Description
“India On The Eve of Independence (70x100)” refers to a large educational map poster showing the political, administrative, and geographical divisions of India just before independence in August 1947, at the moment of Partition and the end of British colonial rule.
Physical Specifications
Size: 70 × 100 cm, ideal for classrooms, libraries, and historical exhibits.
Material: Laminated with durable polyester film, printed in vibrant multi-colours on 80 GSM map litho paper, and equipped with plastic rollers for hanging.
Content and Educational Features
The map shows the division of British India into directly ruled provinces and over 500 princely states, making the patchwork geography of India just before the creation of the Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan.
Major provinces marked include East and West Punjab, United Provinces, Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Assam, Central Provinces, Madras, and Bombay; Pakistan’s provinces such as Sind, Baluchistan, NWFP, West Punjab, and East Bengal are also indicated.
The chart visually distinguishes British provinces from princely states, grouping these states under administrative regions like Punjab States, Rajputana, Deccan States, etc..
Important references include the locations of major capitals, cities (Delhi, Shimla, Bombay, Kolkata, Karachi, etc.), rail routes, rivers, and boundaries as fixed by the Radcliffe Line (partition border).
Available in multiple languages for classroom flexibility and certified for accuracy by the Survey of India.
Historical Context
Provides a clear visual overview of the administrative complexity at the time: the mixture of directly administered British provinces and locally governed princely states, many of which joined the Indian Union only after independence.
Useful for understanding the gravity of Partition, the integration of princely states, and the historic transformation leading to the modern maps of India and Pakistan.
The chart aids teaching the events, effects, and demographic changes associated with independence, boundary commissions, migrations, and the onset of new state formations.
This poster is an essential resource for visualizing India’s complex political and territorial situation just before independence, helping learners place historic events in geographic context.