August 14 1947 saw the birth of the new Islamic Republic of Pakistan. At midnight the next day India won its freedom from colonial rule, ending nearly 350 years of British presence in India. It heralded the end of the Age of Imperialism and its precursor, the Age of Conquistadors, when the great explorers--from Columbus to Cortes, Magellan and Pizzaro--opened up the world by conquering boundless lands for God, gold and the monarchs of Spain, Portugal, France and England. The British left India divided in two. The two countries were founded on the basis of religion, with Pakistan as an Islamic state and India as a secular one.
Whether the partition of these countries was wise and whether it was done too soon is still under debate. Even the imposition of an official boundary has not stopped conflict between them. Boundary issues, left unresolved by the British, have caused two wars and continuing strife between India and Pakistan. Two new nations, India and Pakistan, were born in an hour of glory and rejoicing, which transformed all too quickly into a cauldron of bloodshed and horror as millions of Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims were uprooted from their homes. Lord Mountbatten was a central character in Indian independence and examining his role will help us better understand why Britain pulled out, nationalistic movements within India pressured Britain for withdrawal in different ways and partition's aftermath changed Indian and Pakistani relations forever.
Louis of Battenberg, the great grandson of Queen Victoria, and second cousin of George V, was born in Windsor, England, on June 25 1900 . His father, Prince Louis of Battenberg, had been born in Austria. As a result of the anti-German feelings in Britain during the First World War, the family changed its name from Battenberg to Mountbatten. Mountbatten was educated at Osborne and Dartmouth Royal Naval College (1913-16). He joined the Royal Navy and during the war he served on board HMS Lion and Elizabeth.