Learn About The Indian Struggle For Freedom

The article contains a brief overview of the Indian independence movement and prominent events regarding the struggle faced by Indians.

Freedom Movement

India is a country that has faced all sorts of discrimination and atrocities on its land by the people who did not belong with this country. It took almost 200 hundred years of oppression and struggled to get out of the colonial era in India, which started in 1747 with the arrival of the East India Company. It came with a visible motive of trading, but as time progressed, the actual intention of colonising the golden bird came into action.

The rise of the British in India continued till 1857 when the first war of independence took place and progressed into a series of events that came to be known as the Indian freedom movement.

First War of Independence

Within a few years of the arrival of the British, Indians started feeling oppressed and rebelled against such kind of treatment in their homeland, which led to the execution of many of them. Many communities consisting of landlords and the older privileged sections revolted against foreigners’ rule and the policies they followed, but nothing could have a significant impact until 1857. Then, more than 100 years after the arrival of the British disguised as traders, India experienced its first collective wave of revolt against the colonial atrocities.

It rose from Meerut when many sepoys of the city killed their British commander and persuaded Bahadur Shah Zafar to become the king of India. This event led to a lot of bloodsheds as a major portion of North India started experiencing an uprising which was sudden and unexpected for the British. Initially, people thought that it would lead to independence, but the movement was suppressed.

There are many prominent reasons which altogether led to the revolt. First, it was believed that Indian communities going beyond rivers and oceans would lead to a loss of caste. Second, there was a certain kind of indifference towards Indian rulers and the doctrine of lapse, which resulted in the loss of powers from many rulers.

Third, the rifles which were used by the sepoys were filled with the kind of cartridges made out of animal fat, primarily cows and pigs. To use these, sepoys had to use their teeth on the cartridges and consuming the fat of cows or pigs was against the Sacred nature of Hindus and Muslims. This acted as the last nail in the coffin, and revolt happened.

Division of Bengal

One of the most prominent examples of the divide and rule policy of the British rule in India Was the division of Bengal under the leadership of Lord Curzon. It happened in the year 1905. As stated by the government, the reason behind this was the need for better administration. Still, eventually, it happened in a way that the eastern portion and the western potion got bifurcated on the bais of the Hindu and Muslim majority. Although there were various riots and satyagraha violence, it took six years for the state to reunite.

Lucknow Pact

Indian national congress was founded in the year 1885 by major leaders to represent Indians and their issues to the colonial government. Later, in 1906, the All India Muslim league was found to provide representation to Muslims in India. However, there were major conflicts between the two official bodies and the two communities, and to unite the whole country beyond its communities, the Lucknow pact was signed in 1916. This helped to provide a nationalistic feeling irrespective of different religions and developed a stronghold of Indians against the divide and rule policy of the British.

Non-cooperation Movement

One of the major movements in the history of Indian Independence happened in the year 1920 with the arrival of the non-cooperation movement. Gandhi was a firm believer in non-violence and didnot believed in gaining independence by using weapons and creating violence. This event was a harbinger of a strong hope of Independence as everyone felt it would eradicate colonial rule. But it was abruptly called back by Gandhi after the chauri chaura incident where major violence was caused, leading to the death of civilians as well.

Civil Disobedience movement

The major events leading to independence must include the civil disobedience movement. It was based on the philosophy of Gandhi about what happened to gain independence through non-violence. It started off with a dandi march and was initiated from Ahmedabad with the process of saying no to the government using weapons.

Quit India Movement

With the failure to manage world war II and losing balance in its colonies, England started feeling that India could not be oppressed anymore. On one side, England was losing the war and was threatened by different opposing nations, and on the other side, India declared the revolution of purna swaraj, that is, complete independence. The Quit India movement was the last nail in the coffin which carried the British away from India.