9781422282878

C H A P T E R 1 War and Its Aftermath

T he sun was setting on the British Empire when World War II ended in 1945. Al- though Britain helped defeat Nazi Germany and its allies, the colonial superpow- er had emerged from the war badly bruised and in economic tatters. Pushed along by nationalistic movements across the empire, Britain’s new Labour government decided to abandon many of its overseas colonies, including India, one of its most prized possessions. The idea was to form two separate nations on the subcontinent . The first, India, would be dominated by its Hindu majority. The second, Pakistan, would be dominated by Muslims. For as far back as anyone could remember, the Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, a minority religion in India, were somewhat tolerant of one another when the British were in charge. All that ended in 1947 as independence uprooted some 12 million people. Hindus, now a minority in Pakistan, were forced to move into India, while Muslims, now a minority in India, were forced to move to Pa- kistan. In the process, an undeclared civil war broke out as long-simmering hostilities over culture, economics, religion, territory, and politics boiled to the surface. About 1 million people were murdered. Many others died of disease and malnutrition. Both sides committed unspeakable atrocities, including the raping of women. Yet, the persecution of minorities during the postwar era was not an aberration confined to just India and Pakistan. The old colonial powers of Europe no longer held sway when World War II ended. Many found it difficult and expensive to maintain their colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Consequently, the Europeans were forced to abandon their overseas territories. Some, like Britain, did so grudgingly but voluntarily. Others, such as Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, were more reluc- tant. Independence in many colonies came only after wars of national liberation. Many of these new nations now found themselves in the middle of an ethnic, religious, cultural, and economic maelstrom as various groups began to “rediscover” their cultural identities free from colonial shackles. Consequently, internal animos- ities threw many fledging nations into chaos. Grievances over economic inequality, lack of democracy, civil liberties, and state-sponsored discrimination against mi-

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CHAPTER 1