India Divided: Independence Splits British Empire
The British Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act, instantly splitting British India into two new dominions: Pakistan on August 14 and India on August 15. This legislative move by Prime Minister Clement Attlee and Viceroy Lord Mountbatten ended nearly two centuries of direct colonial rule, driving millions to cross newly drawn borders during a chaotic mass migration that reshaped the region's demographics forever.
August 15, 1947
79 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on August 15
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