India’s

Independence
 In the year 1600,
Queen Elizabeth I of
England gave trade
rights to the East
India Company, an
organization of
English merchants,
to trade in India and
East and Southeast
Asia.
 They were allowed to set up
factories and trading centers in
India. The East India Company
shipped spices, tea, cotton, silk,
indigo, and sugar to England.
This gradually allowed the British
to increase their power.
Great Britain wanted to
gain even more land
around India, and in
1796, they took
possession of Sri
Lanka and the island
nation of the
Maldives. The British
also tried to colonize
Afghanistan, but were
unsuccessful.
 The British:
1. sent their army, navy,
merchants, and Christian
missionaries to India with
them
2. They also brought new
technology for railroads,
the telegraph, steamships

3. And introduced new

methods of irrigation.
They also:
4. Introduced the
British legal
system, with
new laws
regarding
landownership,
and
5. Made English
the official
language.
 How did Indians respond?
They responded in different ways.

(1) Some chose to live just as they

had before the British had
arrived.

(2)Others chose to interact

economically with the British by
working for and with them while
maintaining their own traditions.
 CONT.
(3) Others studied the British traditions and
adopted what seemed useful while
keeping their own traditions.

(4) Wealthier parents sent their children to

British schools so that they could learn
English and become successful.
In 1885, the Indian National Congress
was formed to provide a forum
where Indians could discuss their
problems.

Muslims formed the Muslim League

in 1906. It served the same
purpose.
World War I ended in 1918, and
that is when Indians began to
think of gaining
independence. Their leader
was Mohandas Gandhi.
Gandhi
 Gandhi used nonviolence to:
(1) show the British the need for
independence.
(2) wanted all Indians to be treated equally.
(3) wanted women to have the same
freedoms as men, and
(4) encouraged Hindus and Muslims to find
peaceful ways to solve their problems.
 Britain Opens
their Eyes
Eventually, Great Britain realized that it would
have to leave India, but the Indian National
Congress and the Muslim League
disagreed about how the new government
would be formed. Muslims were afraid of
losing power because Hindus were the
majority in India.
 The Solution
They decided to divide
India into two
separate countries,
India for the Hindus,
and Pakistan for the
Muslims. The
countries were
formed and granted
independence in
1947.