The Partition of India"A moment comes, which rarely happens in history, when we pass from the old to the new, when an era ends and where the soul of a nation, long repressed, finds speech -Jawarhalal Nehru August 14, 1947 saw the birth of the new Islamic Republic of Pakistan The next day, at midnight, India freed itself from domination. colonial rule, thus ending nearly 350 years of British presence in India During the struggle for freedom, Gandhi had written an appeal "to all British people" to liberate their possessions in Asia and Africa, particularly in India. India (Philips and Wainwright, 567). The British left India divided into two The two countries were founded on the basis of religion, Pakistan being an Islamic state and India a secular state. Whether the partition of these countries was wise and whether it was done too early is still a matter of debate. Even the imposition of an official border has not ended the conflicts between them. Boundary issues, left unresolved by the British, caused two wars and continuing conflicts between India and Pakistan. The partition of India and its liberation from colonial rule set a precedent for nations like Israel, which demanded a separate homeland due to irreconcilable differences. between Arabs and Jews. The British left Israel in May 1948, handing the question of division to the UN. Unimplemented UN resolutions to draw the borders between Israel and Palestine have led to several Arab-Israeli wars and the conflict continues. Timeline 1600 - Creation of the British East India Company. 1857 - The Indian Mutiny or the First War of Independence. 1858 - The India Act: power transferred to the British government. 1885-Indian National Congress founded by AO Hume to unite all Indians and strengthen ties with Britain. 1905-First partition of Bengal for administrative purposes. Give Muslims a majority in this state. 1906-All India Muslim League founded to promote Muslim political interests. 1909-Revocation of the partition of Bengal. Creates anti-British and anti-Hindu sentiments among Muslims as they lose their majority in East Bengal. 1916-Lucknow Pact. Congress and the League united to demand greater self-government. This idea is denied by the British. Rowlatt Laws of 1919, or Black Laws passed despite opposition from Indian members of the Supreme Legislative Council. These were peacetime extensions of wartime emergency measures. Their passage caused further disaffection towards the British and led to protests. Amritsar massacre. General Dyer opens fire on 20,000 unarmed Indian civilians during political demonstration against the Rowlatt Acts.