For centuries, India was the crown jewel of the British Empire, full of natural resources 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. Men like Mohandas Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah led this movement. 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. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 examines how these events continue to impact the world in terms of politics, religion, and culture. Book jacket. Milestones in Modern World History introduces students to seminal historical events that helped shape the modern world. Bolstered by biographical sketches, illustrations, photographs, excerpts from primary source documents, and first-person narratives, this curriculum-based series is ideal for students writing reports. Book jacket.