O Level Pakistan Studies: The Emergence of Pakistan, 1906–47 (Cambridge 2059)

Section 2 of Cambridge O Level Pakistan Studies 2059 Paper 1, The Emergence of Pakistan 1906–47, asks how the demand for a separate Muslim state grew from the founding of the All-India Muslim League to independence. It is built from Key Questions 6 to 10, each with focus points that examiners turn into 4-, 7- and 14-mark questions. This guide works through every focus point and gives an argument plan for the kind of 14-mark judgement question each one produces.

Syllabus coverage

CAMBRIDGE O LEVEL PAKISTAN STUDIES (2059), 2026 — PAPER 1, SECTION 2

Key Question	Focus points (from the syllabus)
6. How far did the Pakistan Movement develop in the early 20th century?	Aims and origins of the Muslim League; British rule and constitutional reform 1909–19; changing Muslim–Hindu relations 1916–27
7. How successful was the Khilafat Movement?	Origins, aims and features; why it failed
8. How successful was the Pakistan Movement 1927–39?	Why Jinnah produced his 14 Points; success of the Round Table Conferences; importance of the 1935 Act; why Congress rule 1937–39 was unpopular with Muslims
9. How successful were attempts to find solutions 1940–47?	Wartime meetings on the future of the subcontinent; how League success in the 1945–46 elections changed British policy
10. How important were Jinnah, Allama Iqbal and Rahmat Ali?	Their contribution to the Pakistan Movement to 1947

The specified content covers the Partition of Bengal, Simla Deputation, Morley–Minto Reforms, Lucknow Pact, Rowlatt Act and Amritsar, Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms, Delhi Proposals, Khilafat and Hijrat, Simon Commission, Nehru Report, 14 Points, Allahabad address, Round Table Conferences, Communal Award, Rahmat Ali’s 1933 pamphlet, 1935 Act, 1937 elections, Day of Deliverance, Pakistan Resolution, Cripps Mission, Quit India, Gandhi–Jinnah talks, Simla Conference, 1945–46 elections, Cabinet Mission, Direct Action Day, 3 June Plan, Radcliffe Award and the Indian Independence Act.

What is the paper structure?

Paper 1 lasts 1 hour 30 minutes. Section A is a compulsory source-based question; in Section B you answer two questions from four, each with a 4-mark knowledge part, a 7-mark explanation part and a 14-mark evaluation essay. In the 14-mark part, explain at least three factors, including the one named in the question, and finish with a reasoned judgement.

Focus point: why was the Muslim League founded in 1906?

Origins. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s earlier advice that Muslims stay out of Congress, Hindu agitation against the 1905 Partition of Bengal, and the success of the Simla Deputation (1 October 1906), when the Aga Khan’s delegation asked Lord Minto for separate electorates, led Muslim leaders meeting at Dhaka in December 1906 to found the League. Aims. Protect Muslim political rights, encourage loyalty to the British, and promote good relations with other communities.

Essay plan — “The reversal of the Partition of Bengal was the main reason the League was formed. Do you agree?” Bengal (Hindu opposition showed Muslims needed organised representation) versus the need for separate electorates before the coming reforms, and Congress’s perceived Hindu character. Judgement: Bengal was the trigger, but the deeper cause was the need to protect Muslim interests as elected councils expanded.

Focus point: how successful was British reform, 1909–19?

The Morley–Minto Reforms (1909) enlarged legislative councils and granted separate electorates, a clear gain for Muslims. The Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms (1919) introduced dyarchy, sharing provincial power between British officials and elected ministers, but kept real power with the British. The Rowlatt Act and the Amritsar Massacre (April 1919) destroyed much Indian trust. Judgement: reforms gave Indians limited experience of government, but repression made them seem insincere.

Focus point: how did Muslim–Hindu relations change, 1916–27?

High point: the Lucknow Pact (1916), negotiated with Jinnah’s help, in which Congress accepted separate electorates. Co-operation continued through the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation campaigns. After 1922, relations broke down through communal riots, Hindu revival movements (shuddhi and sangathan) and Muslim tabligh and tanzim responses. The Delhi Proposals (1927) were a final Muslim offer to accept joint electorates in exchange for safeguards.

Focus point: why did the Khilafat Movement fail?

Muslims wanted the Ottoman caliph to keep control of the holy places after Turkey’s defeat in the First World War. Led by Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar and Maulana Shaukat Ali, the movement sent delegations to Britain, which were rejected, and joined forces with Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement. The Hijrat (1920) to Afghanistan ended in hardship when Afghanistan closed its border. Failure followed when Gandhi suspended Non-Cooperation after Chauri Chaura (1922), when the Moplah uprising soured relations, and when Turkey abolished the caliphate in 1924.

Essay plan — “The abolition of the caliphate by Turkey was the main reason the Khilafat Movement failed.” Compare with Gandhi’s withdrawal and the Hijrat disaster. Many answers argue that Turkey’s decision ended the cause itself, while Gandhi’s withdrawal had already broken the movement’s strength.

Focus point: why did Jinnah produce his 14 Points in 1929?

The Simon Commission had no Indian members, so Indians were asked to draft their own proposals. The Nehru Report (1928) rejected separate electorates and the one-third Muslim share of central seats, and proposed a strong centre. Jinnah’s amendments were rejected at the All-Parties Convention, so in March 1929 he set out 14 Points, including a federal system with residual powers for provinces, separate electorates, one-third Muslim representation in the central legislature, and protection of Muslim culture, religion and personal law.

Focus point: how successful were the Round Table Conferences?

The first (1930) was boycotted by Congress; at the second (1931) Gandhi claimed to represent all Indians and no agreement on minorities was reached; the third (1932) was small and achieved little. The British then issued the Communal Award (1932), which kept separate electorates. Judgement: the conferences failed to produce agreement, but their work fed into the Government of India Act (1935).

Focus point: why was Congress rule (1937–39) unpopular with Muslims?

After winning the 1937 elections, Congress formed ministries in most provinces and refused to share power with the League in the United Provinces. Muslims objected to the anthem Bande Mataram, the Wardha and Vidya Mandir schemes in education, the promotion of Hindi, and reported discrimination in jobs. The League’s investigations, such as the Pirpur Report, publicised these complaints. When Congress ministries resigned in 1939, the League celebrated a Day of Deliverance.

Focus point: how successful were the wartime meetings, 1940–45?

After the Pakistan Resolution (23 March 1940), the British held talks to secure Indian support in the war. The Cripps Mission (1942) offered post-war dominion status with a provincial opt-out, rejected by both parties. Congress’s Quit India campaign led to the arrest of its leaders, giving the League room to grow. The Gandhi–Jinnah talks (1944) and Simla Conference (1945) failed. Judgement: the meetings did not solve the problem, but each failure strengthened the League’s position.

Focus point: how did the 1945–46 elections change British policy?

The League won every Muslim seat in the central assembly and most Muslim seats in the provinces. Britain could no longer treat the League as one party among many. The Cabinet Mission (1946) tried to keep India united through a three-tier federation with groups of provinces; it broke down when the League withdrew its acceptance. After the violence that followed Direct Action Day (16 August 1946), Mountbatten’s 3 June Plan accepted partition, enacted by the Indian Independence Act (July 1947), with boundaries drawn by the Radcliffe Commission.

Focus point: how important were Jinnah, Iqbal and Rahmat Ali?

Essay plan — “Jinnah was the most important contributor to the success of the Pakistan Movement.” Jinnah: reorganised the League after 1934, the 14 Points, the 1940 Resolution, leadership in the 1945–46 elections and negotiations of 1946–47. Iqbal: the idea of a Muslim homeland in 1930 and letters urging Jinnah to lead. Rahmat Ali: the name “Pakistan” and the 1933 pamphlet, but little political influence. Judgement: Iqbal and Rahmat Ali shaped the idea; Jinnah made it a political reality.

Frequently asked questions

How many factors should a 14-mark answer explain? At least three, including the factor in the question, each supported by accurate detail, followed by a judgement.

What is the difference between the Delhi Proposals and the 14 Points? The Delhi Proposals (1927) offered to give up separate electorates in exchange for safeguards; the 14 Points (1929), written after the Nehru Report, insisted on separate electorates and a federal system.

What is a source-based question? Section A gives a written or picture source; you must use and interpret it, not just describe it, alongside your own knowledge.

Related pages

• Emergence of Pakistan revision notes
• Paper 1 overview study guide
• Nationhood, 1947–99 study guide

Source: Cambridge International, Cambridge O Level Pakistan Studies 2059 syllabus for examination in 2026, Version 1, Paper 1 Section 2.