This short introduction provides a comprehensive account of the causes, experience, and aftermath of the Partition and acquaints its readers with major debates in a succinct manner. It situates the history and politics of the division within the broader histories of colonial and postcolonial South Asia and draws attention to the multiplicity of meanings of 1947 and their relevance in framing and understanding contemporary challenges in South Asia.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 148-162) and index.

This book is a short introduction to the causes, experiences, the aftermath and the legacies of the Partition of India. It introduces the history and the major debates in the writing about this division. The book asks the reader to reflect on the many ways of framing 1947 and its continuing relevance in the contemporary challenges faced in South Asia today.