Where did Gandhiji initially forge the technies of Satyagraha?

Mahatma Gandhi initially forged and developed the techniques of Satyagraha during his stay in South Africa between 1893 and 1914 [1][3]. While living there as a lawyer and leader of the Indian community, he gradually evolved this method of non-violent resistance to combat the discriminatory and racist policies of the South African regime [1][4]. The term 'Satyagraha' was specifically invented and employed during the eight-year struggle against measures like the 1906 'Black Act,' which required Indians to carry registration certificates [2][5][6]. Historians often refer to South Africa as the 'making of the Mahatma' because it was there that he first applied the principles of Satya (truth) and Ahimsa (non-violence) to political action on a large scale [3][6]. Although he later successfully organized Satyagraha movements in India at Champaran, Kheda, and Ahmedabad, the foundational techniques were established in South Africa [5].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > Introduction > p. 42
2. [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
3. [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Gandhi's Technique of Satyagraha > p. 315
4. [2] 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. [5] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > New words > p. 31
6. [6] https://www.britannica.com/topic/satyagraha-philosophy