BharatNotes
Lucknow Pact
/ˈlʌk.naʊ pækt/A formal agreement between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League at their joint session in Lucknow in December 1916, in which the Congress accepted the principle of separate electorates for Muslims and both parties jointly demanded greater Indian representation and self-governance from the British.
Context & Background
Architects included Tilak (Congress) and Jinnah (Muslim League); Congress adopted it on 29 December 1916 and the Muslim League on 31 December 1916; while it achieved short-term Hindu-Muslim unity, the acceptance of separate electorates institutionalised communal representation.
UPSC Exam Relevance
GS1 (Modern India). Prelims: tested on the year (1916), key architects (Tilak, Jinnah), and the core concession (separate electorates). Mains: frequently asked to evaluate the Pact's significance — its role in reuniting the Congress factions, achieving Hindu-Muslim cooperation, and its unintended consequence of legitimising communal politics.
