英国退出印度的官方心态调整

英国财政困境与殖民统治问题是英国从印度退却的现实背景,然而,英国政府错误地认为自己仍然是印度独立进程的主导者,维持印度统一并把印度羁留在英联邦正是英国在此心态影响下制定的双重战略。内阁使团失败表明印度主要矛盾已经从殖民者与民族主义者对立转变为印度国大党与穆斯林联盟之间的利益斗争。随着印度局势恶化,英国政府的主导者心态转变为焦虑与无奈。蒙巴顿在形势压力下放弃统一印度的主张,承认了印巴分治的事实。英国政府在印度独立进程中的心态调整表明英国主动权非常有限,印度政治局势才是理解非殖民化的关键。

Adjustment of the official mind in Britain' s retreat from India

British economic dilemma and problems of the colonial rule were the background of Britain’s retreat from India.However,British Government believed wrongly that independence of India was still dominated by the Raj,and keeping India as unity and holding India in the Commonwealth were two aspects of British strategy influenced by the official mind.The failure of the Cabinet Mission showed that the main conflict in India had changed from the relationship between the suzerain and nationalists to the relationship between Congress and Muslim League.As the situation in India deteriorated,British official mind changed from self-confidence to anxiety.Earl Mountbatten,the new governor,gave up the policy of uniting India and accepted the partition of India.The adjustment of the official mind in the process shows that British initiative is limited,and India’s political situation is the key factor to understand the decolonization.