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Borders Then and Now

Run the Borders Then and Now MicroSim Fullscreen

About This MicroSim

Borders Then and Now is a schematic block diagram, not a map. It shows how the political units of South Asia split, joined and changed names in six steps: 1857, 1858, 1947, 1948, 1971 and 1972.

In 1857 and 1858, one large block stands for East India Company territory and then British India under the Crown. Small purple tiles inside it stand for the princely states, which kept their own rulers. Ceylon sits below as a separate British colony, and Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives appear as gray outside blocks because they were never part of British India. In 1947 the big block splits into West Pakistan, India and East Pakistan, and the princely-state tiles change color as they join a side. Hyderabad stays purple until 1948, and Jammu and Kashmir becomes a striped "disputed" tile. In 1971, East Pakistan becomes Bangladesh, and in 1972, Ceylon becomes Sri Lanka.

A panel explains each step with dates and, for 1947 and 1971, the sourced ranges historians give for deaths and displacement. The diagram draws no borders and is not to scale.

How to Use

  1. Read the 1857 panel and find the large block, the princely-state tiles, Ceylon and the gray neighbors.
  2. Press Next (or tap the diagram) to move forward one step. Press Back to go back.
  3. At each step, decide whether a block split, joined or only changed its name.
  4. Leave Show 1947 migration arrows ticked to see that people crossed the new borders in both directions.
  5. Press Play to watch all six steps in order. Press Pause to stop.
  6. Drag the slider to jump straight to any year.

Learning Objective

Students will be able to explain how one colonial territory, British India, became several nations in separate steps, especially the two events of 1947 and 1971, and how Ceylon and the princely states fit into that story.

Bloom level: Understand (explain, summarize).

Iframe Embed Code

<iframe src="https://aaryavvatts-lab.github.io/south-asian-culture-textbook/sims/ch04-borders-then-and-now/main.html" height="722px" width="100%" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan

Grade level: 9-12 (world history, ethnic studies, or a South Asian student club meeting)

Duration: 20 minutes

Activity:

  1. (3 min) Before opening the sim, students write down when they think Bangladesh became a country. Many will guess 1947.
  2. (8 min) In pairs, students step through all six years and fill in a three-column table: year, what split or joined, what only changed name.
  3. (5 min) Students stop at 1947 and 1971 and read the ranges in the panel aloud. Discuss why historians give ranges instead of single numbers.
  4. (4 min) Exit ticket: in two sentences, explain how a person could live in three countries without moving.

Assessment questions:

  1. In which year did the East India Company's rule end, and what replaced it?
  2. Which two new countries were created in 1947, and how was Pakistan divided?
  3. What happened to Hyderabad and to Jammu and Kashmir after 1947?
  4. Did Partition create Bangladesh? Explain using the diagram.
  5. How was Ceylon's path to independence different from East Pakistan's?

Chapter 4: Colonialism, Independence, and Partition