For centuries, India was the crown jewel of the British Empire, full of natural resources, spices and foods, and well-situated for access to the Asian ports. Great Britain maintained its hold on the subcontinent until 1947, when India was granted its independence. The battle for an independent India took place on many levels and in numerous ways, both peaceful and violent. Mohandas Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah led the movement for a free India. Yet the common quest for liberation pitted these leaders against one another and caused the partitioning of the subcontinent into the nations of India and Pakistan, sparking one of the most turbulent and deadly migrations of populations in history.

Illustrated with full-color and black-and-white photographs, and accompanied by a chronology, bibliography, and further resources The Indian Independence Act of 1947, Updated Edition, continues to impact the world in terms of politics, religion, and culture. Historical spotlights and excerpts from primary source documents are also included.