Chapter+4-The+Partition+of+India

Alex Bi May 7, 2010 =Chapter 4: The Partition of India=

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As you read in the previous chapter, India was under British rule during most of the 19th and 20th centuries. During the 90 years of British rule, the people of India always wanted independence, yet it was not until the early 1900s, during the Indian Independence Movement and the era of Ghandi, that India underwent a sudden rise of nationalism. By 1947, India gained its independence, and at the same time, the country was partitioned.=====

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In chapter 4 of the textbook, you will learn about the major forces that pushed India towards partition, important people involved, pivotal events that caused it and the effects partition had on India, Pakistan, and later, Bangladesh. After reading this chapter, you will realize that the partition was closely related to people’s struggle for peace and equality, as well as their expression of their ideas of national sovereignty and national self-determination.=====

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Factors That Led to Partition
What is partition? Partition describes the action or state of dividing a country. There were a number of factors that pushed India towards partition. The partition of India was a pivotal event in history, and is often called the “[|__single largest uprooting of people in modern history__]”. Approximately 12-14 million people left their homes to cross the border or move to an area with a religion more favorable to them, and 0.5-1.5 million people were killed. This chapter of the textbook will describe the causes of the partition, in the order with which they occurred. //Hindu-Muslim Relations//

__The Muslim League:__ One of the first factors that pushed India towards partition was the creation of the Muslim League. After the Indian National Congress was formed in 1885, it made many demands to the oppressors, the British. The British government remained apathetic the entire time, and helped with the formation of the Muslim League. To stall out congress’ demands, the British sided with the All India Muslim League, led by Mohammed Jinnah. The British wanted the Muslims on their side for two reasons: to counter the Hindu educated class, and because they were scared of the Muslims because they had ruled India for the past 300 years. However, this alliance soon faded, and the Muslim League’s goal was Indian self-governance and Hindu-Muslim unity. By 1940, this too had changed. India’s independence was on the horizon, and it was only a matter of time before the British pulled out of the country. The Muslim League knew India would gain its independence soon, and they also realized that an independent India would consist of a majority of Hindus. They doubted that Muslims would get a fair say in the government, and thus called for a separate Muslim nation.

__Congress vs. Muslim League:__ The Indian National Congress was mainly Hindu, and constantly had conflicts with their Muslim counterparts in the Muslim League. The British only communicated with one Indian administration, so many conflicts arose. To resolve these conflicts, Nehru proposed a plan: split India into 3 mostly self-governing regions, one populated by Hindus and the other two mostly Muslim. However, the __**Punjab problems**__ arose. There was a large Sikh population in one of the Muslim regions. The Sikhs were anti-Muslim, and would get angry if Punjab was partitioned off as a region consisting of mainly Muslims. Mohammed Jinnah accepted the offer, but Nehru went back against the plan. So, Jinnah retraced his steps, and the Muslims launched direct action in mid August 1946 (Direct Action Day), and there was lots of rioting.

//The British// The British used a divide and conquer strategy to rule India. So, Mohammed Jinnah convinced them to “divide and relinquish”. They also overestimated the numbers and popularity of the Muslim League, which called for a separate Muslim state. Because of this, they accepted the Muslims’ demands. In addition, the British didn’t understand that there were Muslims spread out over all of India, and it would be impossible to quickly relocate all of them to Pakistan.

Equality and Peace
India consisted mainly of Hindus, and had a minority of Muslims. If India had not been partitioned, then the government would be run by mostly Hindus. Muslims would think this wasn’t fair, which would incite the Muslim population in India, and possibly spark violence. In addition, some congress leaders would rather have earlier freedom for India rather than delay its independence by arguing over not dividing the country. Thus, it would be easier if the country was divided. Furthermore, the partition expressed the Muslims’ nationalism and belief in Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points.

Nationalism and Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points
Nationalism is described as patriotic feelings, principles or efforts. The Indian Muslims believed that they should form a separate nation because of their separate religion. This further emphasizes U.S president Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points, more specifically his ideas of ‘national sovereignty’ and ‘national self-determination’. //National sovereignty// is the idea that people of the same cultural background and common identity should have their own nation. //National self-determination// is the belief that a nation should have the right to govern itself. Naturally, these ideas appealed to the Muslims, and were the foundation for their beliefs that they should form a separate nation, Pakistan.

Pivotal Events
Creation of the Indian National Congress and Muslim League The Indian National Congress (1885) and Muslim League (1906) and the conflicts between them pushed the country towards partition.

__World War II:__ The Indians’ struggle of independence increased during WWII, and after the war ended, the British realized that it was too hard to control India.

__Direct Action Day__ __**Direct Action Day**__, August 16, 1946, was also known as the Great Calcutta Killing. There were widespread riots in Calcutta, with thousands of Muslims and Hindus fighting. As Mohammed Jinnah said, ‘If not a divided India, then a destroyed India.’ In 3 days, more than 4 thousand people were killed, and a hundred thousand lost their homes. __Indian Independence Act of 1947 Passed__ Pakistan is formed-August 14, 1947 India is independent-August 15, 1947 Boundaries set-August 17, 1947 __**Lord Mountbatten**__, the last viceroy of India, was sent by the British to take care of India. He recommended the partition of Punjab and Bengal (near West and East pakistan, respectively). Mountbatten pressured congress on the idea until it agreed, and he determined the boundaries. In July, the British passed the __**Indian Independence Act of 1947**__. In only a month, on August 14-15, 1947, the boundaries would be set, India would be independent and Pakistan would be formed. The border between India and Pakistan, set on August 17, was called the __**Radcliffe line**__. This is when the __**population exchanges**__ occurred: people rushed to leave their homes and cross the border to Hindu India or Muslim Pakistan.

On the night that India gained its independence from Britain, Nehru said when he was being sworn in as prime minister:

“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge...At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance”

Important Figures Involved in the Partition
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 * Mohandas Ghandi-Known as the father of India. He opposed the partition and tried to appease the Muslims. He wanted Jinnah to be leader of a united India, but Nehru refused. He was later assassinated by a fanatic Hindu because of this.
 * Mohammed Jinnah-He was known as the “father of pakistan”. Mohammed Jinnah was the leader of the Muslim League since 1913 and the first governer-general of Pakistan. He first proposed Hindu-Muslim unity, and later advocated the creation of a separate Muslim state. Jinnah died a year after the partition.


 * Indira Ghandhi-she was India’s prime minister for 3 consecutive periods, and helped form Bangladesh.


 * [|__Jawaharlal Nehru__]-a leading figure in the national congress, and also India’s first prime minister. He was an iconic figure in Indian history, and shaped the government, helped provide primary education for all Indian children, and developed many good educational institutions, like the Indian Institute of Technology.

India, Pakistan and [|**__Bangladesh__**]
British occupation of India ended after WWII. On August 14, 1947, __**Pakistan**__ was formed, and the next day, __**India**__ gained its independence. Pakistan had two wings, East and West Pakistan, and the two were thousands of miles apart. There were often conflicts between the two because East Pakistan had more in common with India than West Pakistan and the main government there. In 1971, India intervened in a civil war between East and West Pakistan. Indira Ghandi freed East Pakistan, and the country of __**Bangladesh**__ was formed. __Effect of the Partition:__ -To Indians, the partition was a logical outcome, seeing as the British divided and ruled India. The night that India became independent, Nehru stated ‘A moment comes which comes but rarely in history, when we step from the old to the new, when a age ends, and when the soul of a nation long suppressed, finds utterance.’

-To Pakistanis, the partition was their founding moment.

-To the British, it was a necessity because they could not afford to rule India anymore.

__Disputes over Kashmir__ __**Kashmir**__ was conquered and controlled by the Sikhs in the 1800s. They controlled the __**Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu**__ from 1820-1858. This was a very artificial state, with Tibetan Buddhists in the East, and Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus spread out all over the place. Kashmir was later given to the British.

After the partition, both Pakistan and India agreed that the rules of the Princely States could join either nation or remain independent. Because 77% of the population was Muslim, Pakistan was confident Kashmir would side with their nation. However, when the ruler hesitated, Pakistan used guerilla warfare to bully them into joining their country.

The Kashmir ruler appealed to Lord Mountbatten, and the Princely States joined India. India then sent troops into the region to drive out the Pakistan people. This is known as the __**Indo-Pakistani War of 1947**__, or the First Kashmir War. The result of the conflict was the Princely States were dissolved, and India took control of most of the area. There were 2 future wars in the region, and border disputes still remain today. __After the Partition__ The 3 countries faced many problems after the partition, including
 * boundary disputes
 * three wars between Pakistan and India
 * a nuclear powered arms race
 * state sponsored terrorism

Despite these problems, India enjoyed political stability and economic progress. In addition, the agony and horrors of the partition influenced a new genre of art and literature in India.

__Legacy__ Without a doubt, the partition of India was a pivotal moment in history, and had lasting effects not only on the Indian subcontinent, but on the whole world as well. Although relations between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are still not too friendly, there is hope that in the future, the 3 countries with a common background will put aside their differences and create peaceful relations.

Chapter Review
Main Ideas:
 * The partition happened because Muslims wanted a separate nation, India wanted independence, and the British realized it was too hard to control India.


 * The partition express Muslims’ desire for equality, because living in a control run by a mainly-Hindu government would be unfair.


 * The partition occurred because the Muslims believed Woodrow Wilson’s points on National Soveriegnty and National Self-Determination.


 * India became independent on August 14, 1947, and was partitioned the next day.


 * Important figures involved were Mohammed Jinnah, father of pakistan, and Nehru, the first prime minister of India.


 * Pakistan split from India, and East Pakistan turned into Bangladesh later in 1971.


 * There were many wars and disputes between the countries, and relations are still tense.

Guiding Questions: Describe the factors that led to India’s partition. What was Direct Action Day and how is it important? What role did Mohammed Jinnah play in India’s partition? Describe the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.

Test yourself! Leader of the All India Muslim League was ___.__

The Muslim League often had conflicts with the _, led by __.

The Partition of India
 * 1) is known as the greatest human migration in modern history
 * 2) led to around one million deaths
 * 3) occurred around the same time as when India gained its independence
 * 4) all of the above

True or false: The Punjab problems occurred when the large population of Tibetan monks revolted.