Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Mountbatten Plan
References
Britannica AI Icon

Mountbatten Plan

Indian history
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

The Mountbatten Plan was a proposal by Louis Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India, for the partition of British India into two independent nations: India and Pakistan. This plan was enacted through the Indian Independence Act of 1947, which officially transferred power on August 15, 1947.123

The plan aimed to address the growing communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims, with the Muslim League advocating for a separate state. Mountbatten decided to accelerate the transfer of power, opting for partition to avoid further civil war and the potential for a mutiny of British troops.234

The partition resulted in the division of the provinces of Punjab and Bengal, leading to a massive displacement of approximately 15 million people and significant communal violence, with an estimated death toll between 200,000 and 2,000,000. Despite the challenges, the act marked the end of British rule in India.53

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
6 Britannica Sources
  1. Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten
  2. British raj - The transfer of power and the birth of two countries
  3. Indian Independence Movement - Lord Mountbatten’s arrival
  4. Indian Independence Movement: Top Questions
  5. Indian Independence Act
  6. history of Bangladesh - British colonial rule

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.