The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was a historic political agreement between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League during a joint session held in Lucknow. The pact marked the first instance of unity between Hindus and Muslims in their struggle for constitutional reforms and greater self-governance under British colonial rule.

Under the leadership of Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, both parties agreed to present joint constitutional demands to the British government. A key feature of the pact was the acceptance of separate electorates for Muslims by the Congress, which was a major political achievement for the Muslim League.

Main points of the pact included:

• Separate electorates for Muslims

• Fixed Muslim representation in legislatures

• Greater autonomy for provinces

• Protection of minorities’ rights

• Increased participation of Indians in governance

The pact strengthened Hindu-Muslim unity temporarily and gave the Muslim League recognition as the representative of Muslims. It also showed a united political front to the British during World War I, hoping to gain concessions in return.

Though later developments reversed this unity, the Lucknow Pact remains a milestone in Indian political history, highlighting early cooperation between major communities.