Popular history
The Great Partition
A humane, clear-eyed history of the Partition of 1947.
Dominion of India
1947 – 1950
Map layer: Independent India
Independence and Partition; integration of princely states.
Who ruled when
Move along the chart to see which powers existed in any year; click a bar for its page, or empty space to open the map.
Main polities of this period
| Name | Type | Span | Region | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion of India ★ | Modern state | 1947 – 1950 | Pan-Indian | New Delhi |
| Pakistan (West & East) ★ | Modern state | 1947 – 1971 | Northwest | Karachi, later Islamabad |
| Dominion of Ceylon ★ | Modern state | 1948 – 1972 | Sri Lanka | Colombo |
Also existing during this period
Holkar State (Indore)
Central · 1731 – 1948
Scindia State (Gwalior)
Central · 1731 – 1948
Portuguese Estado da Índia
Coastal · 1505 – 1961
Portuguese Diu
Coastal · 1535 – 1961
Portuguese Daman
Coastal · 1559 – 1961
French India
Coastal · 1668 – 1954
Chandernagore
Coastal · 1673 – 1950
Pondichéry
Coastal · 1674 – 1954
Mahé
Coastal · 1721 – 1954
Yanam
Coastal · 1731 – 1954
Karaikal
Coastal · 1739 – 1954
Hyderabad State (Nizams)
Deccan · 1724 – 1948
Kingdom of Nepal
Himalaya · 1816 – 2008
Kingdom of Bhutan
Himalaya · 1907 – present
Sultanate of the Maldives
Islands · c. 1153 – 1968
Jat Kingdom of Bharatpur
North · 1722 – 1947
Koch Kingdom (Kamata / Cooch Behar)
Northeast · 1515 – 1949
Kingdom of Afghanistan
Northwest · 1926 – 1973
British Raj (Crown Rule)
Pan-Indian · 1858 – 1947
Republic of India
Pan-Indian · 1950 – present
Kingdom of Mysore
South · 1399 – 1950
Travancore
South · 1729 – 1949
British Ceylon
Sri Lanka · 1796 – 1948
Kachwahas of Amber (Jaipur)
West · c. 1128 – 1949
Marwar (Rathore)
West · c. 1226 – 1949
Mewar (Sisodia)
West · 1326 – 1949
Gaekwad State (Baroda)
West · 1721 – 1949
Events
| Year | Event | Polity |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Independence and Partition India and Pakistan became independent dominions amid mass migration and violence. |
Dominion of India |
| 1947 | Pakistan comes into being | Pakistan (West & East) |
| 1947 | First Kashmir war | |
| 1947 | Mountbatten Plan British India was to be partitioned into India and Pakistan. |
British Raj (Crown Rule) |
| 1948 | Hyderabad integrated (Operation Polo) The Nizam surrendered and Hyderabad joined the Indian Union. |
Dominion of India |
| 1948 | Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi | Dominion of India |
| 1948 | Ceylon becomes independent | Dominion of Ceylon |
| 1949 | Constitution of India adopted | Dominion of India |
| 1950 | Constitution comes into force India became a republic with Rajendra Prasad as its first President. |
Republic of India |
📚 Recommended reading for this era
Textbook
A Brief History of Modern India
The most-used exam book for modern India; dense, well organised and revision-friendly.
Popular history
India After Gandhi
The history of the Republic, from 1947 to the present.
Popular history
Freedom at Midnight
A dramatic, page-turning narrative of independence and Partition.
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