Shattered Lands: Remembering the Five Partitions of the British Raj… Beyond the India–Pakistan Story

When we think of the British Raj, we often imagine pre-Partition India alone. But the Raj extended far beyond — into Burma, Aden, and the Persian Gulf. These histories matter because they continue to shape the identities and belonging of people across South Asia and the Middle East.

Sam Dalrymple’s new book Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia reframes the story. Rather than focusing only on India and Pakistan, he shows how five partitions broke apart Britain’s Indian Empire and transformed it into twelve nation states. 

Burma: The First Partition (1937)

Burma was the first part of the Raj to separate. With support from Gandhi, Burmese independence was accepted by Indian nationalists, who did not view Burma as part of the ancient Indian land of Bharat. Yet separation unleashed ethnic tensions, particularly against Indian Muslims.

• Anti-Muslim violence soon followed, with Buddhist monks preaching hatred and mobs carrying out ethnic cleansing.

• Dalrymple links this directly to today’s Rohingya genocide, showing how the seeds of ethno-nationalism were planted early.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Indians were forced to flee Burma during WWII, creating a refugee crisis largely absent from mainstream histories of Partition.

Arabia and Aden: Overlooked Separations

In 1937, Aden too was detached from India, followed by the Gulf protectorates. These moves redrew boundaries to resemble the Hindu nationalist vision of Bharat — separating out the “non-Hindu” regions. Dalrymple argues that this bolstered Hindu nationalism, which increasingly conflated “India” with “Bharat,” alienating Muslims and intensifying calls for Pakistan.

India & Pakistan: The Central Partition (1947)

Dalrymple situates the India–Pakistan division within this wider pattern.

• Congress vs. Muslim League: Gandhi and Nehru’s refusal to accept Muslim demands for safeguards pushed Jinnah away from secular nationalism toward Muslim separatism.

• Communal alienation: Gandhi’s dismissive comments about Muslims, and the adoption of Hindu symbols like ‘Vande Mataram’, made Muslims feel excluded.

• Princely states: The choices of princely rulers in Kashmir, Hyderabad, and Junagadh determined borders as much as British decisions. However, Indian interference in these states foreshadowed ongoing conflicts, especially Kashmir.

Gwadar and Family Connections

Dalrymple’s account of the deep-sea port of Gwadar, in present-day Pakistan, once ruled by Oman, is particularly relevant for me. My great-grandfather, Bahadur Shah Maqbul Hussain Khan, served as Finance Minister and Director General of Customs in Oman during this time.

Gwadar remained under Omani rule until the 1950s, when Pakistan negotiated its transfer. Family stories recall my great-grandfather’s role in shaping Gwadar’s future — a reminder that these “high politics” were also deeply personal for many families.

Bangladesh: The Final Partition (1971)

The fifth partition came with the birth of Bangladesh.

• Suppression in East Pakistan: The imposition of Urdu and suppression of Bengali culture sparked resistance.

• War & genocide: Pakistani forces unleashed brutal violence, including systematic rape. Dalrymple notes that both Bengalis and Urdu-speaking Biharis became victims of atrocity.

• India’s role: India backed Bengali independence, exploiting Pakistan’s internal divisions.

The creation of Bangladesh shattered the idea of Pakistan as a safe homeland for South Asia’s Muslims. Ethnic identity now began to trump religious unity.

Identity, Belonging, and Ongoing Legacies

For Dalrymple, the story of these five partitions is one of identity fractured and belonging denied. The British Raj had been a vast, interconnected world — of shared trade, faith, and family ties. Partition tore it apart, leaving behind borders, hostility, and suspicion.

And yet, amidst the violence, there are stories of hope: families who sheltered neighbours, friends who helped others escape, and individuals who defied hatred.

Dalrymple reminds us that Partition is not over. Its legacies live on — in Burma’s Rohingya crisis, in Kashmir’s disputes, in the alienation of minorities across South Asia. To understand today’s conflicts, we must remember that there were not one but five partitions that reshaped the region.

• Read the full review in my Substack 

https://open.substack.com/pub/nadiakhan2/p/shattered-lands-by-sam-dalrymple?r=3hjv8l&utm_medium=ios