India's Independence

Questions

• Names, dates and location of revolution.
• Who revolted?
• Why did they revolt? Why were they unhappy?
• How did they organize?
• How did the people overthrow the government?
• How did the government respond?
• How was the government the same or different following the revolution?

India's
Independence took place in India from 1858-1947.

The leader of the movement was Mahatma Gandhi. He got the people of India to embrace their Indian culture. Gandhi told the Indians that despite their differences, they all share one very important thing; a hatred of the British.

When the British took over India, the Indians were tired of having no say in any political decisions. They also were the subject of racism and the enforcement of Christianity by the British.

The Salt March of 1930 is an example of Gandhi's nonviolence protest. Gandhi and thousands of Indians marched 240 miles from Ahmedabad to the coastal town of Dandi.

Salt is very important in Indian meals. The Salt Tax charged the Indian people for a basic human necessity and prevented them from making their own salt.

After 24 days of marching, Gandhi and his followers reached Dandi, it was there that Gandhi reached down and picked up a small lump of natural salt out of the mud–and British law had been defied.

At Dandi, thousands more followed his lead. Indian nationalists led crowds of citizens in making salt. Civil disobedience broke out all across India, soon involving millions of Indians, and British authorities arrested more than 60,000 people.