The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed: Unravelling the 1947 Tragedy through Secret British Reports and First-Person Accounts (2nd Edition)

Description

This book is a holistic study of the partition of Punjab which was the first major case of ethnic cleansing after the Second World War

The Partition of India in 1947 resulted in the biggest forced migration in history—some 14 million people altogether—of which 10 million were from the Punjab. This book is a holistic study of the first major case of ethnic cleansing after the Second World War. Besides shedding new light on the events through secret British reports, it also contains poignant accounts by eyewitnesses, survivors, and even participators in the carnage on both sides of the border.

Winner of the Best Book on Punjab at the 2016 Lahore Vaisakhi Mela, the book provides a balanced account of Partition and highlights how religious differences are no bar to peaceful coexistence unless highlighted by divisive forces. It contains interviews of persons who survived the Partition violence on both sides, and have been candid in their revelations. This book will be of immense interest to anyone even remotely curious about the happenings of the most traumatic event in recent Indo-Pak history.

The second edition marks the 70th anniversary of the partition of Punjab. It includes more oral histories, each uniquely reflecting the tragedy of partition. Theoretically, the expulsion of unwanted minorities from East and West Punjab by complicit governments in the partitioned Punjab to achieve ethnic cleansing is brought out into sharper relief in the second edition of the book.

Table of Contents

1. Preface to the 70th Anniversary Edition
2. Preface to the First Edition
3. Acknowledgements
4. Calendar 1947
5. Chronology of main events during 1947
6. Governments of the Punjab (1 January-31 December 1947)
7. Introduction
   1. A Theory of Ethnic Cleansing
   2. Pre-Colonial and Colonial Punjab
   3. Genesis of the Punjab Partition 1900-1944
8. STAGE I: THE PUNJAB BLOODIED, JANUARY 1945-31 MARCH 1947
   1. Introduction
   2. Punjab Elections and Coalition Government, 1945-1946
   3. Direct Action, 24 January-26 February 1947
   4. The March Riots: Lahore
   5. The March Riots: Amritsar and Jullundur
   6. The March Riots: Multan
   7. The March Riots: Rawalpindi and Adjoining Rural Areas
9. STAGE II: THE END GAME UNFOLDS, 24 MARCH 1947-14 AUGUST 1947
   1. Introduction
   2. British Policy in the Punjab, 24 March-30 June 1947
   3. The Battle for Lahore and Amritsar, 1 April-30 June 1947
   4. Partition Machinery and Proceedings, 1 July-14 August 1947
   5. 13. The Punjab Disintegrates, 1 July-14 August 1947
10. STAGE III: ETHNIC CLEANSING: 15 AUGUST-31 DECEMBER 1947
    1. Introduction
    2. Exodus from West Punjab
       1. Lahore Division
       2. Rawalpindi Division
       3. Multan Division and Bahawalpur State
    3. Exodus from East Punjab and the Princely States
       1. Amritsar and the Three Tahsils of Gurdaspur
       2. Jullundur Division
       3. Ambala Division and Delhi
       4. Eastern Punjab Princely States
       5. Analysis and Conclusions
11. List of Members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly (21 March 1946-4 July 1947)
12. Bibliography
13. Index

Author Biography

Ishtiaq Ahmed was born in Lahore on 24 February 1947. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Stockholm University. He is currently Visiting Professor at Government College University, Lahore. He is also Professor Emeritus of Political Science, at Stockholm University and Honorary Senior Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. His research interests cover diverse fields such as political Islam, ethnicity and nationalism, human, minority and group rights, partition studies, civil-military relations in Pakistan, and South Asian politics in general with special interest in Indo-Pak relations. He is currently working on a major study of the ideas and political role of the Founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.