Indian nationalism is what enabled India's freedom today. However, the level of nationalist pride changed dramatically between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries, when the country gained independence. The Indian population as a whole would develop a strong sense of nationalism during the mid-19th century and into the mid-20th century. This evolution of Indian nationalism with the help of Gandhi would be the sole reason for India's freedom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay By the mid-19th century, Britain controlled India and called it its “crown jewel.” Although they simply used it to make money for their own country and treated its citizens as inferiors (which is not like how someone would treat a very valuable gem). The British treated Indians as second-class citizens and there would be a long build-up of stress due to the way they were treated. The long strain of anger towards the British and the need for freedom finally ended with the Sepoy Rebellion. The Sepoy Rebellion (being the first in a long series of protests against tyrannical British rule) took place in 1857 and was made up of Indian soldiers recruited by the British army known as the Sepoys. This marked the beginning of Indian nationalism and would be the first stepping stone on a 90-year long rise of Indian nationalism. The Indian National Congress was established in the 1880s to give the people more voice in the country and have less control from the British. . The Muslim League would also be formed after the establishment of the Indian National Congress. The Muslim minority believed that their voice would not be heard because there were more Hindus than Muslims. Although the League and the Indian National Congress further increased nationalism as Indians began to hate the British and gain more power over their own country. The only person who truly brought about the drastic rise of Indian nationalism was Gandhi. Gandhi was born in 1869 and went to University of London in 1888 (aged 19). When he returned from London, he found that Indians were being treated as if they were inferior to the British and he knew something had to be done. Gandhi protested against the support of the Indian population for Gandhi. He initially protested the 1906 British law that required Indians to have a registration leaflet with them at all times so that the British could identify who they were and that they were a colored minority. He protested by burning his and other Indian registration pamphlets at a public rally. Gandhi took serious leadership in the 1910s through his famous methodology of civil disobedience. Thanks to Gandhi's leadership, the people of India developed an even stronger sense of nationalist values. Initially, the Indian population simply wanted a national regime. They were fine with British control on the condition that they could run their country as they wanted. This is what they were originally aiming for but never actually received. The final straw was the Amritsar massacre. This transformed the desire for internal autonomy into a need for independence. The British mercilessly massacred Indians at a public gathering in 1919. The crime they committed was organizing a public meeting which, apparently, to the British commander at the time,”.