WI: divided India

[Iudeus Rex britannicus]

What if the indian subcontinent, after independence, splintered into more than just India Pakistan and west Pakistan (Bangladesh) along ethnic lines. Independent princedoms, kashmir etcetera. How would this come to pass, what would be the geopolitical effects.

 

[moxn]

I believe Britain gave all the princely states a choice to be independent or to become a part of the new nation, and only Kashmir and Hyderabad decided to go their own separate ways; Hyderabad was pressured into joining anyway, and Kashmir was given an ultimatum in exchange for protection from Pakistan. I'm not sure if it was a similar situation, but Sikkim was also independent at first.

Just have more of the states decide to go their own way and India never develops and is never able to project enough power/influence to pressure others into joining.

 

[oreocruncher]

I believe Britain gave all the princely states a choice to be independent or to become a part of the new nation, and only Kashmir and Hyderabad decided to go their own separate ways; Hyderabad was pressured into joining anyway, and Kashmir was given an ultimatum in exchange for protection from Pakistan. I'm not sure if it was a similar situation, but Sikkim was also independent at first.

Just have more of the states decide to go their own way and India never develops and is never able to project enough power/influence to pressure others into joining.

Sikkim was independent until 1975, when I think they voted to become part of India...

I think somehow the other colonial powers should keep their territories, though it would be a crapshoot as one of the French enclaves voted 99% to join India, leading to negotiations for the other French Indian territories to be ceded, and Portugal wouldn't be able to hold onto Goa...

 

[lycan]

The Indian independence movement has to be different, the leaders of the movement did a great job with unifying the people, but with a POD some years earlier I could see a multitude of states in India.

Chandra Bose somehow comes to power, then has to deal with Maoist rebels who ITTL eventually came to be called Naxalites.

 

[Geordie]

It might be an earlier PoD than the OP wants, but there'd be a lot of potential if one was to go back to 1905 or so. Maybe have Lord Curzon seek to combat the 'Bengali Problem' rather differently? So, instead of partitioning Bengal, he seeks to boost the other presidencies and provinces. Building up Madras, Bombay, the United Provinces and the like as counterweights to Bengal? Bengal would still be the most powerful, by dint of sheer demographics if nothing else, but a skilled politician might be able to at least partially construct a narrative of Bengal v the rest. If nothing else, it might scale back the politics of faith in whatever follows, but the lack of the Swadeshi in response to the partition may have wider ranging effects.

Of course, it might fail utterly, but I'd be interested to see what others think.