Indian Independence 1947
| 1885 | The first meeting of the Indian National Congress, Bombay |
| 1905 | The first partition of Bengal |
| 1906 | Formation of the Muslim League |
| 1920 | Mahatma Gandhi leads the Congress; Non-cooperation Movement |
| 1922 | Civil Disobedience Movement |
| 1925 | Reforms Enquiry Committee Report |
| 1928 | Simon Commission comes to India: Boycott by all parties |
| 1929 | Lord Irwin promises Dominion Status for India |
| 1930 | Civil Disobedience Movement continues; Salt Satyagraha: Gandhi’s Dandi March; First Round Table Conference |
| 1931 | Second Round Table Conference; Irwin-Gandhi Pact; Census of India |
| 1932 | Suppression of the Congress movement; Third Round Table Conference |
| 1934 | Civil Disobedience Movement called off |
| 1935 | The Government of India Act receives Royal Assent |
| 1937 | Elections held for provincial assemblies |
| 1938 July |
Gandhi-Jinnah negotiations for the settlement of the communal problem, which began in February, fail |
| Dec | The Muslim League forms a committee of enquiry into alleged Congress persecution of Muslims |
| 1939 | |
| 3 Sep | Viceroy Linlithgow announces that India is at war with Germany |
| 18 Oct | Viceroy’s Statement on War Aims and the War Effort: reiterates that goal of British policy is Dominion status for India, but that the 1935 Act is open to modification at the end of the war, in the light of Indian opinion. Offers association of Indian opinion in war effort through consultative group representing the major political parties in British India and the princes. |
| Oct | Resignation of Congress Ministries |
| 22 Dec | Observed as ‘Deliverance Day’ from Congress rule by the Muslim League. |
| 1940 | |
| 23 Mar | Lahore Resolution of the Muslim League demands for a separate state for the Muslims of India |
| May | Churchill becomes Prime Minister in Britain |
| 7 Aug | Viceroy makes a statement on India’s constitutional development – the August Offer – and announces that more places would be open to representative Indians in an expanded Executive Council and on a new War Advisory Council |
| Sep | Congress and League reject the August Offer |
| 17 Oct | Congress launches civil disobedience |
| 1941 | |
| Dec | Congress civil disobedience prisoners set free |
| 1942 | Subhas Chandra Bose forms the Indian National Army |
| 11 Mar | British Government announces its decision to send Sir Stafford Cripps to India |
| 30 Mar | Cripps proposals published |
| 2 Apr | Congress and League reject the Cripps proposals |
| 8-9 Aug | Congress launches ‘Quit India movement’ and is declared an unlawful organisation; Gandhi and all members of the Congress Working Committee are arrested |
| 1943 | |
| Oct | Wavell succeeds Linlithgow as Viceroy |
| 1944 | |
| 9-27 Sep | Gandhi-Jinnah talks end in failure |
| 1945 | First trial of the Indian National Army men opened |
| 7 May | Germany surrenders |
| 15 Jun | Imprisoned Congress leaders released |
| 26 Jul | Labour Government comes into power in Britain |
| 14 Aug | Japan surrenders |
| Dec-Jan | General Elections in India |
| 1946 | |
| 23 Mar-29 Jun | Cabinet Mission visits India |
| 16 May | Cabinet Mission announces its constitutional scheme |
| 6 Jun | Muslim League accepts Cabinet Mission’s constitutional scheme |
| 16 Jun | Cabinet Mission presents scheme for the formation of an interim government at the centre |
| 25 Jun | Congress rejects 16 June proposals for an interim government but accepts 16 May scheme, agreeing thereby to join the proposed Constituent Assembly. Muslim League accepts the 16 June scheme and agrees to join the interim government |
| 29 Jul | Muslim League passes resolutions retracting its acceptance of the Cabinet Mission plan and calling upon Muslims to observe 16 August as ‘Direct Action Day’ |
| 16 Aug | ‘Direct Action Day’ |
| 16-18 Aug | The ‘Great Calcutta Killing’ |
| 2 Sept | Congress forms the interim government with Nehru as the Vice-President |
| 13 Oct | Muslim League decides to join the interim government |
| 25 Oct | Interim Government reconstituted |
| 3-6 Dec | Aborted London conference of major Indian leaders |
| 9 Dec | Constituent Assembly meets without Muslim League members |
| 1947 | |
| 29 Jan | Muslim League demands dissolution of Constituent Assembly. |
| February | Communal rioting in Punjab |
| 20 February | Prime Minister Attlee announces the British intention of leaving India by June 1948, and Mountbatten to succeed as Viceroy. |
| 23 February | Jinnah declares that the Muslim League will not yield an inch in their demand for Pakistan |
| 4-5 March | Outbreak of communal disturbances in Lahore, Multan and other Pujabi towns. |
| 12 March | Gandhi begins a tour of the riot-affected areas of Bihar |
| 18 March | Prime Minister’s letter sent to Viceroy-designate on the policy and principles in accordance with which power should be transferred |
| 24 March | Mountbatten sworn in as Viceroy and governor-General |
| 31 March | Viceroy holds the first of five interviews with Gandhi |
| 5 April | Viceroy holds the first of six interviews with Jinnah |
| 15-16 April | Conference of Governors; approval for draft proposals for the transfer of power |
| 15 April | Issue of joint Gandhi-Jinna appeal for abstention from acts of violence and disorder |
| 1 May | Nehru acquaints Mountbatten with Congress Working Committee’s reactions to recent developments |
| 18 May | Mountbatten leaves for London for talks with Cabinet |
| 28 May | Cabinet India and Burma Committee: concluding meeting with Mountbatten |
| 30 May | Mountbatten arrives back in Delhi |
| 2 June | Mountbatten meets Indian leaders and gives them Partition Plan |
| 3 June | Mountbatten, Nehru, Jinnah and Baldev Singh give a broadcast on the Plan over All India Radio |
| 4 June | Mountbatten gives a Press Conference on the Plan |
| 5-7 June | Mountbatten discusses partition machinery with Indian leaders and Indian Cabinet |
| 12 June | First meeting of Partition Committee |
| 20 June | Votes in Bengal Legislative Assembly result in decision that Province should be partitioned |
| 25 June | Indian Cabinet agrees to establish States Department |
| 4 July | Indian Independence Bill is published |
| 9 July | Mountbatten advises Attlee of his decision to accept the Governor-Generalship of India |
| 16 July | Last meeting of the Interim Government |
| 18 July | Indian Independence Bill receives Royal Assent |
| 19 July | The Executive Council (Transitional Provisions) Order, reconstituting the Interim Government into two separate groups representing the two successor governments of India and Pakistan, published |
| 11 August | Jinnah elected President of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan |
| 14 August | Pakistan Independence Celebrations in Karachi; Viceroy addresses Pakistan Consituent Assembly |
| 14 – 15 August midnight | Power transferred |
| 15 August | Jinnah sworn in as Governor-General of Pakistan; Mountbatten sworn in as Governor-General of India; Independence Day Celebrations in Delhi |