Achievements of Independence of India Part

India before Independence

Today on this date of 15^th August 2023, India is celebrating 77^th years of independence with theme of “Nation first, always first” under “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” celebration.

On this day, our Prime Minister has done flag hosting at red fort, New Delhi and addressed the nation from here.

Now India is world most populous country along with largest democracy of the world.

In this article, we will see how India got independence in 1947 and in next part we will see achievements of India after independence.

On 15^th August 1947, India got independence after 200 years of remaining Britisher’s colony, during this period many changes had been taken place in India. These are discussed as below -

Historical Background-

v East India Company came to India in 1600AD during the Mughal period and established their industry here for trading purpose.

v Earlier it was purely commercial body and involved in trade only but slowly during period of time they established their political administration in India.

For this they had done two things –

Ø They fought wars with other European powers in India like French, Portugal, Dutch etc. abolished their rule and confined their establishment to few coastal regions of India.

Ø They fought wars with Indian rulers and occupied their territories.

They occupied Bengal (Eastern Region), Mysore (Western Region), Marathas (Central Region) and Punjab (Northern Region) to establish their rule in India through many Conspiracies.

v Earlier India was fragmented into different kingdoms and territories ruled by local rulers.

v Through a long process, British government had converted these fragmented kingdoms and territories into one unit called ‘British India’.

v This long process involved –

Ø Battles and Wars like Battle of Plassey, Battle of Buxur, Anglo-Mysore war, Anglo-Maratha war, Anglo-Sikh war Etc.

Ø Treaty of Allahabad, 1765 after Battle of Buxur was remarkable as it started political establishment of British in India.

Ø Expansionist Policies of Warren Hasting’s Ring of Fence; Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance; Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse etc.

Ø Different Constitutional reforms, first to centralise the power to make India a single political entity and then after decentralization adopted to make different provinces to make map of modern India.

Example – Regulating Act 1773, Pitt’s India Act 1784, Charter Acts 1793,1813,1833,1854, GOI Act 1858, Indian Council Acts 1861,1892,1909 etc.

Impact of British Colonialism in India-

British Rule in India caused transformation of Indian Economy into Colonial Economy, Based on their personal interests.

Although many negative impacts was there but some positive impact also seen which laid the foundation of modern Indian Economy.

There were several impact had been seen due to British rule-

Negative Impact

v Deindustrialisation of small traditional Indian Industries

v Impoverishment of Peasants

v Commercialisation of Agriculture

v Economic Drain of Indian Wealth

v Transformation of Indian Trade from net Exporter to net Importer.

v Cultural loss due lack of inheritance of traditional art.

Positive Impact

v Development of modern Industries after Industrial Revolution.

Example – Iron & Steel industries, Textile Industries etc.

v Rise of Elite class & Middle class and Capitalist & Labour class

v Development of means of Transportation and Communication

Example - Railways, Electric Telegraph, Postal stamps etc.

v Capitalisation of Indian Economy – linked it with Global economy

v Social Reforms like abolition of Sati Pratha, abolition of Child Marriage, Widow Remarriage etc.

v New Politico-administrative structure established.

Achievements during British India-

Although Britishers brought new and advance technology to establish their interest but its reverse impact was observed which brought people-to-people contact and rose feeling of nationalism.

v A Big achievement during British era was Development of Railways

Which joint every remote corners of country and play huge role in struggle of freedom.

v Industrial Revolution which laid foundation of new modern Indian industries.

v Development of Postal Stamps

v Electric Telegraph helped to establish Communication between every corner of country.

Struggle for Freedom-

India experienced many Phases of Struggle of Freedom during 19^th and 20^th century-

v First Struggle of Freedom, 1857- in 1857, many freedom fighters from different part of country revolted against Britishers. First time a large revolt was organised that’s why known as First freedom of struggle in Indian History.

Ø These Freedom fighters were General Bakht Khan, Rani Laxmi Bai, Nana Saheb, Kunwar Singh, Begum Hajrat Mahal etc.

Ø Although this revolt was supressed by British but it sown the seeds of nationalism among the people.

Ø Success of this revolt resulted enactment of GOI Act,1858 which started establishment of new Politico-Administrative structure of British India.

v Formation of Indian National Congress (INC), 1885- A new struggle has been started against British Government after formation on INC in 1885.

It was first National organisation, played a great role in uniting India by rising feeling of nationalism.

Ø At that time most of the influential personality was part of INC.

Example- Dada Bhai Naoroji, Womesh Chandra Banarjee, Surendra Nath Banarjee, Badruddin Tayab Ji, Pheroz Shah Mehta etc.

Ø They contributed in political reform of British India through their consolidated voice.

v Partition of Bengal 1905 and Swadeshi Movement-

To supress rising nationalism, Lord Curzon adopted Divide and Rule Policy on the basis of religion and proclaimed Partition of Bengal in 1905 into two regions –

Ø West Bengal - Hindu dominated region and

Ø East Bengal – Muslim dominated region

Because at that time Bengal was center of Nationalism in country.

First time a nationwide strong movement had been seen in form of Swadeshi and Boycott movement against government proclamation which unite people for common cause and further increased the felling of nationalism.

v Revolutionary Activities- there were many revolutionary organizations involved in Violence activity to remove British rule from India.

Example- Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil, Surya Sen, Pritilata Waddedar, Kalpana Dutta etc.

v Gandhian Era, 1915 to 1947-

Ø In 1915, Gandhi ji came to India from South Africa and gave new direction to India’s struggle for Independence through their virtues of Satyagrah, Non-violence, Compassion etc.

Ø They united local people with nation by solving their local problems through new type of agitations and Satyagraha and prepared them for national struggle.

- Champaran Satyagrah,1917 of Bihar

- Kheda Movement, 1918 of Gujarat etc.

Ø After that through different consolidated nationwide movements and satyagarahas,

Example- Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, Individual Satyagrah, Quit India Movement etc.

he united whole India against Struggle of Freedom.

Ø Many influential personalities and Freedom fighters of that time like Madan Mohan Malviya, Moti Lal Nehru, C.R. Das, Vallabh Bhai Patel, Vitthal Bhai Patel, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Sarojini Naidu, Jai Prakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia etc.

Became part of Indian National congress and contributed in the struggle of freedom through many ways and eventually India got independence on 15^th August 1947.

There was a great sacrifice done by our freedom fighters in achievement of independence after long period of time. As they had done their best for nation in every respect, it is our moral duty to respect them and their efforts.

-By Pooja Gupta