India and Pakistan - Move to Independence
Collapse of Empire, Bankrupt Britain Devolves Power to Indians 1947
Sep 18, 2009
The breakneck speed of the devolution of power to India and the creation of Pakistan certainly arouses the interest of historians and is the subject of lively debate. The following is a brief summary of the period up to independence.
Break up of the British Empire, Decision to Grant Independence to India
The virtual bankruptcy of Britain following World War II and rising conflicts in India, both communal and anti-colonial and culminating in the mutiny by the Royal Indian Navy, together with the British Government’s commitment to the break up of the British Empire, forced the British Labour Government to an early decision on the independence of India.
Certainly the various British missions to India from 1942 onwards had created a climate for change in the British, although the diplomacy of the negotiators was tried to the extreme as the Muslim League and Indian National Congress could not reach agreement regarding the Government of India.
Interim Government of India Established
An Interim Government of India was set up in December 1946 although the Muslim League would not co-operate and did not take their seats in government.
The speed with which the new major world players America and Russia immediately adopted diplomatic relations with the Interim Indian Government with an exchange of Ambassadors and the establishment of Embassies was perhaps critical to Prime Minister Atlee's decision to make a full transfer of power to an independent India. Also Britain was heavily indebted to India at the end of World War II, the massive sterling balance situation being a matter for protracted diplomacy.
February 1947, British Announce Power Transfer to India by June 1948 at Latest
When Prime Minister Attlee announced in February 1947 that Britain would "transfer power to responsible Indian hands by a date not later than June 1948" he appointed Lord Mountbatten as the new Viceroy responsible for the handover. Britain’s attitude at this time also made it quite clear that if agreement could not be reached between the two major political powers, the transfer of power would take place piecemeal and certainly involve the break up of the Indian nation into smaller constituent states.
Mountbatten Negotiates to try to Keep India as Dominion
It can be seen that the Muslim League Leader, Jinnah, was superfluous to negotiation as Mountbatten felt he would accept whatever was agreed between the British Government and Indian National Congress. Furthermore, the Indian National Congress did not seem to realise the amount of power they wielded with regard to the acquisition of power and independence, due to the unseemly haste with which Britain wished to resolve the matter of independent India.
Partition of India
Whilst many consider that Mountbatten performed a diplomatic coup in managing to achieve dual dominionhood for India and Pakistan, critics have stated that the speed of his negotiations encouraged partition which could have been avoided with more protracted diplomacy between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. Also the speedy withdrawal of the British made the situation of refugees, displaced persons and warfare, particularly in the Punjab, a matter for worldwide concern.
Certainly however Professor S Gopal (Nehru's official biographer) suggested that Nehru was reconciled to partition before Mountbatten's arrival and it was merely a matter of working out the detail. Whether Jinnah actually wanted partition is unknown, as current historiographical debates surround whether his actual intention when calling for a separate Muslim state was to achieve greater Muslim representation in an All India Government.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like to read:
British India, Divide and Rule Tactic
Independent India and Pakistan, 1947
Sources:
R J Moore, Endgames of Empire, (Oxford: Oxford University Press 1988)
Sumit Sarkar, Modern India 1885-1947, (Basingstoke: Macmillan Press, 1989)
