Chapter+3-Gandhi+and+The+Indian+Independence+Movement

Chapter 3-India And Independence

By Yu Sheng Wu (Roger)

** CONTENTS IN A GLANCE ** 1. INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT

// A little entrance in your understanding of the Indian Independence Movement, it includes a brief little overview and kind introductory words to get you started // 2. WHO IS GANDHI?

// Who is Gandhi? Why should we remember him? Well, read this to find out // 3. INDEPENDENCE GANDHI STYLE

// The independence, how Gandhi reacts, does and thinks about it. Basically the tactics they used during the independence movement // 4. ATROCITIES OF THE BRITISH

// Scandalous things that are never mentioned in British World History textbooks, and things that Indian’s do not want to remember. // 5. AFTERMATH

// What happened in the end? Otherwise known as the aftermath // 6. VIDEO // I believe that This is self explanatory //

7. BLABBER 8. FURTHER READING //For people who have lots of spare time or are really bored, great sites with great content // · Bold words are either key terms that can be looked up in the glossary, or they are headings to a new subchapter · Some bolded words have their definitions in a subchapter -Pictures that are corresponding to the chapter are in a separate page :)
 * GUIDE TO READING**

Before the early 1900’s, India has always been under foreign control, as the British grew in power, India shrank in power. India was like a pearl stuck within the British oyster, and by restraining it, India lost its power. Indians have always desired a sense to uprise, to overthrow British rule.
 * Introduction:**

In fact there were minor attempts at doing so, in 1857, there was a little rebellion led by Indian soldiers, crushed easily by the British. And by doing so, India has lost its courage in rebelling again.

It wasn’t until the arrival of **Mohandas Gandh i** in 1914 where the Indians showed that their spirit for independence will never waver, and over years and years of persistence and powerful courage, India rose back into power in 1947.

From the period of 1857~1957, India was in a struggle to get back its own power. And this period is known as the **Indian independence Movement**

We have all heard of Gandhi, but who exactly was Gandhi? Well this subchapter will give a crash course in Gandhi, his life and his motivation to become a revolutionary leader in the history of India.
 * “Mahatma” Mohandas Gandhi**

Gandhi was born in a relatively low caste system, and by “lower caste system” he couldn’t touch and to mingle with people in the high caste system, in fear of polluting his soul. So he had a segregated life with his low caste system.

Gandhi eventually became a lawyer, and because of a law firm agreement, he went and traveled to South Africa, there, he met racism. People were not fond of him because of his skin color. This motivated him to work against racism, to work against the control of the British, eventually giving him the title **Mahatma,** or the Great soul.

Gandhi wasn’t a violent person, he worked on **Passive Resistance**, his methods touched the British Empire, and eventually, the Indians got their independence. His methods of **Passive Resistance** include Civil Disobedience, **Peaceful Protests** etc.

Gandhi was assassinated, but his efforts and his attempts will always be remembered in our lives.

The British were shocked on how a single, frail Indian man had the courage to do such an impossible feat. And in order to combat the independence, the British first passed the Rowlatt Acts **,** restraining and limiting the freedom of Indian citizens.
 * British Reactions To The Independence**

Britain would eventually resort to more extreme, violent methods. Including the **Amritsar Massacre**, which will be explained further into this chapter.

** INDIAN INDEPENDENCE (Gandhi Style) **

Gandhi noted that if India was to be independent, they had to stop relying on British Goods; Gandhi started a variety of smart, clever campaigns that involved boycotting goods that can only be brought from Britain.
 * Gandhi’s Strategy**

Common goods that were a must in India were Salt and cloth, but what would Gandhi do to start its actual independence?

Starting in the 1920’s Gandhi launched the Homespun campaign.
 * The Homespun Campaign**

The British controlled basically every single one of India’s staple products, and that included Cloth. Gandhi’s combated the forced buying of cloth by telling each and every one of his followers that they must spin their own cloth. In order to leave the dependence of buying British Cloth, this campaign had little means of success, but Gandhi’s true success came from the **Salt March**

The Salt March was an iconic moment in Indian History, but what was the Salt March?
 * The Salt March**

Salt was expensive in India, why? The British imposed the **Salt Act** in the 1930’s, by doing so; salt prices soared because of the tax put on it.

The Salt march was the official **Boycott** of British salt in India. Gandhi officially started it by marching 240 miles with each of his followers to the ocean. And as he reached the Ocean, he did an extraordinary thing.

Gandhi bent down, and he picked up precious grains of salt left over from the seawater. Simply by doing this, people started and followed his example, and eventually, boycotted British salt. Using India’s own sea salt instead.

India also helped Britain in World War II, not just by serving them military purposes, but also by supporting them by supplying the British with goods and a little haven in India. The ending of WWII marked the end of British Rule, as Britain’s cold heart eventually melted after seeing India helping them.
 * WWII**

** ATROCITIES ** Gandhi held peaceful protests, and by peaceful protests. People just stood around holding billboards talking about independence, he also organized hunger strikes and other peaceful methods of protest, but during his peaceful campaign, the British reacted to their methods, with various atrocities.
 * Amritsar Massacre**

The most famous atrocity was the Amritsar massacre; it was when the British commanded **General Dyer,** A high-ranking British officer to kill millions of unarmed protesters. None of the protestors fought back. Why?

“An eye for an eye, only ends up making the world blind.”-Mahatma Gandhi
 * The Indian Reaction**

This was Gandhi’s only reaction, Gandhi shocked many of his followers by reacting so, and he also shocked the British. Eventually at the end of independence movement, British leaders have paid respect to Gandhi and his philosophies; Gandhi was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as a result.

People still pay the exact same respects, even when he died.

Gandhi’s peaceful legacy moved on, his face forever preserved in our minds, the Indian rupee bill, and the Nobel Peace Prize Alumni.

AFTERMATH

India’s independence granted by the British Government was given to them in 1947, but the problem was that India was divided into two, A Muslim side called the **All Muslim League** (that would become Pakistan) and a Hindu side forming the **Indian national Congress** (India). Dividing up, they decided which religion should run to country. Resulting in battles and skirmishes.
 * So What? **

Gandhi opposed of this, he said that both India’s should unite together into one India; one Hindu youth (unknown) that opposed his ideas shot him, successfully assassinating him.

Leading to that, Gandhi’s death marked the end of the whole deal. The **Indian National Congress** soon appointed Jawaharal Nehru to become prime minister of India; he kept his post for 17 years.
 * Then? **

Eventually Pakistan split up with India, and became a country of it successfully. While India, wrote its first “constitution.” Ending British rule, It marked the successful end of the Indian Independence Movement Well thanks for looking at all this, meanwhile, why don’t you chill-ax a bit and watch a nice video about the Indian Independence movement? media type="custom" key="6045081" align="center"
 * A TREAT **

**BLABBER GANDHI **** J **

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 * FURTHER READING**

1) An oral history of the Indian Independence movement, great site with videos of figures that have worked in the Indian independence movement. Great place for primary sources (if you did not start the project yet) []

2) An overview of the Entire Indian Independence movement for people who like it simple and direct []

3) A large database on India with information ranging from culture to the Indian Independence movement []