About the Book The modern history of India speaks of struggle, exploitation, slavery, bondage and uncountable pains and sorrows that our forefathers suffered at the hands of foreign rulers. They exploited our natural resources and wealth at the fullest for their personal gains. In the first freedom struggle of 1857, the Hindus and Muslims joined their hands to overthrow British rule from our motherland. Innumerable freedom fighters sacrificed their life for the freedom of country. The continuity of matter and minute details of past events make this book a precious source of information for students, scholars, Ph.D scholars and professors of history alike.

About the Author Dr. Lalita Sharma, Masters of Arts in History from Kumauni M.A. in Education, B.Ed. from C.C.S University are some of her key qualifications to list. In the year 1998 she started her career in the education world as a teacher and went head to become a Vice: Principal. As teaching was her passion she took to teaching students for professional courses at graduate and post graduate level. Currently she is a visiting faculty with IAMR Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad and Meerut. She is an active member with many professional bodies and has published couple of research papers.

Preface During the late 16th and the 17th Centuries, the European trading companies in India competed with each other ferociously. By the last quarter of the 18th Century the English had outdone all others and established themselves as the dominant power in India. The British administered India for a period of about two centuries and brought about revolutionary changes in the social, political and the economic life of the country. Once the British set their foot solidly on Indian soil, they began the commercial exploitation of the natural resources of India. By the middle of the 19th Century arrogant exploitation of the people had tried the patience of the Indians to the limit. The British imperialism reached its zenith between the middle of the nineteenth century and the First World War. The exploitative policies of the British in India saw the birth of nationalist agitation against it. With increasing intrusion of aliens in their lives, a group of middle class Indians formed the Indian National Congress (1885). The anti British struggle became truly a mass movement with the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948). It was followed by numerous movements against the British rule. With the passage of time and stubbornness of the Indians the British had come to realize that the day was not far off when they will have to quit India. Successive campaigns had the effect of driving the British out of India in 1947, but with independence came the independence of the country into Pakistan.

**Contents and Sample Pages**