To many historians and critics the creation of Pakistan followed on from the perceived divide and rule tactics of the British Empire. In the months leading up to the independence of India the Punjab was at the centre of communal violence hitherto unseen in India, based purely upon religious grounds. Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus battled for political control of India, with Muslims calling for the creation of a separate and independent homeland, Pakistan.
With its agricultural bounty the Punjab was often termed the 'Breadbasket of India' and, as the principal exporter of grain and other manufactured items, was an extremely wealthy state. Prior to the partition of India Lahore was also the banking capital of India. It can, therefore, be established that the acquisition of all, or part of the Punjab, in the event of a partition of India would have been paramount to all warring political parties in India.
Whilst over 50% of the Punjabi population in 1941 was Muslim, they tended to consist of peasants or artisans with very few wealthy Muslims in the region.
Brief Look at Politics in the Punjab up to 1946
It has been stated that the British caused the increased communal tensions in the Punjab by the creation of popularly elected political institutions. Certainly, from the Indian Councils' Act of 1861 to the 1935 Government of India Act more power had been devolved into Indian hands by the policy of building upwards from the regions. The regular Census of India from 1881 onwards had also profoundly influenced Indian identities as they were forced to identify themselves with a religion, caste or tribal/ethnic identity
Politically, the ruling Punjab Unionist Party had managed to retain power in the region since the 1920s. This party was extremely pro-British, it was led by one of the leading military castes so had no religious affiliations and was truly a cross community government.
Muslim Electoral Gains in Punjab Lead to Calls for Independent Homeland of Pakistan
With a Muslim majority of the total population in the Punjab, Jinnah's Muslim League stated that their 1946 election gains were actually due to Muslim demands for an independent homeland. Although the Muslim League was elected as the major political group in 1946, an alliance between the Punjab Unionist Party, Sikh and Hindu groups denied them the opportunity to govern the region.
From January 1947 a six week Muslim League programme of agitation managed to unseat the leader of the Unionist Coalition Government, which heightened tensions across the Punjab. Although Khisr Tiwana, leader of the Unionist Coalition Government was Muslim, he was not affiliated to the Muslim League. Upon resignation, he admitted that it had been a great mistake to refuse the Muslim League the opportunity to govern the region. The incensed Sikh leader, Master Tara Singh, immediately called for Sikhs in the Punjab to practise communalism and called for an inter communal war and a return to Sikh rule.
Communal Battles for the Punjab and Growing Violence
Historians state that problems in the Punjab were based on wartime political developments both in and out of the region. Certainly Jinnah's 1940 speech to the Muslim League in Lahore inspired many Muslims with a vision of their own homeland.
The violence throughout the Punjab was well planned, doubtless due to the fact that 48% of the British Indian Army was recruited from Punjab. The history of recruitment into the army dated back to the failed Sepoy Mutiny, following which the Punjab was one of the major recruiting grounds for soldiers, of whatever faith. The British justified this by the creation of the martial race castes, such as Jats.
Whilst, the growth of violence, riots and arson within the cities of Amritsar and Lahore was immense from March 1947, the massacre of Sikhs and Hndus in the Rawalpindi and Jhelum districts took the conflict onto another level. Terrorist bomb blasts became more frequent and the battle for the Punjab encompassed enforced migration, arson, looting, rapes and the forcible kidnap of women.
Up to 12 million people were displaced during the partition of the Punjab and around 1 million killed. Indeed many of the kidnapped women of the Punjab are still absent today.
The announcement of the partition of the Punjab did cause intense Sikh agitation with much of the ethnic cleansing in the east due to Sikh attempts to attain a Sikh majority population. The Sikh hope was that a majority in East Punjab would lead to a further division of the Punjab and creation of a Sikh homeland, similar to the Muslim homeland of Pakistan.
With its agricultural bounty the Punjab was often termed the 'Breadbasket of India' and, as the principal exporter of grain and other manufactured items, was an extremely wealthy state. Prior to the partition of India Lahore was also the banking capital of India. It can, therefore, be established that the acquisition of all, or part of the Punjab, in the event of a partition of India would have been paramount to all warring political parties in India.
Whilst over 50% of the Punjabi population in 1941 was Muslim, they tended to consist of peasants or artisans with very few wealthy Muslims in the region.
Brief Look at Politics in the Punjab up to 1946
It has been stated that the British caused the increased communal tensions in the Punjab by the creation of popularly elected political institutions. Certainly, from the Indian Councils' Act of 1861 to the 1935 Government of India Act more power had been devolved into Indian hands by the policy of building upwards from the regions. The regular Census of India from 1881 onwards had also profoundly influenced Indian identities as they were forced to identify themselves with a religion, caste or tribal/ethnic identity
Politically, the ruling Punjab Unionist Party had managed to retain power in the region since the 1920s. This party was extremely pro-British, it was led by one of the leading military castes so had no religious affiliations and was truly a cross community government.
Muslim Electoral Gains in Punjab Lead to Calls for Independent Homeland of Pakistan
With a Muslim majority of the total population in the Punjab, Jinnah's Muslim League stated that their 1946 election gains were actually due to Muslim demands for an independent homeland. Although the Muslim League was elected as the major political group in 1946, an alliance between the Punjab Unionist Party, Sikh and Hindu groups denied them the opportunity to govern the region.
From January 1947 a six week Muslim League programme of agitation managed to unseat the leader of the Unionist Coalition Government, which heightened tensions across the Punjab. Although Khisr Tiwana, leader of the Unionist Coalition Government was Muslim, he was not affiliated to the Muslim League. Upon resignation, he admitted that it had been a great mistake to refuse the Muslim League the opportunity to govern the region. The incensed Sikh leader, Master Tara Singh, immediately called for Sikhs in the Punjab to practise communalism and called for an inter communal war and a return to Sikh rule.
Communal Battles for the Punjab and Growing Violence
Historians state that problems in the Punjab were based on wartime political developments both in and out of the region. Certainly Jinnah's 1940 speech to the Muslim League in Lahore inspired many Muslims with a vision of their own homeland.
The violence throughout the Punjab was well planned, doubtless due to the fact that 48% of the British Indian Army was recruited from Punjab. The history of recruitment into the army dated back to the failed Sepoy Mutiny, following which the Punjab was one of the major recruiting grounds for soldiers, of whatever faith. The British justified this by the creation of the martial race castes, such as Jats.
Whilst, the growth of violence, riots and arson within the cities of Amritsar and Lahore was immense from March 1947, the massacre of Sikhs and Hndus in the Rawalpindi and Jhelum districts took the conflict onto another level. Terrorist bomb blasts became more frequent and the battle for the Punjab encompassed enforced migration, arson, looting, rapes and the forcible kidnap of women.
Up to 12 million people were displaced during the partition of the Punjab and around 1 million killed. Indeed many of the kidnapped women of the Punjab are still absent today.
The announcement of the partition of the Punjab did cause intense Sikh agitation with much of the ethnic cleansing in the east due to Sikh attempts to attain a Sikh majority population. The Sikh hope was that a majority in East Punjab would lead to a further division of the Punjab and creation of a Sikh homeland, similar to the Muslim homeland of Pakistan.
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