India Pakistan History Timeline

[Leanne Wittlin]

Partitionwas not inevitable and happened because of long and complicated talks between the British government and elite Indian figures, each with their own political interests. The final borders of the new nations were created in only six weeks by Sir Cyril Radcliffe and were based on Muslim and non-Muslim majority areas. Learn more about partition here.

In 1971, West and East Pakistan fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War. This led to the creation of Bangladesh on 16 December 1971. How can we trace this road to independence through the British reports in The National Archives?

West Pakistan did not accept the 1970 election results (in which the Awami League, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, won), leading to escalating protests in East Pakistan. On 7 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur held a speech, reported on in source 4.

Britain recognised Bangladesh as an independent country on 4 February 1972. There was a lot of internal discussion before this date on the advantages and disadvantages that might come with recognition. Britain wanted to maintain good relationships with both Bangladesh and Pakistan.

West and East Pakistan shared a religion, but not much else. For decades after Partition, the East Pakistanis (present-day Bangladeshis) were treated unfairly by the West Pakistani government over 1,000 miles away. East Pakistan had more people than West Pakistan but got less money and resources from the government. From the early 1950s, the amount of money earned per person in West Pakistan grew three times as much each year compared to East Pakistan.

In 1948, Urdu became the only state language of both West and East Pakistan (see source 2: DO 142/423). It was imposed on millions of Bengali-speaking people. This led to the rise of the Bengali Language Movement, resulting in mass protests and deaths in Dhaka in 1952.

Bengalis have a rich and proud history and culture focused around language, art, food, fashion, community, family and religion. The 1971 Liberation War can be seen as a struggle to preserve and protect this heritage.

On 25 March 1971, the West Pakistani army invaded East Pakistan, trying to stop these protests. It launched Operation Searchlight, killing many Bengali civilians, intellectuals, students, politicians, and armed forces.

This lesson looks at how Bangladesh became an independent country after the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. It shows one of the many outcomes of the 1947 Partition of British India, and one of the many independence movements that happened in former British colonies in the 20th century. This topic also sheds light on migration patterns into Britain and the large Bangladeshi community here.

To begin with, students examine a map of the 1947 Partition. This shows how British India was divided into India and Pakistan based on religion, and how far away West and East Pakistan were from each other. It can also show why East Pakistan had a better relationship with India, which was just over the border.

Sources 2a and 2b are related to the Bengali Language Movement, which was an early sign of the tensions between West and East Pakistan. Source 2a is a British report on the moment when Urdu was declared the state language of Pakistan. This excluded the majority of East Pakistanis who did not speak Urdu from official business. It sparked the Bengali Language Movement, in which East Pakistanis protested to get official recognition of Bengali as a state language. Source 2b skips ahead to show the eventual outcome of these protests: a contemporary London monument commemorating those killed in 1952 demonstrations by the police. This movement reflects the formation of a Bengali national identity based on language and culture.

Sources 6a and 6b look at the British recognition of Bangladesh in February 1972 and the British interests in the conflict. Source 6a is a telegram describing the British financial interests that may be affected by recognition. Students can use this to infer some of the reasons why Britain has been watching the situation so closely. Source 6b shows a letter to the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office from the Embassy of Pakistan, and shows the (West) Pakistan view of the conflict. Students can use these sources to reflect on why a majority of the sources in this lesson have been British reports. How can this be linked to the colonial past of this region?

Suitable for: Key stage 3 Time period: Postwar 1945-present Curriculum topics: Diverse histories, The British Empire Suggested inquiry questions: How did the British government respond to the conflicts between East and West Pakistan? Why did the British government keep such a close eye on the situation? Potential activities: Create a timeline of events leading up to the outbreak of the war, using the sources in this lesson as a guide. Download: Lesson pack Related resources Partition of British India What can The National Archives documents reveal about the partition of British India?

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