Hindu-Muslim Tensions: Raging Since the 700s
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Muslims and Hindus have had religious
tensions since the 7th century when Islam spread to India. When
Muslim expansion spread into the Indian peninsula, it threatened the Hindu way
of life. Their contrasting beliefs of monotheism versus polytheism, contributed
to their conflicts and lack of trust for one another. This long-term strife and
history of violence between
Hindus and Muslims played a major role in the 1947 partition of India. The
creation of two separate states—Hindu majority India and Muslim majority
Pakistan—worsened religious tensions and the consequences are still being seen
today.
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The creation of two separate states—Hindu majority India and Muslim majority Pakistan--worsened religious tensions and the consequences are still being seen today. |
Quick Retrieval Leaves Everyone Unsatisfied
Lord Mountbattan's radio broadcast prior to the partition of India.
The National Archives of the United Kingdom: The Road to Partition 1939-1947: CAB 21/2038 The Times reports on Lord Mountbatten’s radio broadcast on partition, 4 June 1947, available
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After World War II ended the British government found themselves unable to financially support a colony, declaring that they would grant India independence by June 1948. The British seized the prospect to retreat from their Indian responsibilities; while the Indian National Congress (primarily Hindu) and The Muslim League disagreements persisted. Lord Louis Mountbattan, the Viceroy for India, requested that Hindu and Muslim leadership would create an untied country, however their long, religious history of tension and violence, hindered leaders to agree to unite. Thus forcing Lord Mountbattan to comply their requests for partition. Moving the independence date up to August 15, 1947, challenged the Muslim and Hindu representatives to have to create boarders, divide assets and allocate finances all within a matter of six months.
Lord Mountbattan’s radio broadcast, reported by “The Times (shown to the left),” reveals the results of British control on its colony and the Hindu-Muslim response. He describes the British efforts of uniting India for “more than a hundred years” through “unified communications, defense, postal services and currency; an absence of tariffs and Customs Barriers; and the basis for an integrated political economy.” Though these may seem like positive results of the British Raj, it is clear, when understanding the Hindu-Muslim tensions, that living together as a united country is not the majorities’ view of a positive outcome. Despite the already fragile relations of Hindus and Muslims, Mountbattan’s broadcast placed the aftermath of the partition on the people of India. After having a direct role in the British Raj, Mountbattan conveniently backed away from the problem and describes that the success of the Partition “will depend on the (Indian’s) spirit of good” once the British leave. His British, colonial view illustrates how their role in the partition was less concerned with the aftermath and more concerned with getting out as quickly as possible, even if it meant having to settle with poor, inadequate boarders. After the creation of two states was finalized in August 1947, UK High Commissioner Terence Shone, described that the “ever-deteriorating relations between the leaders of the Congress and the Muslim League” made it evident that collaborating “was impracticable (19).” He reveals that both sides were forced to accept “the best arrangement they could get,” however “neither left satisfied… (19).” His insight on the Hindus and Muslims views of the partition support the argument that creation of two separate states did not help Hindu-Muslim tensions, but rather left them more upset. Commissioner Shone recognized that these two parties “were born of antipathy (20),” which would explain the later consequences of the partition. |
Fight to get to the "right side": the Violent Consequences of Partition
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Even though the Partition was an effort to solve the Hindu-Muslim tension, it ended up intensifying their relations due to the poor, controversial boundary making. The final boundary, known as the Radcliffe Line (shown in the image to the right), attempted to divided the territories according to the religious population. While the northern part of India was dominantly Muslim, the discrepancy was in the province of Punjab (55.7% Muslims) and Bengal (54.4% Muslims). The final decision caused the western part of the Punjab to become part of West Pakistan, and the East to become part of eastern India. Bengal also was split into the East becoming apart of Pakistan and the West becoming apart of India. These lines caused an estimated of 10-12 million people migrating to “get to the right side” depending on their religion. In this process of migrating it is estimated that 500,000 to a million people were killed.
10-12 million people migrating...in the process 500,000 to 1 million people were killed |
 Movement of refugees after the Partition
"Radcliffe Line." Wikipedia. Accessed April 30, 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radcliffe_Line.
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A train carries hundreds of refugees and migrants in Punjab.
Patel, Meera. "Rape Accounts Still Surface from India's Partition 65 Years on." Women's Media Center. June 26, 2013. Accessed April 30, 2015.
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The official report by India’s Ministry of Information in November 1947, uncovers the mass amounts of migration during the aftermath of the partition. It is reported that, “six thousand non-Muslims arrived in India by refugee trains from Lahore and 3,000 from Lyallpur. Three thousand Muslim refugees each from Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana were moved by train to Pakistan.” In the process of refugees boarding trains to migrate to their desired location, passengers were massacred by opposite gangs. August 15th, the Punjab railroads were severely disrupted due to the series of killings. Tens of thousand of girls were also raped and abducted in the process, as a way to dishonor males and the whole community. People primary cut, axed or burned people alive. These horrific violent acts clearly depict that the creation of two separate states aggravated Hindu-Muslim conflict even more than before. The partition drove people move to the “right side-”meaning the side that corresponded to their religion or family ties. If anyone got in the way of that, they were entitled to removing that obstacle, even if that meant violence.
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Long Term Consequences of the Partition
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The series of events to follow the partition are still being felt in the 21st century. Since the Partition, India and Pakistan have fought three major wars and one minor territory dispute. The independent, princely state, Kashmir, is a more recent debate. The prince of Kashmir was allowed to choose what side Kashmir would join and he decided to join India (despite the Muslim majority). Kashmir’s natural resources, religious significance, and strategic location have made Kashmir and hotly debated place to this day. Overall, the hundreds of years of being ruled, suppressed and controled by the British Raj, along with a deep history of religious tension, both Hindus and Muslims were shaken when they only had a six-month notice before the British left. In the scramble to create the best fitting boarders- according to religion and infrastructure- both parties ended up leaving unsatisfied. The discontentment of the boarders has driven much violence and disputes between these two groups even to this day.
The discontentment of the boarders has driven much violence and disputes between these two groups even to this day. |
Map published in India, June 1947, assuming how India would be divided amongst religious groups. Kashmir was "unaffected" because they were an independent, princely state. However, they would later be directed affected.
The National Archives of the United Kingdom: The Road to Partition 1939-1947: CAB 21/2038 Map speculating on a possible division of India from the Daily Herald newspaper, 4th June 1947, available at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/the-road-to- partition/map-possible-partition/ (accessed 22 April 2015). (CLICK HERE)
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