In the context of the years 1857 to 1947 how far was the role of Gandhi the most significant factor in
achieving Indian Independence?
Gandhi was the most significant factor in achieving Indian independence. Before his rise to popularity
in the years 1857-1919, nationalist groups weren’t striving for independence and when they did they
failed. India was politically divided and perpetually in conflict; a situation that was to change when
Gandhi rose to popularity in the 1920s and was able to unite India under one aim of achieving full
independence. Even in the later years of 1939-47 when he was sidelined in the search for an
acceptable formula for independence, the idea of independence which he cultivated in Indians
motivated them to continue fighting. His strong commitment to non-violent resistance, full
independence, and unification of the Indian people was the reason independence was eventually
gained in 1947. For 50 years, he fought and played a pivotal role in the Indian struggle for freedom
from colonial rule, making him the most significant factor in achieving Independence.
The failures of early nationalist groups in the years 1857-1919 show Gandhi's significance in
achieving Indian independence. The 1857 Indian Mutiny was one of the biggest failures of
nationalism with historians coining it as a “failed war of independence1”. The immediate catalyst to
the rebellion was the use of Enfield rifle cartridges which were greased with pig and cow fat,
prohibited to Hindu’s and Muslims. Other factors included cultural fears (such as British interference
in the cultural affairs of Indians, including the banning of the Indian Sati practice under the Bengal
Sati Regulation) and economic factors (British-lead reforms in taxation which heavily impacted
peasants).2 The revolt was widespread across Northern India covering regions such as Lucknow and
Bihar resulting in thousands of Europeans and Indians dying; at Lucknow, 3000 troops and civilian
families endured a five month siege by mutineers3. Many Indian rulers such as Lakshmibai also joined
the revolt along with Hindus of all castes signifying a huge sense of unity. However, overall the revolt
was an overwhelming failure; it was not successful in achieving Indian independence due to its poor
organisation. The sepoys lacked clear and effective leadership and were very divided among
themselves with some fighting for religious reasons, others in hope of restoring Mughal rule and some
not fighting at all such as Sikhs in the Punjab region. The rebellion was also geographically limited; it
mostly took place in Northern India so the larger and politically important presidencies such as
Bombay weren’t involved at all. The revolt was ruthlessly suppressed by the British with entire
1
Leadbeater, Tim. Britain and India 1845 - 1947 ( London Hodder Education, 2008),13.
2
“Revolt of 1857 - Causes, Impact, Failure, List of Important Leaders Involved, FAQ.” n.d. BYJUS,
accessed August 7, 2022. https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/revolt-of-1857/.
3
Leadbeater, Britain and India, 12
, villages suspected of support being massacred; at Campore mutineers were forced to eat pork or beef
and then publicly hanged. The passing of the Government of India Act following the revolt further
displays the failures of early nationalists; India would be fully governed by the British Monarchy,
consolidating British rule and pushing India away from independence. Despite its claims that the
British respected the “rights,dignity and honour”4 of the Indian people, they were continuously treated
unfairly shown through strong English opposition to the 1883 Ilbert Bill. Whilst it could be argued
that British attempts to suppress rebellion caused further anger leading to independence, outbreaks
such as the 1857 conflict undoubtedly put India increasingly under British control. The failure of the
1857 revolt to achieve independence shows that early nationalist groups were not significant in the
achievement of independence.
Source A is the Queen’s Proclamation (1858) which “unveiled a new British policy”5 in India.
Overall, Source A is valuable in demonstrating Gandhi’s significance in achieving independence as it
shows that before his rise to popularity, nationalist groups weren’t successful . The main value of this
source is its content and argument. For example, in the source, the Proclamation mentions many
problems which Indians were facing at the time such as racial discrimination within the army,
widespread fear of forced conversion, cultural interference and countless more which initiated the
1857 Indian Mutiny. Despite the Proclamation declaring a new era of British rule in India in which
problems such as “interference with the religious belief” would not exist and the “rights, dignity and
honour” of Indian people would be sustained, in reality it was a setback for India. Under the 1858
Government of India Act, millions of Indians would not be liberated from British rule but put
increasingly under it and there was a clear shift from indirect EIC rule to direct Raj rule in India
pushing them further from independence. This makes the source valuable as it demonstrates how
unsuccessful nationalist groups were in achieving independence; India would be fully governed by
Queen Victoria as the Empress of India further pushing India away from independence.Therefore, the
content and argument is valuable as it demonstrates that nationalist groups were not significant in
achieving independence as their efforts in the 1857 rebellion only led to India being put increasingly
under British rule. Another value of the source is its provenance. The nature of the source is a
proclamation issued by Queen Victoria herself following the 1858 Indian war of independence. This
may imply that the rebellion shook the foundation of the British so much so that they needed to
consolidate their power within India leading to the 1858 Government of India Act. Under the Act all
Indian territories of Britain were to be governed in the name of the British Queen as Empress of India
4
“Queen Victoria’s Proclamation – November 1, 1858 - GKToday.” n.d. Www.gktoday.in. Accessed
August 9, 2022. https://www.gktoday.in/topic/queen-victorias-proclamation-november-1-1858/.
5
“India - Government of India Act of 1858 | Britannica.” 2019. In Encyclopædia Britannica.
Accessed October 8, 2022.
https://www.britannica.com/place/India/Government-of-India-Act-of-1858.
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