Partition, Independence and Nation-Building
What the domain covers
This domain covers Partition, independence and nation-building. Code 128 tests the transfer of power, the Radcliffe award, integration of princely states, the Constitution, and the major challenges of the new republic.
Core rules and concepts
- Mountbatten Plan, 3 June 1947: partition of Punjab and Bengal, referendums in Sylhet and the North-West Frontier Province, and a boundary commission.
- Indian Independence Act, July 1947: two dominions, Pakistan on 14 August and India on 15 August; princely states freed from British paramountcy.
- Radcliffe Line: hurried award dividing Punjab and Bengal; it cut irrigation, rail and road networks and triggered massive migration.
- Integration: Instrument of Accession; Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir required different methods; Goa and Pondicherry were integrated later.
- Constitution: Constituent Assembly, adopted 26 November 1949, enforced 26 January 1950; universal adult franchise, fundamental rights, and a federal parliamentary system.
- Nation-building: refugee rehabilitation, linguistic states in 1956, five-year plans, Non-Aligned Movement, wars of 1962, 1965 and 1971, and the Green Revolution.
Worked example
A question asks why Hyderabad's integration was difficult. Reasoning: the Nizam resisted accession, claimed independence and had a paramilitary force; the government used a police action in 1948. Conclusion: integration was not automatic; it combined negotiation, popular movements and, where necessary, force, while preserving special provisions.
Traps
Do not confuse the Mountbatten Plan with the Indian Independence Act; the plan was a proposal, the Act was law. Do not say Partition affected only Punjab and Bengal; it reshaped all of South Asia. Do not treat the Radcliffe Line as a carefully planned border.