How did the relative economic backwardness of the Muslims foster communal feelings in India?

The communal and separatist trend of thinking grew among the Muslims to some extent because of their relative backwardness in education, trade and industry.

1. The upper class Muslims were conservative and hostile to modern education. Because of this, the number of Muslims educated in western system of education remained small.
2. The British government in India had consciously discriminated against the Muslims after 1858, holding them responsible for the uprising of 1857. They were discriminated in the recruitment to civil and military services.
3. The Muslim community was not much involved in the growth of any organised industry. Here too they lagged behind.
4. Some members of the Muslim community did not keep up with the modern trends in social and cultural spheres. Many Hindus, on the other hand, adopted the Western system of education. Since modern education was essential for entry into government service, the Muslims had the disadvantage in this respect.

In these circumstances, it was quite easy for the British officials to incite the Muslims against the Hindus.