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Quick recap: towards independence 1945–1949 on one page

Towards independence, 1945–1949 · Quick recap · Fact-checked on · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

Both parts of the chapter condensed for quick revision: the Wavell Plan and Simla, the elections of 1945–46, the Cabinet Mission plan and the Constituent Assembly, Direct Action Day and the Interim Government, Attlee's deadline, the Mountbatten Plan, the Indian Independence Act, the Radcliffe awards and the integration of the princely states.

This chapter traces the last stretch from the end of the war to the making of a united Indian Union of states. Part 1 covers the British attempts of 1945–47 to hand over power to a single India, and why each failed; Part 2 covers the Mountbatten Plan, independence with partition, and the integration of the princely states. The thread running through both is the Muslim League's demand for Pakistan and the search for a way to transfer power that the Congress, the League and the rulers would all accept.

Part 1, from Wavell to the Cabinet Mission: the Wavell Plan of June 1945 offered an Executive Council of Indians, except the Viceroy and the Commander-in-Chief, with caste Hindu-Muslim parity, but the Simla Conference (25 June–14 July 1945) failed when Jinnah claimed the sole right to name Muslim members. Labour came to power in Britain in July 1945, and the elections of 1945–46 showed the League dominant in Muslim seats. The Cabinet Mission of Pethick-Lawrence, Cripps and Alexander rejected Pakistan and, on 16 May 1946, proposed a Union for foreign affairs, defence and communications, three groups of provinces (A, B and C) and a Constituent Assembly of 389 members chosen indirectly by the provincial assemblies.

Part 1, the breakdown: both parties accepted the plan in June 1946 but quarrelled over whether grouping was compulsory. After Nehru's statement of 10 July, the League withdrew and called Direct Action Day on 16 August 1946, which began the Calcutta killings. The Interim Government took office on 2 September 1946 under Nehru; the League joined in October but obstructed it and boycotted the Constituent Assembly, which first met on 9 December 1946 and elected Rajendra Prasad its president. On 20 February 1947 Attlee promised to leave by June 1948 and named Mountbatten as Viceroy.

Part 2, independence and partition: the Mountbatten Plan of 3 June 1947 accepted partition, to be decided by the Punjab and Bengal assemblies voting in two sections, the Sind assembly, and referendums in the North-West Frontier Province and Sylhet; the date was advanced to 15 August 1947. The Indian Independence Act 1947 (royal assent 18 July 1947) created the dominions of India and Pakistan, made each Constituent Assembly sovereign and a legislature, kept the 1935 Act as an interim constitution and ended paramountcy. Mountbatten stayed as India's Governor-General, Jinnah became Pakistan's, and the Radcliffe awards fixing the new borders were published on 17 August 1947, amid mass violence and migration.

Part 2, the princely states: with paramountcy gone, Patel's States Department, with V. P. Menon, persuaded almost every ruler to sign the Instrument of Accession, surrendering only defence, external affairs and communications, before 15 August 1947. Three cases were settled differently: Junagadh by a plebiscite in February 1948 after its Nawab fled, Hyderabad by Operation Polo in September 1948, and Kashmir by the Maharaja's accession on 26 October 1947 during a tribal invasion, followed by a UN reference and a ceasefire on 1 January 1949. Later, small states merged into provinces and others into unions under Rajpramukhs, which became Part B States in 1950.

The chapter at a glance
EventDateKey point
Simla Conference25 June–14 July 1945Failed over who would nominate Muslim members
Cabinet Mission plan16 May 1946Union, groups A, B, C; Constituent Assembly of 389
Direct Action Day16 August 1946Called by the League; Calcutta killings
Interim Government2 September 1946Nehru as Vice-President of the Executive Council
Attlee's statement20 February 1947Power to be transferred by June 1948
Mountbatten Plan3 June 1947Partition by votes and referendums; date advanced
Indian Independence Act18 July 1947 (royal assent)Two dominions from 15 August 1947
Kashmir accession26 October 1947Signed during the tribal invasion

The chapter in one line: every plan for a united India between 1945 and 1947 failed over the League's demand for parity and grouping, so power passed in August 1947 to two dominions, and India then rebuilt its unity by integrating the princely states. Most questions test dates (16 May 1946, 16 August 1946, 2 September 1946, 3 June 1947, 18 July 1947, 26 October 1947), members of the Cabinet Mission, the make-up of the Constituent Assembly, and how each region and difficult state decided.

Exam traps

Recap

Practice questions

Q1. Which one of the following proposals was made by the Wavell Plan of 1945?

  1. A Constituent Assembly elected by provincial legislatures
  2. Equal numbers of caste Hindus and Muslims in the Viceroy's Executive Council
  3. Grouping of provinces into groups A, B and C
  4. Partition of Punjab and Bengal
Show answer

Answer: B. Equal numbers of caste Hindus and Muslims in the Viceroy's Executive Council

(b) is correct: the Wavell Plan proposed caste Hindu-Muslim parity in a reconstituted Executive Council. (a) and (c) belong to the Cabinet Mission plan of 1946, and (d) to the Mountbatten Plan of 1947.

Q2. Under the Cabinet Mission plan, Group B consisted of:

  1. Bengal and Assam
  2. Punjab, the North-West Frontier Province and Sind
  3. Madras, Bombay and the United Provinces
  4. Punjab, Sind and Baluchistan
Show answer

Answer: B. Punjab, the North-West Frontier Province and Sind

(b) is correct: Group B was Punjab, the NWFP and Sind. (a) was Group C. (c) lists provinces of Group A. (d) is wrong because Baluchistan was a chief commissioner's province, not part of the groups of governors' provinces, and the NWFP is missing.

Q3. Consider the following statements:
1. The Interim Government formed on 2 September 1946 was headed in practice by Jawaharlal Nehru as Vice-President of the Viceroy's Executive Council.
2. The Muslim League never joined the Interim Government.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

(a) is correct. Statement 1 is true. Statement 2 is false: the League joined in October 1946, with Liaquat Ali Khan holding finance, though it boycotted the Constituent Assembly. So (b) and (c) wrongly accept statement 2, and (d) wrongly rejects statement 1.

Q4. Arrange the following in chronological order:
1. Attlee's statement fixing a deadline for the transfer of power
2. Direct Action Day
3. The Simla Conference
4. The Mountbatten Plan
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 3-2-1-4
  2. 3-1-2-4
  3. 2-3-1-4
  4. 3-2-4-1
Show answer

Answer: A. 3-2-1-4

(a) is correct: Simla Conference (June–July 1945), Direct Action Day (16 August 1946), Attlee's statement (20 February 1947), Mountbatten Plan (3 June 1947). (b) puts Attlee's statement before Direct Action Day; (c) puts Direct Action Day before Simla; (d) puts the Mountbatten Plan before Attlee's statement.

Q5. Which one of the following was NOT a provision of the Indian Independence Act 1947?

  1. Two independent dominions from 15 August 1947
  2. Lapse of the Crown's paramountcy over the princely states
  3. Government under the Government of India Act 1935 until new constitutions were made
  4. Adult franchise for electing a new Constituent Assembly
Show answer

Answer: D. Adult franchise for electing a new Constituent Assembly

(d) is correct because the Act did not order fresh elections by adult franchise; it gave full powers to the existing Constituent Assembly of each dominion. (a), (b) and (c) were all provisions of the Act, so they are wrong answers to a 'NOT' question.

Q6. Consider the following statements about the 3 June 1947 Plan:
1. A referendum was held in the North-West Frontier Province.
2. The Punjab legislative assembly voted in two sections on partition.
3. Sind decided through a referendum.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 and 2 only

(a) is correct. Statements 1 and 2 are true. Statement 3 is false: Sind decided through a vote of its legislative assembly, not a referendum. So (b), (c) and (d), which include statement 3, are wrong.

Q7. The Ministry (Department) of States that negotiated the accession of the princely states in 1947 was headed by:

  1. Jawaharlal Nehru
  2. Vallabhbhai Patel
  3. V. P. Menon
  4. Lord Mountbatten
Show answer

Answer: B. Vallabhbhai Patel

(b) is correct: Sardar Patel headed the States Department. (c) V. P. Menon was its secretary, not its head. (a) Nehru held external affairs and led the government. (d) Mountbatten urged the princes to accede but did not head the department.

Q8. With reference to Jammu and Kashmir in 1947–49, which one of the following statements is correct?

  1. Its accession to India followed a plebiscite held in February 1948.
  2. Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947 during a tribal invasion.
  3. Indian troops entered the state under Operation Polo.
  4. A ceasefire came into force on 15 August 1947.
Show answer

Answer: B. Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947 during a tribal invasion.

(b) is correct. (a) describes Junagadh, not Kashmir. (c) describes Hyderabad in September 1948. (d) is wrong because the ceasefire in Kashmir came into force on 1 January 1949.

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