On August 14, 1947, the greatest and most decisive step in the retreat of British imperialism occurred: the new nation of Pakistan was created out of the body of India, and Britain's century-long domination over the Indian sub-continent ended. Fifty years later, the trauma and subsequent chequered history of political development have led author H.V. Hodson to ask: was it inevitable? Now in a special gift edition published for the 50th anniversary of the founding of Pakistan, this authoritative and impartial account places the events surrounding partition in an historical perspective, providing a major contribution to contemporary history.