Establishment
Minto succeeded in his policy of persuading a significant section of Muslims not to join the Congress, the background of which had already been created by the Aligarh Movement and the "Command Performance and Demands" of the Shimla Delegation.
Thus another step in the direction of national integration was stopped. Immediately after meeting the Viceroy, the members of the Shimla delegation consulted among themselves to draw up their separate program. The Aga Khan wrote in his memoirs, "The only hope for them was to embark on the path of independent political recognition and activity and to obtain acceptance within the nation from the British Government."
As a result, when the Mohammedan Educational Conference met in December 1906, Nawab Salimullah invited the Muslim leaders to Dhaka. Their meeting was presided over by Waqarul Mulk, who gave a speech in Urdu and justified the formation of a separate organization of Muslims. He said :
"Unless the Muslim majority, which has fallen from its once lofty position, resolves to support each other and to walk in unison of loyalty to the Government of India, there remains the danger that Hindus will flood drown him."
The proposal for the creation of a new organization was put forward by Salimullah and approved by Hakim Ajmal Khan. It was named All India Muslim League.
Objective of Muslim League
The All India Muslim League was formally inaugurated on December 30, 1906. And its objectives were explained in this way: -
(i) To encourage the feeling of loyalty to the British government among the Indian Muslims and to remove any misconceptions about the government, if any.
(ii) To protect the political and other rights of the Indian Muslims and to place their aspirations and needs before the government in dignified terms.
(iii) Keeping in view the objectives (i) and (ii) to promote harmony between Muslims and other Indian communities as far as possible.
So thus we see that from the very beginning the league was a communal organization whose object was only to protect the political and other interests of the Muslims. Its form remained till 1947 with some changes.
The real political objectives of the League become clear from a speech delivered by Nawab Waqar-ul-Mulk at Aligarh. He had said: “God forbid, if the British rule ends in India, Hindus will rule over us and our lives, property and religion will be in danger. There is only one way to save the Muslims from this danger, that is, they should help in maintaining the British Raj. If the Muslims would whole heartedly side with the British, their kingdom would be here completely. The Muslims should think of themselves as the English army ready to shed their blood and lay down their lives for the British Crown."
Reaction to the Establishment of the League
British
There were mixed reactions to the founding of the league. The pro-British newspapers were by and large sympathetic to an organization that had been "built on the safe and sound rock of loyalty to the British Raj". The 'Englishman' hoped that "this institution will prove to be an effective alternative to the Congress". The 'Times' described it as a counterbalancing body of the Congress but expressed doubt that the League would be able to follow the path of peace.
Nationalist
Indian nationalist newspapers took this incident in Muslim politics lightly and understood it as another ploy of imperial diplomacy. The League was seen as yet another weak structure of ex-officers, pensioners and government favor seekers that was about to collapse.
Hindu nationalists were not the only ones to downplay the prospects of the League and its support from the government. Freedom-loving anti-British Ulemas also made similar wrong assumptions. Shibli Nomani, a leading scholar of his time and founder of an academy and institution in Azamgarh, who had been an associate of Syed Ahmad Khan in Aligarh in his early life, was confused by the declaration of complete loyalty of the League members and Doubting his sincerity, he criticized him in the following words:
"आज़ादीए ख्याल पे तुमको है गरूर,
तो लीग को भी शाने गुलामी पे नाज है।
मुख्तसर उसके फजायल कोई पूछे तो ये हैं ,
मुहसिने कौम भी है खादिमें हुक्काम भी है।"
In any case, this assessment of the nationalists certainly lacked the understanding and insight of political reality, it also hurt the sentiments of the influential group of Muslims who were supported by the government.
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