Debadrito Dutta at 13:49, 13 March 2026

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{{more citations needed|date=September 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Year in India|1947}}

The year [[1947]] was a turning point in Indian history, marking the end of the [[British Raj]]. On August 15, 1947, India gained [[Indian Independence Movement|independence]], leading to the creation of the [[Dominion of India]], which in [[1950 in India|1950]] would establish the [[Sovereign]], [[Democracy|Democratic]], [[Republic]] of India.

The year also witnessed the [[1947 Rawalpindi massacres|Rawalpindi Massacres]], [[Partition of India]], [[1947 Jammu massacres|Jammu Massacres]] and [[Violence against women during the Partition of India|violence against women]].
This culminated in creation of [[Pakistan]] and triggered one of the largest mass migrations in history.

==Incumbents==
* [[Emperor of India]] – [[George VI]] until 15 August
* [[King of India]] – [[George VI]] from 15 August
* Viceroy of India – [[Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell|The Viscount Wavell]] (until 21 February)
* Viceroy of India – [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma]] (21 February – 15 August)
* Governor-General of the Union of India – The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma (from 16 August)
* [[Prime Minister of India]] – [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]

==Events==
{{Missing information|This article is missing important information about the subject.|date=April 2025}}

* National income - {{INR}}85,101 million{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

=== January - June ===
* 20 February - [[Clement Attlee]] informs of decision to leave India by 1948.{{sfn|Constitutionofindia.net|2025}}
* 1 March - Partition of India is finalised by Lord Mountbatten{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}. Boundary Commission under Sir Radcliffe was setup to partition Punjab & Bengal.
* 2 March - Sir [[Khizar Hayat Tiwana]], leader of the [[Unionist Party (Punjab)]] and Premier of pre-Partition Punjab, resigns in protest against the Partition.{{sfn|The Tribune|2025}}
* 5 March - On the eve of Hindu festival of [[Holi]], armed Muslim mobs started attacking Hindus and Sikhs in several cities of [[West Punjab]], including the cantonment town of [[Rawalpindi]] and [[Multan]], killing close to 200 in the latter with the casualties being mostly Hindu.{{sfn|Ahmed|2011|p=207}}{{sfn|Hajari|2015|p=104}} This marked the beginning of the [[1947 Rawalpindi massacres]].
* 15 March – [[Hindu]]s and [[Muslim]]s clash in [[Punjab region|Punjab]].
* 15 March - [[Lord Mountbatten]] attempts his first effort to stop the Partition of Bengal & conduct the partition of Muslim majority Kashmir{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}.
* 16 March - Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir disapproves of Lord Mountbatten's proposal{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}.
* 22 March - [[Lord Mountbatten]] arrives in India.{{sfn|Firstpost|2025}}
* 25 March - Lord Mountbatten attempts his second effort to stop the Partition of Bengal & conduct the partition of Muslim-majority Kashmir.
* 26 March - Jawaharlal Nehru disapproves of Lord Mountbatten's proposal but Muhammad Ali Jinnah accepts the proposal of Lord Mountbatten.
* 2 April - Lord Mountbatten attempts his third effort to stop the Partition of Bengal & conduct the partition of Muslim-majority Kashmir. Gandhi starts his fast to keep India united.
* 5 April - Talks on stopping the Partition of Bengal & conducting the partition of Muslim-majority Kashmir fails as Jawaharlal Nehru & Maharaja Hari Singh disapprove of Lord Mountbatten's proposal. Proposal stands 2-1 in favour of the Partition of Bengal.
* 15 April - On the Bengali new year's day, Lord Mountbatten attempts his last ditch effort to stop the Partition of Bengal & conduct the partition of Muslim-majority Kashmir. Sir Radcliffe lends support to Lord Mountbatten as the proposal stands tied 2-2.
* 1 May - Shyama Prasad Mukherjee writes to Lord Mountbatten & Sir Radcliffe demanding a plebiscite to decide on the Partition of Bengal. Proposal stands 3-2 in favour of the Partition of Bengal.
* 18 May - Gandhi gives approval to the Partition of India after massive riots break out in Punjab & Bengal
*23 May - The Partition of Bengal was finalized. West Bengal was slated to have Jessore, Khulna, Barisal, & Dinajpur Districts along with other Western districts of Undivided Bengal. A Total of {{convert|110000|km2|sqmi}} area was given to West Bengal.
* 31 May - First Illegal Plebiscite to decide on the Partition of Bengal happens. Kolkata, Sunderbans, Murshidabad, Malda, Jessore, Khulna, Barisal, Kushtia, Pabna, Rajshahi, & Rangpur divisions of Bengal vote.
* 1 June - Second Illegal Plebiscite to decide on the Partition of Bengal happens. Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet, & Chattogram (Chittagong) vote in favour of joining East Pakistan.
* 4 June - [[Shyama Prasad Mukherjee]] participated despite Dr. [[Bidhan Chandra Roy]] pleading him not to participate. Mukherjee loses the Plebiscite. He becomes runner-up even after Fazlull Haque, the candidate of Muslim League abstained. The Muslim League then started '''Second Direct Action Day''' in Kolkata, to get Kolkata, Sundarbans, Murshidabad, Malda, Jessore, Khulna, Barisal, Kushtia, Pabna, Rajshahi, & Rangpur divisions to join East Pakistan. 1000-5000 people killed in Kolkata Riots on 4 June 1947. Again after 16 August 1946, Gopal Chandra Mukherjee also known as '''Gopal Patha''', his aides Gopalnath Bhattacharya also known as '''Boro Gopal''', & Chandi Upadhyay, cousin brother of Deendayal Upadhyay raided the second head office of Muslim League in Kolkata with 20,000 people to save Kolkata, Sundarbans, Jessore, Khulna, & Barisal from going into East Pakistan. All Muslim League leaders abandon second head office in Kolkata & flee to Dhaka.
* 7 June - Malda & Murshidabad, which were given to East Pakistan, were forcibly swapped with Jessore, Khulna, & Barisal. Kolkata was saved & Sundarbans was divided between India & East Pakistan. West Bengal lost {{convert|15,000|km2|sqmi}} due to this Illegal Plebiscite, became {{convert|95,000|km2|sqmi}} area. This was a huge mistake done by [[Shyama Prasad Mukherjee]] by participating in the Illegal Kolkata plebiscite, falling in trap of Muslim League.

=== July - December ===
* July - August – [[1947 Pakistani Constituent Assembly election]]
* 5 July – The Indian Independence Act was passed by the British Parliament.
* 18 July – The Indian Independence Act received royal assent from the then British monarch, George VI.
* 22 July – Constituent Assembly of India officially adopted the [[Flag of India|Tricolour flag]] as the National Flag.<ref>{{Cite web |title=My India My Pride - Indian Tricolor - Know India: National Portal of India |url=https://knowindia.india.gov.in/my-india-my-pride/indian-tricolor.php |access-date=2025-12-24 |website=knowindia.india.gov.in}}</ref>
* 30 July – [[Travancore]] formally accedes to join [[Dominion of India]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-13 |title=Who was Sir CP, whose 'independent Travancore mission' ended with assassination bid |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/sir-cp-whose-independent-travancore-mission-ended-with-assassination-bid-8265100/ |access-date=2023-04-18 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Though it was integrated into the Dominion of India in July 1949.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-01 |title=Kerala is 67 years old: Here is how the state was formed |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/research/kerala-is-60-years-old-here-is-how-the-state-was-formed-3732343/ |access-date=2025-11-09 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
* 7 August – The [[Bombay Municipal Corporation]] formally takes over the [[Bombay Electric Supply and Transport]] (BEST).
* 15 August – [[British India]] is dissolved and the [[Dominion of India]] gains its independence from the United Kingdom. A largely [[Hindu]] India and a [[Muslim]] Pakistan are created by partitions of the subcontinent, with [[Punjab region|Punjab]] and [[Bengal]] divided along religious-demographic boundaries between the two. Hindu – Muslim riots break out along both the western and eastern borders. Mass transfer of refugees takes place from the successor states of India to Pakistan and vice versa. The monarch of [[Kashmir]] signs [[instrument of accession]] with India in the face of heavy attack from Pakistani tribals, but at the same time he had signed a [[Standstill agreement (India)|Standstill agreement]] with Pakistan. Mountbatten remains the Governor-general of India as wished by the Indians and [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] becomes the first [[Prime Minister of India]]. Nehru unfurls the Indian [[Flag of India|tricolor]] on the ramparts of the [[Red Fort]], symbolically marking the end of British colonial rule.
* August – October – Thousands massacred & 1 million migrations in Punjab.<ref name="EverymanDictionary">''Everyman's Dictionary of Dates''; 6th ed. J. M. Dent, 1971; p. 263</ref>
* 13 September – Prime Minister [[Nehru]] suggests the transfer of 10 million Hindus and Muslims between India and Pakistan.
* 27 October – [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] formally accepts to join the Dominion of India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-27 |title=HT This Day: 28 Oct 1947 – Kashmir accedes to India |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ht-this-day-28-oct-1947-kashmir-accedes-to-india-101635356076783.html |access-date=2025-11-09 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> Indian military is airlifted to [[Kashmir]] to counter the invasion by tribal militias from Pakistan. [[War]] breaks out between Indian and Pakistani forces in Kashmir. Pakistani tribal militias temporarily surrendered the area of [[Azad Kashmir]] that they had barricaded, as Indian forces pushed them back. With this, India gained de facto control of all the regions Jammu and Kashmir but temporarily. Also, Jammu and Kashmir became the first state of the Dominion of India, as the former directly administered regions were called provinces until 1950, and the title for the indirectly ruled princely regions was simply ‘state’. Although most of the other princely regions acceded earlier, they were not administratively integrated, whereas Jammu and Kashmir was, due to the airlifting of Indian forces.
* 30 October – [[Sheikh Abdullah]] formed the Emergency Government in the state of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] to cooperate with the process of integration into India, thereby ending the monarch’s rule.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kashmir Article 370 by Mohan Krishen Teng |url=https://ikashmir.net/article370/chapter2.html |access-date=2025-12-07 |website=ikashmir.net}}</ref>
* 31 October – The [[Government of Azad Kashmir|AJK government]] regained control over [[Muzaffarabad]] and other surrounding regions. This was followed by taking control over other regions of Kashmir in the following days, though some of them were taken back by India again before the 1949 ceasefire, except present day Azad Kashmir areas.
* 1 November – [[William Brown (British Army officer)|Major William Brown]] of the [[Gilgit Scouts]] led a coup against the Maharaja's appointed governor of the Gilgit region of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], Ghansara Singh, liberating the Gilgit region from India's rule and paving the way for its integration into Pakistan.
* 9 November – [[Junagadh]] joins the Dominion of India
* 16 November – Pakistan took control of Gilgit.

==Law==
* 10 August - Boundary Commission under Sir Radcliffe finally partitioned India. {{convert|300000|km2|sqmi}} of area in Punjab got divided with {{convert|204250|km2|sqmi}} going to West Pakistan (Only Pakistan since 1971). Remaining {{convert|95750|km2|sqmi}} joins India as East Punjab. {{convert|250000|km2|sqmi}} of area in Bengal got divided with {{convert|147750|km2|sqmi}} going to East Pakistan (Bangladesh since 1971). Remaining {{convert|102250|km2|sqmi}} joins India as West Bengal. (Later West Bengal lost {{convert|13,498|km2|sqmi}} more area to Bihar, Assam, & Odisha in 1948-53).
*Indian Independence Act
*Industrial Disputes Act
*Gauhati University Act
*Roorkee University Act
*Rubber (Production and Marketing) Act
*Indian Nursing Council Act
*Foreign Exchange Regulation Act
*Armed Forces (Emergency Duties) Act
*United Nations (Security Council) Act
*United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act

==Births==
*8 January – [[Harish Naval]], international literary journal chief editor.
*2 June – [[Saint Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale]], Sikh theologian and leader (died 1984).
*19 June – [[Salman Rushdie]], novelist.
*1 July – [[Sharad Yadav]], politician (died 2023)
*5 July – [[Lalji Singh]], molecular biologist. (died 2017).
*6 August – [[Srinivasa Prasad]], politician (died 2024).
*15 August – [[Raakhee]], Bollywood actress.
*17 October – [[Simi Garewal]], actress.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

==Deaths==
*13 May – [[Sukanta Bhattacharya]], Bengali poet (born [[1926 in India|1926]]).

== See also ==
* [[Bollywood films of 1947]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite web
| last = Constitutionofindia.net
| title = This Month in Constitution-Making (February 1947): Britain Announces …
| url = https://www.constitutionofindia.net/blog/this-month-in-constitution-making-february-1947-britain-announces-it-will-quit-india/
| date = 2025-04-20
| archiveurl = https://archive.today/20250420220609/https://www.constitutionofindia.net/blog/this-month-in-constitution-making-february-1947-britain-announces-it-will-quit-india/
| archivedate = 2025-04-20
}}
* {{cite book |last=Ahmed |first=Ishtiaq |title=The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed: Unravelling the 1947 Tragedy through Secret British Reports and First-Person Accounts |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kooxugAACAAJ |publisher=Rupa/OUP Pakistan |year=2011 |isbn=978-93-5520-578-0 |id={{isbn|978-0-19-906470-0}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Hajari |first=Nisid |author-link=Nisid Hajari |title=Midnight's Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OJGdBAAAQBAJ |publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]] |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-547-66924-3}}
* {{cite web
| last = The Tribune
| title = Remembering Khizar Hayat Tiwana
| url = https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/comment/remembering-khizar-hayat-tiwana-371749/
| date = 2025-04-20
| archiveurl = https://archive.today/20250420223951/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/comment/remembering-khizar-hayat-tiwana-371749/
| archivedate = 2025-04-20
}}
* {{cite web
| last = Firstpost
| title = History Today: How Lord Mountbatten was appointed last viceroy and oversaw India's independence
| url = https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/history-today-how-lord-mountbatten-was-appointed-last-viceroy-and-oversaw-indias-independence-13864718.html
| date = 2025-04-20
| archiveurl = https://archive.today/20250420222404/https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/history-today-how-lord-mountbatten-was-appointed-last-viceroy-and-oversaw-indias-independence-13864718.html
| archivedate = 2025-04-20
}}
{{refend}}

{{India year nav}}
{{Year in Asia|1947}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1947 In India}}
[[Category:1947 in India| ]]
[[Category:1947 by country|India]]
[[Category:Years of the 20th century in India]]
[[Category:1947 in Asia]]
[[Category:1940s in India]]

1947 in India - Revision history

Debadrito Dutta at 13:49, 13 March 2026