Was Britain To Blame For Partition During The Withdrawal From India In 1947

Was Britain to blame for partition during the withdrawal from India in 1947?

Draft 1

Britain should carry all the responsibility for the partition of the country and the violence that followed their withdrawal from in India in 1947. At the time of the British takeover of India the subcontinent was made up of many provinces with different peoples, languages and religions. During their rule the British were to force this diverse population into one country under its control. This sowed the seeds for the partition of the country in 1947 and resulted in the death and violence that followed.

Prior to the withdrawal of the British they were forced to give concessions. These concessions were introduced on a piecemeal basis and did little to accommodate the aspirations of the people on the Indian sub-continent. In 1909 the Government of India Act allowed a very small number of rich Indians to sit on councils with little powers. In 1919 another Act created an Indian Parliament, but only rich Indians could vote. In 1935 a further Act allowed more power to be handed over to an Indian parliament but kept crucial departments under British control. Furthermore the elections in 1935 demonstrated to the Muslim League that an independent India would be a Hindu-led state.

As a result of these measures the population of the Indian sub-continent didn’t trust the British to deliver any kind of meaningful independence. This was confirmed in 1942 when the Cripps Mission offered India dominion status after the war in return for assisting the British war effort. Ghandi rejected the offer out of hand as similar offers before World War One were never lived up to. The British further alienated Indian nationalists by suppressing the ‘Quit India Campaign’ and arresting thousands of people.

By March 1947 it was clear that the British were no longer in control of developments in India. When Mountbatten arrived in India in March 1947 he announced that Britain would withdraw no later than June 1948. Six weeks later Mountbatten produced a plan for the partition of India into two countries. Mountbatten than announced that British withdrawal would be brought forward to 15 August 1947. Partition was now inevitable and the British made a complete mess of drawing up the boundaries between the two countries. This led to one million dying and twelve million people becoming refugees as they found themselves on the ‘wrong’ side of the new borders.

For decades the British offered minor concessions to the population of the Indian sub- continent and then when independence became inevitable the rushed through their withdrawal, drew up unsuitable boundaries and caused widespread violence and dead. They must carry the responsibility for the partition of India in 1947 and the consequences that followed from it. Was Britain to blame for partition during the withdrawal from India in 1947?

Draft 2

Britain was partially to blame for the partition of India following their withdrawal from the country in 1947. Many of the measures they introduced created the circumstances whereby partition became likely. However, some of the responsibility must also rest with the leaders of the Indian Congress and the Muslim League for creating a situation whereby the two communities could not live together in the one country.

The British must take responsibility for partition for their failure from 1909 to 1947 to introduce meaningful reforms to allow Indians real democracy and control over their own affairs. All of the reforms under the Government of India Acts in 1909, 1919 and 1935 only gave limited reforms and also convinced the Muslim population that an independent India would be dominated by Hindus.

During World War Two the Cripps Mission offered dominion status to India after the war in return for supporting the British war effort. The Muslim League had already demanded an independent Muslim state in 1940 through the Lahore Resolution. The Congress Party rejected Cripps’ proposals. They didn’t trust the British because the British had made similar promises during World War One. To increase the difficulties the Congress Party now launched the ‘Quit India’ Campaign.

By the end of World War Two British withdrawal became inevitable. Britain was struggling economically after the war and the newly elected Labour government looked more favourably on Indian independence. The British government put forward proposals for a single Indian state with increased local autonomy for different regions. Just when an agreement looked possible Nehru rejected the proposals. This sent a message to the Muslim League that the Congress Party wanted a single Indian state dominated by Hindus. At this point partition became inevitable.

Britain deserves part of the responsibility for the partition of India. It offered only piecemeal reforms until it became clear that the British would have to withdraw. Britain contributed to the difficulties of partition by drawing up unsuitable borders for India and Pakistan. However, the Congress Party and the Muslim League should also share the responsibility for partition. They operated in the interests of the people they represented and failed to reach any agreement that would allow for a single independent Indian state to be formed. Was Britain to blame for partition during the withdrawal from India in 1947?

Draft 3

In my opinion the British bear little blame for the partition of India during British withdrawal from India in 1947. The British made several efforts to find an agreeable solution to the difficulties being experienced in India during this period. Unfortunately both the Indian Congress Party and the Muslin League rejected these possible solutions. This essay will argue that the blame for partition in 1947 lies primarily with the Indian Congress Party and the Muslim League.

In 1909, 1919 and 1935, the British government introduced three separate Government of India Acts. The Indian elections in 1935 saw the Congress Party become the largest party and in effect became the governing party under the 1935 Act. This led to the Muslim League feeling excluded and becoming convinced that an independent India would become a Hindu-led state and Muslims would be discriminated against.in a single Indian state. Clearly divisions between Hindus and Muslims existed in 1935 and these divisions were to get worse.

In May 1940 the Muslim League met in Lahore and passed the Lahore Resolution demanding and independent Pakistan for Muslims. Some historians claim that Jinnah did this in order to strengthen his bargaining position with the British. This shows that the Muslim League were looking after their own interests than trying to find a solution.

The Cripps Mission made proposals in 1942 for India to be granted dominion status at the end of World War Two in return for cooperation with the British war effort. Once again the Congress Party rejected the proposals and launched the 'Quit India' campaign.

At the end of World War Two the British were faced with a situation where Hindu and Muslim leaders appeared intent on pulling the country apart. The British put forward proposals in April 1946 that allowed for dominion status without partition and allowing provinces in India increased powers and the right to form unions under the umbrella of a single central government. Just as agreement seemed likely Nehru rejected the proposals and thereby wrecking the last chance to avoid partition.

British withdrawal became inevitable after World War Two. Despite the efforts made by the British to find an acceptable solution to all sides both the Congress Party and the Muslim League were intent on pursuing their own agendas. The failure to reach agreement led to widespread violence and division that led to partition.