Process Paper
At the start of the project, we already had a general topic in mind. We wanted to take on the challenge of a world history topic and knew from previous knowledge that India was ruled by Britain; therefore there would be more sources in English than other foreign countries might have. As we looked into India’s history, the partition of India and Pakistan really intrigued us, and it was our original topic. However, we received feedback suggesting that this topic was a weak turning point and that it was too broad. We decided to narrow down our topic to The Great Calcutta Killings since it seemed to ensure India's decision to partition. Switching topics was fairly easy because each one had similar content.
We began our research by surfing the Internet and trying to get a better understanding of our topic. We found a documentary on Mahatma Gandhi, which led us to another documentary called “Partition: The Day India Burned”. This documentary gave us a detailed explanation of the events before and after the partition and guided us through our research. Then, we went to the Mississippi State University Library and found microfilm, which was the most helpful source, and books regarding the partition. After that, we emailed questions to a relative in India so she could interview a few people who lived in India at the time of partition. Their replies were brief, but it was enough to give us a perspective on the impact of partition on the people. We also personally interviewed an Indian citizen about the current impact of partition on various aspects of Indian life. After our decision to revise our topic, we dove further into our research by returning to the Mississippi State University Library, finding microfilm concerning the Calcutta Killings, and rearranging information on our website.
Choosing this presentation category was an easy decision. We thought a website would be the most effective way of displaying information in today's modern world of technology. A website also allows our audience to have a deeper understanding of our topic. It was the best way to utilize a wide array of multimedia- text, audio, videos, and images.
World War II left Britain in a financial crisis, and it was costly to maintain its rule over India. Upon hearing of Britain's plans to depart, the Muslim League demanded partition for fear of being overruled by the Hindu majority, but the Indian National Congress believed in a united India. As the two parties failed to come to an agreement, Muslims began rioting for a separate country causing much violence and bloodshed. This event, known as the Great Calcutta Killings, is a significant turning point in history because it ignited one of the largest human migrations in history, sparked Gandhi’s failed attempts at keeping peace within the nation, and led to India's partition that created two rival nations. Neither country has fully recovered from the damage, as the partition would become the center of four major Indo-Pakistan wars.
[499 words]
We began our research by surfing the Internet and trying to get a better understanding of our topic. We found a documentary on Mahatma Gandhi, which led us to another documentary called “Partition: The Day India Burned”. This documentary gave us a detailed explanation of the events before and after the partition and guided us through our research. Then, we went to the Mississippi State University Library and found microfilm, which was the most helpful source, and books regarding the partition. After that, we emailed questions to a relative in India so she could interview a few people who lived in India at the time of partition. Their replies were brief, but it was enough to give us a perspective on the impact of partition on the people. We also personally interviewed an Indian citizen about the current impact of partition on various aspects of Indian life. After our decision to revise our topic, we dove further into our research by returning to the Mississippi State University Library, finding microfilm concerning the Calcutta Killings, and rearranging information on our website.
Choosing this presentation category was an easy decision. We thought a website would be the most effective way of displaying information in today's modern world of technology. A website also allows our audience to have a deeper understanding of our topic. It was the best way to utilize a wide array of multimedia- text, audio, videos, and images.
World War II left Britain in a financial crisis, and it was costly to maintain its rule over India. Upon hearing of Britain's plans to depart, the Muslim League demanded partition for fear of being overruled by the Hindu majority, but the Indian National Congress believed in a united India. As the two parties failed to come to an agreement, Muslims began rioting for a separate country causing much violence and bloodshed. This event, known as the Great Calcutta Killings, is a significant turning point in history because it ignited one of the largest human migrations in history, sparked Gandhi’s failed attempts at keeping peace within the nation, and led to India's partition that created two rival nations. Neither country has fully recovered from the damage, as the partition would become the center of four major Indo-Pakistan wars.
[499 words]