Independence and Partition
Independence and Partition
Between 1945 and 1947 the demand for Pakistan, the collapse of British capacity to hold India, and the failure of constitutional negotiations produced independence together with partition. The period is dense with dates and plans, and UPSC tests the sequence closely.
The growth of the Pakistan demand
- Muslim League founded at Dhaka in 1906; Lucknow Pact of 1916 between Congress and League
- Separate electorates from 1909, extended in 1919 and confirmed by the Communal Award of 1932
- Jinnah's Fourteen Points of 1929 responded to the Nehru Report
- Lahore Resolution of March 1940 demanded independent states in Muslim majority areas
- The 1937 elections and the working of Congress ministries deepened the League's fear of majority rule
- Direct Action Day on 16 August 1946 was followed by large-scale communal violence in Calcutta and elsewhere
1940 के लाहौर प्रस्ताव में 'पाकिस्तान' शब्द नहीं था - उसमें स्वतंत्र राज्यों की बात थी | यह बारीकी परीक्षा में पूछी जाती है, इसलिए प्रस्ताव की भाषा याद रखो |
The final sequence
| Event | Date | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| INA trials at the Red Fort | November 1945 | Public sympathy for Azad Hind soldiers; showed the limits of British legitimacy |
| Royal Indian Navy mutiny | February 1946 | Bombay ratings' revolt; convinced the British that the armed forces were no longer reliable |
| Cabinet Mission | March-June 1946 | Rejected Pakistan; proposed a union with groups of provinces; both parties accepted then disputed the grouping clause |
| Interim Government | 2 September 1946 | Formed under Jawaharlal Nehru; the League joined in October |
| Constituent Assembly first meeting | 9 December 1946 | Sachchidananda Sinha as temporary chairman; Rajendra Prasad elected president on 11 December |
| Attlee's statement | 20 February 1947 | British withdrawal by June 1948 announced; Mountbatten appointed |
| Mountbatten Plan | 3 June 1947 | Partition of Bengal and Punjab, referendum in NWFP and Sylhet, transfer of power to two dominions |
| Indian Independence Act | 18 July 1947 | Passed by the British Parliament |
| Independence | 14-15 August 1947 | Pakistan on 14 August, India on 15 August |
Cabinet Mission 1946 → Interim Government → 3 June Plan → 15 August 1947
The Radcliffe Boundary Commission under Sir Cyril Radcliffe drew the Bengal and Punjab boundaries, and its award was published on 17 August 1947, after independence. Partition caused the largest mass migration in modern history, with estimates of ten to fifteen million people displaced and hundreds of thousands killed.
✗ The Radcliffe Award was published before independence | ✓ It was published on 17 August 1947, two days after independence, which worsened the confusion and violence
Integration of princely states
The Indian Independence Act left princely states free to join either dominion or remain independent. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel with V. P. Menon secured the accession of almost all of them through the Instrument of Accession before 15 August. Three cases were difficult - Junagadh, settled by plebiscite in February 1948; Hyderabad, integrated through Operation Polo in September 1948; and Jammu and Kashmir, which acceded on 26 October 1947 after a tribal invasion.
Linkage: this topic closes the History syllabus and opens the Polity syllabus, since the Constituent Assembly, the Instrument of Accession and Article 370 all follow from it. It also connects to current affairs through the observance of Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on 14 August and National Unity Day on 31 October.
Exam pointer: high frequency, usually a chronology or a statement set on a plan or mission. High-yield: Cabinet Mission 1946, Constituent Assembly 9 December 1946, Mountbatten Plan 3 June 1947, Radcliffe Award 17 August 1947. Traps: dating the Lahore Resolution to 1930, assuming the Cabinet Mission accepted Pakistan, and thinking Hyderabad acceded before 15 August 1947. Also remember that the Constituent Assembly was elected indirectly by provincial assemblies under the Cabinet Mission Plan.
FAQ
What did the Cabinet Mission Plan propose?
A union of India covering defence, foreign affairs and communications, with provinces grouped into three sections that could frame their own constitutions, and a Constituent Assembly elected indirectly by provincial legislatures. It explicitly rejected the demand for a separate Pakistan.
Why is the Radcliffe Award controversial?
Because Sir Cyril Radcliffe had never visited India before, was given about five weeks, relied on outdated census and map data, and the award was published only on 17 August 1947, after independence. Communities discovered which country they were in after the transfer of power.
How were the princely states integrated?
Through the Instrument of Accession, negotiated mainly by Sardar Patel and V. P. Menon, covering defence, foreign affairs and communications. Junagadh was settled by plebiscite, Hyderabad through police action in 1948, and Jammu and Kashmir acceded on 26 October 1947 after an invasion from across the border.
60-second recap
- Muslim League 1906; Lucknow Pact 1916; Jinnah's Fourteen Points 1929; Lahore Resolution 1940.
- INA trials November 1945 and the RIN mutiny February 1946 undermined British authority.
- Cabinet Mission 1946 rejected Pakistan; Constituent Assembly first met 9 December 1946.
- Mountbatten Plan 3 June 1947; Independence Act 18 July 1947; independence 14 and 15 August.
- Radcliffe Award published 17 August 1947, after independence.
- Patel and Menon integrated the states; Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir were the difficult cases.
Modern India carries the largest share of Prelims history questions - lock it in by attempting modern history questions from this chapter in the ExamAtlas UPSC Prelims mock test.