Final answer:
The Lucknow Pact was drawn up in 1916 to unite the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League against British rule and to ease Muslim fears of Hindu dominance. It guaranteed proportional representation and safeguards for Muslim interests in a future independent India, representing a key moment of Hindu-Muslim unity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Lucknow Pact was drawn up in 1916 as a significant alliance between the Indian National Congress (INC) and the All-India Muslim League, marking a united front in the movement against British colonial rule. This pact was a response to the increasing tensions between Hindus and Muslims, as well as a strategic move to present a unified demand for greater self-governance in India. The alliance formed as a result of the pact underscored the necessity of Hindu-Muslim unity in the face of British divide-and-rule policies.
Before the Lucknow Pact, the relations between the INC and the Muslim League were strained due to concerns within the Muslim community about Hindu domination within the Congress Party and fears of future oppression in a Hindu-majority government. These anxieties led to the establishment of the Muslim League in 1906. The Lucknow Pact was, therefore, a significant political compromise, assuaging those fears by guaranteeing proportional legislative representation and safeguarding Muslim interests in a future self-governed India.
The pact also followed events of significant violence and turmoil, such as the Cawnpore incident and the division that the Swadeshi movement had highlighted within INC leadership factions. The necessity to provide a united front against the British was even more critical as religious violence increased during the period leading up to Indian independence and the partition of India and Pakistan. Hence, the Lucknow Pact was a milestone that sought to bridge the communal gap and was a step towards joint political action against the British Empire.