After World War II, India's long independence campaign finally paid off. The British decided the cost of maintaining colonial rule was too high. They agreed to grant independence to the subcontinent. India's people had put aside their religious differences to fight the British, but with victory in sight, problems began surfacing between Hindus and Muslims. Many Muslims felt the Hindu majority would treat them unfairly once the subcontinent achieved independence. The struggle became violent.

British and Indian leaders decided that the only solution to the conflict was a partition, that separated the continent into Hindu and Muslim states. In 1947, the Indian subcontinent became the independent nations of India and Pakistan. Pakistan was made up of two regions: West Pakistan on the Indus River plain, and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), more than 1,100 away. Important parts of what was once considered India were now in other nations. The Indus River, for which the subcontinent is named, became part of Pakistan after the partition.

Twelve million people were forced to move—Hindus to India, Muslims to Pakistan—in one of the greatest migrations of refugees in history. Both groups moved because they feared being ruled by leaders of the other faith. The journey was long and torturous. Many people were forced to leave their possession or trade them for water. Hunger, thirst and exhaustion killed others. Additionally, an estimated one million people were killed in religious warfare.

Gandhi was a Hindu, but he considered the partition of his homeland one of the greatest disappointments of his life. He fought vigorously against the separation, and tried to end the rioting and killing. Some people on both sides blamed him for the fighting. When he was unable to stop the fighting by persuasion, he went on a fast. He won at least two spectacular triumphs; in September 1947 his fasting stopped the rioting in Calcutta, and in January 1948, he shamed the city of Delhi into a truce. A few days later, on January 30, 1948, while he was on his way to his evening prayer meeting in Delhi, a young Hindu fanatic murdered him.

Gandhi may have felt he failed because he was unable to unite the subcontinent, but he inspired people around the world. African leaders used his example when demanding independence from their colonial governments. In the United States, Martin Luther King used Gandhi's example to demand better treatment for African-Americans. Today in India, Gandhi is revered as a hero, the man who used non-violence to lead his people to freedom.