A Historical Perspective : The Emergence of Islam and Muslim Identity in India : British Colonialism and Indian Congress Leadership in the Vivisection and Partitioning of India

Abstract

This paper attempts to deal with the complex and intricate issue of the emergence of Islam and Muslim identity in undivided India. In so doing, the paper focuses on an historical perspective, for purposes of recalling the great divide in India before partition. The two papers also encapsulate the issues that permeate Indian independence from British colonialism and, they attempt to discuss, the formation of two independent countries in the form of independent India and independent Pakistan, as two distinct nation states. More importantly, these aspects will be discussed in paper two of the two part series of articles. This partition or vivisection of the Indian subcontinent was a great tragedy of history and of our times, in the 20 th century. It will also very briefly discuss the formation of Bangladesh as a relic of British colonialism in the great design to split the Indian subcontinent into three nation states. This will be undertaken in paper two. It therefore discusses the designs of British colonialism and brings to the fore issues that need to be grasped in terms of both Indian and British leadership in dividing the Indian sub – continent. The role of Indian leaders and of Viceroy Lord Mountbatten are discussed as a great tragedy to justice and the infliction of great pain to so many people that, were unnecessarily massacred and separated from their land of birth by partition. This aspect will be discussed in paper two of this series of articles. The paper draws upon the work of Jaswant Singh, Peter Hardy, William Dalrymple, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a great son of India, Richard Hough and, a host of other distinguished writers and scholars, in respect of the emergence of Islam and Muslim identity in the Indian sub – continent. On the other hand the paper draws from the experiences and observations of the writer himself, who was a student in India for seven years (1971 – 1979). Travelled the length and breadth of India during this period, and lived in New Delhi, Bombay, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Udaipur in Rajasthan for protracted periods of time. Interviewed and spoke to many people and travelled to Muslim and Hindu regions of the subcontinent and travelled to Indian Kashmir and to Ladhak, and its capital Leh (part of India but in Western Tibet). For a period of seven months in 1974, at the young and tender age of 22, the writer travelled from Jammu (Kashmir) by road to Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan and, had the opportunity of seeing for himself some of the issues raised in this paper. Had the opportunity of mingling with the locals of different religions and cultures of these countries and battled the harsh terrains and, saw the magnificent sceneries’, the diverse and rich cultures of magnificent, proud and intellectual people, in spite of a sea of