Borders and conflict in South Asia : the Radcliffe Boundary Commission and the partition of Punjab

This book is the first full-length study of the 1947 drawing of the Indo-Pakistani boundary in Punjab. It uses the Radcliffe commission, headed by Sir Cyril Radcliffe , as a window onto the decolonisation and independence of India and Pakistan. Examining the competing interests that influenced the actions of the various major players, the book highlights British efforts to maintain a grip on India even as the decolonisation process spun out of control. It examines the nature of power relationships within the colonial state, with a focus on the often-veiled exertion of British colonial power. With conflict between Hindus , Muslims and Sikhs reaching unprecedented levels in the mid-1940s , British leaders felt compelled to move towards decolonization. The partition was to be perceived as a South Asian undertaking, with British officials acting only as steady and impartial guides. Radcliffe's use of administrative boundaries reinforced the impact of imperial rule. The boundaries that Radcliffe defined turned out to be restless divisions, and in both the 1965 and 1971 wars India and Pakistan battled over their Punjabi border. After the final boundary, known as the 'Radcliffe award', was announced, all sides complained that Radcliffe had not taken the right 'other factors' into account. Radcliffe's loyalty to British interests is key to understanding his work in 1947. Drawing on extensive archival research in India, Pakistan and Britain, combined with innovative use of cartographic sources, the book paints a vivid picture of both the partition process and the Radcliffe line's impact on Punjab. 'Borders and conflict in South Asia' is the first full-length study of the 1947 drawing of the Indo-Pakistani boundary in Punjab. Using the Radcliffe commission as a window onto the decolonization and independence of India and Pakistan, and examining the competing interests, both internal and international, that influenced the actions of the various major players, it highlights British efforts to maintain a grip on India even as the decolonization process spun out of control. Drawing on extensive archival research in India, Pakistan, and Britain, combined with innovative use of cartographic sources, the book paints a vivid picture of both the partition process and the Radcliffe line's impact on Punjab. This book will be vital reading for scholars and students of colonialism, decolonization, partition, and borderlands studies, while providing anyone interested in South Asia's independence with a highly readable account of one of its most controversial episodes Front matter Dedication Contents List of maps General editor's introduction Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Glossary Note on terminology Maps Introduction ‘Standing on the edge of a volcano’: the historical context of partition ‘This is your country and it is up to you to decide’: the façade of South Asian responsibility ‘Nobody had been paying any attention to the case’: the boundary commission at work ‘Water was the key’: Radcliffe’s private deliberations ‘A political decision, and not a judicial one’: the Radcliffe award ‘The stories they carried’: the aftermath ‘An awful lot of thought should have gone into it’: alternatives to the Radcliffe award 'In between, on a bit of earth which had no name’: the development of the Indo-Pakistani borderlands Imperial epitaphs: Cyril Radcliffe and the end of empire Conclusion: ‘No such deeds’: responsibility and remembrance Bibliography Index