The Swadeshi movement was unable to garner the support of the mass of muslims ,which proved to be its main weakness. Although appeals were made for Hindu –Muslim harmony during Swadeshi movement and some great scenes were also witnessed .some outstanding muslim leaders played a leading role in the agitation such as Liakat Hussain,Abdul Rasul(Barrister),Abdul Haqim Gaznavi(Businessman),Deen Mohammad ,Ismail Hussain etc. But it was not sufficient.

British Policy of Divide and Rule and alienation of Muslims from Movement

Curzon and his men had played the communal card in the partition of Bengal and tried to divide the Hindus and Muslims along the class line(As Hindus being the zamindars and Muslims being the peasantry) British government wanted to use Muslims as counter weight against the rising nationalist power the main centre of which was Bengal and planned the partition such that it created a new Muslim majority province. Here they encouraged the educated Muslim to think in terms of a Muslim political power.British government also supported the formation of All India Muslim League in 1906 under the leadership of Nawab Salimullah of Dacca who was given a loan of Rs.14 lakh by British government to support the partition of Bengal. The Muslim League soon became the main weapon of British to fight the National Movement .They also used it to keep Muslim intelligentsia away from joining the National Movement

Use of Hindu religious symbols and Muslim alienation from the movement

During Swadeshi Movement extremist leaders gave it a predominant Hindu overtone .These leaders emphasised on ancient Indian culture while excluded medieval Indian culture.They identified Indian culture with Hindu religion and Indian Nation with the Hindus. Muslims could hardly be attracted by the dips in Ganga,The Shivaji and Ganpati festivals(as propagated by Bal Gangadhar Tilak) or the concept of India as mother and nationalism as a religion (ideas of Aurobindo Ghosh),such actions being against the spirit of Islam .
It must be noted that the above does not mean that extremist leaders were anti Muslims in anyway.Most of them including Bal Gangadhar Tilak were in favour of Hindu Muslim unity and Swadeshi Movement largely remained secular.These leaders used religious symbols to attract the masses towards Swadeshi movement. But the unintended Hindu –tinge was picked up by the British to poison the minds of Muslims.

Communal Riots and Alienation of Muslims

Above Hindu revivalist overtone gave enough reason to Salimullah’s men to spread communal hatred,much to the pleasure of British authorities and when the movement was at its peak Eastern Bengal saw a series of communal riots in Mymensingh,Comilla,Jamalpur,Dewanganj etc and this futher aggravated the alienation of Muslims.The nationalist also did not make any effort to understand the depth of the matter correctly and continued with their religious propaganda.

Conclusion

Thus it is clear that a large scale Muslim participation was not realised during Swadeshi Movement.Nationalist failed to manage the communal card played by the British authorities and their Divide and Rule policy. Failing to become a true mass movement, the swadeshi movement was unable to rise t its full potential after 1907.Consequently the government succeeded in suppressing the movement to a large extent.