Which of the following statements about Mahatma Gandhi's South African experiences (1893 - 1914) is/are true ? 1. Muslim merchants were actively involved in Gandhian political movements in South Africa. 2. In 1906, Gandhi led a campaign in Cape Town against the ordinance on compulsory registration and passes for Indians. 3. Gandhi began his political career with struggles against the imposition of excessive taxes on Indians in Cape Town. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Statement 1 is correct as Mahatma Gandhi's political activities in South Africa were heavily supported by the Indian merchant community, particularly Muslim merchants like Dada Abdulla, who initially brought him to South Africa [2]. Statement 2 is incorrect because the 1906 campaign against the Asiatic Registration Act (the 'Black Act') took place in the Transvaal, not Cape Town [4]. Statement 3 is incorrect because Gandhi's political career began in Natal, where he founded the Natal Indian Congress in 1894 to fight against the disenfranchisement of Indians, rather than starting with tax struggles in Cape Town [4]. While he later campaigned against the £3 poll tax, this was part of his later Satyagraha phase (1906–1914) and primarily affected indentured laborers in Natal and the Transvaal [4]. Therefore, only the first statement regarding the involvement of Muslim merchants is historically accurate.

Sources

1. [1] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > Introduction > p. 42
2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Moderate Phase of Struggle (1894-1906) > p. 312
3. [3] 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
4. [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Congress View > p. 327