In the context of the period 1847-1947, to what extent was Indian independence primarily the result of the growth of Indian nationalism? The decision to grant independence to India was not the logical outcome of political mistakes, nor was it the consequence of a mass revolution forcing the British to leaving India, but rather a decision taken voluntarily. Patrick French states that: "The British left India because they lost control of crucial areas of administration and lacked the will and financial or military capacity to regain this control." While the growth of Indian nationalism placed considerable pressure on the Raj, historians offer many interpretations as to the fundamental cause of independence. Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement and the campaigns that followed meant that nationalism began to appeal to the masses and helped establish a broad movement for independence. However, the British were always successful in suppressing nationalist movements, through reform or use of force, until the Quit India movement of 1942. British involvement in the Great War and particularly World War II left them placed in a weaker economic position, while the social and political expectations of the Indian people changed, reinforcing nationalism and discontent. There is a clear difference between Indian popular nationalism, i.e. the nation believing in an independent state from Britain, and Indian nationalist movements, for example the Muslim League. or the Hindu revivalist movement. These movements fought for independence but were much more religious and fought for their own interests. Although Indian nationalism initially found expression in the mutiny of 1857, its development occurred in 1947.BIBLIOGRAPHYEBOSE, Sugata and JALAL Ayesha. Modern South Asia: history, culture, political economy. London, Routledge, 2011BROWN, Judith M. Modern India: the origins of an Asian democracy. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1985 DALRYMPLE, William. The last Mughal. London, Bloomsbury, 2006FRENCH, Patrick. Freedom or death. London, Penguin Books, 1997 JUDD, Denis. Empire: The British Imperial Experience, 1765 to the Present. London, 1996LEADBEATER, Tim. Great Britain and India 1845-1947. London, Hodder Education, 2008REES, Rosemary. India 1900-47. Harlow, Heinemann, 2006Websites www.historylearningsite.co.uk: TRUEMAN, Chris & co. India 1900-1947 www.thenagain.info: KOELLER, David. Independence of India from Britain 1947 www.open.ac.uk: Making Britain: 1947 Quit India Movement www.bbc.co.uk: KAUL, Chandrika. History: from empire to independence