Factors Responsible for the Partition of India in 1947:
(1) Britisher’s Policy of Divide and Rule- To check the tide of nationalism in India, the Britishers tried to divide the country. Their policy of divide and rule led to the partition of India in 1947.
(2) Muslim League’s Obstinacy- The Muslim League preached that the Muslims and Hindus are two separate nations.
(3) Appeasement Policy of the British Government- It encouraged the Muslim League to ask for a separate country.
(4) Muslims in Minority- The Mohammedans feared that the Hindus in the majority would dominate them. Hence to seek their salvation they laid the demand for a separate country. They were also instigated by the utterances of some of the Hindu Mahasabha leaders.
(5) Instigation by Muslim Countries- To preserve the Muslim religion and culture, the Muslim countries instigated the Indian Muslims to ask for a separate country.
(6) Decision of the Cripps Commission- The Cripps Commission sent to India in 1942 had suggested that any province of British India that desired to remain aloof from the Indian Union would be allowed to retain its existing position and will be given the same status as the Indian Union. It was a severe blow to India’s unity. Some Missions that were sent by the British Government to settle the political problems of India had accepted the claim of the Muslim League for Pakistan.
(7) Non-cooperation between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League- They were diagonally opposite in their views. The Indian National Congress formed the Interim Government in 1946. The Muslim League joined it and held the Finance Department. It did not release funds for national programmes. It also retarded the smooth functioning of the government. So their separation and the acceptance of the partition of the country was the only recourse.
