Briefly describe the main factors responsible for the foundation of the Muslim League, with reference to :

(a) British Policy of 'Divide and Rule'.

(b) Rise of Assertive/Radical Nationalism.

(c) Efforts of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

(a) After the uprising of 1857, the British treated the Muslims with suspicion. They followed the policy of 'Divide and Rule' to prevent the unification of the different classes of Indian society.

1. They presented the Muslim rulers as plunderers and tyrannical bigots to create hatred for them among the Hindus. Similarly, they painted several Hindu rulers as cruel to their Muslim subjects.
2. In 1905, they tried to justify the partition of Bengal by telling the Muslims that Bengal was being partitioned to create a new Muslim majority province where the Hindus would not be able to subvert their interests.
3. The foundation of the Muslim League in 1906 was an attempt to drive a wedge between the two communities. As a result, the Muslims began to support the partition of Bengal and called the Swadeshi Movement a mere hoax.
4. The Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909 introduced the principle of communal representation in the legislatures.

(b) The Radical nationalists gave great impetus to the National Movement but some of their actions led to the growth of communalism.

1. Tilak organised Shivaji and Ganapati festivals.
2. Aurobindo Ghosh considered India as mother and nationalism as religion. There was a certain tinge of religion in the political work and ideas of the radical nationalists.

As a result, a large number of educated Muslims remained aloof or turned hostile to the National Movement.

(c) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan played a crucial role in the foundation of the Muslim League. He believed that the interests of Muslims were different from those of Hindus, and he feared that the growing political consciousness among Indians, especially the rise of the Indian National Congress, might harm the interests of the Muslim community.

1. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan advised the Muslims to receive western education.
2. He founded the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College at Aligarh in 1875 to spread education among the Muslims.
3. He advised the Muslims to remain away from the Hindus, the Congress and the National Movement, and to support the British Rule in India and receive Western education.

Thus, Sir Syed significantly contributed to the separation of Muslim political interests from the national mainstream, ultimately leading to the formation of the All India Muslim League.