Final answer:
India and Pakistan were split due to differences in the religions practiced by the majority of their populations, resulting in a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan after independence from Britain in 1947. The partition led to mass displacements and subsequent conflicts, including the war that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. The division still affects the region's stability, especially in disputed areas like Kashmir.
Step-by-step explanation:
India and Pakistan were split into separate countries after winning their independence from Great Britain due to differences in the religions practiced by their people. The partition resulted in the displacement of millions and was rooted in the desire of Muslims, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League, to have a separate nation to avoid Hindu domination in the government. This gave rise to the Muslim-majority country of Pakistan, divided into East and West Pakistan at the time, which later resulted in East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh.
The divisions between Hindus and Muslims were significant, and the violence and migrations during this period underlined the impassable rift between the two communities. The British withdrawal led to a compromise that saw the formation of a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan in 1947. The creation of Pakistan was also influenced by the failure of the central government in West Pakistan to adequately respond to a devastating cyclone in East Pakistan, aggravating the existing discontent among the Bengali population, leading to the independence of Bangladesh.
Today, these historical events still echo in the unresolved conflict over Kashmir, a region whose majority-Muslim population is at odds with the official inclusion in Hindu-majority India. The legacy of imperialism and hastily drawn borders by the British empire remain a source of tension, especially since both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers.