Empire Podcast Episode 280: Partition: The Creation of Pakistan (Part 3)
Hosts: William Dalrymple & Anita Anand
Release Date: August 11, 2025

Introduction

In the third installment of the Empire podcast's five-part series on the Partition of India and Pakistan, hosts William Dalrymple and Anita Anand delve deeper into the tumultuous events that led to the creation of Pakistan. Drawing from Sam Darrymple's insightful book, Shattered Lands: Five Partitions, Child Labor, and the Making of Modern Asia, the episode explores the intricate socio-political dynamics, key personalities, and pivotal moments that shaped the subcontinent's destiny.

The Great Wall of India Myth and the Reality of Partition

William Dalrymple introduces the episode by referencing the persistent myth of the Great Wall of China being visible from space, which Sam Darrymple debunks:

"You can't actually see the Great Wall of China from space. It's a complete myth... only one wall you can see from the International Space Station is the border between India and Pakistan." (03:07)

Sam Darrymple emphasizes the stark reality of the India-Pakistan border:

"It stretches 3,000 km from the Arabian Sea to the ice caps of the Himalayas, just near K2, the second tallest mountain in the world." (03:07)

He further illustrates the partition's physical and psychological barriers:

"There are three layers of fencing, three and a half meters high, accompanied by 150,000 floodlights, thermal sensors, landmines, making Indians and Pakistanis almost completely inaccessible to one another." (03:07)

Muhammad Ali Jinnah: From Idealism to Resolute Leader

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the architect of Pakistan. Darrymple explores Jinnah's transformation from a modernist dreaming of a unified India to a staunch advocate for a separate Muslim homeland.

Jinnah's Early Life and Aspirations:

"Jinnah, the man, is very different from the one that both Indians, Pakistanis, and Brits tend to imagine... a Gujarati barrister... drinks whiskey, eats pork, chain smokes cigarettes." (07:40)

Influence of Personal Tragedy: The tragic death of Jinnah's wife, Rati Petit, marks a turning point in his ideology:

"The death of his wife was not just a sad event nor something to be grieved over. But he took this act of God as a failure and a personal defeat in his life." (12:25)

This personal loss hardened Jinnah's stance against a unified India, leading him to perceive Mahatma Gandhi as a communal leader who was bringing religion into politics.

The Lahore Resolution and Its Aftermath

Darrymple discusses the pivotal Lahore Resolution of 1937, where Jinnah advocated for "Independent states for Muslims," setting the stage for Pakistan's creation:

"Jinnah announces in Lahore that Independent states for Muslims should be created... He's worried that even despite its size, they're still going to be screwed over by an even larger Hindu majority." (16:08)

The resolution articulates a response to earlier partitions like that of Burma and Arabia, reflecting the increasing Hindu-Muslim tensions exacerbated by British colonial policies.

Bengal Famine and Its Role in Accelerating Partition

The Bengal Famine of the 1940s is highlighted as a critical event that intensified communal divisions:

"Most of the people actually starving are Muslims, because the majority of the peasantry of Bengal were Muslims, whereas the upper class were mostly Hindu landowners." (20:18)

Vinayak Savarkar's call to boycott government efforts to aid Muslims further deepened mistrust:

"He calls for Hindus to boycott government efforts to buy up their rice... every Hindu should send all help to rescue, clothe, and shelter Hindu sufferers alone." (21:55)

This economic disenfranchisement made the idea of Muslim autonomy increasingly attractive.

Direct Action Day: The Catalyst for Chaos

Direct Action Day, orchestrated by the Muslim League, was intended as a peaceful demonstration of support for Pakistan but devolved into unprecedented violence.

Darrymple recounts the events of August 1946:

"Direct Action Day is meant to be a Gandhian protest of just a strike. That is what Direct Action Day was proposed to be. What it morphs into is a dreadful bloodbath." (33:27)

The day saw horrific massacres in Kolkata, with Sam Darrymple noting:

"4,000 people are confirmed dead. But this is just considered an underestimate because of how many people were stuffed in drain pipes or whose bodies had been burnt." (35:52)

The violence shattered any remaining hopes for a unified India, irreparably fracturing Hindu-Muslim relations.

The Shift Towards a Federated Pakistan

Initially, there was consideration of a federated Pakistan comprising multiple independent states, akin to the United Kingdom's structure. However, the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946, which proposed such a federation, ultimately failed due to disagreements, particularly from Nehru and Gandhi.

Darrymple explains:

"When Nehru and Gandhi pull out of the Cabinet Mission Plan, Jinnah finally goes past the point of no return." (30:07)

This withdrawal solidified the inevitability of partition, as Jinnah declared:

"Freedom must mean freedom. Hundreds of millions of Muslims will never agree merely to a change of masters." (31:38)

The Role of Violence and Political Manipulation

Post-Direct Action Day, violence spread across India, fueled by political agendas and communal hatred:

"Hindus and Muslims going to different bits of the country and each considering themselves the victims." (38:11)

Darrymple emphasizes that much of the violence was orchestrated by local politicians and thugs rather than being purely spontaneous:

"Local politicians or local thugs trying to enact revenge for peasants." (38:11)

This orchestrated violence entrenched communal identities, making coexistence increasingly untenable.

Conclusion: Seeds of Bangladesh and the Final Push for Partition

The episode concludes by highlighting how the seeds of what would become Bangladesh were sown during this period of intense violence and political maneuvering. Darrymple points out:

"Direct Action Day itself... is arguably the seed of what then becomes Bangladesh today." (38:49)

As British colonial rule waned, the pressure to formalize partition intensified, leading to the eventual creation of Pakistan and Bangladesh, reshaping the geopolitical landscape of South Asia.

Notable Quotes

• Sam Darrymple on the Partition Border:

  "There are three layers of fencing, three and a half meters high, accompanied by 150,000 floodlights... making Indians and Pakistanis almost completely inaccessible to one another." (03:07)

• Sarojini Naidu on Jinnah post-Partition:

  "Never have I found a man so sad and bitter... something I saw had snapped in him." (12:30)

• Sam Darrymple on Direct Action Day:

  "Direct Action Day... is the point at which everything between the Congress and the Muslim League fractures beyond the point of no return." (35:52)

Final Thoughts

Episode 280 of Empire offers a compelling exploration of the complex factors that led to the Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. Through poignant storytelling and meticulous research, Dalrymple and Anand illuminate the human tragedies and political machinations that forever altered the subcontinent. This episode not only sheds light on historical events but also prompts reflection on how colonial legacies and communal divisions continue to influence contemporary geopolitics.

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