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1) The effects of British rule on India are many and far reaching, with some having consequences that continue to reverberate to this day. Some are obvious - such as English being the official language of business, industry and culture - while others, like architecture and the organization of military and bureaucracies, are so much a part of the fabric of daily life that it's not even interpreted as a long-ranging effect. Among the more immediate effects of British rule were the influence on the Indian public education system and on the formation of the post-colonial Indian parliament. For instance, the Indian public education system, from early childhood education through the nation's university system, is organized in a way similar to that of Great Britain in the sense that both share similar schedules, grade organization, curricular emphasis and focus on stanardized tests to determine further education and career. Likewise, the post-colonial Indian parliament is divided into two houses, much as the British parliament is, and the method of legislating is similar. In addition, that India, like Great Britain, has regular elections and a prime minister is a further effect of colonial British rule on the developement of the country.

However, the more important effects of British rule on India include the cultural and economic effects. During British occupation, the colonial administrators and military took advantage of the existing Hindu caste system to maintain control of the population. In effect, the colonial government used the prejudices of the caste system to reward those who cooperated with the British and encouraged the continued subjugation of the lower levels of society. One might conjecture that without the influence of the British colonial government, the caste system might have waned and eventually collapsed under the weight of its own social structure, but it would have done so prior to the late 1940s.

The influence of the British colonial government on the Indian economy is partly the consequence of the shared resources of the British commonwealth and partly a residual of the British empire's exploitation of its colonies for its own financial success. India's status as a British colony meant it supplied certain products to the rest of the empire and world for such a long period of time that it became unthinkable for other nations to provide those products after the withdrawal of Great Britain. Likewise, as a former colony, India profited from its status as a member of the commonwealth. The sharing of resources between the various members of the commonwealth and the financial backing of the weight and might of the British empire enabled India to enter into global markets in such a way as to bypass the usual growing pains of developing countries, including the development of proper infrastructure and the setting of reasonable, ethical work conditions.

2) The role of Mahatma Gandhi in ending British rule in India was at least two fold. The first part of Gandhi's work to end British rule was as a professional, who worked within the system without much success. His lack of success had several factors, including both his own ethnic background and the long-ingrained oppression of the native population, even among the wealthy and educated portions.

The second and larger part of Gandhi's role in ending British rule in India was to serve as a rallying point for the people. He became a rallying point because of his willingness to withstand the abuse of the colonial government and his use of nonviolent confrontation. As violent clashes led to further reprisals against the rebellious population, Gandhi's insistence on nonviolent response was key to reducing the number of deaths that might have otherwise ocurred. But more than his choice to respond peacefully, his dedication to confronting the colonial government consistenty and repeatedly prompted others to join his cause, and the media coverage of his nonviolent confrontations soon helped to bring to bear the weight of public opinion against the colonial government, much as the weight and censure of public opinion helped to sway government action recently in Egypt.