British Imperialism During The First War Of Indian...

British Imperialism in India Indian Independence The first war of Indian independence, also known as the 1857 Indian Rebellion, was not the first challenge to British authority, but it was the first to feature widespread coordination with increased levels of intensity. It began with discontent within the sepoy army. Initially, the soldiers were well-paid to keep their loyalty, but the EIC failed to increase pay to match the inflation rate. Moreover, they received the impression that the Company was attempting to change Indian religions, due to the criticism of missionaries in India, previous violations of Hindu religious conventions, and the introduction of new cartridges that were greased in pig fat and beef tallow, the previous†¦show more content†¦However, India would have to pay for the damages of the mutiny through increased taxes. The next major step toward independence occurred with the founding of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885 at Bombay. Despite claims of secularism and religious to leration, the INC was a mostly Hindu organization, and in 1906, the Muslim League was formed. Together, they represented the public opinion for swaraj, or self-rule, and served as a way for Indians to participate in politics in response to rising Indian nationalism. One of their first campaigns was the swadeshi movement, a boycott of British products in favor of Indian domestic goods, which won them autonomy at the provincial level. Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), also referred to as Mahatma (meaning â€Å"Great Soul†) Gandhi, entered the INC as its president in 1920. He worked under the principles of ahimsa, non-violence, and satyagraha, truth-struggle, to convince the British that it had wrongfully repressed India, and work together with the them to reverse its effects. From 1930 to 1934, he launched a series of civil disobedience movements. The most notable of these was the Salt March in 1930, to protest the salt tax imposed by the British. Gandhi, along with Sarojini Naid u