The Origins of the Partition of India 1936-1947 (Oxford University South Asian Studies Series) [Paperback]

Anita Inder Singh (Author)

Book Description

Series: Oxford University South Asian Studies Series | Publication Date: January 1, 1999

Britain's transfer of power to India and Pakistan in August of 1947 was a cataclysmic event in modern history. Anita Inder Singh shows that although long-term strategic interests of Britain were against partition, short-term tactics encouraged this major act of decolonization.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anita Inder Singh, Visiting Member, the Swedish Institute of International Affairs at Stockholm.

Product Details

• Paperback: 271 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Pres (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195625412
• ISBN-13: 978-0195625417
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,213,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars India partition, July 12, 2008

By 

B. P. Menon (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Origins of the Partition of India 1936-1947 (Oxford University South Asian Studies Series) (Paperback)

This is an excellent and rare review of what the British did to split India. It has some stunning statistics showing how little support the Muslim League really had from Indian Muslims. The League had been set up in 1905 at the instigation of the British Viceroy, and its membership was entirely made up the rich. The first meeting positioned the League against the nationalist movement and in support of the imperial government. Into the 1930s, membership of the League remained in the few thousands. Meetings of its central committee were usually held with as few as 10 members present. League resolutions seldom dealt with economic and social issues of concern to the ordinary Muslim.

Despite all that, the British treated the League on par with the Congress Party under Mahatma Gandhi with its mass following. They used it to stall nationalist demands, and ultimately, to split the country.

This is essential reading for anyone interested in modern Indian history.