Why is Partition viewed as an extremely significant marker in South Asian history?
The following reasons can be put forward for the given view:
•The partition of India had a unique nature. This partition was based on religions. The partition took place in the name of the communities. History has never witnessed such type of partition.
•The partition marked a severe violence. Innumerable people were killed. People began to kill each other irrespective of their earlier relation. Earlier they lived with each other in harmony and peace but now started to kill each other. Government machinery failed to check this.
•People faced a lot of problems. Their life became miserable. Their near and dear ones were killed. Many people were abducted.
•People moved across the border. Most of the Muslims of India crossed over to Pakistan and almost all Hindus and Sikhs came to India from Pakistan. They were forced to start their life afresh.
•People lost all their movable and immovable property all of a sudden. They became homeless and forced to live in refugee camps.
How did women experience Partition?
How did the Congress come to change its views on Partition?
Why was British India partitioned?
Examine the strengths and limitations of oral history. How have oral-history techniques furthered our understanding of Partition?
Why did some people think of Partition as a very sudden development?
What did the Muslim League demand through its resolution of 1940?
What were Mahatma Gandhi’s arguments against Partition?
How did ordinary people view Partition?
Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?
Why did the mutinous sepoys in many places turn to erstwhile rulers to provide leadership to the revolt?
To what extent are census data useful in reconstructing patterns of urbanisation in the colonial context?
How did Mahatma Gandhi seek to identify with the common people?
What were the ideals expressed in the Objectives Resolution?
How did zamindars manage to retain control over their zamindaris?
Discuss the evidence that indicates planning and coordination on the part of the rebels.
What do the terms “White” and “Black” Town signify?
How was Mahatma Gandhi perceived by the peasants?
How was the term minority defined by different groups?
How did Mahatma Gandhi seek to identify with the common people?
Why was the revolt particularly widespread in Awadh? What prompted the peasants, taluqdars and zamindars to join the revolt?
How was Mahatma Gandhi perceived by the peasants?
What did the rebels want? To what extent did the vision of different social groups differ?
In what way did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the national movement?
Why did the salt laws become an important issue of struggle?
What were the ideals expressed in the Objectives Resolution?
How did the Constituent Assembly seek to resolve the language controversy?
Examine any two sources presented in the chapter, choosing one visual and one text, and discuss how these represent the point of view of the victor and the vanquished.
Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?