The Indian Independence Act of 1947 divided British India into two independent nations, India and Pakistan. This map shows the Partition boundaries in the Punjab. The blue line indicates the notional boundary that was proposed as part of the Partition plan of 3 June 1947. The red line shows the final border as announced by the Boundary Commission on 17 August 1947 – two days after the independence of India and Pakistan had been declared. 

The Radcliffe Line

In July 1947 Lord Louis Mountbatten named Sir Cyril Radcliffe as chair of the Boundary Commission appointed to divide the Punjab and Bengal regions between India and Pakistan. The Commission included members of the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League. Radcliffe and these officials sought to demarcate the most appropriate boundaries in the Punjab and Bengal areas, aiming to include majority-Muslim and majority-Hindu areas within the Pakistan and Indian territories respectively. However, with the 15 August 1947 deadline looming and little agreement between the two sides, Radcliffe decided to set the final boundaries himself. This border, or the Radcliffe Line as it came to be known, left millions of Muslims in India and millions of Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, sparking mass migration and violence. 

This map was included in a report on the last viceroyalty from 22 March to 15 August 1947. The report is held within the India Office Records.

About the India Office Records

The India Office Records is a vast collection of archives relating to the administration of the East India Company (1600–1858) and its successor the India Office (1858–1947). The collection includes hundreds of official publications and records, manuscripts, photographs, maps and private papers. These archives document the complex story of British trade with the East, politics, the development of the British Empire and the road to Indian independence.