Political reforms introduced by the British in India had instilled in Muslims a feeling that they would

never get power to govern their lives and that they will become a permanent minority in a democratic
system. This feeling was not unjustified or irrational at all because Muslims constituted only one-fourth
of the total Indian population a big chunk of which consisted of Hindus. Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali
Jinnah, being the leader of the Muslims, not only identified the problems, but also worked hard, both
physically and mentally, to find a viable answer to their dilemma.

Background
At the historic Allahabad session of All India Muslims League in 1930, the poet-philosopher Allama
Muhammad Iqbal presented an idea that Islam has its own social and economic system and in order
to implement it, a political entity was required. Iqbal also tried to convince Jinnah that “the
enforcement and development of the Shariat is impossible in this country without a free Muslim State
or States” and that it was “… the only way to solve the problem of bread for Muslims as well as to
secure a peaceful India.” He also suggested, “In these circumstances, it is obvious that the only way
to a peaceful India is a redistribution of the country on the lines of racial, religious and linguistic
affinities.” It seems as if Jinnah was convinced by Iqbal’s idea but being a realist himself and also as
advised by Iqbal, he was not ready to announce the new plan until he was confident that the vast
majority of the Muslims were behind the Muslim League.

Rationale  
The first practical step that evinced the change of attitude in the Muslim League leadership was a
four-day conference of the Sind Provincial Muslim League, held at Karachi from October 8 to October
11, 1938. In his presidential address, Quaid-i-Azam gave reference of the breaking of Czechoslovakia
and hinted that the fate of India might not be different as the Muslims of the land would never forgo
‘their national entity.’ A resolution was passed at the end of the conference wherein the leaders
demanded the division of India into two dominions as only doing so was “in the interests of an abiding
peace of the vast Indian continent and … of unhampered cultural development, the economic and
social betterment and political self-determination of the two nations”. Thenceforth the idea of the
partitioning India was discussed by Muslim League members on different official and unofficial forums.

Public Support for Jinnah

An overwhelming response to the call for celebrating the Day of Deliverance on December 22, 1939
was actually a vote of confidence in the leadership of Jinnah. From then onwards, Jinnah always
negated the idea of a United India. For instance, in an interview with Sir Percival Griffith, Jinnah said,
“You talk of the unity of India, but you ought to know that it is a chimera, existing nowhere except in
your minds and in the external unity which you wisely forced on the country. You go on to talk of
parliamentary democracy and you fail to realize that the assumptions on which it depends have no
application at all to Indian conditions.”
In addition, in his article in Time and Tide, Jinnah wrote: [T]he members of the British Parliament, in
spite of the experience of the past had not learnt that their form of Government is totally unsuited to
India.” He concluded that “… a constitution must be evolved that recognizes that there are in India two
nations, who must both share the governance of their common motherland.”

The Lahore Session of AIML

The 27th annual session of the Muslim League, in which the party was all set to change its goal, was
originally scheduled for December 28-30, 1939. But later, Lahore was chosen as the venue and
Sikandar Hayat as well as the Punjab chapter of the party was assigned the task to organize the
meeting as early as possible. Hence it was decided that the meeting should be held from March 22 to
March 24, 1940. After a gap of fifteen months from the 26th annual session of the party, that was held
at Patna, a huge stage was set up at Minto Park Lahore on March 22, 1940. Muslim League workers
and general masses had started coming to the venue ever since morning. The most significant feature
of the session was the appearance of a huge number of Muslim women in a public meeting,
something which was unheard off till that time. It was reported that it was the largest-ever gathering of
Muslim League workers as more than one hundred thousand Muslims participated in this future-
changing meeting.
The session started with the recitation from the Holy Quran. Then a couple of selected poems
including one by Mian Bashir Ahmad, ‘Millat ka pasban hai Mohammad Ali Jinnah’ were recited. This
was followed by the welcome address in Urdu presented by the Nawab of Mamdot. Next was Jinnah’s
turn. He was zealously welcomed by the spectators, when he reached the dais. He started his speech
in Urdu but soon he switched to English by saying that the ‘world is watching us, so let me have your
permission to have my say in English’. Quite interestingly, the audience could not understand English,
yet they not only listened to his long speech but that too with enthusiasm. According to The Times of
India, “Such was the dominance of the personality that, despite the improbability of more than a
fraction of his audience understanding English, he held his hearers and played with palpable effect on
their emotions.”

What the Quaid said?

During his speech, Quaid-i-Azam demanded:
“[A]s soon as circumstances permit, or immediately after the war at the latest, the whole problem of
India’s constitution must be examined de novo, and the Act of 1935 must go one for all.”
He opposed Gandhi’s demand that Indian would made their own constitution after the elections held
on the basis of adult franchise and if minorities would have some issues, an impartial tribunal of the
highest character should decide the dispute. Quaid-i-Azam wrapped up by declaring:
“If the British Government are really in earnest and sincere to secure the peace and happiness of the
people of this Sub-continent, the only course open to us all is to allow the major nations separate
homelands, by dividing India into autonomous national States.”

Resolution
The second session of the meeting commenced on Saturday, March 23, 1940. And, the most
prominent feature of this session was the presentation of the Lahore Resolution which was presented
by ‘Sher-i-Bengal’ Maulvi A.K. Fazlul Haq.
While presenting the resolution, he said that what Muslims wanted was ‘not merely a tinkering with the
idea of federation but its thorough overhauling so that the federation may ultimately go’. He added that
the ‘idea of federation must not only be postponed, but abandoned altogether’. This was followed by
the speeches delivered by leaders representing different provinces, all of them echoing what their
leader, Jinnah, said a day earlier. Choudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman supported the resolution from UP,
Maulana Zafar Ali Khan from Punjab, Sardar Aurangzeb Khan on behalf of NWFP Muslim League and
Sir Abdullah Haroon supported it from Sindh.

Analysis
The Lahore Resolution consisted of five paragraphs and interestingly each paragraph consisted of
only one sentence. It embodied five main points which are elaborated as under:
(i) The All India Muslim League emphatically reiterated that the scheme of Federation embodied in the
Government of India Act 1935, was totally unsuited to, and unworkable in, the peculiar conditions of
India. To be more precise, the scheme was altogether unacceptable to the Muslims of India.
(ii) As the then Viceroy declared on 18th October 1939 that the British Government intended to
reconsider the policy and plan on which the Government of India Act 1935 was based, in consultation
with Indian parties, therefore the Lahore Resolution touched upon this issue as well. It was reiterated
that Muslims of India will not be satisfied unless the whole constitutional plan is reconsidered. They
further resolved that no revised plan would be acceptable to the Muslims unless that was framed with
their approval and consent.
(iii) The Muslim League resolved that no constitutional plan would be workable in India or acceptable
to the Muslims unless it was designated on the basic principle “That geographically contiguous units
are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted with such territorial readjustments as may
be necessary and that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority as in the North-
Western and Eastern zones of India, should be grouped to constitute ‘Independent States’ in which
the constituent units were to be autonomous and sovereign.”
(iv) The Lahore Resolution asked for adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards in the future
constitution for minorities. The safeguards were aimed at protection of religious, cultural, economic,
political, administrative and other rights of minorities. The Muslim League wished that these
safeguards should be available to the non-Muslim minorities living in the North-Western and Eastern
Muslim zones and other parts of India where Muslims were in a minority.
(v) The Lahore session of the All India Muslim League authorized its Working Committee to frame a
scheme of constitution in accordance with the basic principles given in the resolution. The scheme of
constitution was expected to provide for the assumption of all powers such as defense, external
affairs, communications and customs by the respective regions.
Importance
The passing of the resolution marked the transformation of the Muslim minority in British India into a
nation with its distinguishing socio-cultural and political features, a sense of history and shared
aspirations for the future within a territory. The Resolution employs modern political discourse for
putting forward its demand rather than using a religious idiom for creating a religious-Islamic state for
protection of Islam from the onslaught of other religions of India.
It made worldly demand keeping in view the peculiar problems of the Muslims of British India, the
political experience of the Muslim community and the prevailing debate about the ways to protect
Muslim identity, rights and interests against the backdrop of the modern state system established by
the British in India.

Conclusion
The Resolution addressed the Muslim question in the political and constitutional context of British
India and pointed out to the course of action the Muslim League intended to adopt to secure the
Muslim identity, rights and interests.
The Resolution thus offered a new course of action for the Muslims of British India as compared to the
Muslim League position adopted on constitutional and political issues in the past.

Lahore Resolution 1940

Outline:

• Lahore Resolution
• Text Of The Resolution
• Importance Of The Resolution
• Conclusion

Lahore Resolution-1940:

The Muslim nationalism reached its highest watermark on 23rd March, 1940, when the
All-India Muslim League passed the historic Lahore Resolution in its 27th annual session
held in Lahore (Minto Park).

On 21st March, 1940, the working committee of the Muslim League appointed a
committee to draft the famous Lahore Resolution. On 22nd March, 1940, the committee
submitted the resolution. Next day, on 23rd March, 1940, Fazl-ul-Haq, the premier of
Bengal, moved the resolution which was seconded by Chaudary Khaliquzaman and
supported by sir Zafar Ali Khan, Nawab Ismail Khan and others.

Text Of The Resolution:

The Lahore Resolution embodied the demand for a separate Muslim State in these
words:

“No constitution plan would be workable in this country or acceptable to the

Muslims unless it is designed on the following basic principles, namely that the
geographically contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be
so constituted, with such territorial readjustment as may be necessary, that
the areas in which the Muslims are in majority as in the North Western and
Eastern Zones of India should be grouped together in independent states in
which the constitutional units shall be autonomous and sovereign. Adequate,
effective and mandatory safeguards should be specifically provided in the
constitution for minorities for the protection of their religious, cultural,
economic, political, administrative and other rights.”

Importance Of The Lahore Resolution:

The Lahore Resolution carries a great importance in the history of the Pakistan
Movement because it marked a turning point in the Muslim attitude towards the future
constitutional arrangements in the Sub-continent. The Muslims changed their demand
from a federal system to a sovereign independent nation, Pakistan. Thus after the
adoption of the resolution, Pakistan became a magic word for the Muslims throughout
the light and breadth of country. This spirit was carried forward to the general elections
of 1945-46, in which the Muslims gave their verdict clearly in the favour of
Pakistan. According to I.H Qureshi:

“The passing of the Lahore Resolution was a historic event in retrospect. 

At the time when it was passed its significance was not completely app-
-rehended by many observers. In I India, of-course, there was a 
hue and cry among the Hindus……..In fact, it was the Hindu press
which dubbed the Lahore Resolution as a demand for Pakistan.”

Throwing the light on the implications of the Lahore Resolution, Dr. Waheed-uz-

Zaman writes in his book entitled “Towards Pakistan.”

“The Lahore Resolution was inspired by mixed motives in

the minds of those who framed it but there can be no 
reasonable doubt that it was presented as a practical
solution of the communal problem……The Resolution
was at once subjected to severe criticism by represent-
-tative Congressmen on various grounds.”

For his position and influence Mr. Gandhi’s criticism may be considered to be most
important. One passage of the article published shortly after the adoption of the Lahore
Resolution contained the gist of his comments:

“The Two-Nation Theory is an untruth. The vast 

majority of Muslims of India are converts to 
Islam or are descendants of converts. They
did not make a separate nation, as soon as
they become converts. The Bengali Muslim 
speaks the same tongue that a Bengali Hindu
does, eat the same food and has the same
amusements as his Hindu neighbour.”
However, Quaid-e-Azam defended strongly the Lahore Resolution in the sense that it
was the only solution of the communal problem. He said:

“The Hindus and the Muslims belong to two different 

religious philosophies, social customs and literatures.
They neither intermarry nor interdine together, and
indeed they belong to two different civilizations, which
are based mainly on conflicting ideas and conceptions.
…….. To yoke together two such different nations 
Into a single state, one as a numerical minority and
other as a majority, must lead to the growing dis-
-content and final destruction of any fabric that be
may be so built up for government of such a state.”

Conclusion:

The Lahore Resolution set an independent Muslim State as the goal for the Muslims of
the Sub-continent. Consequently, henceforth in the shape of Pakistan the Muslims had a
clear target for their political struggle. This changed strategy worked wonders and the
whole Muslim nation gathered under the banner of Muslim-League and within seven
years succeeded in achieving an independent Muslim State on 14th August, 1947.

Importance Of Lahore Resolution:

According To K.K. Aziz:-

“With the adoption of the Pakistan ideal by the Muslim League in 1940, Muslim
nationalism had come into its own. It had taken the Muslims three quarters of a
century finally to decide what they wanted. They had tried everything; a revolt
in 1857, friendship with Britain, opposition to the Congress, extremist
agitation, co-operation with the Congress, belligerent neutrality, negotiations,
appeals and threats. First as dethroned rulers they resented the overlordship of
the British. Then as a weak minority they sought friendship with the governing
power. Then for a time they made a common cause with the Hindus and led the
Khilafat agitation. Then once again their separatism came to the surface and
they fought for communal safeguards. When these safeguards failed to give
them the protection they needed or expected the latent nationalism triumphed.
The march of history had made a nation of a community. No longer did they eat
out their heart in sullen impotence, trusting in the beneficence of the British or
the goodwill of the Hindus. To the Congress claim that India was a national
state, that it was neither plural nor multinational the Muslims answered with
the brand new idea of a separate Muslims nationalism.”

In the views of I.H. Qureshi;-

“At its annual session----historic in retrospect----at Lahore the League for the
first time adopted the idea of partition as its final goal. Jinnah’s presidential
 address to the session is a landmark in the history of Muslim nationalism in
India, for it made an irrefutable case for a separate Muslim nationhood and for
dividing India into Muslim and Hindu States.”

Lahore resolution

With the introduction of political reforms in India by the British, the Muslims realized that
they would become a permanent minority in a democratic system and it would never be
possible for them to protect their fundamental rights. They only constituted one fourth of
the total Indian population and were much lesser in number than the majority Hindu
community. In order to protect their political, social and religious rights they first
demanded for separate electorates. However, due to the political developments that took
place in the country they realized that even the right of separate electorates would not
be enough and they had to search for some other long term solution.

Muhammad Iqbal, the poet philosopher in his famous Allahbad address made it clear
that Islam has its own social and economic system and in order to implement it a political
entity was required. When Jinnah came back to India in order to reorganize Muslim
League and to make it a political party of the Muslim masses, he got the opportunity to
interact with Iqbal. Iqbal through his letters tried to persuade Jinnah that the only solution
available was a separate state for the Indian Muslims where they could spend their lives
according to the teachings of Holy Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW). Though
Jinnah was convinced by late 1930s, but being a realist he was not ready to announce
the new plan until he was confident that the vast majority of the Muslims were behind
him. Overwhelming support from the Muslim masses for his call to celebrate Day of
Deliverance on December 22, 1939 was actually a vote of confidence given by the
Muslim Community in the leadership of Jinnah, whom they by then had started
considering as their Quaid-i-Azam.

Organization
With the clarity of mind and backing of the Muslim community behind him, Quaid-i-Azam
called for the 27th annual session of All India Muslim League to be held from March 22 to
24, 1940 at Lahore. Sir Shah Nawaz Khan of Mamdot was made the head of the
reception committee and Main Bashir Ahmad was nominated as secretary of the
session. Prominent leaders including Chaudhry Khaliquzzam, Nawab Muhammad Ismail
Khan, Nawab Bahadur Yar Jang, A.K. Fazlul Haq, Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, Abdullah
haroon, Qazi Muhammad Isa, I.I. Chundrigar, Sardar Aurangzeb Khan, Khawaja
Nazimuddin, Abdul Hashim and Malik Barkat Ali etc. attended the session.
Khaksar Tragedy
Due to the Khaksar Tragedy that took place on March 19, Sir Sikandar Hayat and others
tried to persuade Jinnah to postpone the session but the determined Quaid was not
ready for it. In order to participate in the session, he reached Lahore by train on March
21. He went straight to Mayo Hospital to see the wounded Khaksars. By doing so he
managed to handle well the issue of Khaksar disturbances. On his arrival Jinnah told the
print media that the All India Muslim League will make historic decision in the upcoming
session.

Quaid-i-Azam’s Address
The venue of the session was Minto Park near Badshahi Masjid and Lahore Fort. The
inaugural session was planned at around three in the afternoon on March 22. People
started coming from the morning and by the afternoon the park was jam packed.
According to a rough estimate around 100,000 attended the public meeting. In the
beginning of the session, the welcome address was presented by the Nawab of Mamdot.
This was followed by the historical speech of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The Quaid in his two hours presidential address in English narrated the events that took
place in the past few months and concluded, “Hindus and the Muslims belong to two
different religious philosophies, social customs and literature. They neither inter-marry
nor inter-dine together, and, indeed, they belong to two different civilizations that are
based mainly on conflicting ideas and conceptions. Their concepts on life and of life are
different. It is quite clear that Hindus and Muslims derive their inspiration from different
sources of history. They have different epics, different heroes and different episodes.
Very often the hero of one is a foe of the other, and likewise, their victories and defeats
overlap. To yoke together two such nations under a single state, one as a numerical
minority and the other as a majority, must lead to growing discontent and final
destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of such a state.” He
further claimed, “Mussalmans are a nation according to any definition of a nationhood.
We wish our people to develop to the fullest spiritual, cultural, economic, social and
political life in a way that we think best and in consonance with our own ideals and
according to the genius of our people”.

During his speech the Quaid quoted the letter written by Lala Lajpat Rai in 1924 to C.R.
Das in which he clearly mentioned that the Hindus and the Muslims were two separate
and distict nationas which could never be merged into a single nation. When Malik
Barkat Ali claimed that Lala Lajpat Rai was a “Nationalist Hindu leader”, Quaid
responded, “No Hindu can be a nationalist. Every Hindu is a Hindu first and last.”

The Resolution
On March 23, A.K. Fazul Haq, the Chief Minister of Bengal, moved the historical Lahore
Resolution. The Resolution consisted of five paragraphs and each paragraph was only
one sentence long. Although clumsily worded, it delivered a clear message. The
resolution declared:
“While approving and endorsing the action taken by the Council and the Working
Committee of the All-India Muslim League, as indicated in their resolutions dated the
27th of August, 17th and 18th of September and 22nd of October, 1939, and 3rd of
February 1940, on the constitutional issue, this session of the All-India Muslim League
emphatically reiterates that the scheme of Federation embodied in the Government of
India Act, 1935 is totally unsuited to, and unworkable in the peculiar conditions of this
country and is altogether unacceptable to Muslim India.

It further records its emphatic view that while the declaration dated the 18th of October,
1939, made by the Viceroy on behalf of His Majesty’s Government is reassuring in so far
as it declares that the policy and plan on which the Government of India Act, 1935 is
based will be reconsidered in consultation with the various parties, interests and
communities in India, Muslim India will not be satisfied unless the whole constitutional
plan is reconsidered de novo and that no revised plan would be acceptable to the
Muslims unless it is framed with their approval and consent.

Resolved that it is the considered view of this session of the All-India Muslim League
that no constitutional plan would be workable in this country or acceptable to Muslims
unless it is designed on the following basic principle, namely, that geographically
contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted, with such
territorial readjustments as may be necessary, that the areas in which the Muslims are
numerically in a majority, as in the North-Western and Eastern Zones of India, should be
grouped to constitute ‘Independent States’ in which the constituent units shall be
autonomous and sovereign.

That adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards should be specifically provided in

the constitution for minorities in these units and in these regions for the protection of
their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights and interests
in consultation with them; and in other parts of India where Mussalmans are in a
minority, adequate, effective and mandatory safeguard shall be specially provided in the
constitution for them and other minorities for the protection of their religious, cultural,
economic, political, administrative and other rights and interests in consultation with
them.

This session further authorizes the Working Committee to frame a scheme of

constitution in accordance with these basic principles, providing for the assumption
finally by the respective regions of all powers such as defence, external affairs,
communications, customs and such other matters as may be necessary”.

Besides many others, the Resolution was seconded by Chaudhary Khaliquzzam from
UP, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan from Punjab, Sardar Aurangzeb from the N. W. F. P, Sir
Abdullah Haroon from Sindh, and Qazi Muhammad Esa from Baluchistan. Those who
seconded the resolution, in their speeches declared the occasion as a historic one. The
Resolution was eventually passed on the last day of the moot, i.e. March 24.

Controversies
The name Pakistan was not used in the resolution and the official name of the resolution
was Lahore Resolution. It was the Hindu newspapers including Partap, Bande Matram,
Milap, Tribune etc., who ironically coined the name Pakistan Resolution. However, the
idea was appreciated by the Muslim masses and the Resolution is more known as
Pakistan Resolution. Secondly, the Government and people of Pakistan wrongly
celebrate March 23 as a national day in Pakistan. The actual day when the resolution
was passed was March 24. It was only presented on March 23. Lastly, it the word
“states” and not “state” was mentioned in the Resolution. It means that the authors of the
Resolution were foreseeing two separate states in the north-western and eastern zones
of India. But if one has a good look at the developments that followed, he or she would
come to the conclusion that either the word “states” was included as a mistake or the
League leadership soon had a second thought to their idea. A Resolution passed at the
1941 Madras session of the League stated, “Everyone should clearly understand that we
are striving for one independent and sovereign Muslim State.” In all the speeches that
Quaid delivered, he also used the word “an independent homeland” or “an independent
Muslim state”.

Hindu Reaction
The Hindu reaction was, of course, quick, bitter and malicious. They called the
“Pakistan” demand “anti-national.” They characterized it as “vivisection; above all, they
denounced it as imperialist – inspired to obstruct India’s march to freedom.” In
denouncing the demand outright, they, however, missed the central fact of the Indian
political situation; the astonishingly tremendous response of the Pakistan demand had
elicited from the Muslim masses. They also failed to take cognizance of the fact that a
hundred million Muslims were now supremely conscious of their distinct nationhood and
were prepared to stake everything to actualize their self-perceived destiny – the creation
of an independent Muslim state in the sub-continent.

British Reaction
The British were equally hostile to the Muslim demand for at least two important
reasons. First, they had long considered themselves as the architects of the unity of
India and of an Indian nation. Second, they had long regarded the super-imposed unity
under tax Britannica as their greatest achievement and lasting contribution in history.
And the Pakistan demand threatened to undo these presumed achievements on which
the British had long prided. However, despite the Hindu denunciation and the British
alarm, the course of Muslim, indeed Indian, politics was from now on firmly set towards
Pakistan.

Conclusion
The All India Muslim League Resolution of March 1940, commonly known as the
Pakistan Resolution, is undoubtedly the most important event that changed the course of
Indian history and left deep marks on the world history. With the passage of this
Resolution, the Muslims of the sub-continent changed their demand from “Separate
Electorates” to a “Separate State.”  This Resolution rejected the idea of a United India
and the creation of an independent Muslim state was set as their ultimate goal. It gave
new energy and courage to the Muslims of the region who gathered around Quaid-i-
Azam from the platform of the Muslim League to struggle for their freedom. The dynamic
leadership of the Quaid and the commitment and devotion of the followers made it
possible for them to achieve an independent state within seven years of their struggle,
and that too when the odds were against them.
 The Lahore Resolution, 1940
Pakistan Affairs Notes for CSS/PMS
The experience of Congress Rule compelled the Muslims to launch the movement
for separate homeland. The Hindus made them realize that Hindu government would
mean an anti-Muslim rule in India. The Muslims’ disappointment from the Congress
leadership decided to open a new phase of history. Quaid-i-Azam’s article in
Timeand Tide concluded that Muslims are a nation. No Constitution can be enforced
by ignoring Muslims. His comments on March 13, 1940 are remarkable: “If some
satisfactory settlement cannot be found for Muslims in united India, the Muslim will
have to demand for division of the country.”

The Lahore Resolution:

The Muslim League held its annual session at Lahore on 22-24 March 1940. The
Lahore Resolution was moved by Maulvi Fazlul Haq and seconded by Ch.
Khaliquzzaman that finally approved on March 24, 1940. Jinnah rightly expressed
his valuable remarks about the political circumstances of India and the
Muslims stand. He said:

“Indian problem is not communal but international. No

Constitution can work without recognizing this reality. Muslims of
India will not accept a constitution that establishes a government of
the Hindu majority on them. If Hindus and Muslims are placed
under one democratic system, this would mean Hindu Raj.”
Text of the Resolution:
 They decided that the Federal system under Government of India Act,
1935 was not acceptable for the Muslims.
 No revised constitutional plan would be acceptable unless it was framed with
their approval and consent.
 Adjacent units where Muslims are in a majority, as in Northwest and East,
should be constituted as Independent States where the constituent units will be
autonomous and sovereign.
 Protection of minorities would be given priority.

Significance:
This Resolution did not specify any demarcation of the territory but it defined the
future plan of struggle for the establishment of the Muslims states (later the word
‘states’ was replaced by ‘state’ in 1946) in the Northwestern and Eastern areas
where the Muslims were in overwhelming majority. It also intended to give
importance to the autonomy of the states. There was no use of the word Pakistan
but Pakistan was kernel of the Resolution.
Later Developments:
The World War II started in 1939 that required heavily men powered battlefield. The
British who always believe in bargaining announced an offer in August 1940:

1. Expansion of the Viceroy’s Executive Coucil and the setting up of National

Defence Council
2. Special importance to the views of minorities in the revision of the
constitution.
3. Power could not be transferred under a system that will not be acceptable to
large and powerful minorities in India.
4. Dominion Status: the ultimate goal
5. Cooperation of Indians for the war
Congress rejected it and started Non-Cooperation movement 1940-41. Lahore
Resolution remained the ultimate goal for the Muslim Leagues.