This study examines the evolution of education in colonial India (1857–1947) as a complex terrain of ideological conflict, resistance, and reform. Under British rule, education was deliberately designed as a tool of control, promoting Western values and marginalizing indigenous knowledge systems. In response, visionary Indian leaders—Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Rabindranath Tagore, and Mahatma Gandhi—developed diverse critiques and alternative educational models rooted in Indian values, culture, and self-reliance. Movements such as the National Education Movement and the Wardha Scheme (Nai Talim) represented a concerted effort to decolonize the curriculum and redefine education as a vehicle for moral regeneration, national pride, and political awakening. Through literary resistance, student boycotts, and the establishment of indigenous institutions, Indian society actively challenged the cultural imperialism of colonial pedagogy. The legacies of these reform efforts—while varied in influence—played a foundational role in shaping post-independence education policy and continue to inform contemporary debates on identity, equity, and educational autonomy in India.