1. Unit 9
Indian Independence

2. The Regional Setting
The Indian Subcontinent: includes the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka
Prior to 1947, this region was called British India
Color in British India on your notes!

3. Formerly Known As… Today’s Pakistan was once known as West Pakistan
Today’s Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan
Eventually, civil war between the two led to a split around 1971
Today’s Sri Lanka (the teardrop of India) was once British Ceylon until independence in 1947.
In 1972, changed the name to Sri Lanka
Label your maps with their former names!

4. British India for almost 200 years!
The British East India Company defeated the Mughal Empire in the late 1700s.
By 1858, Britain took direct control of India as the “jewel” of the British empire
After both world wars, Indian demands for independence increase!
The Indian National Congress became the strongest group fighting for Indian independence and best known due to the rising popularity of one of its members…

5. …Mohandas K. Gandhi
Becomes leader of the Indian National Congress in 1921 and becomes internationally known for his efforts to free India of British rule
Becomes the symbol and leader of Indian Independence movement

6. Gandhi’s Methods
Passive Resistance: achieve one’s goals by symbolic acts of protest
Civil Disobedience: refusal to follow British law without the use of force or violence
Self Reliance: Gandhi and others promoted Indian-made goods, foods, textiles – done by their own hands – increased nationalism
Asked Indians to:
boycott (refuse to buy) British goods, stop attending British schools, stop paying British taxes, stop voting in British-run elections

7. Result: British lost all credibility and seen as tyrants – their own laws become the “bad guys” and world opinion turns against them!
Kept economic, political, and social pressure on Britain
These same methods will later be used by Martin Luther King, Jr. for the Civil Rights Movement in America!

8. The Salt March: civil disobedience (24 Days, 240 miles on foot!)
Gandhi refusing to pay the British tax on salt by walking to the sea and making his own!

9. Self-Reliance: Indian-made!
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world!”
Gandhi promoting Indian self-reliance with his idea of khadi – homespun cloth

10. More Gandhi quotes:
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”
Time Magazine made him Man of the Year in 1930

11. Gandhi speaks…
This is the first film interview of Gandhi done in The last question the interviewer asks him is, “Are you prepared to die for Indian independence?” Listen for his response!

12. Independence and Religious Conflict
When Great Britain finally agreed to Indian independence in 1946, Muslims and Hindus began to turn against one another
Sadly, rising religious conflict overshadowed the independence movement!
By 1947, British rule ends and two countries are born – India (Hindu) and Pakistan (Muslim) = PARTITION
Gandhi is heartbroken over the partition of India and the bloodshed that follows.

13. Gandhi is Assassinated!
January 1948
The non-violence leader is violently gunned down by a fellow Hindu, Nathuram Godse who hated Gandhi’s desire for peaceful coexistence with Indian Muslims
He shot him point blank range, 3 times in the chest.

14. Gandhi’s Funeral Procession

15. Jawaharlal Nehru
India’s first prime minister and close political friend and ally to Mohandas Gandhi
Also father of later prime minister, Indira Gandhi
Supported western-style industrialization of India
A young Indira with Gandhi

16. India Today Republic of India became world’s largest democratic nation
Adopted a Federal system- giving many powers to the states.
Political tensions with Pakistan – both nuclear armed!

17. Indian Democracy today
Gandhi tried to end discrimination of the “untouchables” and the caste system in India
1950 Constitution tried to prohibit:
caste discrimination
help women gain rights
Ethnic, religions tensions have caused problems for democracy in India
Huge gap between rich and poor!

18. Old versus New India

19. Rich vs. Poor India