Lord Mountbatten

• Louis Francis Albert

Victor Nicholas
Mountbatten, 1st Earl
Mountbatten of
Burma, (born 25 June
1900 – 27 August 1979)
– known informally as
Lord Mountbatten –
was a British statesman
and naval officer, an
uncle of Prince Philip,
Duke of Edinburgh.
 Prime Minister Atlee
• On 20 February l947,
Prime Minister Atlee
announced in the House
of Commons the
definite intention of the
British Government to
transfer power to
responsible Indian
hands by a date not
later than June 1948.
 Lord Wavell
• Although Wavell was
initially popular with
Indian politicians,
pressure mounted
concerning the likely
structure and timing
of an independent
India.
 Lord Mountbatten
• Thus, to effect the transference of that power
Atlee decided to send Lord Mountbatten as
Viceroy to India.
• Lord Mountbatten armed with vast powers
became India’s Viceroy on 24 March 1947.
• The partition of India and the creation of
Pakistan appeared inevitable to him
 Lord Mountbatten
• In March 1947, Lord Wavell was replaced by
Lord Mountbatten.
• When he reached India he found the situation
very critical
• The Muslim League was carrying on its wear
and tear campaign all over the country
• There were riots in March 1947
 Lord Mountbatten
• Lord Mountbatten felt that the only way to
tackle the situation was to complete the work
of the transfer of power into the Indian hands
within a short period of time
• He held consultation with the Indian leaders
for the same purpose
Lord Mountbatten
 Lord Mountbatten
• He went to London
in May 1947 to
discuss the matter
with the British
Government
• On his return, he
announced his
famous June 3 Plan
 Lord Mountbatten Plan
• The actual division of British India between
the two new dominions was accomplished
according to what has come to be known as
the 3 June Plan or Mountbatten Plan.
• It was announced at a press conference by
Mountbatten on 3 June 1947, when the date
of independence was also announced – 15
August 1947.
Lord Mountbatten
 Lord Mountbatten Plan
• India was to be divided into two Dominion
India and Pakistan
• The Legislative Assemblies of Bengal and
Punjab were to meet in two sections
– One representing the Muslim majority district and
the other representing the rest of the Provinces
– It was made clear that if a simple majority of
either part would decide in favour of partition, the
partition would take place.
 Lord Mountbatten Plan
• The plan's main points were:
• Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims in Punjab and
Bengal legislative assemblies would meet
and vote for partition.
• If a simple majority of either group wanted
partition, then these provinces would be
divided.
• Sindh was to take its own decision.
 Lord Mountbatten Plan
• The fate of North West Frontier Province and
Sylhet district of Assam was to be decided by
a referendum (vote).
• India would be independent by 15 August
1947.
• The separate independence of Bengal was
ruled out.
• A boundary commission to be set up in case
of partition.
 Lord Mountbatten Plan
• The Indian political leaders accepted the Plan
on 2 June.
• It did not deal with the question of the
princely states, but on 3 June Mountbatten
advised them against remaining independent
and urged them to join one of the two new
dominions.
 Lord Mountbatten Plan
• The Muslim league's demands for a separate
state were thus approved.
• The Congress' position on unity was also taken
into account while making Pakistan as small as
possible.
• Mountbatten's formula was to divide India
and at the same time retain maximum
possible unity.
 Cyril John Radcliffe
• Cyril John
Radcliffe, was a
British lawyer
known for his role
in the partition
of British India
 Sir Cyril Radcliffe
• Sir Cyril Radcliffe, who
as chairman of the
Border Commissions
was charged with
equitably dividing
175,000 square miles
(450,000 km) of
territory with 88
million people
 A map of the Punjab region 1947.
• In both the
Punjab and
Bengal, the
Boundary
Commission
consisted of two
Muslim and two
non-Muslim
judges with Sir
Cyril Radcliffe as
a common
chairman
 Lord Mountbatten Plan
• Within British India, the border between India
and Pakistan (the Radcliffe Line) was
determined by a British Government-
commissioned report prepared under the
chairmanship of a London barrister, Sir Cyril
Radcliffe.
 Lord Mountbatten Plan
• Pakistan came into being with two non-
contiguous enclaves, East Pakistan (today
Bangladesh) and West Pakistan, separated
geographically by India.
• India was formed out of the majority Hindu
regions of British India, and Pakistan from
the majority Muslim areas.
 Lord Mountbatten
• N.W.F.P. Sylhet and Sind decided to join
Pakistan, Bengal and Punjab also decided for
the partition, British Baluchistan also decided
to join Pakistan
• To give effect to the Plan of Lord
Mountbatten, the British Parliament passed
the Indian Independence Act, 1947
 Lord Mountbatten Plan
• On 18 July 1947, the British Parliament passed
the Indian Independence Act that finalized the
arrangements for partition and abandoned
British suzerainty over the princely states, of
which there were several hundred, leaving
them free to choose whether to accede to one
of the new dominions.
 Lord Mountbatten Plan
• The Dominion of India continued to have the
existing seat as India had been a founding
member of the United Nations since 1945.
• Following its creation as a new country in
August 1947, Pakistan applied for
membership of the United Nations and was
accepted by the General Assembly on 30
September 1947.
 Lord Mountbatten
• Map of India
and Pakistan
shown in
October
1947, after
the partition
Lord Mountbatten
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947
• The plan of Lord Mountbatten was accepted
by the Congress and Muslim League and to
give effect to the plan
• The British Parliament enacted the Indian
Independence Act, 1947
• The Indian Independence Bill was introduced
in the House of Commons on 4th July, 1947
and its was passed by the House of Commons
on 15th July, 1947.
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947
• It was passed by the House of Lords on 16th
July, 1947 and it obtained the Royal assent on
18th July, 1947.
• The main provision of the Indian
Independence Act, 1947 may be summed up
as follows
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947
• The main provision of the Indian
Independence Act, 1947:
• The Act provided for the partition of India and
the establishment of two Dominions of India
and Pakistan from the appoited day 15th
August 1947
• The Act also provided for the legislative
supremacy of the two Dominions
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947
• The British Government was to have no
control of the affairs of the Dominions,
Provinces or any part of the Dominion after
15th August 1947
• The Legislatures of the two Dominions were
given full power to make laws
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947
• Until a new Constitution was framed for each
Dominion, the Act made the existing
Constituent Assemblies the Dominion
Legislature for the time being
• The Assemblies were to exercise all the
powers which were formerly exercised by the
Central Legislature in addition to its power
regarding the framing of a new Constitution
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947
• Territories:
– Pakistan: East Bengal, West Punjab, Sind, and Chief
Commissioner’s Province of Baluchistan.
– The fate of North West Frontier Province was subject
to the result of referendum.
– Bengal & Assam:
• The province of Bengal as constituted under the
Government of India Act 1935 ceased to exist;
• In lieu thereof two new provinces were to be constituted, to
be known respectively as East Bengal and West Bengal.
• The fate of District Sylhet, in the province of Assam, was to
be decided in a referendum.
The Indian Independence Act, 1947

– Punjab:
• The province as constituted under the Government of
India Act 1935 ceased to exist;
• Two new provinces were to be constituted, to be
known respectively as West Punjab & East Punjab
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947

• The boundaries of the new provinces

were to be determined by, whether
before or after the appointed date, by
the award of a boundary commission to
be appointed by the Governor General.
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947

• Constitution for the New Dominions:

until the time of framing of new
constitution, the new dominions and the
provinces thereof were to be governed
by the Government of India Act 1935.
(Temporary Provisions as to the
Government of Each New Dominion.)
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947
• The Governors General of the new dominions:
– For each of the new dominion a new Governor-
General was to be appointed by the Crown, subject to
the law of the legislature of either of the new
dominions.
– Same person as Governor General of both dominions:
if unless and until provision to the contrary was made
by a law of the legislature of either of the new
dominions, the same person could be the Governor
General of both.
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947
• Powers of Governor General:
– The Governor General was empowered to bring
this Act in force.
– Division of territories, powers, duties, rights,
assets, liabilities, etc., was the responsibility of
Governor General
– To adopt, amend, Government of India Act 1935,
as the Governor-General may consider it
necessary.
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947
• Powers of Governor General:
– power to introduce any change was until 31
March 1948, after that it was open to the
constituent assembly to modify or adopt the same
Act. (Temporary Provisions as to the Government
of Each New Dominion.)
– Governor-General had full powers to give assent
to any law.
 The Indian Independence Act, 1947
• Legislation for the new dominions:
– The existing legislative setup was allowed to continue
as Constitution making body as well as a legislature.
(Temporary Provisions as to the Government of Each
New Dominion.)
– The legislature of each dominion was given full
powers to make laws for that dominion, including
laws having extraterritorial operation.
– No Act of Parliament of UK passed after the
appointed date would be extended to the territories
of new dominions.
 Lord Mountbatten
• Consequences of setting up of the new
dominions:
– His Majesty’s Government lost all the
responsibility to the new dominions
– The suzerainty of His Majesty’s Government over
the Indian States lapsed.
– All the treaties or agreements in force at the
passing of the Act lapsed.
 Lord Mountbatten
• Consequences of setting up of the new
dominions:
– The title of “Emperor of India” was dropped from
the titles of British Crown.
– The office of Secretary of State for India was
abolished and the provisions of GOI Act 1935
relating to the appointments to the civil service or
civil posts under the crown by the secretary of the
state ceased to operate
 Lord Mountbatten
• Civil servants:
• It provided for the continuance of service of
the government servants appointed on or
before 15 August 1947 under the
Governments of new Dominions with full
benefits.
 Lord Mountbatten
• On 4 June 1947 Mountbatten held a press
conference in which he addressed the
question of the princely states, of which there
were then a total of 635.
• The treaty relations between Britain and the
Indian States would come to an end, and on
15 August 1947 the suzerainty of the British
Crown was to lapse.
 Lord Mountbatten
• Consequently the princely states would
assume independent status.
• They would be free to choose to accede to
one or the other of the new dominions.
 Lord Mountbatten
• Partition
• There was much violence, and many Muslims
from what would become India fled to
Pakistan; and Hindus and Sikhs from what
would become Pakistan fled to India. Many
people left behind all their possessions and
property to avoid the violence and flee to
their new country
 Lord Mountbatten
• India
• Lord Mountbatten of Burma, the last Viceroy,
was asked by the Indian leaders to continue as
the Governor-General of India.
• Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister
of India and
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel became the Home
Minister.
 Lord Mountbatten
• Over 560 princely states acceded to India. The
state of Jammu and Kashmir, which was expected
to accede to Pakistan on account of its 77%
Muslim majority and its cultural and commercial
links to West Punjab (Pakistan),[but whose Hindu
ruler chose to accede to India, became a disputed
territory.
• The states of Junagadh and Hyderabad, with
majority Hindu populations but with Muslim
rulers, were merged into India soon after Lord
Mountbatten left India in 1948.
 Lord Mountbatten
• Pakistan
• Muhammad Ali Jinnah became the Governor-
General of Pakistan, and
• Liaquat Ali Khan became the Prime Minister of
Pakistan.