Chapter 9 & India/Pakistan Partition Movement Study Guide

What was the purpose of the Boundary Commissions?

(June 30) Formed to figure out quickly the specifics of partitioning Bengal.

Partition

(especially with reference to a country with separate areas of government) the action or state of dividing or being divided into parts.

What happened on April 13, 1919? How was that event a turning point in India's struggle for independence? (make sure you know the different names for this event)

10,000 Indians gathered in a public area in Amritar. Dyer's men open fired- 379 were killed and over 1,100 were wounded. Turn point in Indians struggle for freedom. Deepened distrust of British and led to violence. Stirred many Indians to call for complete separation from Britian.

Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan, refer to Malala)

11th Prime Minister of Pakistan, serving two non-consecutive terms in 1988-90 and then 1993-96. Was assassinated.

As a result of partition, some _________million people moved across new borders, ________million died, and roughly __________women were victims of sexual violence.

As a result of partition, some ____12_____million people moved across new borders, ____1____million died, and roughly __75,000__women were victims of sexual violence.

When did India come into existence?

August 15, 1947.

How did the following groups respond to the news of the partition in Bengal? a. Bengal Partition League b. Bengal Muslim League c. United Sovereign Bengal supporters

Bengal Partition: Were pleased with the news, feeling that its worst fear had been avoided-becoming part of Pakistan Bengal Muslim League: Terrified, they now argued to have as many Muslim majority areas as possible become part of Pakistan. United Sovereign League: Deeply disappointed by the news. The decision to partition Bengal crushed their hopes for harmony and a multi-religious government.

How are Calcutta's slums a consequence of partition?

Bengali refugees had to fend for themselves or were forced to take jobs that could not sustain them. Many were told to move to the outskirts of towns. The population of refugees skyrocketed.

Give three examples to describe the migration after partition.

By train or foot. Hundreds of thousands of religious minorities fled and waited in newly formed refugee camps to leave India or Pakistan. Aboard trains with military guards, migrants still became targets of murder, rape, theft, and abduction. Violence for religious minorities was unavoidable.

How has the caste system, family life and the role of women changed in India? How has it stayed the same (and where is change slower?)

Caste system:Tried to be weakened by Indian government. People still associate with members of own caste. Higher caste Indians dominate professions. People from other castes do mix more freely though. Family life:Marriage customs are changing in India. Most are still arranged, people marry when there older. Most Indians live in a joint, patriarchal society. Some city-dwellers live in a nuclear family. Role of Women:Have gained some legal rights. Have right to vote, own property, and get a divorce. Widows can also remarry. Most villages, women still hold traditional values.

How has village life stayed the same and how has it changed?

Changed little, 1/2 have electricity and few have running water. Clothing is still traditional. Villages have kept traditional economies. Farmers still plant crops by hand with ox-drawn plows. People made handmade goods. Harvest has improved in some areas. Growing number of villages have electricity, clinics, schools, and telephones. Technology had put villages in touch with a wider world. More people are moving due to easier travel. Health care has improved. Infant mortality rate is brought down. Medicine has ben brought in.

secular

Country with no official religion

How is partition "both a historical event and a process that continues to this day?"

Debates regarding national identity and the rights to specific territories along the Indian-Pakistani border that originated in 1947 remain.

In 1947, the British granted Indian and Pakistan "dominion status." What is dominion status?

Dominion status means that the British still governed the international affairs of both countries, while Indian and Pakistani leaders controlled domestic policy.

What did the Indian Independence Act of 1947 do?

Ended British Rule in India. Also provided partition of India subcontinent in 2 separate/independent Indias.

civil disobedience

Engaging in non-violent demonstrations and peacefully break laws

What did partition lead to? Describe the events that took place after the boundaries for partition were announced. Why do you think these events took place?

Explosion of violence. 500,000 and more died. Distrust and fear between 2 religions.

What has limited progress in Bangladesh?

Flooding, natural disasters, huge population. Because of population and farming, millions are hungry every day. Prices for its crops are low. They have few roads and bridges.

What happened in January 1948?

Ghana himself fell victim to the violence.

Salt March

Ghandi's satyagraha method of protesting about the tax on salt. Marched 200 miles to the coast with 50,000 Indians arrested to break the law and make sea salt from the ocean water.

Describe or draw a diagram of the government of India as it was instituted by the 1949 constitution.

Had an Indian constitution that created a federal system. Consists of a central government and the governments of 25 states and 7 territories. Constitution divides power between federal and state governments. India is a parliamentary democracy, which is based on the British form of government. A president is head of state but has little power. Real power is in Political party that wins the most seats in parliament. The leader of the party becomes the Prime minister. Indian parliament had 2 houses. Upper is called Rajya Sabha (Council of state). Members are chosen by state legislatures. Lower is called the Lok Sabha (House of the People). Voters elect members to the Lok Sabha directly.

What was Gandhi's view on the issue? What broke out in 1946? What did the British fear would occur?

He disagreed and hoped that the 2 religions would work together in an independent India. !946-rioting between religions. Britain feared a civil war.

What was Gandhi's reaction to the violence?

He refused to celebrate India's independence on August 15, 1947

In what ways did Gandhi appeal to many different groups of people?

He won support by stressing Indians rich heritage. He gave up western ways and encouraged traditional Indian industries. He dressed in simple white garments as what a poor Indian would wear.

What were the principles underlying Gandhi's methods (satyagraha) and where did he pull these ideas from?

His ideas were rooted in Hindu beliefs and and in Christian tradition. It was a nonviolent resistance. They practiced civil disobedience. It was a "truth force".

Were there any examples of Hindu and Muslim families helping each other escape violence?

In some cases, wealthy Hindu and Muslim families arranged to switch homes. East Pakistan and West Bengal or had family who would help them adjust on the other side.

Give five examples of things that the Boundary Commissions were responsible for dividing between Indian and Pakistan.

Involved deciding which country would have specific neighborhoods, districts, roads, schools, fields. Other resources including typewriters, filing cabinets, library books, military hardware, and desks.

Many forces have threatened to tear India apart. What are the forces that divide the people of India and make it difficult to unify as a nation?

Its 988 million people population. Caste system (government tries to compensate for each caste class while other caste groups strongly oppose the idea), cultural diversity (some groups of ethnicity and religion demand its own states, violence in result), Sikh separatism (feel they do not get enough government resources and want to thus break away. Protests became violent), and Hindu-Muslim clashes (Muslims still live in Pakistan and fight with Hindus. Hindus attacked a Muslim mosque, Hindus wanted to build a temple and violence broke).

What economic and political challenges does Pakistan face?

Its populations and cities are growing rapidly. Illiteracy is high, and millions live in poverty. Military rivalry with India has also put a burden on Pakistan's development efforts. Military rule in government limits candidates from running for office. Felt effects of Islamic revival.

Who became the prime minister of India? Governor- general of Pakistan?

Jawaharl Nehru-Prime minister of India Jinnah-Pakistan governor general

Who was the first leader of India? East and West Pakistan?

Jawaharlal Nehru: Prime minister of India Mohammad Ali Jinnah: Pakistan's first governor-general

When it was announced that Bengal and Punjab would be partitioned, what unanswered questions left people panicked and fearful?

June 3, 1947. Which parts of Bengal would become a part of India? Which parts would go to Pakistan? Would individuals or neighborhoods play a role in the decision making?

How were refugees treated in some places?

Large numbers of refugees were not welcome in India and Pakistan even though they had traveled to become a part of the religious majority. Villages and cities were overwhelmed by the flow of people longtime residents discriminated against refugees for taking up space jobs. In Bengal, the central Indian and Pakistani governments gave little attention or money to curb the growing population of refugees. As a result, Bengali refugees had to fend for themselves or were forced to take jobs that could not sustain them.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Leader of Muslims

Mohandas Gandhi

Leader of satyagraha movement. Fought for independence in India and South Africa.

What fears following the announcement of the boundaries led people to leave their homes?

Many Hindus in west Punjab were victims of death, loss of property, rape and abduction. Violence escalated. Some freed the government would not offer them protection. Others felt the burden of expectation to leave and make room for the people who "belonged". Fearing for their safety, they felt that they had no other choice but to pack what belongings they could bring and abandon their homes.

Why did East Pakistan become Bangladesh in 1971?

Many people in East Pakistan wanted to maintain their regional identity and resisted the central government's heavy hand in local affairs. Due to cultural changes to mimic West Pakistan, violence and war broke out.

Who led the Muslims? And what did they demand?

Muhammad Ali, demanded a separate muslim nation.

Indira Gandhi (no relation to Mohandas)

Nehru's successor. Elected in 1966 as Prime minister. Tried to modernize government. Killed by her own body guards in 1984.

How many political parties does India have? What are the two major parties?

Over a dozen. Congress Party and the Bharata Janata Party.

What challenges did India and Pakistan face after independence?

People in India and Pakistan held expectations for rising standards of living, economic prosperity, and security. Their governments struggled to meet their expectations with the crisis of refugees, territorial disputes, and food scarcities. Rapid population growth strained governments ability to meet the publics' needs. In rural places due to population growth, arable land was scarce.

Why are passports and nationality an issue?

People needed to fit into one nationality to get a passport-- was hard. Refugees and other individuals with relatives on both sides of the borders wouldn't fit neatly into one nationality of the other. Religious minorities were treated differently and were comatose not allowed to claim the nationality where they had lived their own life. Many were forced to claim the nationality of the country they were a refugee from. Many were classified as "undefined status". People remain separated due to the nationalism issue.

Jawarharlal Nehru

Prime minister of India

cottage industry

Small businesses run by the home

By 1945, what did Britain realize?

That they could no longer keep India. Nationalists were too strong.

Why is there a conflict between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir?

The British pressured the rulers of each princely state to become part of the country they shared a border with. Kashmir shared a border with India and Pakistan. At first, Kashmir held off of signing to either state. (It was muslim majority but felt strong ties with India). Tribseman from West came in. Maharaja Hari Singh was afraid he would loose power. He turned to India from troops. In exchange, he signed with India. Clashes broke between.

What were the flaws of the Boundary Commissions?

The census did not reflect the large-scale migrations that had occurred in the past years. Many towns in Bengali and Punjabi had transformed in terms of population size and the ratio of Hindus, Muslims, and other religious groups. They relied on outdated records of the population to complete their assignment. They didn't include in the public in the decision making.

What was the Radcliffe Award and what was going to be the result for decades after?

The details of the partition plan (Award divided Bengal into a Hindu-dominated West Bengal and a Muslim-dominated East Bengal. Punjab divided similarly). Partition would cause hardship and conflict between and within India and Pakistan.

How does the BJP differ from the Congress party?

The leaders stress Hindu traditions.

What are the unifying forces?

The main reason is the commitment of most Indians to democratic traditions. Bond of faith between Hindus (had bonded and helped unify government ). Modern communications and strong leaders have also helped to unite the country.

What did the Indian National Congress demand in return for India's support during World War II? What campaign started when Britain refused?

They demanded immediate independence. They set up the "Quit India" movement. They didn't cooperate with British. Civil disobedience too was encouraged. British arrested over 20,000 congress members.

Although Hindus and Muslims had cooperated during the 1920's and 30's nationalist movements, divisions began to grow. Why did the British encourage this and what did some Muslims fear?

They hoped to weaken the Nationalists. The muslims feared that their rights would not be respected in a country dominated by the Hindus.

What was the motivation for the Quit India Campaign?

To gain Independence from the British.

What is the status of Kashmir today?

UN broke Kashmir into different territories for India and Pakistan. Today, they remain bitterly locked in conflict over this region. This has come to the cost of the people of Kashmir.

What challenges did religious minorities who stayed behind in West Bengal and East Pakistan face?

West Bengal (India): Muslim minorities faced violence and intimidation from community members and local authorities. Families became targets of harassments. Muslims in West Bengal tried to avoid provoking their Hindu neighbors. Some members of the Muslim League joined the Congress to save their political careers. Meanwhile, many religious communities chose not to participate in Islamic rituals and public festivals for the first time in decades. In East Pakistan, violence, harassment, and theft plagued many Hindu families. Middle and upper-class Hindus found it difficult to suddenly be treated as inferior members of society when compared to Muslims.

What two areas was Pakistan originally made up of? What were the problems with this arrangement?

West Pakistan and East Pakistan. Only thing in common was that they were both mainly muslim. Geography, language, and traditions differed. East Pakistan was always being flooded and West Pakistan dominated the government. East Pakistan resented this unequal treatment. 1970 East Pakistan was hit by a cyclone and West Pakistan was slow to help out. Were angry and with the help of its military, East Pakistan broke away to become the independent nation of Bangladesh.

What happened in 1971 to East Pakistan? Why?

With the help of its military, East Pakistan broke away to become the independent nation of Bangladesh.

sweatshop

a factory or workshop, especially in the clothing industry, where manual workers are employed at very low wages for long hours and under poor conditions.

refugee

a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

cease-fire agreement

emporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces.

parliamentary democracy

government ruled democratically by a national representative body that has supreme legislative powers.

migration

movement from one part of something to another

satyagraha

nonviolent resistance

infant mortality

rate at which babies die