Indian Independence Act 1947

The Mountbattenplan is after the then British Governor-General and Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, named action plan of the British government to the dismissal of British India to independence. It included the division of British India into two successor states, the Union of India and Pakistan. He became the basis of the adopted by the British Parliament "Indian Independence Act", 1947 (10 and 11 Geo VI, c. 30).

Content and evaluation

The Mountbatten published on June 3, 1947 Mountbattenplan established the administrative steps and the timing for the division of British India, the creation of two independent Dominions and the transfer of state power on August 15, 1947. In terms of the two-nation theory, the former colony should be divided into two independent successor states according to religious majorities, Muslims or Hindus; for the Punjab and Bengal should this boundary commissions are used, the princely states the choice be left to which State they join.

Both the Muslim League under the leadership Ali Jinnah and the Congress accepted the plan. The British Parliament passed the Indian Independence in the wake Act and the two countries became independent in August. The exact demarcation was Mountbatten until August 16, by the way already known in his new capacity as Governor General. The issue of affiliation of Kashmir, one of the princely states, it came in October for the first Indo- Pakistani war.

Although the Mountbattenplan was its content as inevitable, but the tight schedule was heavily criticized in some cases.