# British lawyer drew India-Pakistan border in 5 weeks 2026-08-09T07:44:12+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Sir Cyril Radcliffe, a British barrister with no prior experience of India, was given just five weeks in July 1947 to draw the borders dividing Punjab and Bengal between India and Pakistan. The Radcliffe Line, announced on August 17 after independence, split villages, farms and railway lines, triggering one of the largest mass migrations in history. An estimated 12-15 million people were displaced and over a million died in the ensuing violence. The boundary remains a source of tension between the two countries. ## Coverage - economictimes.indiatimes.com - businesstoday.in Tags: 1947, Cyril Radcliffe, India-Pakistan border, mass migration, Partition of India, Radcliffe Line Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sir-cyril-radcliffe-drew-the-india-pakistan-border-in-five-weeks/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sir-cyril-radcliffe-drew-the-india-pakistan-border-in-five-weeks/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.