The Partition of India

Nationalism Surfaces in India

Nationalism - political idea of self rule

The Indian National Congress

  • in 1885, the Indian National Congress formed - comprised mainly of Hindus wanting to break free from British rule

The Muslim League

  • In 1906, the Muslim League formed - another nationalist group which focused on specific concerns for the Muslim minority living in India

Jawaharal Nehru - first prime minister of India (Hindu)

Muhammad Ali Jinnah - leader of the Muslim League

Leading up to the Partition

A llama Iqbal’s 1930 Address to Muslim League:

“The Hindus and the Muslims belong to two different religions, philosophies, social customs and literature… to yoke together two such nations under a single state, one as a numerical minority and the other as a majority , must lead to growing discontent and final destruction of any fabric that may be so built up for the government of such a state.”

In 1937, Veer Savarkar in his Presidential Address to the Hindu Mahasabha (Hindu political party):​

“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.”

  • Most of the congress members opposed dividing by religion

  • By the late 1930s, Muslims begin exiting congress and forming separate groups that were pushing the formation of a new Muslim state: Pakistan

  • In 1943, The Muslim League proposes a quick plan to divide and gain independence; also know 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

Gandhi

  • For years, Gandhi struggled to keep the Muslims active in Congress so India would not have to suffer the consequences of separation and losing unity

The Partition

  • Independence - August 14, 1947, the plan for the partition was put into action.​

  • The Mountbatten Plan by Cyril Radcliffe - He divided the country but had never even been there!

  • Address was formed out of the mostly Hindu regions and Pakistan was formed out of the mainly Muslim regions. Pakistan was formed in two dominions- East Pakistan and West Pakistan, which were separated geographically by India. 

Impact and Aftermath of the Partition

  • Mass Migration - Devastation:

    • Riots, looting broke

    • Women were raped and battered by both the Hindus and Muslims -  trains full of  battered women and children would arrive between the borders of India and Pakistan daily.​

    • Over 15 million refugees were forced into regions completely new to them. Even though they shared the same  religion of their new home.

  • Even after almost six decades after the partition, India and Pakistan have still not healed from the wounds left by the partition. 

    • India and Pakistan have been to war four times since the partition

    • Pakistan suffered the bloody war of the breaking away of East Pakistan into Bangladesh.

    • The two countries are still arguing over the landlocked region of Kashmir.