The modern history of India roughly begins with the
end of the Mughal Empire. After the last able Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb
died, India was fragmented into a number of small petty kingdoms. There
was chaos and confusion all over the country with almost every other
king fighting for control of territories. This attracted foreigners who
came promptly to India by establishing trade links and draining away the
resources. The Europeans were particularly interested in spice trade
with India and the Dutch monopolized this area. This led to a series of
interesting changes in the Indian sub-continent. Read about modern
Indian history in a concise version. Our related section shall give you
detailed information.
The British came to know of the abundant resources in India and the
trade links with other countries. The 17th century saw fierce
competition between different European companies. By the end of the 18th
century, the British conquered all and established their company in
India. With time, they acquired political power and secured a place in
the administrative affairs of the country. They established themselves
firmly over the Indian sub continent and brought about many changes in
political, economic and social aspects of the country.
The Indians however, were not open for the idea of a foreign power
ruling them and imposing their beliefs and faith on them. Once they
acquired full control of political power, they started to drain India of
all the wealth and resources. Natural resources and labor was exploited
mercilessly. People became restless and by the mid 19th century, they
revolted against the British for the first time. Popularly known as the
revolt of 1857, this Sepoy Mutiny made Indians realize that they were
not weak and could stand up against the British with unity and
organization. The revolt was crushed ruthlessly by the British but it
made an impact on the Indians.
After the end of the First World War, the British imperialism increased
in India and that gave birth to nation wide agitations against the
British. By the end of 19th century, the Indians formed their own
political party called Indian National Congress which worked with the
British for the benefits of the Indians. The British did not acknowledge
the needs of the Indians and Congress and slowly the Congress turned
against them.
Great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Rai,
Bhagat Singh, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, etc. strived and sacrificed
their lives for the freeing the nation from the clutches of the British.
Many nationalist movements were launched in which the nation stood
together as one and finally was successful in driving the British away.
India gained her independence from the British on 15th August, 1947.
