Colonial Rule

The story of British rule in India begins in 1600. In that year Britain's Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to a group of English merchants. The charter gave the merchants the right to develop trade in Asia for the British government. These merchants hoped to take part in the spice trade that was controlled mostly by Dutch and Portuguese traders. Remember Europeans bought these spices to preserve meat and flavor food. In 1601 the first five English ships set sail for India. 

A Powerful Trade Company

The company of merchants became known as the British East India Company. By 1700 the merchants had set up trading centers, which they called "factories," in such cities as Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta.
At the same time as the East India Company pushed farther into India, the Mogul rulers of India were losing power. The British then took part in wars that broke out between local rulers. In the 1850s, after more than ten wars within India, the Company controlled two thirds of the subcontinent. Indian princes ruled the rest of India. They were loyal to the British government. The East India Company became known as the Raj, which comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "king." The Raj set up telegraph lines, organized a postal service, and built railroads between the major cities.

Most Indians were not satisfied with life under the Raj. They resented foreign rule. In 1857 thousands of Indian soldiers in the British army revolted. Soon, the Great Mutiny, as it was called by the British, or the first war of independence as it was called by the Indians, spread across north and central India. Thousands of Indians and British died before Britain put down the revolt. After the war the British government took control of India from the East India Company.
[Image: This photo from the late 19th century shows British citizens in India being served by Indian servants. Many Indians resented the British rule of India.

STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE

The desire for Indian independence grew. In 1885 a group of 73 Indians attended the first Indian National Congress in Bombay. Many of the members had been educated in England. They asked that the Raj spend less of India's tax money on the army and that Indians be given important positions in the government. A few began to talk about gaining independence from Britain.
By 1905 Indian nationalism had become widespread. In that year people began to boycott British cloth. Cloth made in British textile mills and imported to India was sold cheaply. However, the British had placed a tax on Indian cloth that was sent to Britain. The tax hurt India's textile industry. Many people began wearing Indian-made cloth as a sign of national pride.

Mohandas Gandhi

Among the leaders who planned later boycotts and strikes was a young lawyer named Mohandas Gandhi . Gandhi studied law in London and then worked in South Africa to gain rights for Indians who went to live there. When he returned to India in 1915, Gandhi became an important leader in India's fight for independence.
Gandhi had three goals for India. He hoped to see the end of British rule, peace between Muslims and Hindus, and an end to poor treatment of the untouchable caste. Remember untouchables were the people at the lowest level of Hindu society.
Gandhi wore only the simplest handmade cloth and began spinning yarn in his spare time. Soon, the Indian spinning wheel became a symbol of nationalism. Because of his simple life and religious ways, Gandhi became known by the Hindi word Mahatma, which means "great soul."

To achieve independence in India, Gandhi believed people should practice civil disobedience . Civil disobedience is a means of protest without violence. One example was the boycott. Another was refusing to obey laws that they believed to be unjust. Gandhi said, "Mass civil disobedience is like an earthquake" and Gandhi's followers were soon shaking the foundations of British rule. Indians joined this movement by refusing to pay taxes or to buy British goods. Thousands, including Gandhi, were jailed. Even the fact that Gandhi was in prison did not stop the protest. Soon nearly all of India followed Gandhi's lead. How did Gandhi describe his work in leading India's struggle for independence.

The Brink of Independence

In 1942 the Indian National Congress planned a new campaign to convince the British to leave. People shouted "Quit India" at British soldiers in India's cities. By 1947 the British were ready to give up control of India. Muslims feared that they would be treated poorly by a Hindu-led government. They demanded a separate country. On August 15, India and Pakistan gained independence.
Pakistan was made up of two separate areas in the northern corners of
India. Many Muslims lived in these areas known as West and East Pakistan. The prime minister of Pakistan was Mohammad Ali Jinnah (muh HAM ud ah LEE JIHN ah). Jawaharlal Nehru (juh WAH hur ah NAY roo) was prime minister of India.
About ten million people moved across the border to be with people of their own faith. Nearly one million people died in violent conflicts between Hindus and Muslims. Gandhi was shot and killed in such a conflict in January 1948.