Partition of India

British Indian Empire 1909 Imperial Gazetteer of India

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Gandhi back in india1915

Jinnah lucknow pact1916

Gandhi at Peshawar meeting

Nehru bajaj sarojini khan azad1940a

Partition of India was a major event in the history of South Asia that led to the creation of two independent dominions, India and Pakistan, on August 15, 1947. This event was the culmination of a complex set of political, social, and economic factors that had been building up over years of British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent. The partition was marked by large-scale violence, mass migrations, and the uprooting of millions of people based on religious identity.

Background

The demand for a separate Muslim state, later to be named Pakistan, was first articulated by the All India Muslim League under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the 1940s. This demand was rooted in the fear among Muslims of domination by the Hindu majority in an independent India. The Indian National Congress, led by figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, initially resisted the idea of partition, advocating for a united India.

The situation was further complicated by the British government's decision to transfer power to the Indians. The Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 failed to bring consensus among the Indian political parties regarding the future political structure of the country, leading to the eventual decision by the last Viceroy of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten, to partition India.

Partition and Its Aftermath

The partition involved the division of two provinces, Bengal and Punjab, based on district-wise Hindu or Muslim majorities. The Radcliffe Line, named after the British lawyer Sir Cyril Radcliffe who was commissioned to draw the borders, was hastily created to demarcate the boundaries of the new nations.

The immediate aftermath of the partition was catastrophic. It is estimated that between 10 to 15 million people were displaced, making it one of the largest mass migrations in human history. The partition also sparked horrific communal violence, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people. Women, in particular, were subjected to brutal violence and abduction in the chaos that followed.

Legacy

The partition of India left a deep impact on the subcontinent, shaping the political, social, and economic trajectories of both India and Pakistan. It led to three wars between the two nations, in 1947, 1965, and 1971, and a continuous state of tension over various issues, including the disputed region of Kashmir.

The partition also had a profound impact on communal relations in the region, creating long-lasting scars and memories of violence that have been passed down through generations. It has been a subject of extensive historical research, literature, and cinema, reflecting the ongoing process of coming to terms with its consequences.

See Also

• History of India
• History of Pakistan
• British Raj
• Indian Independence Movement
• Radcliffe Line
• Violence and partition of India