The Partition Of India

“India has never been a symbol of unity of Hindu-Muslim civilization. It is not possible for the British Government to create homogeneity between Hindu and Muslim culture and civilization as the two systems are distinctively opposed to each other. There is no way other than the partition of India”

The general cause of the Indian Independence Movement was India’s desire for independence from British, French and Portuguese Rule. The aim of the movement was “Swaraj, a self-governing India” (Sharma, 2005, p. 22). One, more specific, cause of the Indian Independence Movement took place in 1905 when the province of Bengal was divided into two provinces,

In 1939 World War II broke out in Europe. Britain proclaimed India’s involvement in the war without consulting the Indian people. This led to increased protest and volatility. In 1942 India established a national army and proposed the Quit India Movement. This movement promised to lend Indian military support to Britain in return for complete independence. If they refused this treaty the Indian people promised civil disobedience. In 1947 India was granted its independence and became self governing (Luscombe, 2012). On January 26, 1950 the Republic of India was proclaimed and it drafted a constitution. The first democratic elections were held in 1952. However the Hindus and Muslims were not united and colonial India was divided into Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India (History, 2010).

There was a high food shortage in 1946 and this caused many to ration. World War II left a deep wound in India as two and a half million Indian soldiers were sent to aid the allies and 24,000 killed. Many were unemployed as they lost their jobs after the war since there was no need for war production. Gandhi’s party, Indian national congress, created in 1885 seemed it would be the power that ruled after Britain left. This changed, however, as the All Muslim league became popular during World War II. Muslims were a minority compared to the Hindus. The Partition of 1947 created Pakistan, where the Muslims would live, and India, where the Hindus would live.

Many people believe that in the 1940’s most of India’s problems involving independence was to do with divisions within India rather than British imperialism. In this essay I will be looking at both points of view and finally giving my opinion. I will be using three sources also to help me show both sides of the story. I will also be using my further knowledge to add a wider range of knowledge.

Throughout the years many historians have compilated and examined why Indian people were so desperate to gain back their independence from the British Empire during their rule over India, from 1612 to 1947. The reasoning can most definitely be found as the British discriminated against Indian people as they believe that they were inferior; it is no surprise that Indian people fought so hard for their independence. Throughout the British Raj, they placed and put forward unbelievably racist acts and laws which discriminated against Indian people. Which of course led to Indians to rebel against the British rule and which the British reacted with causing massacres. Explaining the nationalistic many India’s felt during the British Raj.

Imperialism swept across the world following the Industrial Revolution as trade opened up transcontinentally and capitalism became the driving economy of Europe. England expanded its influence to Africa as did Belgium and France. A scramble for Africa occurred, with England fighting for dominance over China as well. As invasions and wars began in Africa, China dealt with the British opium trade and its effect on the Chinese people. Imperialism had varying effects on these different countries and continents. In Egypt and the Indian government, it evoked feelings of nationalism in the people for their native land. Resistance was another reaction from most countries as anger towards the Western powers built in the citizens of the imperialist states. Conversely, some people and governments saw opportunity in a relationship with England and attempted to take advantage of what England could offer their homelands.

The Rebellion started with blood shed at the garrison in Meerut, where every Englishmen who was found was killed. After which, they marched to Delhi and “placed themselves under the leadership of the impotent and bewildered Mogul Emperor Bahadur Shah.” (Historical Dictionary of the British Empire.) By June the only British-held outpost, Cawnpore, was cut off. On July 17th, it was ascertained that 200 European men, women and children were murdered the prior month in the upheaval at Cawnpore. Vengeance was quick and onerous: anyone who was suspected to be a mutineer was tied to a cannon and executed. “In Six months, the mutiny had been broken, and, within the next year, British power was restored.” (Historical Dictionary of the British Empire.) These rebellions would later be in the back of the minds of some Indian freedom fighters as the first stage of the fight for independence from British colonialism that lasted until 1947. (Sepoy Rebellion: 1857.)

Sepoy Rebellion was violent and very bloody rebellion against British rule in India in 1857. In British East India Company began hiring Indian citizens as troops. British government began training Indians to fight with their weapons and methods. The Indians were called “Sepoys” and soon they became the largest part of the British forces in India. After British gaining 2/3 of India’s land, imperialism had begun to disturbed every part of Indian life. The point that begin the revolts as the introduction of loading rifles with the biting of a greased cartridge which the sepoys were afraid of either it was cow or pig fat. The Hindu sepoys saw this as an attempt to break their caste to make them all Christians. When Indians said use another rifle

Today, India is a free country, but this country’s history to freedom was not pleasant. Britain, a country that occupied many territories, came to conquer India for its valuables. During this time, they treated Indians poorly and stole all the goods of the country to trade. This rule continued for nearly two-hundred years, and India struggled to fight for freedom from 1857 to 1947. On August 15, 1947, India finally gained its independence through the India Independence Act passed by the British House of Common. The British House of Commons is the UK parliament that is part of the legislative branch. The act stated that India would be divided into two dominions, India and Pakistan, thus granting Pakistan independence on August 14 and Indian independence on August 15. Marc Aronson, in his book Race, explores and examines the concept of race where the reasoning behind racial discrimination can be seen. Aronson provides the four pillars of race, which show an ideology behind racism that occurs universally. During the British-rule in India, the British racially discriminated Indians. As a result of the discrimination, Britain

The cause of the sepoy mutiny started with allegedly cow-fat greased cartridges in weapons, and then lead to thoughts that the government was against the sepoys. In the following quote, Joseph Coohill states that cartridges were offensive to the Hindu and Muslim faith, and the soldiers were required to use the weapons. "Many native infantryman (sepoys) believed that these new cartridges introduced in early 1857 had been greased by cow and pig fat. The sepoys were required to bite open the cartridges, and would come into direct contact with the cow and pig grease, which was insulting to Hindus and Muslims respectively," (Document E). Since cows are sacred to those of the Hindu faith, it is sinful and against

The Causes of Indian Independence in 1947 In 1947 India was declared an independent country from Britain, after years of peaceful and violent protests, pressure from all sides, and numerous promises. Not only this, but Pakistan was also formed by partitioning the country into two, providing a separate homeland for the Muslims of India. Although independence was greeting with relief from all, partition came with riots, millions of murders and a hatred between countries that has not healed up even by today. The word "inevitable" in the essay title implies something which was almost 'destined' to happen from the beginning, and the course of action could not be averted under any circumstances.

This essay will focus on the decolonisation of India by the British Empire and the problems they encountered. It will also aim to bring recognition to the struggle decolonisation brought upon the world after World War II. Pierce states that “after the War concluded, a worldwide process of decolonisation commenced in which Britain granted independence to all of its major colonies, beginning notably in India” (Pierce, 2009). India had struggled with uprisings and conflicts for the many years of British occupation but when Gandhi began sharing his social efforts; the perceptions of colonialism began to change leading to the collapse of the British colonial Empire. Gandhi began changing the lives of regular Indian’s with his popular visions, he also advocated for the people of India in a non-violent

The Partition of India in August, 1947 was a significant event in history that accounted for the separation of one of the world’s oldest civilization into two, independent nations – Pakistan and India. Like many other wars in history, The Partition of India was instigated by religious, political and social conflict. This resulted in violence, discrimination and the largest human displacement in contemporary history. While the Partition was well-studied, much of our understanding was focused on the political side of history, not the human side of it. This was why oral history played an important role in manifesting the complexity of a historical event. Our focus here is Maya Rani’s testimony from Butalia’s book, The Other Side of Silence:

Before the Partition of India, in 1947, India was considered a country with a reasonably peaceful history. However, during and after the Partition, sexual violence, both towards men and women, escalated, resulting in the rape and abduction of over 80,000 women. Cracking India, by Bapsi Sidhwa, tells a story that highlights these violent acts by both Muslims and Hindus, through the eyes of a disabled young Parsi girl named Lenny, who witnesses first hand the violence of Partition when she mistakenly participates in the abduction of her ayah, Shanta. Throughout Cracking India, Lenny observes as the religions involved in Partition become increasingly violent towards both men and women, within their own religions and against others.