Why was India split into two countries? - Haimanti Roy

Summary

In 1947, India's independence from British rule led to the world's largest forced migration, causing a million deaths. The British had simplified Indian communities by religion, exacerbating divisions. Political leaders disagreed on a united India, leading to the partition into Hindu-majority India and Muslim Pakistan. The hastily drawn border caused mass displacement and violence, with lasting effects including the ongoing Kashmir dispute and the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ India gained independence from British rule in 1947 after 200 years, leading to one of the largest forced migrations in history with an estimated one million casualties.
• 🌏 Prior to colonization, the Indian subcontinent was a diverse region of princely states with various religions and traditions.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The English East India Company became the dominant colonial power in India by the mid-18th century, ruling some areas directly and others indirectly.
• 📊 The British simplified and categorized Indians by religious identity in the 19th century, exacerbating divisions and sowing distrust among communities.
• 🗳️ Elections during the colonial period were based on religious identification, further emphasizing the divide between communities.
• 🌊 The 20th century saw anti-colonial movements grow, with differing views among Indian leaders on the structure of an independent India.
• 🕊️ Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru advocated for a united India, while Muhammad Ali Jinnah, representing the Muslim minority, pushed for a separate homeland, Pakistan.
• 🏛️ The British hastily planned India's independence and partition without clear guidelines, leading to confusion and chaos.
• 🗺️ The Boundary Committee hastily drew borders for the partition using outdated maps and inaccurate data, affecting the fate of millions.
• 🚶‍♂️ The partition led to mass migrations as people moved to areas where they believed they would be part of the religious majority, with uncertainty and fear.
• 🏙️ Cities like Lahore, Delhi, Calcutta, Dhaka, and Karachi experienced a demographic shift as they filled with refugees and emptied of old residents.
• 🛡️ The power vacuum left by the British withdrawal led to violence, particularly in Punjab, with women suffering greatly from sexual violence and forced marriages.
• 🏳️‍🌈 The partition's aftermath included permanent displacement, disputed borders, and the secession of East Pakistan to form Bangladesh in 1971.
• 🏁 The unresolved issue of Kashmir, with its accession to India pending a public referendum that has yet to occur, has led to ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan.
• 📚 The legacy of the partition is still evident in the subcontinent's political landscape and the collective memories of families divided by the event.

Q & A

When did India gain independence from British rule?

India gained independence from British rule in August 1947.

What was the consequence of the independence that led to a significant loss of life?

The independence led to one of the largest and bloodiest forced migrations in history, during which an estimated one million people lost their lives.

What were the Indian subcontinent's demographics before British colonization?

Before British colonization, the Indian subcontinent was a patchwork of regional kingdoms, known as princely states, populated by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians, Parsis, and Jews, each with its own traditions, caste backgrounds, and leadership.

How did the British East India Company become the primary colonial power in India?

Starting in the 1500s, a series of European powers colonized India with coastal trading settlements. By the mid-18th century, the English East India Company emerged as the primary colonial power in India.

What was the nature of British rule in India, and how did it affect the princely states?

The British ruled some provinces directly and ruled the princely states indirectly. Under indirect rule, the princely states remained sovereign but made political and financial concessions to the British.

How did the British categorize Indians by religious identity, and what was the impact of this practice?

In the 19th century, the British began to categorize Indians by religious identity, simplifying communities and counting Hindus as 'majorities' and other religious communities as distinct 'minorities'. This practice exaggerated differences and sowed distrust between communities that had previously co-existed.

What were the differing views among Indian political leaders regarding the future of an independent India?

Indian political leaders had differing views on what an independent India should look like. Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, representing the Hindu majority, wanted one united India, while Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who led the Muslim minority, argued for a two-nation division with a homeland called Pakistan.

What was the British viceroy's announcement regarding India's independence and partition?

In June 1947, the British viceroy announced that India would gain independence by August and be partitioned into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan, but gave little explanation of how this would happen.

How was the border between India and Pakistan determined after the partition?

The Boundary Committee used outdated maps, inaccurate census numbers, and minimal knowledge of the land to draw a border in just five weeks, dividing three provinces under direct British rule: Bengal, Punjab, and Assam.

What were the immediate consequences of the partition for the people of India and Pakistan?

In a period of two years, millions of Hindus and Sikhs living in Pakistan left for India, while Muslims living in India fled villages where their families had lived for centuries. The power vacuum left by British forces led to massacres of migrants, with much of the violence occurring in Punjab.

What are some of the long-term legacies of the Partition of India?

The legacies of the Partition include new political formations, disputed borders, the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, and ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. The memories of divided families also persist more than 70 years later.