What were the causes of Indian Independencein 1947, and was partition inevitable?

Perhaps the longest term cause relating to partition was the Mughal Empire. It was in 1526 that the Mughal leader Babar, a Muslim, invaded the Hindu majority India. This was a minority of invaders ruling over a majority, and continued through Akbar's reign from 1556 to 1605 and finished with Aurangzeb, who died in 1707. By this time about a third of people in India were Muslim. Mughal emperors maintained a strict cohesion to fundamental Islam and also believed that all non Muslims should convert or be put to death. This first meeting between Hindus and Muslims was not a happy one; the thousands of murders that the foundation of their relationship lay on meant religious tension for hundreds of years afterwards, even seen today in the hatred between Hindus and Muslims. This can be put down primarily to the harsh treatment of Hindus and Sikhs by Emperor Aurangzeb, despite the fact he made attempts to reconcile, especially towards the Sikhs, in the last few days of his life. This underlying hatred continued for hundreds of years and it was perhaps the first cause of hatred between Muslims and Hindus which made them believe they could not live together. This was an important first cause for the partition as it instilled hatred between Hindus and Muslims.

The East India Company, or EIC was also the longest term cause, this time relating to independence by causing a rift between the British and Indians. The EIC first landed at Indian shores in 1608 at the time of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir. Many years of trading followed as the EIC made large amounts of money through lucrative deals with Indian businessmen. By 1744 the company was in a position to loan £1 million to England; however this was detrimental to relations for all; British people saw the Indians as underhand, corrupt people (as these were the only people they came into contact with) and the Indians saw themselves as being exploited. Men who travelled to India were seen as "fallen gentlemen", an image that was only broken years later. This showed a lack of trust even from the beginning of the British Indian relationship as it begun with corrupt dealings and exchanges. Although at this point Indian independence was not inevitable; as the British did not have a hold on the country, it did not start the relationship well.

Powerbrokers became rich enough to pay the EIC for fight for them and hence the British became involved in fighting and continued to gain money. In 1757 the Battle of Plassey took place, where the EIC essentially captured Bengal and was the turning point in relations, as the British became hungry for physical power of their own. Although greatly exaggerated by British historians, this was no more than a number of Bengali elephants stampeding, handing the British victory. This began tensions between Indians and the British as they first used force to get what they wanted. At this time Hindus prophecied that the Vedas spoke of a rule lasting only 100 years, so in 1857 the Indian Mutiny took place as Hindus believed it was at this time the British would be overthrown. Unfortunately it failed, and this angered the Indians further as perhaps the British were "overstaying their rule" in India.