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. In this essay I will
divide up the causes of independence and partition into long term,
medium term and short term. These key points will be discussed and
compared in relevance to the question, on which causes were important
towards the contribution of independence and partition.
Perhaps the longest term cause relating to partition was the Mughal
Empire. It was in 1526 that the Mughal leader Babar, a Muslim, invaded
the Hindu majority India. This was a minority of invaders ruling over
a majority, and continued through Akbar's reign from 1556 to 1605 and
finished with Aurangzeb, who died in 1707. By this time about a third
of people in India were Muslim. Mughal emperors maintained a strict
cohesion to fundamental Islam and also believed that all non Muslims
should convert or be put to death. This first meeting between Hindus
and Muslims was not a happy one; the thousands of murders that the
foundation of their relationship lay on meant religious te...
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... hence the British became involved in fighting and continued to gain
money. In 1757 the Battle of Plassey took place, where the EIC
essentially captured Bengaland was the turning point in relations, as
the British became hungry for physical power of their own. Although
greatly exaggerated by British historians, this was no more than a
number of Bengali elephants stampeding, handing the British victory.
This began tensions between Indians and the British as they first used
force to get what they wanted. At this time Hindus prophecied that the
Vedas spoke of a rule lasting only 100 years, so in 1857 the Indian
Mutiny took place as Hindus believed it was at this time the British
would be overthrown. Unfortunately it failed, and this angered the
Indians further as perhaps the British were "overstaying their rule"
in India.
To begin, British Imperialism had many political effects on India’s people throughout the years. The forcefulness of Europe’s invasion brought plenty of fear and destruction among the government, which in the following years would become run completely by British officials. According to document two, “The Indians have no control whatsoever over their own taxation...The entire civil government is now carried on by men who live lives quite remote from the people they govern.” According to Dr. Lalvani in paragraph twelve, Imperialism brought Indians together. He states, “perhaps the most innovative of all was the bringing together of several different states into one unified India.” That may have been the result in sight, but the truth is, as shown in document one, when Gandhi states, “For a hundred years, you have done everything for us. You have given us no responsibility for our own
The Effects of British Imperialism in India One could approach this topic from two points of view: the British and the Indian. One could choose either party and find very different opinions. When British colonizers first arrived in India, they slowly gained more and more control in India through many ways, the most prominent being trade and commerce. At first, they managed India’s government by pulling the string behind the curtain. However, soon they had acquired complete rule over India, converting it into a true British colony.
The Partition of India led to millions of people displaced and marked as one of the largest mass migration ever over the world. August 15, 1947 was a very significant day for Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and many others. It marked the day of the British partition of India, and India won its freedom from colonial rule, ending nearly 200 years of British rule. This successful attainment of independence from colonial rule defined a narrative of religious nationalism, but also has led to displacement and violence between the two nation states of India and Pakistan. Once a peaceful union of Muslims and Hindus had become separated, whereas Muslims got Pakistan and Hindus got an independent India (Best et al, 2008). “The Other Side of Silence” (Butalia, 2000, pp.264-300) the oral testimony of a Punjabi woman Maya Rani, who was a child living in Pakistan during the Partition. Her testimony was crucial to understand the historiography of the event, because she was a witness of the impact of the Partition, but she was not directly involved in the violence that the emergence and independence of India that has brought.
World War I and II took a toll on many nations, one of them being Britain. After Britain finished fighting two world wars they were struggling with debt (India, 36). This is a major reason that leads them to withdraw from many of their colonies. There was also rising tension between Hindus and Muslims in this empire, which was getting out of control. The separation of Pakistan and India was beneficial for Hindus and Muslims alike.
In the novel, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, the main character, is married to a Creole named Leonce with whom she lives in New Orleans. As the novel opens, they are vacationing in Grand Isle with many other rich couples. Edna is not originally from the Creole lifestyle, so she is not immediately comfortable with being open. However, she starts talking to Adele, another Creole wife, who starts to show her how to open up. As they talk more, Robert, a very young, good-looking attendant, shows up and begins to take a fancy to Edna. While they are at Grand Isle, Edna seems to find herself. Once they leave, Edna starts to become more independent. We begin to see these types of independent women at the turn of the twentieth century. Throughout the novel, we see Edna turn from a dependent woman and housewife, such as Adele, to the powerful and independent woman of the twentieth century.
n President Andrew Jackson “ He’s made his decision, now let’s see him enforce it”
1774, Warren Hastings appointed the first governor general of India by the East India Company. In 1774, he was appointed the first Governor-General of Bengal. He was also the first governor of India. The post was new, and British mechanisms to administer the territory were not fully developed. Regardless of his title, Hastings was only a member of a five-man Supreme Council of Bengal so confusedly structured that it was difficult to tell what constitutional position Hastings actually held.
...ernment of India Act was passed in 1935 granting self-rile in India and democratic political reforms. However, as India got closer to independence, Hindus and Muslims began to disagree on government but in 1947 independence was granted. Immediately after independence India was split into two different nations, Pakistan, which had a majority of Muslim, and East Pakistan (“The End of Imperialism & Colonialism”).
Thousands of years ago, Indian society developed into a complex system based on different classes. This system was known as the Caste System. It separated Indians into different castes based on what class were born into. As thousands of years went by, this system grew larger and became further complex (Wadley 189). This system caused frustration for the Indian citizens because they were receiving inequality. Not only did the inequality and separation of the Indian society frustrate the citizens of India, but the imperialism Britain had upon them as well. In the early 20th century, Indian nationalists wanted to take a stand against the British rule and make India independent. The British created unfair laws that created a nationalist movement
Imperialism in India British imperialism in India had many positive and negative effects on both the mother country, Britain and the colony, India. Many people would argue which effects were more prominent in these countries, and some would agree that they were equal. But in both cases, there were actually both. In India, the British colonization had more positive effects than negative. For instance, when the British colonized India they built 40,000 miles of railroad and 70,000 miles of paved roadway.
The most threatening conflict between Hindus and Muslims is the province of Kashmir. This is where the decision to divide India into India and Pakistan seems to have been a terrible mistake. Kashmir, which is the only Muslim majority city in India, lies between the divided India and Pakistan. After India’s independence in the 1940’s, Kashmir had to choose to either unite with India or Pakistan. The Prince of Kashmir chose India but Pakistan invaded the province soon after and have occupied part of Kashmir since then. Controversy still surrounds the province today because naturally, Muslims want to control it. While many Muslims relocated to Pakistan and the Hindus to India, half of the Muslim population was left in India and their relations did not improve after being partially separated.
Ruby Kaur May 10, 2014 Source 1 Ricardo Pollack is distinguished as a director because of the documentary, Partition: The Day India Burned (2007). The documentary itself discusses the detrimental consequences of the withdrawal of Britain's reign from India in 1947, which led to the forced relocation of men, women, and even children across newly defined border lines, along with violence, rape, and murder. The film makes its argument through dramatized reconstructions and witness testimonies, which offer personal insight into the horrors of the partition and conjure up feelings of sympathy and remorse. The film intends to make an educated public more aware of how an ethnically diverse nation was tragically divided and its effects on civilian lives. This is a secondary source with primary sources because it is based on witness testimonies and an actual historical event, but offers its own evaluation on the issue through dramatized reconstructions of the event.
Within the context of the period 1847-1947 to what extent was Indian independence primarily the result of the growth of Indian nationalism?
Sixty years ago, the United Nations set out to distinguish the country to which the area including the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range belonged. The UN suggested the region, called Kashmir, could either become part of India or Pakistan, or become independent. Naturally, India and Pakistan were both enthusiastically interested in acquiring the region. In the last six decades, India and Pakistan have fought three wars with the intentions of resolving the Kashmir conflict. In 1948, men from Pakistan invaded Kashmir to gain control of it. Kashmir, however, enlisted the help of India to protect them from the invasion. In exchange, the ruler granted India control of Kashmir. Since then, Kashmir has been a part
We can start by recounting history, where the roots of the conflict lie. India was one massive nation made up of several states, ruled by the British. A long and difficult independence struggle culminated with the British choosing to leave India in August 1947. The Muslims of the land decided that instead of just a Free India, they would create a Free Pakistan for themselves as well. They were fearful that as a minority, the Hindu majority would trample their rights and religion. Both countries would be formed as soon as the British handed back control in August. The rulers of each individual state constituting India would chose which country to join, hopefully following the wishes of its people. This idea was fraught with problems. There were quite a few states that had a majority of one religion yet the ruler belonged to another faith. The states of Hyderabad and Junagarh were examples of this. Both had Hindu majorities and M...