text: 7 August 2017 Last updated at 08:13 BST
  The two new countries also became independent. This means that they weren't going to be ruled by the British anymore.
  This event in history is called the Partition of India.
  Many millions of people became refugees as a result of Partition.
  Hear one woman's story of how her family were affected.
  Watch Finding My Family - Partition: A Newsround special on CBBC at 4:30pm on Tuesday
target: In 1947, British India split into two new states: Pakistan and India.