10.07 - Indian Independence and Partition

Mohandas Gandhi

(1869-1948) leader of the Indian Independence Movement who believed in nonviolent civil disobedience and who was successful in driving the British out of India

nonviolence

the use of peaceful means, not force, to bring about political or social change

civil disobedience

the refusal to follow certain laws or pay taxes and fines to protest a government's actions and policies

Indian National Congress

nationalist political party in India led by Mohandas Gandhi

Muslim League

nationalist political party in India led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah that split from the Indian National Congress and later formed the Muslim-majority country Pakistan after gaining independence from Great Britain

Massacre of Amritsar

(1919) British troops fired on a large crowd of unarmed Indians, killing several hundred people and wounding many hundreds more. It marked a turning point in India's modern history, in that it left a permanent scar on Indo-British relations and was the prelude to Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi's full commitment to the cause of Indian nationalism and independence from Britain.

Homespun Movement

movement championed by Mohandas Gandhi that encouraged Indians to boycott British-made goods and to make their own clothing

Salt March

(1930) an act of civil disobedience led by Mohandas Gandhi during which he walked 240 miles to the Indian Ocean to gather salt in violation of a British law banning Indians from salt production so they would have to buy it from the British

Partition of India

Despite Gandhi's desire to keep India together, the decision was made to divide the colony into two separate and independent nations: India and Pakistan (more on this in a later lesson). This separation of India and Pakistan is known as the Partition of India.