India Becomes Independent From British Rule.
British control of the South Asian country began in mid 1800s with the East India Company. The company initially established itself in the subcontinent for trading purposes, and then slowly took control over the princely states that separately ruled the country. A violent rebellion in 1857 prompted the British Crown to take over direct rule of India. The time between then and independence in 1945 was marked by violent and nonviolent movements targeted towards gaining independent rule. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a key figure in the nonviolent civil disobedience movement against the British. Independence came with the country being partitioned into India and Pakistan. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India, while Liaquat Ali Khan became the first Prime Minister of Pakistan.