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Q69 (IAS/2018) History & Culture › National Movement (1857–1947) › Gandhian mass movements Official Key

Which one of the following is a very significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha ?

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The Champaran Movement was Gandhi's first attempt at mobilizing the Indian masses, made on an invitation by peasants of Champaran.[1] Indigo cultivators of the district Champaran in Bihar were severely exploited by the European planters who had bound the peasants to compulsorily grow indigo on 3/20th of their fields and sell it at the rates[1] dictated by the planters. Mahatma Gandhi spent much of 1917 in Champaran, seeking to obtain for the peasants security of tenure as well as the freedom to cultivate the crops of their choice. These initiatives[2] in Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda marked Gandhiji out as a nationalist with a deep sympathy for the poor.[2]

The very significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha was that it linked agrarian distress and peasant grievances directly to the broader national movement for independence. This was the first time Gandhi brought peasant issues into the mainstream of India's freedom struggle, establishing a pattern that would continue throughout the nationalist movement. Options A and B are not supported by the sources as defining features of Champaran specifically, while option D is incorrect as the movement resulted in the abolition of the Tinkathiya system[3] rather than a drastic decrease in commercial crop cultivation overall.

Sources
  1. [1] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > a) Champaran Movement (1917) > p. 42
  2. [2] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 2. The Making and Unmaking of Non-cooperation > p. 289
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Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
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Q. Which one of the following is a very significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha ? [A] Active all-India participation of lawyers, stu…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 · 2.5/10

This is a foundational concept question, not a trivia question. It tests if you understand the 'Gandhian Shift' in Indian history—the transition from elite, urban politics to mass-based rural mobilization. It is directly solvable from Spectrum or NCERT by recognizing Champaran as the entry point of the 'Peasant' into the 'Nation'.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Was active all-India participation of lawyers, students, and women in the national movement a significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 14: Nationalist Movement 1905—1918 > The Role of Students, Women, Muslims, and the Masses > p. 243
Strength: 4/5
“be withdrawn; they were to be disaffiliated, their students were not to be permitted to compete for scholarships and were to be barred from all service under the government. Disciplinary action was taken against students found guilty of participating in the nationalist agitation. Many of them were fined, expelled from schools and colleges, arrested, and sometimes beaten by the police with lathis. The students, however, refused to be cowed down. A remarkable aspect of the Swadeshi agitation was the active participation of women in the movement. The traditionally home-centred women of the urban middle classes joined processions and picketing. From then on they were to take an active part in the nationalist movement.”
Why relevant

Describes a recurring pattern in early nationalist agitations: students were active volunteers and faced punishment, and women began to join processions and picketing.

How to extend

A student could take this general pattern (students and women becoming active in movements of 1905–1918) and check local Champaran records or biographies to see if the same social groups appeared there.

Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 13: Growth of New India Religious and Social Reform After 1858 > Emancipation of Women > p. 230
Strength: 3/5
“made to make modern medicine and child delivery techniques available to Indian women. The movement for the liberation of women received a great stimulus from the rise of the militant national movement in the 20th century. Women played an active and important role in the struggle for freedom. They participated in large numbers in the agitation against the partition of Bengal and in the Home Rule movement. After 1918 they marched in political processions, picketed shops selling foreign cloth and liquor. Another important development was the birth of a women's movement in the country. Up to the 1920's enlightened men had worked for the uplift of women.”
Why relevant

States that the rise of the militant national movement mobilised women into public political roles (picketing, processions) after 1918 and that women played active roles in freedom struggles.

How to extend

Use the timing and trend (women's wider political entry) against the 1917 Champaran event to assess plausibility of female participation and then look for Champaran-specific accounts or local examples.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 16: Non-Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan > Students > p. 335
Strength: 3/5
“Students became active volunteers of the movement and thousands of them left government schools and colleges and joined national schools and colleges. The newly opened national institutions like the Kashi Vidyapeeth, the Gujarat Vidyapeeth and the Jamila Milia Islamia and others accommodated many students.”
Why relevant

Notes students' prominent role in several movements (leaving government institutions for national ones), indicating that student activism was a transferable feature across different agitations.

How to extend

Apply this transferable role to Champaran by checking whether student groups or national schools active in the region participated in 1917.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > Extent of Mass Participation > p. 268
Strength: 2/5
“in processions and picketing. From now onwards, they were to play a significant role in the national movement. Stand of Muslims Some of the Muslims participated— Barrister Abdul Rasul, Liaqat Hussain, Guznavi, Maulana Azad (who joined one of the revolutionary terrorist groups); but most of the upper and middle class Muslims stayed away or, led by Nawab Salimullah of Dacca, supported the partition on the plea that it would give them a Muslim-majority East Bengal. To further government interests, the All India Muslim League was propped up on December 30, 1905 as an anti-Congress front, and reactionary elements like Nawab Salimullah of Dacca were encouraged.”
Why relevant

Gives an example of lawyers/Barristers (e.g., Abdul Rasul, Liaqat Hussain) participating in nationalist activities, showing legal professionals sometimes engaged in political struggle.

How to extend

Take this example as a pattern that lawyers joined movements and then examine lists of Champaran leaders (local lawyers, barristers) or trial records to see if lawyers were active there.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Champaran Satyagraha (1917)—First Civil Disobedience > p. 317
Strength: 4/5
“Within a decade, the planters left the area. Gandhi had won the first battle of civil disobedience in India. Other popular leaders associated with Champaran Satyagraha were Brajkishore Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Ramnavmi Prasad and Shambhusharan Varma.”
Why relevant

Directly mentions the Champaran Satyagraha and lists 'popular leaders associated' with it, indicating leadership presence that can be cross-checked for professions or social background.

How to extend

Use the named leaders as starting points: check whether those individuals (or other named Champaran participants) were lawyers, students, or women to test the claim.

Statement 2
Was active involvement of Dalit and tribal communities of India in the national movement a significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > a) Champaran Movement (1917) > p. 42
Strength: 5/5
“(a) Champaran Movement (1917) The first attempt at mobilizing the Indian masses was made by Gandhi on an invitation by peasants of Champaran. Before launching the struggle he made a detailed study of the situation. Indigo cultivators of the district Champaran in Bihar were severely exploited by the European planters who had bound the peasants to compulsorily grow indigo on 3/20th of their fields and sell it at the rates”
Why relevant

Describes Champaran movement (1917) as a peasant mobilisation against indigo planters, establishing that Champaran was essentially a rural/peasant struggle.

How to extend

A student could check demographic composition of Champaran peasants (caste/tribal identities) to see if Dalit/tribal groups were among those mobilised.

India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > New words > p. 31
Strength: 4/5
“By this struggle, truth was bound to ultimately triumph. Mahatma Gandhi believed that this dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians. After arriving in India, Mahatma Gandhi successfully organised satyagraha movements in various places. In 1917 he travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.Then in 1917, he organised a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat. Affected by crop failure and a plague epidemic, the peasants of Kheda could not pay the revenue, and were demanding that revenue collection be relaxed. In 1918, Mahatma Gandhi went to Ahmedabad to organise a satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill workers.”
Why relevant

States Gandhi organised satyagraha in Champaran to 'inspire the peasants', linking the national movement's outreach to rural communities.

How to extend

One could infer Gandhi's peasant focus suggests examining whether his outreach included Dalit and tribal peasants in Champaran.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 31: Peasant Movements 1857-1947 > Later Movements > p. 578
Strength: 4/5
“The peasant movements of the 20th century were deeply influenced by and had a marked impact on the national freedom struggle. (Refer to the chapters on Freedom Movement for 'Champaran' and 'Kheda Satyagraha'.)”
Why relevant

Notes that 20th‑century peasant movements (explicitly citing Champaran) influenced the national freedom struggle, implying peasant participation was an important axis of the movement.

How to extend

A student could use this rule to investigate which social groups composed peasant movements (including Dalits/tribals) in Champaran.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 86: Pressure Groups > El l Tribal Organisations > p. 603
Strength: 3/5
“.- El l Tribal Organisations The tribal organizations are active in MP, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and the North Eastern States of Assam, Mysore, Nagaland and so on. Their demands range from reforms to that of secession from India, and some of them are involved in insurgency activities. The tribal organizations include: • (i) National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) • (ii) Tribal National Volunteers (TNV) in Tripura • (iii) People's Liberation Army in Manipur • (iv) Tribal Sangh of Assam • (v) United Mizo Freedom Organisation”
Why relevant

Lists tribal organisations as active in Bihar and neighbouring regions, showing tribal presence and organised activity in the state where Champaran is located.

How to extend

This suggests checking local tribal settlement patterns in Champaran district to see if tribal communities could have been participants.

India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Discuss > p. 44
Strength: 3/5
“The dalit movement, however, continued to be apprehensive of the Congress-led national movement. Some of the Muslim political organisations in India were also lukewarm in their response to the Civil Disobedience Movement. After the decline of the Non-Cooperation-Khilafat Movement, a large section of Muslims felt alienated from the Congress. From the mid-1920s the Congress came to be more visibly associated with openly Hindu religious nationalist groups like the Hindu Mahasabha. As relations between Hindus and Muslims worsened, each community organised religious processions with militant fervour, provoking Hindu-Muslim communal clashes and riots in various cities. Every riot deepened the distance between the two communities.”
Why relevant

Explains a general pattern: Dalit movements were often apprehensive of the Congress-led national movement, indicating Dalit–Congress relations were variable.

How to extend

A student could compare this general pattern with records from Champaran to judge whether Dalit communities there actively joined Gandhi/Congress efforts or remained aloof.

Statement 3
Did the Champaran Satyagraha mark the joining of peasant unrest to India's national movement?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > a) Champaran Movement (1917) > p. 42
Presence: 5/5
“(a) Champaran Movement (1917) The first attempt at mobilizing the Indian masses was made by Gandhi on an invitation by peasants of Champaran. Before launching the struggle he made a detailed study of the situation. Indigo cultivators of the district Champaran in Bihar were severely exploited by the European planters who had bound the peasants to compulsorily grow indigo on 3/20th of their fields and sell it at the rates”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly describes Champaran (1917) as Gandhi's first attempt to mobilise the Indian masses at the peasants' invitation.
  • Shows the movement focused on indigo cultivators' exploitation — a local peasant grievance taken up by a national leader.
India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > New words > p. 31
Presence: 4/5
“By this struggle, truth was bound to ultimately triumph. Mahatma Gandhi believed that this dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians. After arriving in India, Mahatma Gandhi successfully organised satyagraha movements in various places. In 1917 he travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.Then in 1917, he organised a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat. Affected by crop failure and a plague epidemic, the peasants of Kheda could not pay the revenue, and were demanding that revenue collection be relaxed. In 1918, Mahatma Gandhi went to Ahmedabad to organise a satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill workers.”
Why this source?
  • States Gandhi travelled to Champaran to inspire peasants and organised a satyagraha there in 1917.
  • Links Gandhi's satyagraha practice to rural protest, indicating transfer of peasant unrest into organised national-style struggle.
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 2. The Making and Unmaking of Non-cooperation > p. 289
Presence: 4/5
“Mahatma Gandhi was to spend much of 1917 in Champaran, seeking to obtain for the peasants security of tenure as well as the freedom to cultivate the crops of their choice. The following year, 1918, Gandhiji was involved in two campaigns in his home state of Gujarat. First, he intervened in a labour dispute in Ahmedabad, demanding better working conditions for the textile mill workers. Then he joined peasants in Kheda in asking the state for the remission of taxes following the failure of their harvest. These initiatives in Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda marked Gandhiji out as a nationalist with a deep sympathy for the poor.”
Why this source?
  • Places Champaran alongside other early campaigns (Ahmedabad, Kheda) showing Gandhi's interventions connected peasant/labour issues to nationalist politics.
  • Describes these initiatives as marking Gandhi out as a nationalist with deep sympathy for the poor, implying integration of peasant claims with national movement goals.
Statement 4
Did the Champaran Satyagraha lead to a drastic decrease in the cultivation of plantation crops and other commercial crops?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 4/5
"Agricultural Act in 1918, allowing farmers to choose crops, recognition of farmers’ rights, establishment of Gandhian principles of non-violence and Satyagraha."
Why this source?
  • States the legal outcome (Champaran Agricultural Act, 1918) that allowed farmers to choose crops, which removed forced cultivation of indigo.
  • Removal of forced crop obligations implies a change in cultivation practices away from imposed plantation crops.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"the Champaran Agricultural Act 1918, signed by the Governor General of India on 1 May of the same year, was an important outcome of the movement protecting the interests of the farmers. Due to the Champaran Satyagraha, Mahatma Gandhi"
Why this source?
  • Explicitly names the Champaran Agricultural Act (1918) as an important outcome protecting farmers' interests.
  • Links the Act directly to the Champaran Satyagraha, indicating the movement produced statutory change that enabled farmers to alter what they grew.
Web source
Presence: 3/5
"The Champaran movement resulted in the abolition of the Tinkathiya system and the ryots who paid taxes to the factories got back one-fourth of the same."
Why this source?
  • States the movement resulted in the abolition of the Tinkathiya system (which enforced indigo cultivation).
  • Abolition of Tinkathiya removed the institutional compulsion to grow indigo, facilitating farmers' ability to stop cultivating that plantation crop.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Champaran Satyagraha (1917)—First Civil Disobedience > p. 317
Strength: 5/5
“planters of Champaran in Bihar. The European planters had been forcing the peasants to grow indigo on 3/20 part of the total land (called tinkathia system). When towards the end of the nineteenth century German synthetic dyes replaced indigo, the European planters demanded high rents and illegal dues from the peasants in order to maximise their profits before the peasants could shift to other crops. Besides, the peasants were forced to sell the produce at prices fixed by the Europeans. When Gandhi, joined now by Rajendra Prasad, Mazharul-Haq, Mahadeo Desai, Narhari Parekh, and J.B. Kripalani, reached Champaran to probe into the matter, the authorities ordered him to leave the area at once.”
Why relevant

Describes the tinkathia system forcing peasants to grow indigo on portions of land and notes economic pressure when German synthetic dyes replaced indigo.

How to extend

A student could check timing of synthetic-dye introduction vs. Champaran agitation and examine whether decline in indigo area was driven by market/technology or by the satyagraha.

India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > New words > p. 31
Strength: 4/5
“By this struggle, truth was bound to ultimately triumph. Mahatma Gandhi believed that this dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians. After arriving in India, Mahatma Gandhi successfully organised satyagraha movements in various places. In 1917 he travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.Then in 1917, he organised a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat. Affected by crop failure and a plague epidemic, the peasants of Kheda could not pay the revenue, and were demanding that revenue collection be relaxed. In 1918, Mahatma Gandhi went to Ahmedabad to organise a satyagraha movement amongst cotton mill workers.”
Why relevant

States Gandhi organised satyagraha in Champaran to oppose an 'oppressive plantation system', linking the movement explicitly to plantation-crop cultivation.

How to extend

Use this to justify investigating local land-use records or contemporary reports to see if peasant resistance led to changed cropping decisions.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 11: Agriculture - Part II > 11.2 Farming System and Cropping Pattern in India > p. 336
Strength: 3/5
“Plantation is also a type of commercial farming. In this type of farming, a single crop is grown on a large area. The plantation has an interface of agriculture and industry. Plantations cover large tracts of land, using capital intensive inputs, with the help of migrant labourers. All the produce is used as raw material in respective industries. In India, tea, coffee, rubber, sugarcane etc. are important plantation crops. Since the production is mainly for market, a well-developed network of transport and communication connecting the plantation areas, processing industries and markets plays an important role in the development of plantations.”
Why relevant

Defines plantations/ commercial farming as large-area, capital-intensive, market-oriented enterprises (tea, coffee, sugarcane, etc.), indicating structural resilience or vulnerability to economic shocks.

How to extend

Compare characteristics of indigo plantations (smallholder-imposed share vs. large estates) to assess how easily cultivation could be reduced after a agitation.

FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Primary Activities > Plantation Agriculture > p. 28
Strength: 4/5
“Plantation agriculture as mentioned above was introduced by the Europeans in colonies situated in the tropics. Some of the important plantation crops are tea, coffee, cocoa, rubber, cotton, oil palm, sugarcane, bananas and pineapples. The characteristic features of this type of farming are large estates or plantations, large capital investment, managerial and technical support, scientific methods of cultivation, single crop specialisation, cheap labour, and a good system of transportation which links the estates to the factories and markets for the export of the products. The French established cocoa and coffee plantations in west Africa. The British set up large tea gardens in India and Sri Lanka, rubber plantations in Malaysia and sugarcane and banana plantations in West Indies.”
Why relevant

Explains that plantation agriculture was introduced by Europeans in colonies and relied on managerial capital and labour imports — suggesting non-peasant factors (markets, owners) influence plantation continuity.

How to extend

Investigate whether planters or market forces (owners, export demand) or peasant refusal primarily determined any drop in commercial-crop cultivation post-satyagraha.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Peasants, Zamindars and the State > 1.4 An abundance of crops > p. 200
Strength: 3/5
“We often come across the term jins-i kamil (literally, perfect crops) in our sources. The Mughal state also encouraged peasants to cultivate such crops as they brought in more revenue. Crops such as cotton and sugarcane were jins-i kamil par excellence. Cotton was grown over a great swathe of territory spread over central India and the Deccan plateau, whereas Bengal was famous for its sugar. Such cash crops would also include various sorts of oilseeds (for example, mustard) and lentils. This shows how subsistence and commercial production were closely intertwined in an average peasant's holding. During the seventeenth century several new crops from different parts of the world reached the Indian”
Why relevant

Notes cash/cotton/sugarcane were encouraged by states as revenue crops and that commercial and subsistence production were intertwined; cash crops brought more revenue.

How to extend

Use this to check fiscal incentives and revenue records for Bihar around 1917 to see if state policy encouraged continuation or reduction of commercial crops after Champaran.

Pattern takeaway: UPSC loves 'Firsts' and 'Turning Points'. Champaran wasn't just a protest; it was the proof-of-concept for Satyagraha in India. Questions often focus on the *significance* (Option C) rather than just the *outcome* (Option D).
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Directly covered in Spectrum (Chapter: Emergence of Gandhi) and NCERT Class XII (Themes in Indian History).
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Mass Nationalism. The structural shift from the 'Moderate/Extremist' era (urban-focused) to the 'Gandhian' era (rural/peasant-focused).
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the Gandhian Trilogy chronologically: 1. Champaran (1917, First Civil Disobedience, Indigo); 2. Ahmedabad (1918, First Hunger Strike, Plague Bonus); 3. Kheda (1918, First Non-Cooperation, Revenue). Key Associates: Rajendra Prasad, J.B. Kripalani (Champaran); Anusuya Sarabhai (Ahmedabad); Sardar Patel (Kheda).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When studying any movement, tag it with its 'Social Base' (Who joined?) and 'Method' (How did they fight?). Champaran is the definitive answer for 'When did Peasants become a political category in the National Movement?'.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Women’s participation in nationalist movements
💡 The insight

Multiple references describe women leaving seclusion to join picketing and processions in major movements, a theme relevant to assessing whether Champaran also featured similar participation.

High-yield: questions often ask about gendered participation across different phases of the freedom struggle. Mastering this helps compare movements (Swadeshi, Civil Disobedience, Quit India) and identify continuity/change in women's public roles. Useful for comparative-analytical answers and source-based questions.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 23: Quit India Movement, Demand for Pakistan, and the INA > Extent of Mass Participation > p. 451
  • Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 14: Nationalist Movement 1905—1918 > The Role of Students, Women, Muslims, and the Masses > p. 243
  • Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 13: Growth of New India Religious and Social Reform After 1858 > Emancipation of Women > p. 230
🔗 Anchor: "Was active all-India participation of lawyers, students, and women in the nation..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Role of students and youth in mass movements
💡 The insight

Several references emphasise students and youth being at the forefront of boycotts, strikes and demonstrations — a necessary concept when checking if Champaran attracted similar youth participation.

High-yield: student participation recurs across syllabus topics (Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India). Knowing patterns helps answer cause–effect and extent-of-participation questions and to evaluate local vs national scale of movements.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 16: Non-Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Aandolan > Students > p. 335
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 23: Quit India Movement, Demand for Pakistan, and the INA > Extent of Mass Participation > p. 451
  • Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 14: Nationalist Movement 1905—1918 > The Role of Students, Women, Muslims, and the Masses > p. 243
🔗 Anchor: "Was active all-India participation of lawyers, students, and women in the nation..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Local (early) Satyagrahas vs later all‑India mass movements
💡 The insight

Champaran is presented as Gandhi's early/first civil disobedience success (local leaders named), while other references show later movements had explicit all‑India participation by women, students and workers — a contrast students must grasp.

High-yield: framing Champaran as an early, localized success vs later nationwide mobilisations helps in comparative essays and source-based evaluation of scale and participants. It trains candidates to distinguish movement scale, leadership and types of participation when answering questions about continuity and change.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Champaran Satyagraha (1917)—First Civil Disobedience > p. 317
  • India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Quit India Movement > p. 49
🔗 Anchor: "Was active all-India participation of lawyers, students, and women in the nation..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Champaran Satyagraha as a peasant/indigo movement
💡 The insight

References explicitly describe Champaran as Gandhi's mobilization of indigo cultivator peasants against oppressive planters.

High-yield for UPSC: identifies Champaran primarily as a rural/peasant agitation led by Gandhi, useful for differentiating types of early movements (peasant vs. caste/tribal). Connects to questions on agrarian issues, colonial plantation systems and early Gandhian methods; master by comparing textbook summaries and primary motives.

📚 Reading List :
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > a) Champaran Movement (1917) > p. 42
  • India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > New words > p. 31
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 31: Peasant Movements 1857-1947 > Later Movements > p. 578
🔗 Anchor: "Was active involvement of Dalit and tribal communities of India in the national ..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Dalit movement's stance toward Congress-led nationalism
💡 The insight

Evidence notes the Dalit movement's apprehension toward the Congress-led national movement rather than enthusiastic participation.

Important for answering questions on social-group participation in the freedom struggle: shows that Dalit politics did not always align with Congress. Helps frame questions on inclusiveness of national movements and later Dalit political assertions; study by tracing continuity from pre-independence attitudes to post-independence Dalit politics.

📚 Reading List :
  • India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Discuss > p. 44
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Rise of the Dalit Voice > p. 750
🔗 Anchor: "Was active involvement of Dalit and tribal communities of India in the national ..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Peasant movements' influence on the national freedom struggle
💡 The insight

References state 20th-century peasant movements were deeply influenced by and impacted the national freedom struggle (Champaran cited as example).

Useful for framing the broader role of agrarian movements within nationalist history — a common UPSC theme. Helps link local agitations to national outcomes and compare with other movements (Kheda, Bardoli); prepare by mapping case-studies and cause-effect relationships.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 31: Peasant Movements 1857-1947 > Later Movements > p. 578
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > a) Champaran Movement (1917) > p. 42
🔗 Anchor: "Was active involvement of Dalit and tribal communities of India in the national ..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Gandhi's Satyagraha as a tool for mass mobilisation
💡 The insight

References show Gandhi used non‑violent satyagraha (Champaran, Ahmedabad, Kheda) to organise peasants and workers, linking local protests to national politics.

High-yield for UPSC because it explains method (non‑violent mass action) through which regional grievances entered the national movement; connects to questions on leadership, methods of mobilisation, and social base of nationalism. Study by comparing instances (Champaran, Kheda, Bardoli) to answer 'how' and 'why' type questions.

📚 Reading List :
  • India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > New words > p. 31
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > a) Champaran Movement (1917) > p. 42
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > 2. The Making and Unmaking of Non-cooperation > p. 289
🔗 Anchor: "Did the Champaran Satyagraha mark the joining of peasant unrest to India's natio..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

The 'Tinkathia System' (3/20th of land) is the famous grievance, but the 'Champaran Agrarian Enquiry Committee' is the administrative body. Gandhi was a member; F.G. Sly was the Chairman. Next logical Q: Who invited Gandhi to Champaran? (Rajkumar Shukla).

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Timeline Logic. Option A mentions 'All-India participation'. In 1917, Gandhi had just arrived, and the Congress was still largely an urban club. 'All-India' mass movements only began with Rowlatt/Non-Cooperation (1919-20). Therefore, A is anachronistic. Eliminate.

🔗 Mains Connection

Mains GS1 (History) & GS3 (Agriculture): Champaran is the historical genesis of 'Agrarian Distress' as a central political theme in India. Use this to introduce answers on modern Farmers' Movements, showing a 100-year continuity of peasant mobilization.

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

NDA-I · 2011 · Q70 Relevance score: 0.71

Consider the following statements : 1. The Champaran Satyagraha marked Gandhiji’s second appearance in Indian politics as a leader of the masses. 2. The Champaran Satyagraha was launched to address the problems faced by Indigo plantation workers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

NDA-II · 2009 · Q13 Relevance score: 0.42

Consider the following statements with regard to Champaran Satyagraha (1917): J. The Champaran Satyagraha marked Mahatma Gandhi’s first appcarance in Indian politics as a leader of the masses. 2. Young nationalists like Rajendra Prasad and J. B. Kripalani had worked with Mahatma Gandhi at Champaran. 3. It was during this movement that Mahatma Gandhi formulated his philosophy of Satyagraha. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

CAPF · 2016 · Q75 Relevance score: -0.23

Which of the following statements about the Champaran Satyagrah is / are correct? 1. The Champaran region had a long tradition of anti-planter discontent and agitation 2. Mahatma Gandhi gave all India publicity to the grievances of Champaran cultivators 3. The cultivators of Champaran had protested against excessive taxation on sugar Select the correct answer using the code given below:

CDS-II · 2011 · Q61 Relevance score: -0.66

Which of the statements given below about the Champaran Satyagraha is/are correct ? 1. It was related to Indigo plantations. 2. It started because the European planters oppressed the Zamindars. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

NDA-II · 2017 · Q71 Relevance score: -0.92

Consider the following movements : 1. Moplah Rebellion 2. Bardoli Satyagraha 3. Champaran Satyagraha 4. Salt Satyagraha Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the above in ascending order ?