The Indian independence movement was a protracted struggle against British colonial rule, marked by significant uprisings, political mobilization, and the contributions of numerous leaders. Early resistance included the 1799 rebellion by Veerapandiya Kattabomman, who was executed in Kayatharu, and the 1801 uprising led by the Marudu brothers, who were executed in Tirupattur. In 1806, the Vellore Mutiny broke out on July 10, fueled by grievances over military regulations. The 1857 Great Rebellion, which began in Meerut on May 10, involved figures such as Mangal Pandey, Rani Lakshmibai, Bahadur Shah II, and Nana Sahib. Following this revolt, the British Crown assumed direct control of India from the East India Company in 1858.
The Indian National Congress was established in 1885, holding its first session in Bombay on December 28 under the leadership of Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, with significant support from A.O. Hume. The movement saw a divide between moderates like Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Surendranath Banerjee, and extremists such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai. Tensions escalated with the 1905 Partition of Bengal under Lord Curzon, which triggered the Swadeshi movement, advocating for the boycott of foreign goods. Although the partition was annulled in 1911, the 1907 Surat split had already deepened the divide within the Congress. By 1916, the Home Rule movement, led separately by Tilak and Annie Besant, gained momentum, with Besant later becoming the Congress president in 1917.
Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India in 1915 marked a new phase of struggle, beginning with the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917, the Kheda Satyagraha in 1918, and the Ahmedabad mill strike. The 1919 Rowlatt Act, which allowed for detention without trial, led to widespread unrest, culminating in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar on April 13, 1919, where General Dyer ordered troops to fire on a crowd. In protest, Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood. The Non-Cooperation Movement of 1920 was later suspended in 1922 following the Chauri Chaura violence. Subsequent milestones included the 1928 arrival of the Simon Commission, the 1929 Lahore Congress session where Jawaharlal Nehru declared 'Purna Swaraj' as the goal, and the 1930 Salt Satyagraha, which began with Gandhi’s Dandi March on March 12.
Political negotiations included the 1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact and the 1932 Poona Pact between Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar regarding political representation for marginalized communities. The 1942 Quit India Movement saw Gandhi issue the 'Do or Die' call. Revolutionary efforts were also prominent, led by figures such as Bhagat Singh, who was executed alongside Rajguru and Sukhdev on March 23, 1931, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Subhas Chandra Bose, who led the Indian National Army and declared the Azad Hind provisional government in 1943.
Tamil Nadu played a vital role in the freedom struggle. V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, known as 'Kappalottiya Thamizhan,' challenged British maritime dominance by founding the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company in 1906. Subramania Bharati used his poetry and journals like 'India' and 'Swadesamitran' to spread nationalist fervor. Vanchinathan assassinated British official Robert Ashe in Maniyachi in 1911, while C. Rajagopalachari led the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha in 1930. Tirupur Kumaran, known as 'Kodikaatha Kumaran,' died on January 11, 1932, while holding the national flag during a protest, and Rukmini Lakshmipathi was a prominent female participant in the Vedaranyam march.
Following the 1946 Cabinet Mission, the Indian Independence Act was passed by the British Parliament. India achieved independence on August 15, 1947, with Jawaharlal Nehru serving as the first Prime Minister and Lord Mountbatten as the final Viceroy.