movement. In
an effort to heal the rift between Hindus and Muslims, Jinnah formulated the Delhi-Muslim
Proposals, were essentially stated what Muslims hoped to gain in the new constitution.
The Congress had produced the Nehru Report in response to the Simon Commission,
which neglected to mention these proposal, and inevitably cause increased communal
tensions. Thus it soon became clear to Jinnah that religious unity was merely a dream and
the reality was the ugliness of communalism.
By 1930, Hindu-Muslim unity appeared all but dead, and although having lost faith in
politics for a short while, Jinnah bounced back with the 14 Points, a direct response to the

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biased Nehru Report, again, with little success. It seemed that the majority of Hindus in the
Congress wanted nothing to do with Jinnahs constant push for Muslim equality.
A decisive turning point into Jinnahs belief system was when Iqbal called for the
establishment of an autonomous Islamic state in 1930, namely, Pakistan.
The growing Hindu nationalism turned into vicious communalism between feuding
neighbour towns with the Communal Award of 1932, which granted reserved seats for
Muslims. Riots broke out overnight, led by the mortified Hindu population and Jinnahs
dream of a unified India came to an abrupt end. Since he had always supported Muslim
rights, he thenceforth became a dedicated advocate for a separate Pakistan, which
although not the ideal solution, seemed the only feasible one.
1935 saw the return of Jinnah from London to take hold of the Muslim League once more
and the spread the emancipation movement for the Muslims. Communalism itself revived
in 1937 after the Hindu success in the provincial elections. The elections of 1937 saw the
Hindu majority beat the Muslim minority staggeringly, (no surprise there) but the chain
reaction of these elections is perhaps the more interesting historical fact. After the Hindu
success, as Jinnah saw it, Muslims were effectively placed under Hindu power in the
provinces, Hindu dictatorship taking over, with the Hindu national flag flying for buildings,
children being made to salute Gandhi and they national language, Hindi, being taught
everywhere. These politically oppressive techniques infuriated the Muslim population, as
their religious customs and culture were not recognized and thus as a result, they were
ostracised by the empowered Hindus.
It was the effect of the 1937 elections that helped Jinnah see that Hindu-Muslim unity was
a futile attempt, and this served to fuel his attempts at spreading the Muslim Indian
nationalism, or the nationalism for a new Pakistan. "Originally Jinnah supported the creation
of a united India but gradually came to believe that a separate Muslim state was a necessity."

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