Indian independence was won through a long struggle against British colonial rule, culminating in the country's partition and the end of the British Raj on August 15, 1947. Key figures like Mahatma Gandhi led a non-violent civil disobedience movement, using methods such as boycotts, protests, and satyagraha to challenge British authority. Other leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Subhas Chandra Bose, contributed to the nationalist cause through political organization, armed resistance, and diplomacy. The Quit India Movement of 1942 was a major turning point, as it called for the immediate withdrawal of the British and galvanized the Indian population. The Indian National Army, led by Bose, also fought for independence with the support of the Axis powers during World War II. Ultimately, a combination of these sustained efforts, coupled with the weakening of the British Empire after the war, forced the British to negotiate the transfer of power. This led to the creation of two independent nations, India and Pakistan, and marked the end of nearly two centuries of British rule in the subcontinent.