Initially, they didn't even demand independence from Britain. But they were interested in creating a modern Indian nation rather than a return to some ancient pre-colonial form, possibly because India was, and is, hugely diverse, and really only unified into a single state when under imperial rule by one group or another, whether the Mauryans, the Guptas, the Mughals, or the British. Okay, let's go to the Thought Bubble. The best-known Indian nationalist, Mohandas K. Gandhi, was a fascinating character. A British-educated lawyer born to a wealthy family, he's known for making his own clothes, his long fasts, and his battles to alleviate poverty, improve the rights of women, and achieve a unified Indian independence from Britain. In terms of decolonization, he stands out for his use of nonviolence and his linking it to a somewhat mythologized view of Indian history. I mean, after all, there's plenty of violence in India's past and in its heroic epics, but Gandhi managed to harken back to a past that used nonviolence to bring change.