1947August 1947 · Amritsar and the Punjab border

Partition of India

The Town Hall in Amritsar that houses the Partition Museum — Photo: shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

British India was divided into India and Pakistan at independence, with Punjab and Bengal split along lines drawn in a few weeks by Cyril Radcliffe. About 15 million people crossed the new borders, and between several hundred thousand and two million were killed in communal violence. Amritsar, 30 km from the new frontier, saw some of the worst of it.

Political History
Social History
Colonial & Imperial History
Amritsar, India

Sites

Site 1: Partition Museum, Town HallOral histories and belongings of families who crossed the new border.Map ↗
Site 2: Attari–Wagah borderBorder crossing with a daily flag-lowering ceremony.Map ↗