In this article, we look into another driving force of football in colonial Calcutta which created a ‘religious’ sentiment in this game.

A religious identity was introduced in football in colonial Calcutta with the inception of Mohammedan Sporting Club in 1891. The club provided an identity to the Muslim community of colonial Calcutta and was supported by all sections of people of this religion. The upper class of the Muslim community extended their support to the club to demonstrate the unity of the community, which was essential to fulfill their political desire. The lower section of the community supported the club as it emerged as a medium to establish their religious supremacy over the others.

In 19^th Century, the Muslim community of Bengal was divided into two groups- Ashraf and Atraf. The upper section of the community was known as the Ashraf which was recognized for their ‘historical importance’ and was considered as the ‘leader’ of the community. This section was largely dependent on the patronage of the British rulers. Ashrafs were divided into three sub-groups- upper Ashraf, middle Ashraf and lower Ashraf. The upper Ashrafs represented the urban elite who were linked to the rulers of Oudh, Mysore, Murshidabad and were based in Calcutta. Urdu was the language of the upper Ashraf. The Urdu- Bengali speaking middle Ashrafs were the descendants of elite Muslim administrators and military. They earned their livelihoods on landed properties. The Bengali speaking Ashrafs comprised of the small landholders and Ulemas of rural Bengal. This lower section of the Muslim community mainly consisted of local converts to Islam.

These two groups of Muslim community, Ashraf and Atraf, were entirely different in terms of their social, cultural, political and economical status. Ashrafs were relatively small in number, but were the dominating force of the Muslim community, while Atrafs were large in number, but were not the driving force.

In 20^th Century, the emergence of the middle class section within the Muslim community played a significant role in reducing the gap between the Ashraf and Atraf. This middle class section of the Muslim community comprised small landlords, government servants and professionals from various fields. The Muslims of rural Bengal, who were benefitted economically due to the  introduction of jute as a ‘cash crop’ and due to various policies adopted by the Government to secure their landed properties, were the major component of this emerging middle class. The setting up of the Dacca University helped them to gain in literacy. This progressive middle class of the Muslim community of Bengal started challenging the Hindu Bengalis for professional prosperity. Appeals were made to the Muslim community, irrespective of Ashraf and Atraf, to distinguish them from Bengali Hindus who were portrayed as the exploiter of the Muslim community. Thus, the Muslim community of colonial Bengal became united against the Bengali Hindus and the basis of the unity was religion. This conflict, based on religion, took a political shape with the formation of the Muslim League which played an instrumental role in uniting Ashraf and Atraf.

The conflict between Hindu and Muslim communities was introduced in football in colonial Calcutta with the setting up of Mohammedan Sporting Club which provided an identity to the Muslim community of Bengal in the game of football. However, a separate identity for the Muslim community in football in colonial Calcutta was created in 1887 with the formation of Jubilee Club. In 1889, another Muslim club, the Crescent Club, was set up, the name of which was changed to Hamidia Club at a later stage. Finally, the Mohammedan Sporting Club, the Muslim identity in football in colonial Bengal, was established in 1891.

In the initial phase, Mohammedan Sporting Club shared the support of Muslim community with two other clubs- the Oriental Club and the Muslim Club. The Club came under the spotlight during the period of 1924- 1929 after a change in its Executive Committee. The rise was furthered in 1934 when the Club qualified to participate in the First Division of the Calcutta Football League. The Club remained the Champion of the League for the next five years till 1938. It was considered as the ‘Golden Age’ of Mohammedan Sporting.

The Club received patronage not only from the elite Muslim Aashrafs, but also from the British Governors. The Muslim politicians, such as Khwaja Nazimuddin, extended their active support to the Club to fulfill their political objectives. The Club enjoyed support from all sections of the Muslim community.

Despite its success in 1930s, Mohammedan Sporting Club never made an attempt to establish itself as a nationalist club by replacing Mohun Bagan. It emerged as a club for Muslim community and never changed its identity.

The game of football was started in colonial Calcutta as a past time leisurely activity of the colonial rulers which was gradually taken up by the elite class of Bengal due to the lure of demonstration effect. It became an instrument of nationalism with the epochal success of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield in 1911. The inception of East Bengal created a sub-regional sentiment in the game while the setting up of Mohammedan Sporting evoked a religious sentiment. Therefore, the growth of football in colonial Calcutta took place due to the consequences of social- political, socio- cultural, socio- economical and religious situations of colonial Calcutta. However, during this period, no comprehensive initiative was taken to adopt a structure for improving the quality of the game or the quality of the players. Hence, the success of the football clubs of Calcutta, in the pre-independence period, was limited to a few competitions that took place in Bengal or in other parts of the country, but it never reached beyond the boundaries of India.

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The historic success of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield in 1911 motivated the Bengali community to stand united against the decision of partition. It made them believe that the mighty British could also be defeated. However, a new trend was emerged within the Bengali community in the first decade of the 20th century which created a ‘sub-regional’ sentiment. The sub regional sentiment divided the Bengali community into two groups- – Ghoti, the residents of westerly districts of Bengal, and Bangaal, people of the eastern districts of Bengal. The cultural difference was evident between these two groups. The Bangaals were known for their simple and spontaneous behaviour. A majority of this group was displaced from their root and was forced to live in Calcutta as ‘outsiders’. The Ghotis, on the other contrary, were considered by many as soft- spoken, art loving ‘insiders’ of Calcutta. Rabindranath Tagore, in his short stories, described this cultural difference between the urban Ghoti and rural Bangaal communities as:

“We were from the country and had not learnt to scoff at everything with precocious levity of the boys of Calcutta and therefore our faith was unshakable. The persons of our association delivered speeches and we bagged for subscriptions from door to door, caring nothing for the midday sun nor for meals, distributed handbills in the streets, arranged chairs and benches for the meetings and rolling up our shirt sleeves got ready to fight it out with anybody who said a word against our leaders. The city boys duly noted these characteristics and ragged us as East Bengal fools.”

The landed properties were the main source of income of the rural gentry who were residing in the eastern districts of Bengal. The upper caste Hindu Brahmin, Vaidy and Kayastha were the landlords, while the Muslims and lower caste Hindus were the peasants. Except a few, like the zamindars of Bhagyakul, Nawab of Dacca, most of the landowners had small landed properties. These small landowners were adversely affected due to the rise of population and pro-tenancy legislation since 1859. These resulted in further fragmentation of land and increasing pressure of population on fragmented land, due to which there was a fluctuation in rental income. This was evident in the latter years of the 19th century. This was combined with a price hike of the essential commodities which took place in the beginning of the 20th century. Due to these adverse economic conditions, an intense migration took place from the eastern districts of Bengal to Calcutta. These migrated people were looking for service and professional jobs in British bureaucratic set up. However, they were unable to find their fortune in Calcutta. They were forced to live in crowded mess- houses and were involved in low paying clerical jobs and legal assignments. They observed the sophistication of the ‘wealthy’ Calcutta, but were completely detached from it. They were in search for an identity in an unknown city.

The partition of Bengal in 1905 made the rural gentry of the eastern districts insecure and as a result they participated in Swadeshi and other political movements. Prior to that, organized politics was controlled by the urban politicians who mainly focused on urban-centric issues. The district politics was evolved around the local issues which had no place in the organized urban politics.

The partition of Bengal in 1905 established a link between these two types of politics which reduced the gap between organized urban politics and localised districts politics. This gap was further reduced with a constitutional reform in 1919 which introduced electoral politics and forced the urban-centric leaders to understand the local issues. To win the minds of the rural people of eastern Bengal, these leaders put stress on the ‘sub-regional’ sentiment and football became a medium for achieving this purpose. The Ghotis started rallying behind Mohun Bagan while the Bangaals found their ‘sub-regional’ sentiment in East Bengal. This was further encouraged by the political leaders who started supporting either of these two clubs based on their origins.

Therefore, it can be said that the social, economical and political factors created a ‘sub-regional’ sentiment in football in colonial Calcutta which replaced the nationalistic sentiment created with the success of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield in 1911.

East Bengal Club was set up due to a controversy in a match between Jorabagan Club and Mohun Bagan Club in the Coach Behar Cup Football Tournament in 1920. In that match, Shri Sailesh Bose, a prominent player of Jorabagn and a resident of East Bengal, was dropped. In reply to this, Shri Bose decided to leave the club. Shri Suresh Chowdhury, the Vice- President of Jorabagn and the Zamindar of Nagerpur, also decided to resign from his post in protest. Shri Chowdhury then convinced the influential people of eastern districts of Bengal, residing in Calcutta, to set up a club which would provide an identity to the people of the eastern part of Bengal. With the initiatives of Shri Chowdhury and with the support of Professor Sarada Ranjan Roy, Raj Bahadur Tarit Bhusan Roy of Bhagyakul, the East Bengal Club was established on 1st August 1920. The Club provided a ‘sub- regional’ identity to the Bangaal community and gradually established their supremacy in the game of football in colonial Calcutta.

In the year of inception, East Bengal emerged as the winner of the Hercules Cup, a six-a-side tournament which was held at the Shyam Park. However, the club struggled to find a place in the Calcutta Football League due to the strict rules imposed on the entry of the Indian teams into the league. In a ‘sub-regional’ gesture, Shri Gopal Roy, Raja of Tajhat, withdrew his team and shifted his players to East Bengal to provide the latter an opportunity to participate in the second division of the Calcutta Football League. East Bengal secured third place in the second division. The club gained popularity by defeating Mohun Bagan in the Khagendra Shield Tournament and Aryans in the final of the Sachin Shield. In the first year, East Bengal proved its worth by winning seven trophies in different tournaments.

In 1925, East Bengal played in the first division of the Calcutta Football League as the third Indian club. The club became the only club to receive an invitation to participate in the Durand Cup held in Simla. The success of the club attracted the influential people, like the Raja of Santosh, Manmatha Roy, Nalini Ranjan Sarkar, to extend their support to the club. It can also be said that the club gradually reduced the monopoly created by Mohun Bagan in the game of football in colonial Calcutta.

East Bengal, which was set up in protest of the discriminatory policy taken against the players from eastern Bengal in a club of Calcutta, gave birth to a great rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal which was a reflection of the sub-regional sentiments of the Ghotis and Bangaals.

The nationalistic sentiment which was created with the success of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield in 1911 was replaced by a ‘sub-regional’ sentiment which emerged with the setting up of East Bengal in 1920. The people of eastern districts of Bengal, who earned their livelihood from their landed properties, were forced to migrate to the ‘sophisticated’ Calcutta due to economic pressure. However, they failed to find a comfortable living in Calcutta and were confined to low-paying clerical and legal jobs. They were searching for an identity in an unknown city. East Bengal, which was set up in protest of discriminatory behaviour against the players of eastern districts of Bengal in the Jorabagan club, provided a ‘sub-regional’ identity to these migrated people. The cultural difference between the people of wealthy western districts of Bengal, known as ‘Ghoti’, and the people of eastern districts of Bengal, known as ‘Bangaal’, was reflected in the game of football in the form of the rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. This rivalry still prevails and is a reason for the popularity of football in Bengal as well as in India.

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Mohun Bagan, the identity of nationalism in Indian football, was set up in the cultural and political centre of North Calcutta on 15th august 1889. The name of the club was taken from Kirti Mitra’s Mohun Bagan Villa. The inaugural meeting of the club was held at the residence of the prominent leader of Congress, Shri Bhupendranath Basu.

Mohun Bagan the champion of IFA Shield 1911 (img source: www.sportsrediscovered.com )

Mohun Bagan started its journey in the IFA Shield on 10th July 1911 against St. Xavier’s College. Mohun Bagan won the match convincingly by three goals to nil. The club won the second match against the Rangers Club by two goals to one. In the third match, Mohun Bagan defeated the Rifle Brigade by a solitary goal which helped them to secure a place in the semi final. The semi final match against Middlesex Regiment ended in one all draw, while Mohun Bagan won the reply match by scoring three goals. History was created on 29th July 1911 when Mohun Bagan defeated East York Regiment in the final of the IFA Shield by two goals to one. Shibdas Bhaduri and Abilash Ghosh secured permanent place in the history of Indian football by scoring two goals for Mohun Bagan in the final match. Table 6 represents the performance of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield in 1911.

Table 6: Mohun Bagan in IFA Shield in 1911

Almost 80,000 people gathered at the Maidan Ground on 29th July 1911 to see the dominance of an Indian team over a British team. However, only a few thousand could see the match properly. The result of the match was conveyed to the rest by flying kites. The green kites symbolized the progress of Mohun Bagan, while the black kites symbolized the progress of the British team. The tickets of the final match were sold at a higher price. A two-rupee ticket was sold at a price of fifteen rupees. It was one of the initials instances of black marketing in Indian sports.

The epochal success of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield in 1911 inspired the Bengali community to stand united against the decision of partition of Bengal. The implication of this win was highlighted in a reporting of The Empire, which wrote, “Even now after 48 hours after the great and glorious victory of Mohun Bagan over East York’s, the significance of the event has not been fully realized. It was a fine achievement, the finest indeed in the annals of football in India.” It continued, “All honours to Mohun Bagan! Those eleven players are not only a glory to themselves and to their club, but the great nation that they belong”. The importance of this success was portrayed in a report in The Englishman on 31st July 1911 as “What the Congress has failed to achieve, Mohun Bagan has. In other words they have succeeded in degrading the English.” The impact of this win was mentioned in a report of Basumati on 5th August 1911 as “we have seen Bengalis assembled on various occasions of danger, distress and sorrow such as that of the partition, the Consent Bill and the death of a great man. But never before did we witness such vast assembly such a demonstration of joy………. Mohun Bagan has infused a new life into the lifeless and cheerless Bengalis………… In a country, where union takes place only to dissolve, where repulsion is more powerful than attraction, you have been able to knit together so many hearts”. The Amrita Bazar Patrika, on 31st July 1911, mentioned that this event clearly represented the physical and mental prowess of the Bengalis.

This success by Mohun Bagan was viewed by many as a reply to the racial policy adopted by the British Raj. The sentiment was portrayed in a report of Times of India Illustrated Weekly as, “On Thursday and Friday every Bengali carried his head high and the one theme of conversation in the tramcars, in offices and in those places where the babus congregate most, was the rout of the King’s soldiers in boots and shoes by barefooted Bengali lads.”

Despite the fact that Mohun Bagan comprised of Hindu Bengalis, its victory over the British teams inspired the Muslim community as well. The Mussalman, a Muslim journal, wrote, “Although Mohun Bagan was a team composed of Bengali Hindus, the jubilation in consequence of its success was in fact a sense of universal joy, which pervaded the feeling of the Hindus, the Mohammedans and the Christians alike”. The Comrade, another Muslim journal, wrote, “We hereby join the chorus of praise and jubilation over the victory of Mohun Bagan”. Therefore, it can be said that the historic win of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield played an important role in uniting both Hindus and Muslims together.

The defeat of the British team by an Indian team was also celebrated by the commercial and cultural communities of Kolkata. Messrs. S. Roy & Co offered football at a cheaper rate. Messrs. Hald and Chatt offered harmonium at 10% discount for a period of two months. The Standard Cycle Company, on 31st July 1911, distributed the photographs of the Mohun Bagan squad. It may be argued that the commercial implication in football in India was started with this emphatic win of Mohun Bagan. The Great National Theater added a by-line with their promotion ‘Balaji Rao’. The by-line was “Mohun Bagan has won the Shield! It is a victory for Baji Rao”. The Adi Arya Saraswat Samaj staged a theatre called ‘Vismavijaya’ to honour the club.

The triumph of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield in 1911 infused vigor into the lifeless and cheerless Bengalis. It made them believe that the mighty British could also be defeated. The win of Mohun Bagan inspired them to stand united against the decision of partition of Bengal, irrespective of their religion. This win made them realize that the ‘racially proud’ British could also be defeated by the suppressed Bengalis. The psychological impact of this win cannot be ignored. However, it should be remembered that Mohun Bagan was not the first club to beat a British team. Shobhabazar Club was the first Indian club to beat a British team in the Trades Cup in 1892. In 1900, National Association became the first Indian club to win the Trades Cup by defeating Shibpur Civil Engineering College which comprised of only the British students. Another club from Bengal, Sanatan Sampradaya Football Club, beat the British team, HLIA Company, in the final of Oriental Cup on 25th July. However, the impact of the historic win of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield in 1911 was more significant as it provided an impetus to the movement against partition of Bengal.

The post Football as an instrument of Nationalism in colonial Bengal- Part 2 appeared first on Football Counter.

The competitive football in India was first introduced in Bombay and Karachi and was gradually picked up by Calcutta, which became the capital of the British India in 1858. The first recorded football match was played in colonial Calcutta in 1858 between Calcutta Club of Civilians and Gentlemen’s of Barrackpore. A number of competitive matches were played thereafter in the Calcutta and Barrackpore regions. However, it should be noted that, unlike in England, the game of football in colonial Calcutta emerged as an elitist sport which was often an exclusive preserve of the British class.

The formal club system in football in colonial Calcutta was introduced with the setting up of the Calcutta Football Club in 1872. The Trades Club was set up in 1876.

Shri Nagendraprasad Sarbadhikari, who is considered as the ‘Father of Indian Football’, along with Shri Nagendranath Mallik of Mallik family of Chorebagan, played a prominent role in promoting football at the grassroots level in colonial Calcutta. As a result of his effort, a number of amateur clubs, involving the students of the Presidency College, Calcutta Medical College, Shibpur Engineering College, St. Xavier’s College and Hare School, were set up. However, the Bengali participation was limited to the teams of the Presidency College and Hare School only, which reflected the racial policy adopted by the colonial rulers in the game of football in Calcutta.

The Bengali participation in football was not confined to the teams at the schools and the college levels only, but a number of local clubs were set up to provide football playing opportunity to the youth of Bengal. Shovabazar, Kumartuli, Town, Sporting, Chandannagar, Chinsura, Aryans and Mohun Bagan were some of the prominent names. These clubs used to play with each other as no competition structure was available till the Trades Cup was introduced by the European traders in 1889.

The first competitive football tournament, which was introduced in colonial Calcutta, was the Trades Cup. This tournament was started by the European traders in 1889. Shovabazar was the only club which received invitation for participating in the inaugural edition of this tournament. No other Indian team was invited to take part in this tournament in its year of inception.

The Indian Football Association (IFA), which was the first administrative body of football in India, was set up in 1893 with the objective of organizing the IFA Shield. The IFA Shield was launched in 1893 and the Calcutta Football League was started in 1898. However, till 1914, the Calcutta Football League was confined among the European teams only. Even in 1914, only two teams from Calcutta, Mohun Bagan and Aryans were allowed to participate in the second division of the league. This racial approach by the colonial rulers in the game of football was adopted in other tournaments as well. For example, the Cadet Cup was limited to the European and the Anglo-Indian students.

Moreover, the Indian teams were not allowed to take part in many other tournaments introduced in other parts of the country, like the Durand Cup (1888) and the Rovers Cup (1891). In response to this racial approach, a nationalistic approach was adopted by the Maharaja of Cooch Behar who introduced the Cooch Behar Cup Football Tournament in 1893 only for the Indian teams. This nationalistic approach took a complete shape with the historic success of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield in 1911 which should be discussed in the context of the partition of Bengal.

In my next article, I shall write on the success of Mohun Bagan in the IFA Shield in 1911 and its impact on the movement against the partition of Bengal.

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