Partition and Locality ─ Violence, Migration, and Development in Gujranwala and Sialkot 1947-1961

Partition and Locality provides original and challenging insights into the processes of violence, demographic transformation and physical reconstruction arising from the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The focus is upon the cities of Gujranwala and Sialkot that experienced violence, demographic shift and economic transformation in different ways. The work is not only a significant contribution to the understanding of the partition process of British India and its aftermath for the Pakistan Punjab, it also provide an authoritative and thought provoking approach to the themes of broader twentieth-century processes of collective violence, mass displacements and economic recovery.

Drawing together fresh information from an array of unexploited sources, Partition and Locality not only questions wider interpretations of the patterns of partition violence, it also adds considerable evidential weight to the argument that partition violence cannot simply be dismissed as 'temporary madness' or aberration. The analysis goes beyond consideration of the violence in relation to its spontaneity and organizational character to represent an important contribution to knowledge by uncovering for the first time actual perpetrators of the violence in the region. While Partition brought sufferings for many and disrupted old social, commercial and kin networks, the author concentrates particularly on new opportunities for both locals and refugees in different sectors of the economy arising from the migration of Hindu and Sikh business classes. The work highlights how the massive shifts in population influenced and transformed the socio-economic landscape of the two cities. The focus is upon the cities' post-independence industrial recovery and the emergence of a new artisan-industrial class to prominence.

Dr. Ilyas Chattha is presently based at the Centre for Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies at the University of Southampton and is carrying out research on the impact of Partition on the Punjabi Christians in Pakistan. His doctoral research was a micro-level study examining the 1947 partition violence, refugee experiences and urban regeneration in the Pakistan Punjab.