Critically Assess Jinnah's view that India was made of two nations.

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Critically Assess Jinnah's claim that India was made of two-nations

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who is seen as the founder of Pakistan was earlier in his career an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim politics and member of the Indian National Congress in the 1920's.1 However, in 1934, after a period of exile, he radically shifted his ideas, became leader of the Muslim League and pushed the demand for Muslim Separatism.2 In March 1940 he put forward the two-nation theory that was used as a basis for his demand for Pakistan and the creation of a separate Muslim state within India.3 He believed that India was made of two nations, those of Hindus and Muslims. The Muslims formed a minority group in India, and he believed that they deserved a separate state that would satisfy their needs. However, whether this two-nation theory was valid and successfully put into practice is controversial. In order to fully assess Jinnah's claim for a separate state, an examination of the background leading up to the two-nation theory and the 1930's and 1940's in India is required.

This idea that India was made up of two nations was not something new. Its roots lie in the late