Partition of India 1947 with Historical Facts and Map

The Partition of India in 1947 was one of the most defining events in the history of India. With no accurate accounts of how many died or lost their homes, estimates suggest that perhaps up to 20 million people were affected by the Partition. The Partition of India in 1947 divided British India into two separate countries. They were the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. Two new countries were formed as a result of this split.

Presently, the Dominion of Pakistan is referred to as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Dominion of India is known as the Republic of India. In this article, we will look into the background of the Partition of India 1947, its causes, and the Impact of Partition on the Indian Economy.

About Partition of India 1947

The partition of India in 1947 represented the end of the British Raj in South Asia. It led to the formation of two separate countries, India and Pakistan. Bengal and Punjab provinces were divided according to the terms of the Indian Independence Act of 1947. Regions with the majority of Muslims had been transferred to Pakistan and the non-Muslim areas stayed in India. Additional resources were distributed, including the Indian Civil Service, railways, central treasury, British Indian Army, Royal Indian Navy, and Royal Indian Air Force.

There was a huge death toll from the partition. A total of 14–18 million people moved between the two nations. India and Pakistan’s relationship has been impacted by the unfriendly and suspicious environment that was generated after the violent split, which continues to this day. The split did not include the division of Burma and Ceylon or any political entities or changes in the region.

Pre-Partition Map of India Before 1947

The following map outlines the pre-partition India before 1947:

Historical Background of Partition of India 1947

The partition of Bengal, which split the province along religious lines, might be said to have planted the seeds for the partition of India. Viceroy Lord Curzon was forced to change his mind after considerable anger and protests against the decision. The Indian National Congress and the Muslim League showed outstanding cooperation during the 1916 Congress session in Lucknow. It was sparked by the Muslim League’s suspicions that the British government’s “religious neutrality” was a deception. This resulted from Britain’s dispute with Turkey. Because he was responsible for the administration of the sacred places of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, the Sultan of Turkey was known as the Khalifa, or spiritual head, of Islam. This served to confirm people’s suspicions about what the British were up to with the subcontinent’s Muslims.

In return for the Congress accepting separate electorates for Muslims in the provincial legislatures and the Imperial Legislative Council, the Muslim League joined the organization to achieve greater self-government. The Lucknow Pact was the term given to this. The full impact of the agreement became clear in the years that followed. The minority of Muslim élites in the UP and Bihar provinces were thought to benefit more from the agreement than the Muslim majorities in Punjab and Bengal. Despite this obvious truth, the agreement was seen as an important turning point in the Indian Independence Movement since it showed the two largest political parties in the subcontinent put aside their disagreements and cooperate to achieve a shared objective.

Causes of Partition of India 1947

Lord Curzon split the Bengal Presidency in 1905, dividing it into Muslim-majority Eastern Bengal and Assam and Hindu-majority Bengal. It was believed that this decision would greatly impact nationalist politics. Strong protests had been organized by Bengal’s Hindu ruling class. Political violence and boycotts of British products were the main forms of protest, and the Bengali phrase Bande Mataram, which means “Hail to the Mother,” was used to promote unrest. The All-India Muslim League was founded in 1906 as a result of the demands of the Muslim elite class. They wanted representation proportional to their percentage of the population and separate electorates for Muslims.

Lucknow Pact, 1914–1918

India became a founding member of the League of Nations. India participated in the 1920 Summer Olympics as a result of the great influence that World War I had on Britain’s imperial relationships with India. The Congress and the Muslim League cooperated during the 1916 Lucknow Session of the Congress, resulting in the Lucknow Pact. Young Muslim leaders who supported the agreement believed that it would help the region’s elites who belong to the Muslim minority.

Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms, 1919

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, also known as the Government of India Act of 1919, were approved in December 1919. It abolished the Government of India’s use of the “official majority” in votes that were not in its favor. They also expanded the authority of provincial and imperial legislative councils. The Act allowed Indians entry into the civil service and army officer corps and moved important departments to the provinces, including public health, foreign affairs, and defense.

Two Nation Theory Proposal, 1920

According to the two-nation idea, Muslims and Hindus in India are two different countries because of their cultural and historical differences. It served as a foundational idea for both the 1947 Indian division and the Pakistan Movement. Theodore Beck and Theodore Morison, who thought that Muslims would suffer under a parliamentary system of majority rule, are among the supporters of the theory. Hindu nationalist groups have influenced the theory, which has led to the categorization of Indian Muslims as second-class citizens and non-Indian foreigners. Arguments against the theory come from the idea that there is only one Indian nation and that Indians are not a single people.

Provincial Elections in the Muslim Homeland, 1930–1938

The term “Pakistan” was first used in 1933 by Choudhry Rahmat Ali, although it received little political notice. Ambedkar demanded separate representation for the “Depressed Classes” in the central and provincial legislatures, a demand that was granted by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in 1932. Muslim concerns about Hindu dominance increased with the introduction of provincial autonomy by the Government of India Act 1935. In provinces where Muslims make up a minority, the Muslim League did well, although the Congress won in seven of the eleven provinces. Fear of Hindu dominance increased as a result of studies by the Muslim League into Muslim conditions in provinces administered by the Congress.

August Offer, Cripps Mission, 1940–1942

Lord Linlithgow suggested India’s post-war dominion status in 1940, hoping to create a non-federal structure free from Hindu dominance. The Muslim League and Congress, however, turned down this offer, which sparked civil disobedience. Congress rejected Britain’s offer of dominion status in 1942 in exchange for Congress’s support, and the rejection gave rise to a widespread nationalist movement.

Quit India Resolution, August 1942

The Quit India Resolution was introduced by Congress in 1942, presenting a challenge to British rule. Leaders of the Congress were imprisoned by the British, and the Muslim League grew to prominence in the war. The League put the British and Congress to the test with their demand for Pakistan.

Indian Provincial Elections, 1946

The Attlee administration took action on Indian independence in 1946 as a result of mutinies in the military forces. To make arrangements for a smooth transfer, a Cabinet Mission was sent. Following fresh elections, the Congress won 91% of the vote in non-Muslim areas. The majority of Muslim votes and seats in provincial assemblies went to the Muslim League.

Cabinet Mission, July 1946

Even after winning the 1937 elections, the Muslim League found it difficult to form ministries outside of Sind and Bengal. To maintain unity and fulfill Jinnah’s desire for an independent Muslim nation, the British came up with the Cabinet Mission Plan. A united India was avoided, however, by the rejection of the idea by Congress leaders, including Nehru.

Direct Action Day, August 1946

Jinnah declared Direct Action Day in India in 1946 and threatened to go to war if Muslims were not given their own Pakistan. Hindus in Calcutta were attacked by armed Muslim gangs, which resulted in the “Great Calcutta Killing of August 1946”. Three days of violence turned into a cycle of “ethnic cleansing” and four thousand dead. As the unrest progressed, Hindus and Sikhs were attacked or expelled from Bihar, Noakhali, Garhmukteshwar, and Rawalpindi.

Partition Plan, 1946–1947

Appointed by British Prime Minister Attlee, Lord Louis Mountbatten oversaw India’s independence by June 1948. He initially wanted a unified India but finally concluded that partition was unavoidable.

The Indian Independence Act’s proposal

Lord Mountbatten’s 1947 plan for India’s partition was accepted by Sardar Patel and Congress officials. Patel talked about growing violence, the possibility of civil war, and Gandhi’s pain over the division. He also talked about the Congress-League coalition’s impracticality. Congress accepted the plan following Gandhi’s denial, and British rule was terminated in June 1948.

Independence, August 1947

Mountbatten administered an independence oath to Jinnah, leading to Pakistan’s formation and India’s independence. Nehru became prime minister, and Gandhi worked with refugees.

Geographical Partition of India

The division of British India into two new dominions was detailed by Lord Mountbatten on June 3, 1947. The idea was to split the legislative assembly of Punjab and Bengal into Sikh, Hindu, and Muslim groups, and let Sind and Baluchistan make their judgments. In 1947, the Congress Working Committee approved the partition plan, which resulted in conflict between the communities and Gandhi’s exclusion. The boundary dividing East Pakistan and West Pakistan was established by the British Government-commissioned report. Pakistan was created from Muslim regions, while India was formed from Hindu regions. After the Indian Independence Act was signed in July 1947, princely nations were no longer under British domination. India has been a founding member of the UN since 1945, and Pakistan applied to join in September 1947.

In 1947, the Punjab Boundary Commission debated about the inter-fluvial doabs that comprise the Punjab area. Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Lahore, and Montgomery were among the disputed districts, with the Bari and Bist doabs housing the majority of the disputed regions. Sir Cyril Radcliffe presided over the commission, which was made up of two justices who were Muslims and two judges who were not. The commission’s task was to identify the connected majority areas of Muslims and non-Muslims to draw the borders between the two regions of Punjab. Without the ability to negotiate, both sides used legal representation to present their views.

Post-Partition Migration

Sixty-five thousand Indian Muslims migrated to Pakistan between 1947 and 1971, and the migration trend persisted into the 1950s and early 1960s. But in the 1970s, migration fell sharply, leaving just 3,393 people. 3,500 Muslim households moved to Pakistan after the Indonesian War, while 671,000 refugees were counted in East Pakistan in the 1951 census. In the two decades following partition, an estimated 1.5 million Muslims moved from West Bengal and Bihar to East Bengal.

Hindus have been forced to quit Pakistan due to religious persecution; in 2013, about 1,000 families fled to India. Hindu immigrants from Pakistan are not accepted as refugees by India. At the time of independence, Tharparkar’s population was 20% Muslim and 80% Hindu. By 1973, the number of post-partition migrants to India had surpassed 6 million.

Consequences of Partition of India in 1947

The following are the consequences or impacts of the partition of India in 1947:

1. Migration and Violence

After partition, there was a large-scale migration from India to Pakistan, with the expectation that religious minorities would remain in their home states. Approximately 14.5 million individuals crossed borders in search of safety after the division. There were 7,226,600 displaced people in Pakistan according to the 1951 Census, compared to 7,295,870 in India. With the net population gain from mass migration included, the total is approximately 14.5 million.

2. Areas Affected by Division

• Punjab: Punjab was split during India’s Partition into the Dominion of Pakistan and the Dominion of India, with the Hindu and Sikh East Punjab state becoming part of India and the Muslim West Punjab province becoming part of Pakistan. Millions of people were displaced as a result, and some have called it a revenge genocide. It also caused a dispute between communities.
• Bengal: After being split into West Bengal and East Bengal, Bengal eventually became Bangladesh. Hindus in East Bengal were attacked, which resulted in a huge refugee crisis. An estimated 3.3 million people migrated as a result of the division.
• Chittagong Hill Tracts: Chittagong Hill Tracts, which were inhabited by a small population, were an exception. Situated on the eastern edge of Bengal, it offered a hinterland to Chittagong, which is predominantly Muslim. Even though there was a 98.5% Buddhist majority in the Tracts in 1947, Pakistan was given the region.
• Sindh: Hindus constituted the majority of Sindh’s upper and middle classes during the partition. But when a big influx of Muslim refugees came in 1947, there was a major influx of Hindus to India as well as communal bloodshed. However, the Sindh province of Pakistan still has a significant Sindhi Hindu population.
• Gujarat: Over a million Hindu refugees moved to Gujarat, causing a decline in population, while 642,000 Muslims fled to Pakistan, 75% of them settled in Karachi.
• Delhi: The Mughal Empire’s capital, Delhi, saw major architectural and cultural transformations when the British Raj moved its colonial capital there in 1911. The 1947 refugee inflow, however, caused problems for the city and resulted in violence and massacres among the communities. 830,000 persons are thought to have migrated overall during the split, with the Muslim population declining from 33.2% in 1941 to 5.3% in 1951.
• Jammu and Kashmir: Jammu and Kashmir State soldiers assisted radical Hindus and Sikhs in 1947 as they massacred and expelled Muslims from Jammu. The region is now primarily Hindu as a result of the bloodshed.

Read More: Partition of Bengal

3. Resettlement of Refugees

According to the 1951 Indian Census, 2% of the country’s population was made up of refugees; most of these were Sikh and Hindu Punjabi refugees from West Punjab who made their way to Delhi and East Punjab. The biggest surge in refugees was in Delhi, where there were housing complexes and programs offering loans, jobs, and education. Hindus from East Pakistan immigrated to India, mostly to Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, with a large Sindhi Hindu population.

4. Missing People

There are 1.3 million missing Muslims and 0.8 million missing Hindus/Sikhs along the Punjab border, according to the 1931 and 1951 Census statistics, for a total of 2.2 million missing persons.

5. Rehabilitation of Women

The governments of Pakistan and India pledged to return women kidnapped during riots. In 1949, 6,000 women in Pakistan and 12,000 in India had recovered. 20,728 Muslim women had recovered by 1954. Women in Bengal and Punjab benefited from partition in a number of ways, including liberation and increased political participation.

Conclusion – Partition of India 1947

In conclusion, partition of India 1947 is a significant event in the history of India. When the British finally left India in August 1947, after three centuries, the continent was split into two sovereign nations: Pakistan, which is mainly Muslim, and India, which is native to Hindus. There was widespread violence, and conflicting reports placed the death toll between a few hundred thousand and two million. The brutality of India’s division created an atmosphere of distrust and hostility between Pakistan and India that still affects their relationship today.

FAQs on Partition of India 1947

1. What was the Reason for the Partition of India in 1947?

The demand for a separate state for Muslims led to religious tensions between the Muslim and Hindu communities, which ultimately resulted in the partition. Millions of people were forcibly uprooted, leaving a legacy of trauma and unease that still penetrates Indian culture today.

2. What was the Partition Plan of India in 1947?

The last Viceroy of India, Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, declared on June 2, 1947, that Britain had agreed to partition the country into two parts: a predominantly Muslim Pakistan and a predominantly Hindu India, which included the geographically distinct regions of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (now Pakistan).

3. Who is responsible for Partition of India?

During a press conference on June 3, 1947, Lord Mountbatten said that August 14, 1947, would be the day of independence. He also described the precise partition of British India into the two new dominions, a plan that came to be known as the “Mountbatten Plan” or the “3 June Plan.”

4. Who gave the idea of Partition of India?

The Cabinet Mission’s recommendation to divide India into three parts was put up by Lord Mountbatten. In April 1947, the first Partition Plan was laid out. Jawaharlal Nehru opposed the concept of partition in general.

5. Which was the biggest problem in 1947 for India after Partition?

After gaining independence, India was faced with many challenges. Approximately 80 lakh refugees from Pakistan returned to India as a result of the split. Rehabilitating these refugees was a major task. The integration of the 562 minor and large princely states into United India created the second issue.