Partition of India-the story

[destiny]

Responses to reforms

The British believed that Indian society had to be reformed. Laws were passed to stop the practice of sati and to encourage the remarriage of widows. English-language education was actively promoted. After 1830, the Company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and property. In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier. This law allowed an Indian who had converted to Christianity to inherit the property of his ancestors. Many Indians began to feel that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs and their traditional way of life.

There were of course other Indians who wanted to change existing social practices.

 

[destiny]

Through the Eyes of the People
To get a glimpse of what people were thinking those days about British rule, read the following ....


The list of eighty-four rules

Given here are excerpts from the book Majha Pravaas, written by Vishnubhatt Godse, a Brahman from a village in Maharashtra. He and his uncle had set out to attend a yajna being organised in Mathura. Vishnubhatt writes that they met some sepoys on the way who told them that they should not proceed on the journey because a massive upheaval was going to break out in three days.

The sepoys said:
the English were determined to wipe out the religions of the Hindus and the Muslims … they had made a list of eighty-four rules and announced these in a gathering of all big kings and princes in Calcutta. They said that the kings refused to accept these rules and warned the English of dire consequences and massive upheaval if these are implemented … that the kings all returned to their capitals in great anger … all the big people began making plans. A date was fixed for the war of religion and the secret plan had been circulated from the cantonment in Meerut by letters sent to different cantonments.

Vishnubhatt Godse, Majha Pravaas, pp. 23-24.


“There was soon excitement in every regiment”

Another account we have from those days are the memoirs of Subedar Sitaram Pande. Sitaram Pande was recruited in 1812 as a sepoy in the Bengal Native Army. He served the English for 48 years and retired in 1860. He helped the British to suppress the rebellion though his own son was a rebel and was killed by the British in front of his eyes. On retirement he was persuaded by his Commanding Officer, Norgate, to write his memoirs. He completed the writing in 1861 in Awadhi and Norgate translated it into English and had it published under the title From Sepoy to Subedar.

Here is an excerpt from what Sitaram Pande wrote:

It is my humble opinion that this seizing of Oudh filled the minds of the Sepoys with distrust and led them to plot against the Government. Agents of the Nawab of Oudh and also of the King of Delhi were sent all over India to discover the temper of the army. They worked upon the feelings of sepoys, telling them how treacherously the foreigners had behaved towards their king. They invented ten thousand lies and promises to persuade the soldiers to mutiny and turn against their masters, the English, with the object of restoring the Emperor of Delhi to the throne. They maintained that this was wholly within the army’s powers if the soldiers would only act together and do as they were advised.

It chanced that about this time the Sarkar sent parties of men from each regiment to different garrisons for instructions in the use of the new rifle. These men performed the new drill for some time until a report got about by some means or the other, that the cartridges used for these new rifles were greased with the fat of cows and pigs. The men from our regiment wrote to others in the regiment telling them about this, and there was soon excitement in every regiment. Some men pointed out that in forty years’ service nothing had ever been done by the Sarkar to insult their religion, but as I have already mentioned the sepoys’ minds had been inflamed by the seizure of Oudh. Interested parties were quick to point out that the great aim of the English was to turn us all into Christians, and they had therefore introduced the cartridge in order to bring this about, since both Mahommedans and Hindus would be defiled by using it.

The Colonel sahib was of the opinion that the excitement, which even he could not fail to see, would pass off, as it had done before, and he recommended me to go to my home.

Sitaram Pande, From Sepoy to Subedar, pp. 162-63.

 

[Xeric]

No one wants to tread that path. But the posts by some that indicate that because some Indian muslims are on the face of it not following Islam does not mean that its the Indian state or government FORCING them into that path. It is there personal choice. Case in point is the situation of some Pakistani muslims who are not following Islamic teachings as well. Even in an Islamic state.

Indian muslims have been following Islam for centuries and will continue to be a beacon of Islam in the world and contribute to it. Examples of contribution of Indian muslims not just to Islam but to society as a whole in science arts literature, technology e.t.c. are many. That is what we must realise.

Eejaz what exactly are you up to on this thread?

Are these sourced from somewhere or a figment of someone's imagination.

Well as of now it seems that it is you who is making a guud use of his imagination and creativeness. What all that has been said on this thread is documented, sir!

Let it be you who should avoid 'seena ba seena' knowledge and show us some attributions.

Both extremist Hindus and muslims where FOR the partition

How can you say that?

falling prey to the obvious policy of divide and rule of the British to suppress the azadi movement and direct them towards hindu-muslim animosity.

Well that coming from you is simply not accepted dear, Hindu-Muslim unity had already gone for a six when Sir Syed and QA changed their paths, thnx to the Congress' trustworthiness and 'love' for unity and the lust for ruling India alone after the Brits had left.

Mainstream Hindus and Muslims alongwith the congress opposed the partition on strictly religious basis.

Mainstream Muslims? How come?

It was because of this that eventually when the east Bengal ended up joining East Pakistan many years later, there was considerably less violence and mass killings compared to Punjab. Possibly because Bengali culturalism still cut across the religious divide.

Even if this is true, what it has to do with the issue being currently discussed?

 

[Coolyo]

Huh!!! More of zaid hamid?? No thanks.....that guy speaks utter rubbish and bs to gain some amazing fans like coolyo.....

Haha, you Indians can't handle the truth!

Zaid Hamid speaks the truth, but you are blinded by your own ignorance to understand, regardless it doesn't affect me!

Zaid Hamid Zindabad! Pakistan Zindabad!

 

[Coolyo]

Please don't quote Zaid Hamid. This guy say lot of blabla.... just to gain cheap popularity...

Nothing of the sort, but judging by your comments, I can tell that you're a hypocrate!

 

[destiny]

From Meerut to Delhi

On 29 March 1857, a young soldier, Mangal Pandey, was hanged to death for attacking his officers in Barrackpore. Some days later, some sepoys of the regiment at Meerut refused to do the army drill using the new cartridges, which
were suspected of being coated with the fat of cows and pigs. Eighty-five sepoys were dismissed from service and sentenced to ten years in jail for disobeying their officers. This happened on 9 May 1857.

The response of the other Indian soldiers in Meerut was quite extraordinary. On 10 May, the soldiers marched to the jail in Meerut and released the imprisoned sepoys. They attacked and killed British officers. They captured guns and ammunition and set fire to the buildings and properties of the British and declared war on the firangis. The soldiers were determined to bring an end to their rule in the country. But who would rule the land instead? The soldiers had an answer to this question – the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

The sepoys of Meerut rode all night of 10 May to reach Delhi in the early hours next morning. As news of their arrival spread, the regiments stationed in Delhi also rose up in rebellion. Again british officers were killed, arms and ammunition seized, buildings set on fire. Triumphant soldiers gathered around the walls of the Red Fort where the Badshah lived, demanding to meet him. The emperor was not quite willing to challenge the mighty British power but the soldiers persisted. They forced their way into the palace and proclaimed Bahadur Shah Zafar as their leader.

The ageing emperor had to accept this demand. He wrote letters to all the chiefs and rulers of the country to come forward and organise a confederacy of Indian states to fight the British. This single step taken by Bahadur Shah
had great implications.

The Mughal dynasty had ruled over a very large part of the country. Most smaller rulers and chieftains controlled different territories on behalf of the Mughal ruler. Threatened by the expansion of British rule, many of them felt that if the Mughal emperor could rule again, they too would be able to rule their own territories once more, under Mughal authority.

The British had not expected this to happen. They thought the disturbance caused by the issue of the cartridges would die down. But Bahadur Shah Zafar’s
decision to bless the rebellion changed the entire situation dramatically.

 

[destiny]

The rebellion spreads

After the British were routed from Delhi, there was no uprising for almost a week. It took that much time for news to travel. Then, a spurt of mutinies began.

Regiment after regiment mutinied and took off to join other troops at nodal points like Delhi, Kanpur and Lucknow. After them, the people of the towns and villages also rose up in rebellion and rallied around local leaders, zamindars and chiefs who were prepared to establish their authority and fight the British. Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao who lived near Kanpur, gathered armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the city. He proclaimed himself Peshwa. He declared that he was a governor under Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. In Lucknow, Birjis Qadr, the son of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, was proclaimed the new Nawab. He too acknowledged the suzerainty of Bahadur Shah Zafar. His mother Begum Hazrat Mahal took an active part in organising the uprising against the British. In Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British along with Tantia Tope, the general of Nana Saheb.

The British were greatly outnumbered by the rebel forces. They were defeated in a number of battles. This convinced the people that the rule of the British had collapsed for good and gave them the confidence to take the plunge and join the rebellion. A situation of widespread popular rebellion developed in the region of Awadh in particular. On 6 August
1857, we find a telegram sent by Lieutenant Colonel Tytler to his Commander-in-Chief expressing the fear felt by the British: “Our men are cowed by the numbers opposed to them and the endless fighting. Every village is held against us, the zamindars have risen to oppose us.”

Many new leaders came up. For example, Ahmadullah Shah, a maulvi from Faizabad, prophesied that the rule of the British would come to an end soon. He caught the imagination of the people and raised a huge force of supporters. He came to Lucknow to fight the British. In Delhi, a large number of ghazis or religious warriors came together to wipe out the white people. Bakht Khan, a soldier from Bareilly, took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi. He became a key military leader of the rebellion. In Bihar, an old zamindar, Kunwar Singh, joined the rebel sepoys and battled with the British for many months. Leaders and fighters from across the land joined the fight.

 

[destiny]

Can anyone tell me how to post images ?

 

[sadiqams]

Although I am not for British rule the British were right as far as Islam is concerned as it does not allow adoption as it interfers with the rules of inheritance instead the next eligible heir(s) inherit.

 

[ice_man]

ok this is very interesting!!! its not only KASHMIR that india took by force but it also took HYDERABAD!!

When the British relinquished their claims to paramountcy, the 562 independent princely states were given the option to join either of the two nations. A few princely states readily joined Pakistan, but the rest--except Hyderabad (the largest of the princely states with 132,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 14 million), Jammu and Kashmir (with 3 million inhabitants), and Junagadh (with a population of 545,000)--merged with India. India successfully annexed Hyderabad and Junagadh after "police actions" and promises of privileges to the rulers.



AND THEN AGAIN INDIA DIDNOT GIVE ANY SPECIAL RIGHTS TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATES IT ANNEXED BY FORCE!!!

India Hyderabad Annexation 1948

 

[niaz]

ok this is very interesting!!! its not only KASHMIR that india took by force but it also took HYDERABAD!!

When the British relinquished their claims to paramountcy, the 562 independent princely states were given the option to join either of the two nations. A few princely states readily joined Pakistan, but the rest--except Hyderabad (the largest of the princely states with 132,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 14 million), Jammu and Kashmir (with 3 million inhabitants), and Junagadh (with a population of 545,000)--merged with India. India successfully annexed Hyderabad and Junagadh after "police actions" and promises of privileges to the rulers.



AND THEN AGAIN INDIA DIDNOT GIVE ANY SPECIAL RIGHTS TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATES IT ANNEXED BY FORCE!!!

India Hyderabad Annexation 1948

I was very young at the time of Hyderabad Police Action code named ‘Operation Polo” by the Indians. It was almost immediately following the death of the Quaid that Indian action to take over Hyderabad was launched. Even though two Indian army columns totaling a little over two divisions supported by an armored brigade and Tempest Bombers invaded Hyderabad, the wily Home Minister of India Sardar Patel called it ‘Police action’.

I have since talked to many from Hyderabad including one Colonel of the Hyderabad Army as to why there was so little resistance against what was a naked aggression by any standard, have never received satisfactory answer.

Nizam had about 20,000 well armed and trained army, additionally there were about 200,000 Razakars (Armed volunteers), only resistance worth the mention was offered by the Razakars heeded by Qassim Rizvi. The action was over in about 4 days.

It is my personal opinion that ever since 1798, when then Nizam of Hyderabad; Asif Jah II accepted British protection; Nizams of Hyderabad have had no stomach for fighting. The army function reduced to policing the largely Hindu population and performing ceremonial duties.

One mustn’t however forget that out of 16-million subjects barely 12% were Muslims and Hindu Arya Samaj had been festering trouble since 1947.

 

[paritosh]

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi were close friends, Gandhi even used to call Jinnah, Quaid-e-Azam, when Quaid-e-Azam joined the Muslim League and Gandhi noticed people started calling Jinnah, Quaid-e-Azam as a sign of respect. They were close friends since the time both were studying law in London. Pakistanis have great respect for Gandhi, but the same cant be said about Nehru and the Mountbattens.

I think it would've been great if Gandhi moved to Lahore and brought peace to Pakistan and India, maybe we would'nt have had three wars fought against each other then, Kashmir dispute would've been solved, and both countries would not be third world countries today because we wouldn't have spent so much money on defence if there was peace.

The legacy of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi will live on forever inshAllah.

thank you Omar for those kind words!
thank you for showering respect on our father of the nation with such beautiful words.

 

[abbasniazi]

India's partition was inevitable but it was based upon absolute corruption where nehru and mount batton were sex hungry characters who enjoyed eachothers wife and sister to wrongfully decide the fate of millions of innocent people...

 

[Khajur]

India's partition was inevitable but it was based upon absolute corruption where nehru and mount batton were sex hungry characters who enjoyed eachothers wife and sister to wrongfully decide the fate of millions of innocent people...

Blatantly offensive with zilch of crediblilty aganist historical facts.

 

[paritosh]

India's partition was inevitable but it was based upon absolute corruption where nehru and mount batton were sex hungry characters who enjoyed eachothers wife and sister to wrongfully decide the fate of millions of innocent people...

enough already!
call mountbatton whatever you want but dont drag Nehru!It's not a proven fact brother...I will tell you a proven and documented fact...
During the riots and arson in Delhi following the partition...Nehru drove his car himslef when he heard that the muslim Khan market area in Delhi is being attacked by a hindu extremist mob...he stood on top of his car and stopped the rioters from causing any harm to the muslims...and suspended the police chief....my grand-father was a changed man(he was in the mob) although I might not bwe able to explain what his speech was it changed my gran-dad.
He was a good leader.