Antagonism can be defined as active hostility or opposition. India has a long tradition of religious tension. One of the most significant sustained religious conflicts has been between the Hindus and Muslims. This essay will focus on the causes of the Hindu-Muslim antagonism, and will at same time assess the quote of Sir S.A Khan.
1. Divide n rule / religion
The ‘divide and rule’ policy was used by the British, as a mechanism to maintain imperial rule, which gave rise to communalism in the Indian society. The policy identifies pre-existing ethno-religious divisions in society and then manipulates them in order to prevent the subject peoples to unify and challenge the rulers. Through this policy, they were also able to simply create further division among the two main components of the Indian society. Many Historians said that the British adopted this strategy to strengthen the Raj.
The divide and rule thesis is a plausible method to explain rising communal antagonism. There were several factors that encouraged communal antagonism in colonial India. The British administration’s policy of course was one of them. The policy treats the masses as gullible agents. People
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But, tension and clashes do not mean antagonism. The British indeed took advantage of the fissures that were already present in the Indian society and attempted to create antagonism. During the British colonial rule, religion was never the only reason for the communal issues in India or the tensions between Hindus and Muslims, but also, favouritism and communal elections and economic status, which were in a way or another aggravated by the British. We can say that there is indeed some truth in what Sir S.A Khan said. Hindus and Muslims could not sit on the same throne at that time but they would the least want the British to sit on the throne and rule over