Independence, Partition and the Integration of States
Independence, Partition and the Integration of States
The final topic of the history block gives 2 questions and covers the years from 1942 to 1950. It is examined as a sequence of missions and plans rather than as separate events, so learning the order matters considerably more than learning any single date in isolation.
The Road to Transfer of Power
| Step | Year | What it proposed or did |
|---|---|---|
| Cripps Mission | 1942 | Dominion status after the war; rejected |
| Quit India Movement | 1942 | Mass movement; leadership arrested |
| Wavell Plan and Simla Conference | 1945 | Failed over Muslim League representation |
| Cabinet Mission | 1946 | Federal union; Constituent Assembly formed |
| Interim Government | 1946 | Nehru at its head |
| Mountbatten Plan | 3 June 1947 | Accepted partition |
| Indian Independence Act | 1947 | Passed by the British Parliament |
| Independence | 15 August 1947 | Two dominions created |
The Cabinet Mission of 1946 is the step most often asked, because it rejected the demand for a separate state and proposed a three-tier federal union instead, and because the Constituent Assembly was constituted under it.
✗ The Cabinet Mission accepted the demand for Pakistan | ✓ It rejected partition and proposed a federal union; partition came with the Mountbatten Plan in 1947
Partition
- The Radcliffe Line, drawn by Cyril Radcliffe, divided Punjab and Bengal.
- The boundary award was published after independence, which deepened the disorder.
- It produced one of the largest migrations in recorded history, with very great loss of life.
The examinable points are the Radcliffe Line, the two divided provinces, and the timing of the award.
Integration of the Princely States
At independence there were around 560 princely states, technically free to accede to either dominion or remain independent. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, as Home Minister, with V. P. Menon as his secretary, brought almost all of them into India.
| State | How it was resolved |
|---|---|
| Most states | Instrument of Accession, signed before or around August 1947 |
| Junagadh | Ruler acceded to Pakistan; a plebiscite brought it to India |
| Hyderabad | Held out; integrated in 1948 through police action |
| Kashmir | Acceded to India in October 1947 after tribal invasion |
Patel is called the Iron Man of India for this work, and the Instrument of Accession is the document asked by name. The three exceptions — Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir — are asked as a set.
From Independence to the Republic
- The Constituent Assembly first met in December 1946, with Dr. Rajendra Prasad of Bihar as its President.
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee.
- The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949.
- It came into force on 26 January 1950, chosen because Purna Swaraj had been observed on that date in 1930.
- Rajendra Prasad became the first President of the Republic.
The two dates — adopted in 1949, in force in 1950 — are asked in every paper and are regularly swapped. For Bihar, Rajendra Prasad presiding over the Constituent Assembly and then becoming first President is the point at which the state's freedom-struggle story ends and its constitutional one begins.
संविधान 26 नवंबर 1949 को अंगीकृत, 26 जनवरी 1950 को लागू।
TRE pointer: This topic is set as a sequencing question more often than as a date question, so learn Cripps, Cabinet Mission, Interim Government, Mountbatten Plan and the Independence Act as a chain. The Cabinet Mission rejected partition point is the standard trap. For Bihar, Rajendra Prasad as President of the Constituent Assembly and first President of India is the fact a state paper wants.
60-Second Recap
- Cripps 1942 rejected; Cabinet Mission 1946 proposed a federal union and formed the Constituent Assembly.
- Mountbatten Plan of 3 June 1947 accepted partition; independence on 15 August 1947.
- The Radcliffe Line divided Punjab and Bengal, published after independence.
- Patel and V. P. Menon integrated about 560 states through the Instrument of Accession.
- Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir were the three exceptions.
- Constitution adopted 26 November 1949, in force 26 January 1950; Rajendra Prasad first President.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the Cabinet Mission accept the demand for Pakistan?
No. It rejected partition and proposed instead a three-tier federal union with grouping of provinces, and it provided for the Constituent Assembly that framed the Constitution. Partition was accepted only later, in the Mountbatten Plan of June 1947.
What was the Instrument of Accession?
The document by which a princely state acceded to India or Pakistan at independence, ceding defence, foreign affairs and communications. Sardar Patel, with V. P. Menon, secured its signature from nearly all of the roughly 560 states.
Which princely states did not accede immediately?
Junagadh, whose ruler acceded to Pakistan before a plebiscite brought it to India; Hyderabad, integrated in 1948 through police action; and Kashmir, which acceded to India in October 1947 after a tribal invasion from across the border.
Why was 26 January chosen for the Constitution to come into force?
Because the Congress had observed 26 January 1930 as the first Independence Day, following the Purna Swaraj resolution passed at Lahore in 1929. The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and brought into force on that anniversary in 1950.
Next step: Modern history is examined as chains of cause and sequence, not as isolated dates. Test this chapter in the BPSC TRE 4.0 mock test on ExamAtlas — five options, −1/3 negative marking, Bihar-weighted.