Last_viceroy_of_India_and_first_Governor-General Louis_Mountbatten,_1st_Earl_Mountbatten_of_Burma

lord , lady mountbatten @ mussoorie congress leader sardar patel, daughter manibehn patel , nehru in background

mountbatten fond of congress leader jawaharlal nehru , liberal outlook country. felt differently muslim leader muhammed ali jinnah, aware of power, stating if said single man held future of india in palm of hand in 1947, man mohammad ali jinnah. during meeting jinnah on 5 april 1947, mountbatten tried persuade jinnah of united india, citing difficult task of dividing mixed states of punjab , bengal, muslim leader unyielding in goal of establishing separate muslim state called pakistan.

lord , lady mountbatten mahatma gandhi, 1947

given british government s recommendations grant independence quickly, mountbatten concluded united india unachievable goal , resigned himself plan partition, creating independent nations of india , pakistan. mountbatten set date transfer of power british indians, arguing fixed timeline convince indians of , british government s sincerity in working towards swift , efficient independence, excluding possibilities of stalling process.

among indian leaders, mahatma gandhi emphatically insisted on maintaining united india , while rallied people goal. during meeting mountbatten, gandhi asked mountbatten invite jinnah form new central government, mountbatten never uttered word of gandhi s ideas jinnah. , when mountbatten s timeline offered prospect of attaining independence soon, sentiments took different turn. given mountbatten s determination, nehru , patel s inability deal muslim league , lastly jinnah s obstinacy, indian party leaders (except gandhi) acquiesced jinnah s plan divide india, in turn eased mountbatten s task. mountbatten developed strong relationship indian princes, ruled portions of india not directly under british rule. intervention decisive in persuading vast majority of them see advantages in opting join indian union. on 1 hand, integration of princely states can viewed 1 of positive aspects of legacy. on other, refusal of hyderabad, jammu , kashmir, , junagadh join 1 of dominions led future tension between pakistan , india.

mountbatten brought forward date of partition june 1948 15 august 1947. uncertainty of borders caused muslims , hindus move direction felt majority. hindus , muslims thoroughly terrified, , muslim movement east balanced similar movement of hindus west. boundary committee chaired sir cyril radcliffe charged drawing boundaries new nations. mandate leave many hindus , sikhs in india , many muslims in pakistan possible, radcliffe came map split 2 countries along punjab , bengal borders. left 14 million people on wrong side of border, , many of them fled safety on other side when new lines announced.

lord mountbatten pandit jawaharlal nehru first prime minister of sovereign india in government house, lady mountbatten standing left

when india , pakistan attained independence @ midnight on night of 14–15 august 1947, mountbatten remained in new delhi 10 months, serving india s first governor general until june 1948. on mountbatten s advice, india took issue of kashmir newly formed united nations in january 1948. issue of kashmir become lasting thorn in legacy, 1 not resolved day. accounts differ on future mountbatten desired kashmir. pakistani accounts suggest mountbatten favored accession of kashmir india citing close relationship nehru. mountbatten s own account says wanted maharaja hari singh make mind. viceroy made several attempts mediate between congress leaders, muhammad ali jinnah , hari singh on issues relating accession of kashmir though largely unsuccessful in resolving conflict. after tribal invasion of kashmir, on suggestion india moved secure accession of kashmir hari singh before sending in military forces defence.

lord , lady mountbatten muhammad ali jinnah

notwithstanding self-promotion of own part in indian independence – notably in television series life , times of admiral of fleet lord mountbatten of burma, produced son-in-law lord brabourne, , freedom @ midnight dominique lapierre , larry collins (of main quoted source) – record seen mixed; 1 common view hastened independence process unduly , recklessly, foreseeing vast disruption , loss of life , not wanting occur on british watch, thereby helping occur, in punjab , bengal. john kenneth galbraith, canadian-american harvard university economist, advised governments of india during 1950s, intimate of nehru served american ambassador 1961 1963, particularly harsh critic of mountbatten in regard. creation of pakistan never emotionally accepted many british leaders, among them being mountbatten. mountbatten expressed lack of support , faith in muslim league s idea of pakistan. jinnah refused mountbatten s offer serve governor-general of pakistan. when mountbatten asked collins , lapierre if have sabotaged pakistan had known jinnah dying of tuberculosis, replied, probably.