The Twilight of the British Raj

In December 1946, as winter winds swept through London, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee summoned Lord Louis Mountbatten to Downing Street. The meeting would set in motion one of the most consequential—and catastrophic—geopolitical events of the 20th century. Mountbatten, a decorated naval officer and cousin to King George VI, was appointed Viceroy of India with an impossible mission: oversee Britain’s withdrawal from its prized colony while preventing civil war.

The British Empire, already weakened by two world wars, could no longer maintain its grip on India. World War II had drained Britain’s resources—halving its overseas investments, decimating its merchant fleet, and leaving cities in ruins. Meanwhile, Indian nationalism surged under leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, whose nonviolent resistance campaigns (combining civil disobedience with economic boycotts) had eroded colonial authority. By 1946, even the Royal Indian Navy revolted, with 78 ships and 20 bases joining strikes. The “Jewel in the Crown” had become a ticking time bomb.

The Religious Fault Line

Beneath the independence movement lurked a deeper divide: religion. India’s 400 million people were split between 300 million Hindus and 100 million Muslims, a schism dating back to the 16th-century Mughal Empire. British “divide and rule” policies exacerbated tensions—initially favoring Hindus for administrative roles, then later empowering Muslims to counter nationalist movements.

By 1946, the idea of “Two Nations”—championed by Muslim League leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah—had taken hold. Jinnah argued that Hindus and Muslims could not coexist in one state, citing cultural clashes like dietary restrictions (Muslims ate beef, which Hindus considered sacred). Violence erupted in Calcutta during the “Direct Action Day” riots, where 4,000 bodies littered the streets and 20,000 more were dumped in rivers. The British, desperate to avoid a bloodbath, turned to Mountbatten for a solution.

The Mountbatten Plan: A Rush to Partition

Mountbatten arrived in India in March 1947 with an unenviable task: negotiate a peaceful transition. Gandhi pleaded for unity (“You may give India to Muslims, but don’t partition it”), but compromise proved impossible. Jinnah demanded a separate Pakistan, threatening civil war if denied.

With a 10-week deadline, British lawyer Cyril Radcliffe—who had never visited India—was tasked with drawing borders using outdated maps and census data. The result, the Radcliffe Line, ignored cultural and geographic realities:
– Punjab was split, stranding 5 million Hindus/Sikhs in Pakistan and 5 million Muslims in India.
– Key resources were mismatched: East Bengal (Pakistan) grew 75% of the world’s jute but had no mills, while Calcutta (India) had factories but no raw materials.
– Princely states like Hyderabad (Muslim ruler, Hindu majority) and Kashmir (Hindu ruler, Muslim majority) became flashpoints.

On August 14–15, 1947, Pakistan and India gained independence—and chaos ensued.

The Human Catastrophe

The partition triggered one of history’s worst humanitarian crises:
– Massacres: Over 500,000 died in religious violence within months—more than Britain’s WWII casualties.
– Refugees: 12 million people crossed borders, creating sprawling slums in Delhi and Karachi.
– War: India and Pakistan fought three wars (1947, 1965, 1971), the last birthing Bangladesh from East Pakistan.

Radcliffe, horrified by his creation, fled to England and never returned.

Legacy of the Partition

The partition’s aftershocks endure:
1. Kashmir Conflict: The disputed region remains a nuclear tinderbox.
2. Refugee Identity: Millions of descendants still grapple with lost homelands.
3. Cultural Divide: Bollywood and Lollywood (Pakistan’s film industry) reflect divergent national narratives.

Key figures met tragic ends: Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu extremist in 1948; Jinnah died of tuberculosis weeks later; Mountbatten was killed by an IRA bomb in 1979.

Conclusion

The Radcliffe Line, drawn in haste, reshaped South Asia forever. It stands as a stark reminder of colonialism’s destructive legacy—and the perils of imposing borders without regard for human lives. Today, as India and Pakistan mark independence days just one day apart, the partition’s wounds remain unhealed.