Quit India Movement (1942): During World War II, Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement, calling for an immediate end to British rule. The movement led to widespread protests and strikes, despite severe repression by the British.

1. World War II and Changing Dynamics:

• Impact of World War II: The British involvement in World War II weakened their economic and military power, making it increasingly difficult to maintain control over their colonies. The war also heightened the demand for independence in India, as the British had involved India in the war without consulting Indian leaders.

• Cripps Mission (1942): The British government sent the Cripps Mission to negotiate with Indian leaders and offer limited self-governance after the war. However, the offer was rejected by the Indian National Congress, which demanded full independence.

2. Post-War Developments and Independence:

• INA and Subhas Chandra Bose: The Indian National Army (INA), led by Subhas Chandra Bose, fought alongside the Japanese against British forces in Southeast Asia. Though the INA's military campaign was unsuccessful, it inspired a sense of nationalism and highlighted the growing discontent within the Indian armed forces.

• Labour Government in Britain (1945): After the war, a Labour government came to power in Britain, which was more sympathetic to Indian demands for independence. The economic strain of the war and rising nationalist movements in other colonies also made British control over India unsustainable.

• Naval Mutiny (1946): The Royal Indian Navy Mutiny in 1946 was a significant event that demonstrated the erosion of British authority over the Indian military. The mutiny, along with other uprisings, underscored the urgency of resolving the Indian question.

3. Partition and Independence:

• Mountbatten Plan (1947): Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, was sent to oversee the transition to independence. Recognizing the growing tensions between Hindus and Muslims, Mountbatten proposed the partition of India into two separate nations: India and Pakistan.

• Partition and Violence: The partition led to widespread communal violence, mass migrations, and the displacement of millions of people along religious lines. The division of the country into India and Pakistan remains one of the most tragic outcomes of the independence process.

• Independence on August 15, 1947: India gained independence on August 15, 1947, with Jawaharlal Nehru becoming the first Prime Minister of independent India. Pakistan, comprising Muslim-majority areas in the northwest and east, was created on August 14, 1947, with Muhammad Ali Jinnah as its leader.

4. Legacy:

• End of Colonial Rule: India's independence marked the beginning of the end of the British Empire, as it inspired independence movements in other colonies around the world.

• Challenges of Partition: The partition of India and Pakistan led to long-term political and social challenges, including the Kashmir conflict, communal tensions, and strained relations between the two countries.

• Constitutional Development: After independence, India adopted a democratic constitution in 1950, which established it as a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic.

India's independence was the result of decades of struggle, marked by a combination of nonviolent resistance, political negotiation, and mass mobilization. The movement was led by visionary leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Subhas Chandra Bose, among others, and involved millions of ordinary Indians who fought for their right to self-governance. The partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan was a tragic and contentious aspect of independence, but it also paved the way for the emergence of two new nations on the world stage.