India gained freedom on 15 August 1947 following the sacrifice of countless lives.
We won this freedom after a hard struggle and the sacrifice of numerous lives, therefore, we should protect this freedom with our lives.
Let us learn about the contribution of different states and sections of people in the freedom struggle.
India was known as the golden bird in ancient times, and India’s trade was spread across half the world. There was a great demand for Indian goods, and this trade was carried out by the traders of Arab countries and European countries.
Vasco de Gama, a sailor from Portugal, was the first to come to India after a long sea voyage. After Vasco de Gama’s journey, the Portuguese started trading with India. They would buy goods at low prices from India and sell them in European markets. In a short time, Portugal became a rich country. Other countries like Britain, Italy and France were also keen to trade with India.
India was the most prosperous country during the Mughal kings. After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the condition of the Mughal Empire was not good any longer. Small kingdoms acquired different parts of India. Apart from Portugal, other European nations such as Holland, France, and England started trading here.
Establishment of British Rule in India
The British came to India to exploit it economically, and later became the rulers.
In 1600, the East India Company was set up by English traders. The company defeated all foreign traders and established a monopoly over trade with India. Slowly the British started governing India.
The British started grabbing the kingdoms of the Indian rulers. The company became the zamindar of Bihar, Bengal and Orissa and took control of a major part of India. There were many battles in which Kings and Sultans of different regions were all defeated, and at the same time, the East India Company started spreading its empire in India.
First Fight for Independence
In 1857 Mangal Pandey, Laxmibai, Tatya Tope, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Kunwar Singh, etc., openly opposed British imperialistic policies. This opposition slowly turned into a revolt. This was India’s first fight for independence.
The 1857 fight for independence did not stop there, and the struggle for independence also continued. Later, Mahatma Gandhi took over the responsibility of the freedom struggle with the support of Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr Rajendra Prasad, etc.
Gandhi Ji adopted the policies of Ahimsa, Salt Satyagraha, Quit India Movement, Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha against the British. Following the sacrifice of countless lives, India gained freedom on 15 August 1947. We won this freedom after a hard struggle, and we should protect this freedom with our lives.
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