The Partition of India was the division of British India in 1947 into two independent Dominions: India and Pakistan. The partition involved the division of two provinces, Bengal and Punjab, based on district-wide non-Muslim or Muslim majorities.

Who was responsible for the partition of India?

Markandey Katju views the British as bearing responsibility for the partition of India; he regards Jinnah as a British agent who advocated for the creation of Pakistan in order “to satisfy his ambition to become the ‘Quaid-e-Azam’, regardless of the suffering his actions caused to both Hindus and Muslims.” Katju states

What happened during partition of India?

In August 1947, British India won its independence from the British and split into two new states that would rule themselves. The new countries were India and Pakistan. Pakistan was split across two areas, which were 1,240 miles apart.

Why did the partition of India happen?

The Partition of India in 1947 is one of the great forgotten tragedies of the 20th century. It occurred when India became independent from the British Empire and the territory was broken into India and Pakistan. It was decided that India needed to be separated because it had ended up as a massive, sprawling empire.

Why did British officials partition India and Pakistan?

Why did British officials partition India into India and Pakistan? British officials soon became convinced that partition an idea first proposed by India’s Muslims, would be the only way to ensure a safe and secure region. Partition was the term given to the division of India into separate Hindu and Muslim nations.

Why is Pakistan called Pakistan?

Etymology. The name Pakistan means literally “a land abounding in the pure” or “a land in which the pure abound,” in Urdu and Persian. It references the word پاک (pāk), meaning “pure” in Persian and Pashto.

What were the consequences of partition?

Partition triggered riots, mass casualties, and a colossal wave of migration. Millions of people moved to what they hoped would be safer territory, with Muslims heading towards Pakistan, and Hindus and Sikhs in the direction of India.

How many died in the partition of India?

Partition of India

Why did Britishers leave India?

1947: Partition of India

During World War Two, the British had mobilised India’s resources for their imperial war effort. They crushed the attempt of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress to force them to ‘quit India‘ in 1942. For this reason, Britain was desperate to keep India (and its army) united.

Who drew the border between India and Pakistan?

Cyril Radcliffe: The man who drew the partition line. Seventy years ago a British lawyer was asked to divide British-ruled India into the new independent nations of India and Pakistan. He had five weeks to do it, and the lines he drew sparked a tragedy that still poisons ties between the two countries today.

What was the name of India before partition?

Before the partition and even before the advent of Mughals, this land was collectively known as Bharat in Hindi and India in English.

What is the conflict between Hinduism and Islam?

There have been periodic instances of violence against Muslims in India from before its partition from Pakistan in 1947, frequently in the form of mob attacks on Muslims by Hindus that form a pattern of sporadic sectarian violence between the Hindu and Muslim communities.

Was Bangladesh a part of India?

With the partition of India in 1947, it became the Pakistani province of East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan), one of five provinces of Pakistan, separated from the other four by 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of Indian territory. In 1971 it became the independent country of Bangladesh, with its capital at Dhaka.

Why are India and Pakistan enemies?

Relations between the two states have been defined by the violent partition of British India in 1947 which started the Kashmir conflict, and the numerous military conflicts fought between the two nations. Consequently, their relationship has been plagued by hostility and suspicion.

Is Kashmir in India or Pakistan?

Kashmir has an area of about 222,236 sq km (85,806 sq mi). Both India and Pakistan claim all of Kashmir, but the territory has been partitioned between them since 1947. India controls the southern half of Kashmir, which it has organized as the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Who created Pakistan?

Muhammad Ali Jinnah