CBSE Class 12 – History

PART IV: Themes in Indian History – Part III (Modern India)

Chapter 14: Understanding Partition

Source-Based Questions with Answers

CBSE Board Examinations | NCERT Based

Instructions for Students (CBSE Pattern)

• Read each source carefully
• Answer the questions strictly on the basis of the source and NCERT content
• Keep answers brief, relevant, and concept-focused

Source-Based Questions

Source 1: Communal Politics

“By the 1940s, political mobilisation increasingly took place along religious lines rather than shared nationalist ideals.”

Q1. What does this source suggest about politics in the 1940s?
Politics became increasingly communal, based on religious identities.

Q2. How did this trend contribute to Partition?
It deepened divisions and made political compromise difficult.

Source 2: Demand for Pakistan

“Muslims constituted a separate nation whose political interests needed protection.”

Q3. Which political idea is reflected in this statement?
The Two-Nation Theory.

Q4. Which organisation promoted this idea most strongly?
The Muslim League promoted this idea.

Source 3: British Withdrawal

“The British were eager to quit India quickly after the Second World War.”

Q5. Why were the British in a hurry to leave India?
Due to economic exhaustion and fear of unrest.

Q6. How did this haste affect Partition?
It led to poor planning and administrative breakdown.

Source 4: Mountbatten Plan

“Power would be transferred to two dominions based on religious majorities.”

Q7. What did this plan propose?
The division of British India into India and Pakistan.

Q8. Who announced this plan?
Lord Mountbatten announced the plan.

Source 5: Boundary Commission

“The boundaries were drawn in secrecy and announced after independence.”

Q9. What boundary is referred to here?
The Radcliffe Line.

Q10. Why did this create panic among people?
People were unsure which country they belonged to.

Source 6: Migration

“Trains and refugee convoys were attacked during migration.”

Q11. What does this source reveal about migration during Partition?
Migration was dangerous and violent.

Q12. Approximately how many people were displaced during Partition?
Around 15 million people were displaced.

Source 7: Violence

“Ordinary men and women became both victims and perpetrators.”

Q13. What does this suggest about Partition violence?
Violence involved common people, not just organised forces.

Q14. Why did violence escalate so rapidly?
Due to rumours, fear, and breakdown of law and order.

Source 8: Women and Partition

“Women were abducted, raped, and forcibly converted.”

Q15. How were women uniquely affected by Partition?
They faced sexual violence, abduction, and social stigma.

Q16. Why are women’s experiences often missing from official histories?
Due to silence, shame, and patriarchal norms.

Source 9: Oral Histories

“Official records do not capture the pain of displacement.”

Q17. What type of historical source addresses this gap?
Oral histories and personal testimonies.

Q18. Why are oral histories important for understanding Partition?
They reveal human emotions and lived experiences.

Source 10: Memory and Silence

“Many survivors preferred silence over painful recollection.”

Q19. Why did many survivors remain silent about Partition?
Because recalling violence caused emotional trauma.

Q20. How does silence shape the history of Partition?
It limits official narratives and highlights the need for oral accounts.