Describe the movement for independence in India prior to the rise of Mohandas Gandhi

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
British colonialism, the soaring Indian population, and the rigid class structure of Indian society were the major factors influencing the independence movement. Although British investment in the Indian infrastructure was significant, economic progress bypassed the vast majority of the Indian people. English-speaking and British-educated officials played an important role in Indian nationalism. British racial attitudes particularly offended the better-educated Indians. In 1885, that professional class founded the Indian National Congress, which petitioned the government for reforms rather than for independence. The All-India Muslim League united Islamic Indians, especially in provinces such as Bengal, which protested British rule. During World War I, Indian support for Britain led the Home Rule League to ask for more radical reforms, such as Indian control of internal affairs. Britain responded with some minor concessions toward self-rule. A return to conservative policies after the war caused violent uprisings by Indians, who believed that British concessions were an attempt to postpone Indian independence. Intensifying violence and repression prompted Mohandas Gandhi to strive to abate them.