16) Withdrawal, partition and independence, 1947–48

Question 1

Who was the Foreign Secretary of the British government in 1945?

Answer 1

Ernest Bevin

Question 2

Which province went into a state of riot while Mountbatten was in Delhi?

Answer 2

The Punjab

Question 3

When did Mountbatten become Viceroy?

Answer 3

15 August 1947

Question 4

What percentage of the population in the Punjab were Muslim in 1947?

Answer 4

56% (lead by Hindu, Sikh, non-Muslim alliance by Khizr Hayat Khan)

Question 5

When did Khizr Hayat Khan resign?

Answer 5

March 1947

Question 6

After the resignation of Khizr Hayat Khan the Muslim League attempted to form its own administration. What did the Sikh population call for?

Answer 6

A direct action day against the Muslim League

Question 7

What were two other centres of violence besides the Punjab?

Answer 7

Amritsar and Lahore

Question 8

In which province did the Muslim League launch their own campaign of civil disobedience?

Answer 8

The North West Frontier Province

Question 9

Where did Gandhi go in 1947 in order to convince the Hindu population to stop the killing of Muslims on a large scale?

Answer 9

Bihar

Question 10

Who was Mountbatten’s Chief of Staff?

Answer 10

Lord Ismay

Question 11

When were Plan Balkan and the Mountbatten Plan formed?

Answer 11

April and May of 1947

Question 12

What was Plan Balkan?

Answer 12

Each state could decide their own future

Question 13

What was the Mountbatten Plan?

Answer 13

Partition, the formation of Pakistan and India

Question 14

Who was Mountbatten’s Commander-in-Chief?

Answer 14

Claude Auchinleck

Question 15

When was it announced to the House of Commons that two separate of dominions of India and Pakistan?

Answer 15

15 July 1947 (it would occur in one month time)

Question 16

Who led the Boundary Commission?

Answer 16

Sir Cyril Radcliffe

Question 17

Which town changed from being within Pakistan to then within India after a meeting between Sir Cyril Radcliffe, Mountbatten and Lord Ismay on 11 August?

Answer 17

Fizopur

Question 18

Who was the Head of India’s political department?

Answer 18

Conrad Corfield (Corfield and the Princely States were ignored by Mountbatten, later fired by Mountbatten)

Question 19

What agreement did Conrad Corfield (the Head of India’s political department) and Lord Listowel (Secretary of State for India) reach in 1947?

Answer 19

The Princely states would become autonomous and not become a part of either India or Pakistan. (Corfield was fired as a result of this agreement)

Question 20

When did Mountbatten hold a conference with the Princely states?

Answer 20

25 July 1947

Question 21

What did Mountbatten announce at the conference with the Princely States?

Answer 21

They would either become part of India or Pakistan

Question 22

When dividing the assets and liabilities, how were they to be split percentage wise?

Answer 22

82.5% and 17.5% (India and Pakistan)

Question 23

How many people tried to change lands in the summer of 1947?

Answer 23

10 million people

Question 24

How many people died as a result of people trying to change lands in the summer of 1947?

Answer 24

1 million

Question 25

How many soldiers were tasked with guarding the boundary of the new frontiers?

Answer 25

50,000

Question 26

When was the Indian Independence Act finally given Royal Assent?

Answer 26

18 July 1947

Question 27

What was the appointed date for the official partition?

Answer 27

15 August 1947

Question 28

What replaced the Indian Civil Service?

Answer 28

Indian Administrative Service

Question 29

When was Gandhi assassinated?

Answer 29

30 January 1948

Question 30

How many Muslims remained in the South of India due to inability to reach Pakistan?

Answer 30

30 million

Question 31

When was Liaquat Ali Khan assassinated?

Answer 31

1951

Question 32

When did Bangladesh become an independent state?

Answer 32

1971