1946 Bihar riots

At a glance

Dates: From 1946-11-11.

Place: India.

Type: riot.

What came before

Background The 1946 Bihar riots were part of a series of incidents of communal violence that occurred across North India. [ 1 ] The frequency of such riots increased in the 1930s and 1940s; in 1945 alone, 1,809 riots took place in Uttar Pradesh , and 3,176 riots took place across North India in 1946. [ 1 ] On 16 August 1946, the All-India Muslim League proclaimed Direct Action Day in Calcutta , as part of their demand for a separate state for Muslims . Major riots ensued across the city,

What happened

Aftermath Following the riots, the Muslim League said that it had received a large number of complaints from its members, which stated that they were afraid to leave their homes. [ 1 ] On 17 November, the Muslim League passed a resolution asking the Viceroy of India to act on the riots in Bihar. The resolution stated that Muslims in Bihar still felt a threat "to life or property," and that the disturbances might easily spread. The resolution also stated that Hugh Dow , the governor of Bihar,

Communal riots occurred in Bihar, India from 24 October to 11 November 1946, in which Hindu mobs targeted Muslim families. The riots were triggered by the Great Calcutta Killings, as well as the Noakhali riots earlier that year. Mahatma Gandhi declared that he would fast unto death if the riots did not stop. The riots were part of a sequence of communal violence that culminated in the partition of India.