Why was Simla Deputation of 1906 a turning point in the lives of Muslims in the subcontinent?

Simla Deputation

Q1. What was the Simla Deputation? (4)
Ans. On 8 October 1906 a deputation of prominent Muslims led by the Aga Khan visited Viceroy Minto at Simla to present their demands. The demands were set out in what has become known as ‘The Simla Deputation’. In they demanded that in all local and provincial elections Muslims should have their own representatives and that Muslims in all councils should have a higher percentage of seats than their percentage of the India population.

Q2. Why was Simla Deputation of 1906 a turning point in the lives of Muslims in the subcontinent? (7)
Ans. The British acceptance of the Simla Deputation was an extremely important moment in the history of the subcontinent.The acceptance showed that the attempts made by Sir Syed and others to restore relations between the Muslims and the British had been successful. The long-term importance of the meeting
was that the underlying tensions between the two main communities in the subcontinent, the Hindus and Muslims, were now on a constitutional plane. The granting of the right of separate electorates for Muslims gave them their rights to express their demands. The Simla Deputation was also a factor that made Muslims feel a need for their own political party. It can rightly be called the first real political step towards a separate
homeland.