Dominion of Pakistan
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (August 2013) |
Dominion of Pakistan مملکتِ پاکستان পাকিস্তান অধিরাজ্য | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947–1956[1] | |||||||||||
| Motto: Iman, Ittehad, Tanzeem ایمان ، اتحاد ، تنظیم "Faith, Unity, Discipline" | |||||||||||
| Anthem: Qaumī Tarāna قومی ترانہ | |||||||||||
.svg) The Dominion of Pakistan in 1956. | |||||||||||
| Status | Dominion | ||||||||||
| Capital | Karachi | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Urdu, Bengali, English | ||||||||||
| Religion | Islam, Hinduism | ||||||||||
| Government | Constitutional monarchy | ||||||||||
| Monarch | |||||||||||
• 1947–1952 | George VI | ||||||||||
• 1952–1956 | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||
| Governor-General | |||||||||||
• 1947–1948 | Muhammad Ali Jinnah | ||||||||||
• 1948–1951 | Khawaja Nazimuddin | ||||||||||
• 1951–1955 | Malik Ghulam Muhammad | ||||||||||
• 1955–1956 | Iskander Mirza | ||||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||||
• 1947–1951 | Liaquat Ali Khan | ||||||||||
• 1951–1953 | Khawaja Nazimuddin | ||||||||||
• 1953–1955 | Muhammad Ali Bogra | ||||||||||
• 1955–1956 | Chaudhry Muhammad Ali | ||||||||||
| Legislature | Constituent Assembly | ||||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||||
| 15 August 1947 | |||||||||||
| 22 October 1947 | |||||||||||
| 23 March 1956 | |||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||
| 1956 | 943,665 km2 (364,351 sq mi) | ||||||||||
| Currency | Pakistani rupee | ||||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | PK | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Today part of |  Pakistan Bangladesh | ||||||||||
The Dominion of Pakistan (Template:Lang-bn; Template:Lang-ur), also usually called Pakistan; was an independent federal Dominion in South Asia that was established in 1947 on the Partition of India into two sovereign countries (the other being the Dominion of India). The Dominion, which included modern-day Pakistan and Bangladesh, was intended to be a homeland for the Muslims of South Asia. It became the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1956;[1] and East Pakistan seceded from the union to become Bangladesh in 1971.
Formation
Section 1 of the Indian Independence Act 1947 provided that from "the fifteenth day of August, nineteen hundred and forty-seven, two independent Dominions shall be set up in India, to be known respectively as India and Pakistan." India was treated by the United Nations as the successor-state to the former British India. As it was already a member of the United Nations, it continued its seat and did not apply for a new membership. However, Pakistan was a newly independent country and had to apply to join the international organisation. It was admitted as a UN member shortly after its independence on 30 September 1947.
Territory
The Dominion of Pakistan was a federation of five provinces: East Bengal (later to become Bangladesh), West Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh, and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). In addition, those Princely States which were enclaves within those provinces also joined the federation: these included Bahawalpur, Khairpur, Swat, Dir, Hunza, Chitral, Makran and the Khanate of Kalat. Each province had its own governor, who was appointed by the Governor-General of Pakistan, the representative of the king of Pakistan.
Radcliffe Line
The controversial Radcliffe Award, not published until 17 August 1947, specified the Radcliffe Line which demarcated the border between India and Pakistan. The Radcliffe Boundary Commission sought to separate the Muslim-majority regions in the east and northwest from the rest of India with a Hindu majority. This entailed the partition of two provinces which did not have a uniform majority — Bengal and Punjab. The western part of Punjab became West Punjab and the eastern part became the Indian state of Punjab. Bengal was similarly divided into East Bengal (in Pakistan) and West Bengal (in India).
See also
References
- ^ a b Timothy C. Winegard (29 December 2011). Indigenous Peoples of the British Dominions and the First World War (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-1107014930. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
Further reading
- Chester, Lucy P. (2009) Borders and Conflict in South Asia: The Radcliffe Boundary Commission and the Partition of Punjab. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
- Read, A. and Fisher, D. (1997). The Proudest Day: India's Long Road to Independence. New York: Norton.