In 1857, India experienced its first national war for independence against Great Britain. Nearly ninety years later, on August 15, 1947, independence was granted along with the formation of two new countries, the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. During these years, many leaders rose in power and status to liberate India from the then ruling British. These leaders understood the geopolitical realities, religious divisions and were able to act to achieve the desired results. The strength and knowledge of the seriousness of the partition of India enabled the leaders to reach their full potential and achieve their goal. Decolonization from European rule had been sweeping the world since 1776, when the thirteen American colonies declared their independence from British rule. The winds of change are blowing across the world and many countries are soon gaining independence. These sentiments were echoed by the 1917 Montague Declaration to the British House of Commons, "the progressive development of self-governing institutions with a view to the progressive achievement of responsible government in India", and by the Government of India Act of 191. destroyed by the bitterness created by the Rowlatt Act, the unrest in Punjab and the Amritsar massacre. Losing confidence in British intentions, Gandhi, who had just assumed leadership of the Congress, began his act of civil disobedience” (Sarila 13). Showing that many Indian leaders were already losing faith in the British government, it was inevitable that the colonists would soon turn away from their treasure. By the end of World War I, the British economy was in shambles and it was virtually bankrupt.... ... middle of paper ......ion shows that Jinnah favored the creation of a new country, defined by the religion practiced by its citizens. Jinnah favored the British by demanding the formation of a new country, for its minority population. Jinnah also referred to the Indian National Congress as the "Hindu Congress", showing that he had already considered Indian politics to be divided by religion. Gandhi, on the other hand, was not very happy with the idea of ​​partition through religion. He believed that India should not be divided at all, but should continue to live in peace with each other. From the British perspective, the 1.69 million square miles of Indian territory were to serve as a base for British troops and a huge source of funding for World War II. Leaders' refusal hampered British plans to play a major role in the Pacific sector..