Final answer:
Independence brought the partition of India, creating the Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, which led to significant violence and displacement. The Indian National Congress began to assume governance as autonomy increased, and despite challenges, set out to establish democracy and civil rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
When independence was gained on August 15, 1947, India underwent significant changes. The coming of independence sparked waves of religious violence resulting from the division of India into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan. This partition led to the displacement of millions and resulted in a death toll in the millions during the subsequent migration and violence. The Indian National Congress (INC), which had been advocating for self-rule, began to take over governance, although Britain retained control of the military and foreign policy functions until full autonomy was achieved.
Furthermore, during the interwar period, Indians had been promised more rights and autonomy, particularly after their contribution to Britain during World War I. Acts such as the 1935 India Act granted significant autonomy to Indian provinces and introduced elected provincial assemblies. However, longstanding religious divisions, amplified by British imperial policies, culminated in independence that was marred by sectarian turmoil. Leaders like Gandhi and Nehru aimed for a unified nation without the caste system and religious strife, but the violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims led to the eventual acceptance of a two-state solution, birthing Pakistan.
The political and social fabric of India was reshaped during the independence movement, as well as in the years following partition. India embarked on its journey as a sovereign nation with the goal of establishing democracy, liberty, and civil rights, which had been constrained under British colonial rule.