The social ideals of Mahatma Gandhi were first put forth in

Mahatma Gandhi's social and political ideals were first comprehensively articulated in his seminal work, 'Hind Swaraj' (Indian Home Rule), written in 1909. In this text, Gandhi critiqued modern civilization and introduced his core concepts of 'Swaraj' as self-rule and rule over the self [4]. While he developed the technique of Satyagraha in South Africa between 1906 and 1914 to fight racial discrimination [2], 'Hind Swaraj' remains the first systematic presentation of his social philosophy, including his views on passive resistance, education, and the moral growth of the individual [4]. His autobiography and the history of Satyagraha in South Africa were written much later, in the 1920s, to document his life's experiments and struggles [3]. Therefore, 'Hind Swaraj' is recognized as the foundational blueprint of his social and political thought.

Sources

1. [4] 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
2. [1] Political Theory, Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Freedom > SWARAJ > p. 20
3. [2] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > Introduction > p. 42
4. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Gandhi's Technique of Satyagraha > p. 315