Partition of British India
Introduction by Dr Eleanor Newbigin
How we see and describe the events of August 1947 in British India has changed a lot over the 70 years since they took place. At the time, Indian and Pakistani leaders proclaimed the end of colonial enslavement and the birth of a free nation…. SEE MORE
Viceroy of India: Lord and Lady Mountbatten at their investiture ceremony in New Delhi © IWM (IND 5295)
With special thanks to:
Vinita Damodaran, Dr Eleanor Newbigin, Kavita Puri, Professor Ian Talbot, Andrew Whitehead
Introduction and Timeline of Events
India and Pakistan won independence from British Colonial rule in August 1947. The division of British India along religious lines into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan led to one of the largest mass migrations in history… more.
BRITISH CABINET MISSION TO INDIA, 1946 © IWM (IND 5092)
Living Through Conflict
The government had not anticipated the scale of the violence that erupted at the time of Partition and were not well prepared to control it. Community riots, religiously-targeted violence and violence against women were widespread and an estimated 12-15 million people became refugees… more.
Map "Prevailing Religions of the British Indian Empire, 1909
People Profiles
Learn more about the prominent figures who shaped the independence and partition of British India, and the personal stories of every day people who lived through partition.… more.
Viceroy of India: Lord and Lady Mountbatten meet Mr Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the future leader of Pakistan © IWM (IND 5302)
Artistic and Literary Responses
One of the ways that humans process trauma and manage their emotions is through art. There were many different types and styles of art responding to the Partition of India, find out more…
Margaret Bourke-White, war correspondent working
Commemoration and Legacy
The partition of British India had far reaching consequences that can still be felt across the world today. Find out more…
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