Question

State three causes that lead to the partition of India.

Answer 1

Hint: The Britishers wanted to create opinion differences among the people of India in order to strengthen their own position. The Congress accepted the partition formula laid in the 3rd June Plan of Lord Mountbatten.

Complete Answer:
The partition of India was the most notable event that had occurred in Indian history. Its main reason was the thinking of the Muslims and their communalism. But the circumstances under which it happened made it one of the saddest events in the Indian history.

The three causes that lead to the partition of India are:
1. Activities of the Muslim League: In the formation of the Muslim League, the English Govt played a significant role. The Britishers wanted to create opinion differences among the people of India in order to strengthen their own position.
- The main objective of the Muslim League was to spread communalism and the Muslim leaders had their own axe to grind through the medium of this organisation.
- In the beginning, the Muslim League failed to be an influential organisation due to its narrow and negative approach. Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s two-nation theory was actually a slogan for the formation of a separate nation for the Indian Muslims.

2. Communal Reaction: Hindu communalism also came into existence as a result of Muslim communalism. The staunch Hindus formed several organisations like the Hindu Maha Sabha.
The Arya Samaj adopted the system of Shuddic which created doubt in the minds of the Muslims. Hindu Maha Sabha not only blamed the congress for being an anti- Hindu organisation but also raised a slogan for the establishment of this nation. As a result of the Hindu communalism, the Muslim communalism grew all the more powerful and raised the slogan for the creation of a separate nation.

3. Congress policy of strengthening India: According to the Congress, the only way to get rid of this problem was the partition of India and it accepted the partition formula laid in the 3rd June Plan of Lord Mountbatten.

Note: To fix the international boundaries between India and Pakistan, the Boundary Commission was established and led by Sir Cyril Radcliffe. The commission was to differentiate Bengal and Punjab into the two new countries. The princely states were given the choice to either remain independent or be a part of either India or Pakistan. The British authority over these kingdoms was terminated.