Perspectives

Historical perspective

The main topic of “Quit India” by Mahatma Gandhi is the fight for India's independence from the British Empire.

British rule in the Indian subcontinent started in the 18th century with the East India Company. The trading company held a monopoly on the trade in the East Indies and, with the help of its private armies, it established itself as a major military and political power, assuming administrative functions in many areas of India. In 1857, a major uprising against British rule occurred, but the rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful and control of the East India Company was transferred to the British Crown. The Crown established the British Raj in 1858, assuming direct control of the Indian subcontinent. The Crown’s rule in India lasted until 1947, and it ended in the partition of India and Pakistan. Its end was brought forward in part by the Quit India movement.

The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 as a platform for civic and political dialogue between the Indian people and the British Government. In his speech, Gandhi mentions two of the founders and first leaders of the Congress: Dadabhai Naoroji and Pherozeshah Mehta. He states “Dadabhai and Pherozeshah who had held the Congress In...