Indian Independence

Officially on 15th August 1947,India became an independent country ,Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his famous address to the newly independent nation from Red Fort ,known as tryst with destiny.After a long freedom movement , British Parliament enacted The Indian Independence Act 1947,which not only conferred independence but also partitioned British India into Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan.Dominion means self governing territory within British Empire,Canada and Australia were best examples of Dominions.But unlike Canada and Australia Indians were not European immigrants,India was a non white dominion,so India became a fully independent , sovereign state.The British monarch remained the Head of the State,but he didn't govern the territories of India . British crown was represented by Governor General,Lord Mountbatten was the Governor General of Independent India from 15th August 1947 to June 21 ,1947.From 15th August 1947 to 26th January 1950,the governance of Indian was done under the Government of India Act 1935.The Constituent Assembly acted as the Provisional Parliament and it performed all the functions and powers of federal legislature untill the formation of First Parliament after the first general election,held in 1952.So the federal Parliament or Constituent Assembly functioned even after 26th January 1950,and before it Constituent Assembly functioned under GOI Act 1935,and enacted laws.The federal Court continued to exercise it's powers after independence under the GOI Act 1935,and federal Court on 26th January became the Supreme Court.The Doctrine Of Paramountcy , executed between British Crown and Princely states lapsed and at that time, there were more than 565 such states in India .552 Princely states merged with India .Under the Doctrine Of Paramountcy,the Princely states accepted the Monarch as the sovereign,so they were given full autonomy within the British Empire but without having any external power to enter into a treaty with foreign powers.The period from 15th August 1947 to 26th January 1950 was known as the transition Period.

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