Why did the British suggest the partition of India?

The major reason for this was the fact that the Muslim
population in what is now Pakistan and the Hindu population in what is now India were
unable to figure out a way to live together in one country.  This, naturally, led to the
idea that the two areas should split from one another and form different
countries.

Please note however, that it was not the British
who first came up with the idea of separate countries.  This idea had been in existence
from at least the early 1900s.  Muslims such as Iqbal did not believe that they could
truly be an equal part of a country that was, in their minds, dominated by Hindus.  For
this reason, they started to suggest the idea of partition.  It is true that the British
created the commission that drew the boundaries and it was Parliament that passed the
law creating the two countries.  However, partition was not an idea that was originated
by the British.