Indian Independence

Indian independence on August 15, 1947, ended 200 years of British colonial rule — the largest decolonization event in history. Gandhi's non-violent civil disobedience movement, combined with the weakening of Britain in World War II, made imperial rule untenable. Partition — the simultaneous creation of Pakistan as a separate Muslim-majority state — triggered one of the largest forced migrations in history (10–20 million displaced) and violence killing 200,000–2 million people. India's independence inspired decolonization movements across Africa and Asia. India became the world's largest democracy — 700 million eligible voters in 1984, over 900 million today. The country's subsequent development — nuclear power, space program, IT industry — has made it one of the 21st century's most consequential nations.