Lord Mountbatten (1947-1948) - Viceroy of India - Modern India History Notes

Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, was a British statesman and naval officer who served as India's last Viceroy and the country's first Governor-General. Lord Mountbatten was India's last Viceroy from 12 February 1947 to 15 August 1947, and the country's first Governor General from 15 August 1947 to 21 June 1948. During his presidency, India gained independence in the form of two dominions, India and Pakistan. As the last Viceroy, he would oversee the British withdrawal from India and ensure a smooth transition to power, but his efforts would be futile because the partition of India he had attempted to prevent would occur regardless. In this article, we will discuss Lord Mountbatten (1947-1948) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Lord Mountbatten

Lord Mountbatten - Background

• Because of his experience in the region, the new British Prime Minister Clement Attlee advised King George VI to appoint Lord Mountbatten as Viceroy of India.
• He arrived in the country on February 20, 1947, tasked with avoiding subcontinental partition but with the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances in order to preserve Britain's reputation.
• When he began his mission, he had good relations with other Indian leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, but he had different feelings about Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
• Jinnah was adamant about establishing Pakistan. Lord Mountbatten attempted to persuade Jinnah of the benefits of a united India, but it was in vain.
• Finally, as the deadline for achieving India's independence approached, hopes for a united India began to fade.
• Despite Mountbatten's determination, Nehru and Patel's inability to deal with the Muslim League, and finally Jinnah's obstinacy, all Indian party leaders (except Gandhi) agreed to Jinnah's plan to divide India, which eased Mountbatten's task.
• His good relations with the Indian princes were instrumental in convincing many of them to join the Union of India, but his failure to persuade the princely states of Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, and Junagadh to reach a similar conclusion would lead to future tensions between India and Pakistan.
• Mountbatten moved the partition date from June 1948 to August 15, 1947.
• Mountbatten remained in New Delhi for 10 months after Pakistan and India gained independence at midnight on 14–15 August 1947, serving as the first governor-general of an independent India until June 1948.

Important Events During his Tenure

• Pakistan Day
  • Lord Mountbatten immediately began the procedure to transfer power upon his arrival. On March 27, 1947, the Muslim League observed Pakistan Day, which resulted in riots, massacres, and atrocities.
  • The Interim Government, which had been in place since September 2, 1946, had failed to control the riots, and the leaders of the Interim Government, including Nehru, realised the futility of opposing the Muslim League's demand for a separate Pakistan.
• 1947 Dickie Bird Plan
  • For India's independence, Mountbatten devised the “Dickie Bird Plan.”
  • This plan's main proposal was that provinces become the first independent successor states rather than an Indian Union or the two dominions of India and Pakistan.
  • According to this plan, all provinces, including Madras, Bombay, the United Provinces of Bengal, Punjab, and the North West Frontier, would be declared independent.
  • The states would then decide whether or not to join the constituent assembly.
  • This plan was only discussed informally with Indian leaders and Mountbatten. He completed the plan and sent it to London.
  • Later, when he relocated to Shimla, Nehru joined him as a guest. Mountbatten presented the plan's details to Nehru here.
  • Nehru immediately rejected the plan, telling him that it would invite Balkanization of India and would spark conflict and violence. As a result, Mountbatten cabled England to cancel the plan.
• June 3rd Plan
  • By June 1947, Congress had approved partition. Prime Minister Atlee announced the Partition Plan or June 3 Plan in the House of Commons on June 3, 1947. The following provisions were included in the plan.
    • The princely states' revenues will not be transferred to either India or Pakistan. As a result, if India is partitioned, they will theoretically become sovereign.
    • A referendum was to be held in the Assam region of Sylhet, which had a Muslim majority.
    • In the case of the NWFP, the decision had to be based on a referendum.
    • In the case of Sind and Baluchistan, the decision would be made by provincial assemblies.
    • To decide on partition, the provincial legislative assemblies of Bengal and Punjab would meet in two parts, one representing Muslim majority districts and another representing Hindu majority districts.
  • Congress approved the plan. Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan described the Congress as treacherous for abandoning the Khudai Khidmatgars to the wolves.
  • The partition became a reality relatively quickly. Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan opposed the referendum, but the vote went in favour of Pakistan.
• Partition Committee
  • Lord Mountbatten presided over the formation of the Partition Committee, which included Vallabh Bhai Patel, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Liaqat Ali Khan, and Abdur Rab Nishtar.
  • This committee was later replaced by the Partition Council. Sardar Patel and Dr. Rajendra Prasad represented the Congress on this council, with C. Rajgopalachari serving as an alternate member.
  • Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Liaqat Ali Khan, and Abdur Rab Nishtar represented the Muslim League as alternate members.
  • This partition council continued to exist after 15 August 1947, but its composition was changed to include two members from each dominion.
  • Even at that time, Patel and Dr. Prasad continued to represent the Indian Domain.

• The Indian Independence Act of 1947
  • The Indian Independence Act was based on the Mountbatten plan of June 3, 1947, and was passed by the British parliament on July 5, 1947.
  • It received royal assent on July 18, 1947. It established two dominion states, India and Pakistan.
  • The boundaries between the two dominion states were to be determined by a Boundary Commission chaired by Sir Cyril Radcliff. It called for the partition of Punjab and Bengal, as well as separate boundary commissions to demarcate the borders between them.
  • The British Crown's authority over the princely states ended, and they were free to join either India or Pakistan or to remain independent.
  • Both India and Pakistan were to have Governor Generals appointed by the British King. The act also provided for a common Governor General if both parties agreed.
  • Both states' constituent assemblies were free to write their own constitutions. Both would be governed by the Government of India Act 1935 until the constitution was drafted.
  • The Governor General may make any changes or omissions. The British government would not maintain control over any dominion.
  • The Governor General was given sufficient authority to issue orders for the effective implementation of the provisions of the Indian Independence Act of 1947 until March 1948.
  • Civil servants who were appointed prior to August 15, 1947, will continue to serve with the same benefits.

Role of Mountbatten in Consolidating Post-independent India

• Lord Mountbatten was a key figure in the transfer of power to the Indian Union in 1947.
• Although his decision to transfer power at such a rapid pace, by moving the date from July 1948 to August 1947, is criticised on several counts, he did his best to ensure the formation of a strong Indian union and good Indo-British relations post-independence.
• As a member of the royal family and the current viceroy of India, he believed that his request to princely states would be given more weight if he asked them to remain with India rather than form a separate independent province, in order to facilitate the formation of a strong Indian union.
• He also played a key role, along with Sardar Patel, in convincing Nehru to order a military strike to aid Kashmir after Maharaja Hari Singh signed the accession document.
• Apart from that, he believed that the country was facing partition because of British rule, and he saw it as his moral responsibility to oversee the entire process, as well as the planning to be done to accommodate the refugees coming to India after partition.
• His constitutional advisor, VP Menon, also played the role of a good advisor, explaining to him the aspirations of the Indian people and convincing him to stay in India to help after 15 August 1947.

Conclusion

Mountbatten rejoined the Royal Navy in 1953, becoming commander of a new NATO Mediterranean command. Then, in 1954, he was appointed first sea lord, a position held by his father for over 40 years. Finally, in 1959, he was appointed chief of the defence staff, and in 1965, he retired from the navy. Mountbatten was assassinated on August 27, 1979, when IRA (Irish Republican Army) terrorists blew up his boat off the coast of County Sligo, Ireland, near his family's holiday home at Classiebawn Castle.