Communal Harmony, Social Stratification, and Refugee Resettlement: Examining the 1947 Partition Dynamics in Tehsil Nankana Sahib

Abstract

This study investigates the socio-communal dynamics of Tehsil Nankana Sahib during the pre- and post-Partition era of 1947, examining how a high-density non-Muslim center largely escaped the widespread communal violence that engulfed Punjab. Historically divided along socio-spatial lines with a Muslim-majority rural hinterland surrounding urban centers heavily populated by Hindus and Sikhs Nankana Sahib posed a critical flashpoint for potential conflict. This paper argues that the preservation of relative peace in the region was driven by a combination of localized cultural values and proactive political leadership, which subsequently facilitated a smoother socio-economic integration of incoming refugees. Despite extreme tension across Punjab, native Muslims intentionally avoided plunder, looting, and violence, viewing such acts as violations of their personal honor, self-respect, and traditional cultural etiquette. Local Muslim League workers played a pivotal role in preventing the illicit seizure of non-Muslim evacuee property by convincing local residents that abandoned assets belonged strictly to incoming refugees. Mass cross-border migration dramatically restructured Nankana Sahib’s social stratification, transforming it from a Hindu-Sikh urban stronghold into a Muslim-majority territory. Driven by post-independence civic pride, the host community actively assisted in settling Muslim refugees, fundamentally reshaping the local biraderi (kinship) system and community dynamics. Ultimately, the study demonstrates that local normative restraint was key factor in averting communal catastrophe during one of the 20th century's largest forced migrations.

Keywords: Communal Violence, Braderi System, Migration, Native Feudal Lords, Refugee Settlement, Nankana Sahib