Question map
Consider the following statements about Satyagraha : 1. It was first experimented by Gandhiji in South Africa 2. It was first experimented in India at Champaran Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?
Explanation
Mahatma Gandhi evolved and first experimented with the technique of Satyagraha during his stay in South Africa between 1893 and 1914 [4]. The term was specifically coined in 1906 to describe the passive resistance against the discriminatory Asiatic Registration Law in the Transvaal [5]. Upon his return to India in 1915, Gandhi applied this method for the first time on Indian soil in 1917 at Champaran, Bihar [3]. This movement was launched to address the grievances of indigo farmers who were being oppressed under the exploitative Tinkathia system by European planters [2]. While South Africa served as the 'making of the Mahatma' where the philosophy was forged, Champaran marked the successful introduction of Satyagraha into the Indian national movement [3]. Therefore, both statements regarding the initial experiments in South Africa and India are historically accurate.
Sources
- [3] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 1. A Leader Announces Himself > p. 287
- [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Gandhi's Technique of Satyagraha > p. 315
- [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Phase of Passive Resistance or Satyagraha (1906-1914) > p. 313
- [5] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Congress View > p. 327
- [2] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 15: Struggle for Swaraj > Champaran Satvagraha (1917) > p. 266