The Indian army, partition, and the Punjab boundary force, 1945-1947

How effective was the Indian Army in serving as aid to the civil power in the chaotic period leading up to the independence and partition of India in 1947? This article attempts to shed fresh light, by examining recent scholarship and newly available archival materials, on the performance of the Indian Army, as embodied in the Punjab Boundary Force, in countering and containing the communal violence that rocked India during the momentous events of 1947. The Indian Army's challenges and achievements during this testing period provide valuable lessons for every army faced with political upheaval and communal violence.