The Great Divide in 1947
• The background of the divide
• How the line of was drawn
• The creation of India and Pakistan
• The aftermath of partition
What is the partition?
• The partition of British India is the geographical separation in
1947 between India, Pakistan and East Bengal
• The creation of the states of the Dominion of Pakistan and
the Dominion of India.
• India was separated on the day of gaining independence from
British, due to tensions between the Hindus and the Muslims
living in the country.
• India and Pakistan gained independence after nearly 250
years of British presence in the country.
The Dividing Line of the Partition
The first map shows India under the British rule, before the
partition. The second map shows how the region was divided
and the movement of population.
Major Events Leading to Partition
• 1600- British East India Company is established
• 1757- Battle of Plassey and the establishment of control of the East India Company.
• 1857- The Indian Rebellion of 1857/The first War of Independence. First major
challenge against the British Company.
• 1858- The Government of India Act which reduced the right of the Company and
established the direct British government control from East India Company.
• 1885- The formation of Indian National Congress and the spread of nationalism
movements
• 1905 - The Partition of Bengal, communal violence and distrust between the Hindus
and the Muslims
• 1906- The formation of Muslim League and the aspiration for a separate homeland
for the Muslims
• 1930- First proposed idea of partition by Allama Iqbal and Muslims begin exiting
Congress.
• 1940 - The Lahore Resolution and the Two Nation Theory
• 1943- Muslim League proposes “Divide and Quit” plan
• July 18, 1947- Mountbatten Partition Plan is finalized
• August 14-15, 1947- Independence of India and Pakistan
The Partition of Bengal
• Lord Curzon proposed a separate
province for the Muslims
• The divide and rule policy
• Muslims were in favor of partition
whereas the Hindus greatly
opposed
• Riots and communal violence
• The revoke of Partition in 1911
• A major distrust emerged between
the Hindus and the Muslims
The Formation of Indian National Congress and The
Muslim League
The Indian National All India Muslim League
Congress
In 1906, the Muslim League
In 1885, the Indian was formed with specific
National Government concerns for the Muslims
formed- comprised mainly living in the subcontinent.
of Hindus to augment
anti-British rule.
Muslims for the Partition: 1920 -1932
•The tension between the Hindus “The Hindus and the Muslims
and Muslims escalated. belong to two different religions,
philosophies, social customs
and literature… To yoke together
•The formation of the Indian two such nations under a single
National Congress and the state, one as a numerical
Muslim League defined a fine line minority and the other as a
between the two major religions. majority, must lead to growing
discontent and final destruction
•Proposal for a separate state for of any fabric that may be so built
up for the government of such a
the Muslims. state.”
Leading up to Partition: 1932-1946
• Not only the Muslims were pushing for separation, but also the
Hindus.
• Many Hindus believed that the Muslims ruled over them for 300
years under the Mughal Empire.
• Hindu organizations such as the Hindu Mahasabha pushed for
the division and insisted that the Muslims and Hindus were
different and they need separate states.
• In 1937, Veer Savarkar in his Presidential Address to the Hindu
Mahasabha:
“India cannot be assumed today to be Unitarian and homogeneous
nation, but on the contrary there are two nations in the main —
the Hindus and the Muslims.”
•Although many groups called for the separation of India based on
religion, the majority of Congress members were secular and
opposed to dividing the country solely based on religion.
•By the late 1930s, Muslims begin exiting congress and pushing the
formation of a new Muslim state.
•On 23 March, 1940 Muslim League met at Lahore and proposed
Lahore Resolution for a separate homeland for the Muslims based
on Two Nation Theory
•In 1943, The Muslim League proposes a quick plan to divide and
gain independence; also known as “Divide and Quit.”
•Soon India was ready to be partitioned. Muslims and Hindus were
constantly in quarrels, and a plan was proposed to the British.
The Partition
• The Mountbatten Plan on 3rd June 1947.
• Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims in Punjab and
Bengal would meet and vote for partition
based on majority.
• Sindh and Baluchistan were to make their own
decision.
• The fate of North-West Frontier Above: British officials
discussing the Mountbatten
Province and Sylhet was to be decided Plan, with a countdown to
by vote. handover of power in the
back.
• India would be independent by 15 August
1947.
• The separate independence of Bengal was
ruled out.
• A boundary commission to be set up in case
of partition.
• A commission was formed under the chairmanship of a London
barrister, Sir Cyril Radcliffe.
• Pakistan was created with two separated enclaves, East
Pakistan (today’s Bangladesh) and West Pakistan, separated
geographically by India.
• On 14 August 1947, the new Dominion of Pakistan came into being,
with Muhammad Ali Jinnah as its first Governor-General.
• The following day, 15 August 1947, the Dominion of India became
independent with Jawaharlal Nehru as the prime minister.
• Although East Pakistan became the homeland of the Bengal
Muslims, millions of Bengali Muslims remain in Indian territory and
millions of non-Muslims continued to live in East Pakistan.
• Many non-Muslim population of East Bengal found that they had
become Pakistani citizens; they made up one fifth of East Pakistan’s
population.
•
The Aftermath of Partition: The Tragedy
• Lord Mount Batten confessed that the Partition favored India
• The partition of India left both India and Pakistan devastated.
Riots erupted, and looting broke out widespread.
• Women were raped and battered by both the Hindus and
Muslims, battered women and children daily crossed the
border.
• Massive violence and slaughtering occurred on both sides of
Punjab. About 200,000 were estimated to have died.
• Over 15 million refugees were forced into regions completely
new to them.
• They have lost the bond to the region, their family and
ancestors grew up in.
Movement of Population
• It was the largest recorded
population transfer in history
amidst horrific mass violence.
• Between 1946 and 1965, nearly
9 million Hindus and Sikhs
moved into India and
approximately 6 million
Muslims moved to both parts
of Pakistan.
• A history of family and personal
memories of violence, exile,
movement, and resettlement.
Tension Between India and Pakistan
• India and Pakistan have not healed
from the wounds of partition.
• India and Pakistan engaged in two
wars since the partition.
• West Pakistan and East Pakistan
engaged in a bloody war for the
independence of Bangladesh in 1971.
• Fear and distrust have defined
relations between India and Pakistan.
• Its Hindu prince signed Kashmir over
to India, but its majority Muslim
population wanted to be a part of
Pakistan.
• The danger from conflict augmented after India became a nuclear
power in 1974.
• Pakistan developed its own nuclear capabilities in 1998.
• Both nations refused to sign the non-proliferation treaty (1995)
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