Partition of India

The partition of India in 1947 divided British India into the two independent dominions of India and Pakistan, ending the British Raj. It was set forth in the Indian Independence Act 1947 and involved dividing the provinces of Bengal and Punjab along religious lines, as well as the army, civil service, and treasury. The two countries came into being at midnight on 14-15 August 1947, accompanied by mass migration and communal violence.