Modern History-How, When and Where

The modern history of India starts with foreign traders coming and setting up offices in India and ends with the division of a prospering nation into two poor countries. Modern Indian history is India’s journey from getting colonised by the British to reclaiming its independence. It is a story of greed, oppression, exploitation, courage, perseverance and hope.

The Rise of East India Company

In the 16th century, several European companies started coming to India. These countries fought with each other for their  influence over India and its abundant resources. Eventually, the Britishers emerged as the dominant force among the foreigners in India. 

The British East India Company expanded its trading activities in India by getting permission from the ruling powers. The British realised they needed political power to earn greater profits from their trade. They saw an opportunity and launched a battle against the Mughals for administrative and political control in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. 

By the middle of the 18th century, the East India Company had established itself as the ruling power of the Indian subcontinent. 

The British Raj

Exasperated by the exploitation and disrespect of Indian land, its people, and their culture, a soldier named Mangal Pandey fired the first bullet in rebellion against the British. Next a group of Indian soldiers launched an attack in Meerut. This attack by the Indian troops in 1857 became the first revolt for independence. After fighting for one and half years, the British neutralised the rebellion with support from princely states. To calm the Indian people, the British parliament passed the Government of India Act in 1858. The act dissolved the East India Company and transferred its power to the British Crown. This marked the beginning of the British Raj. 

The British adopted the policy of divide and rule. They promoted liberty, equality, and justice to get people to support colonisation. At the same time, they encouraged casteism and communalism in their policies, which prevented people from uniting.  

Starting from 1884 groups like The Indian National Congress Party formed to demand social and political reforms. The British allowed the socio-political groups to rise, intending to use them as  gateways to establish communication and gain support from communities across India. They viewed these parties as representatives and allowed them to present their demands while retaining the right to take the final decision. Eventually, the Congress came to demand self-governance. 

In 1905, Viceroy Lord Curzon proposed partitioning Bengal into Hindu and Muslim regions for administrative reasons. The Hindus were against the partition whereas the Muslims supported it. To revolt against Bengal’s separation, men from the extremist side of the Indian National Congress (INC) started the Swadeshi Movement of boycotting British goods. The ultimate aim of this movement was to gain self-governance or Swaraj. 

In 1911, the government cancelled the partition of Bengal to end the Swadeshi movement. This upset the Muslims who supported the partition and they organized themselves into a political party called Muslim League.  

In 1914, World War 1 broke out, calling for Britain’s focused attention. Indian leaders helped Britain in the war, hoping the British would reward them with independence. 

In 1915, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi returned to India after living in South Africa for 21 years. While travelling in Bengal, Gandhi organised a peaceful revolt against the high taxes imposed on peasants. This was recognized as the first civil disobedience movement and was considerably successful.  

During the war years several epidemics plagued the nation. People suffered in poverty and there was a lack of food and medication. Given the situation, the political parties refrained from creating unrest. Later, in 1918, the world war ended with England emerging victorious. Indian leaders expected a reward for their help but the British did not recognize India’s contribution. This caused general disgruntlement in popular opinion.

On the sidelines, Gandhi launched another successful civil disobedience movement in Kheda and Gujarat. He gained the attention of the Congress, one of whose members was Muhammed Ali Jinnah. 

Britain’s policies

To prevent any form of an uprising by groups or individuals, the British passed the Rowlatt act in March 1919. The Act allowed the British to arrest any individual without a trial. In response, Gandhi started a nationwide protest against the act. Congress observed 6th April 1919 as National Humiliation Day and launched strikes and protests. The British curbed the agitation using military action, claiming thousands of Indian lives. On the same day, 6th April 1919, the British government committed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Punjab.

The Government of India Act was passed in Dec 1919 to uphold justice and liberty. Many influential members of Congress agreed with the act and left the party. Jinnah also quit the Congress party due to his disagreement with Gandhi’s methods and joined the Muslim League. In September 1920, Gandhi launched the non-cooperation movement to achieve Swaraj. Gandhi’s local leadership style gained him a mass following and he became an influential leader. Gandhi suspended the movement in February 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident, where the police provoked peaceful protestors who then burnt the police station along with the police officers in it.

Beginning of the Transition

According to the Government of India Act 1919, a committee was to visit India in 1929 and make a report which would help to draft India’s constitution. This committee led by Sir John Simon did not include a single Indian representative and thus met opposition by the Indians. The non-violent protest faced police brutality. Many leaders like Jawahalal Nehru were arrested and a few like Lala Lajpat Rai lost their lives. 

Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru assassinated Assistant Superintendent of Police JP Saunders to avenge Lala Lajpat Rai’s death. They used explosives inside Delhi’s Central Legislative Assembly and allowed the authorities to arrest them. 

The Congress lost its influence on Indian youth who were inspired by Bhagat Singh. The INC transitioned from senior leaders like Gandhi and Motilal Nehru to  younger ones like  Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru was appointed as the president of Congress. Identifying the youth’s desire for freedom, the Congress changed their aim from self-governance to complete independence from British rule, calling it Purna Swaraj. Jawaharlal Nehru then unfurled the newly created tricoloured flag in Lahore on 26th January 1930. Thus, the nature of the freedom struggle changed.

Nationwide Struggle

In April 1930, Gandhi protested against the salt tax at the coastal village of Dandi. This marked the launch of a mass civil disobedience movement and inspired several other peaceful protests across the country. The British arrested Gandhi and other leaders and ended the civil disobedience movement again. In September 1939, Viceroy Linlithgow declared India at war with Nazi Germany without consulting the Indian leaders, who demanded independence for help in World War 2. On the other hand, Muhammed Jinnah and the Muslim League agreed to support the British. By 1940, the Muslim League believed that Muslims of India should have a separate state so they offered the Two-Nation Theory and demanded the creation of Pakistan. 

The Last Draw:

On the verge of getting occupied by Nazi forces, Britain desperately needed India’s help in the war. 

Meanwhile, in May 1942, Subhas Chandra Bose formed the Azad Hind Fauj and threatened Britain. In September 1945, WWII ended and a new party got elected in Britain. This party was keen on giving independence to India. In 1946, the British Cabinet proposed the division of the country into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan. Congress did not accept this plan. Jinnah urged Muslims to demand Pakistan immediately so he called for a dramatic ‘Direct Action Day,’ which turned into a large-scale riot between Hindus and Muslims in Calcutta. This riot spread from Calcutta to Punjab and thousands of people died. Congress agreed to the partition to stop the conflicts and contain the communal tension. On 14th August 1947, Pakistan was created with Muhammad Ali Jinnah as their Governor-General. On 15th August 1947, the British government transferred power to the Indian National Congress, with Jawaharlal Nehru becoming India’s Prime Minister. This marks the end of modern Indian history. 

Conclusion

In their quest for profit and power, the British subjected Indians to terribly inhuman atrocities. The Indians revolted and set out to get rid of the within each entity of the two opposing sides, there were several groups and individuals who were acting independently and in collaborations to achieve many different goals. Though the solution was simple, the journey to it became complex. The struggle was long and gruelling.Driven by a mix of human virtues, vices, sentiments, and perspectives, Indian freedom struggle serves as a real and unmissable lesson for the future.