Q. Which among the following was the most immediate factor for the spread of Swadeshi and boycott of foreign goods during the first decade of the last century?
(a) Curzon’s design to curtail the sphere of local selfgovernment
(b) Curzon’s attempt to control the universities
(c) Curzon’s partition of Bengal
(d) Curzon’s plan to curb the growing popularity of the Indian National Congress
Ans: (c) Curzon’s partition of Bengal
Explanation: The correct answer is (c) Curzon’s partition of Bengal.
The most immediate factor for the spread of Swadeshi (indigenous) and the boycott of foreign goods during the first decade of the last century (early 1900s) was Curzon’s partition of Bengal. Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, implemented the partition of Bengal in 1905.
Curzon’s partition of Bengal involved dividing the Bengal province into two separate administrative entities, Bengal and Eastern Bengal and Assam. The partition was met with widespread opposition and protests from the Indian Nationalist Movement.
The partition was seen as a deliberate attempt to weaken the growing unity and nationalist sentiments among the people of Bengal. It was believed to have been done with the intention of creating a communal divide between Hindus and Muslims, as the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam had a Muslim majority.
In response to the partition, the Indian Nationalist Movement, led by leaders such as Surendranath Banerjee and Rabindranath Tagore, called for the Swadeshi Movement and boycott of British goods. This movement aimed to promote the use of Indian-made products and boycott British goods as a means of expressing Indian nationalism and resistance against the British government’s policies.
Therefore, Curzon’s partition of Bengal was the most immediate factor that sparked the spread of Swadeshi and boycott of foreign goods during the first decade of the last century.
