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Questions and Answers
What was the primary influence on Gandhi's ideas?
What was the main purpose of the Phoenix Settlement and the Tolstoy Farm?
What was the main strategy used by Gandhi in South Africa?
What was the outcome of the Smuts-Gandhi Agreement?
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What was the system of exploitation in Champaran, Bihar?
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What was Gandhi's occupation in England?
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Where did Gandhi face racial discrimination for the first time?
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Why were Indians in the Transvaal not allowed to move outdoors?
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What was the amount of the poll tax Indians in the Transvaal had to pay?
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What was Gandhi's inspiration for his mother?
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Study Notes
Mahatma Gandhi's Life and Impact
- Gandhi arrived in India in 1915 after fighting for the civil rights of Indians in South Africa for 20 years.
- He introduced satyagraha, a non-violent resistance method, which he had perfected in South Africa.
- Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat, into a well-to-do family.
- His father, Kaba Gandhi, was the Diwan of Porbandar and later Rajkot.
- Gandhi's mother, Putlibai, had a significant influence on him.
Gandhi's Early Life and Experiences
- Gandhi sailed to England in 1888 to study law and became a barrister in June 1891.
- He returned to India as a firm believer in British justice and fair play.
- Gandhi's attempt to practice law in Bombay failed, leading him to accept an offer from a Gujarati firm in South Africa in 1893.
- In South Africa, Gandhi faced racial discrimination, including being physically thrown out of a first-class train compartment.
- Gandhi was determined to fight against these injustices and formed an association to seek redress for Indian grievances.
Gandhi's Influences and Ideologies
- Gandhi was influenced by the works of Tolstoy, John Ruskin, and Thoreau.
- He was deeply influenced by Tolstoy's "The Kingdom of God is Within You", Ruskin's "Unto this Last", and Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience".
- Gandhi's ideas were a blend of Indian and Western thought, critical of Western civilization and industrialization.
- He established the Phoenix Settlement (1905) and the Tolstoy Farm (1910) in South Africa, which emphasized equality, community living, and dignity of labor.
Gandhi's Satyagraha in South Africa
- Gandhi developed satyagraha as a strategy, involving peaceful marches and presenting themselves for arrest in protest against unjust laws.
- He experimented with satyagraha for fighting immigration and racial discrimination issues.
- Despite police brutality, the satyagrahis continued their struggle, leading to the abolition of the poll tax on indentured laborers by the Smuts-Gandhi Agreement.
Gandhi's Early Satyagrahas in India
- Gandhi regarded Gopal Krishna Gokhale as his political guru, who advised him to travel the length and breadth of India before entering politics.
- Gandhi traveled across India, including Tamil Nadu, where he decided to discard his formal robes and wear a simple dhoti.
- In Champaran, Bihar, Gandhi led a satyagraha against the exploitative tinkathia system, which forced peasants to work for European indigo planters.
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Description
Learn about Mahatma Gandhi's return to India from South Africa and his impact on Indian politics, introducing satyagraha and gaining the masses' goodwill.
