Indigo

Important names to remember

 Rajkumar Shukla
 Dr. Rajendra Prasad
 JB Kriplani
 Prof. Malkani
 Brij Kishor Babu and Maulana Huq (Lawyers – pg. 51)
 Edward Gait (Lieutenant Governor)
 JZ Hodge (Missionary – 25%, pg. 52)
 Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh (Teachers)
 Devadas (Youngest son of Gandhi)
 Charles Andrews (Pacifist)

1. Lucknow or tenacity of Rajkumar Shukla – Why was Rajkumar Shukla described as a

resolute?
a. He was a poor and illiterate peasant from Champaran who had come to meet
Gandhi in Lucknow.
b. He followed him everywhere, never leaving his side.
c. Impressed by his tenacity, Gandhiji finally agreed to go to Champaran.

2. Patna or visit to Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s house

a. Gandhiji along with Rajkumar Shukla went to his house but he was not there.
b. [!] The servants thought of Gandhiji as a peasant
i. He had come with Rajkumar Shukla, whom the servants knew as a poor
peasant who wanted their master to help the indigo share croppers
ii. He was dressed like a farmer
c. He was not allowed to draw water from the well as the servants thought he might
be an untouchable and pollute the well.

3. Muzaffarpur – Why did he go to Muzaffarpur? What happened?

a. He went to Muzaffarpur to get more information about the problem in Champaran.
b. He was received at the station by a large group of students in the middle of the
night.

4. Why did he call his stay at Prof. Malkani’s house extraordinary?

a. It was unusual and brave on the part of Prof. Malkani to get Gandhiji to stay for two
days in his house.
b. In those days, people in small areas were afraid to show sympathy for those like
Gandhiji who was supporting home-rule.
c. This act was likely to make the British angry as Malkani was a teacher in a
government school.

5. Why did Gandhiji chide the lawyers?

 a. He scolded them for collecting big fees from the poor peasants who were fighting
for a just cause.

6. What was the solution to the problem in Champaran?

a. The solution of the problem of the peasants did not lie in taking these cases to the
law court. It was important to make the peasants free from fear.

7. What was the problem at Champaran?

a. The entire Indigo harvest grown on 15 per cent of the land was given as rent to the
landlords.
b. Due to synthetic indigo being manufactured in Germany, the landlords wanted
compensation money to release the farmers from this contract.

8. What were the measures which Gandhiji took when he arrived in Champaran?
a. He started collecting all the facts about the Champaran problem.
b. He visited the British authorities (like Secretary of the Landlord Association and the
Commissioner of the district)
c. Went to Motihari, the capital of Champaran. He used a house as a headquarters and
continued his investigation.
9. Why was he given summons to appear in the court?
a. He was given an official notice to quit Champaran.
b. Gandhiji wrote on the notice that he would disobey the order.

10. Conditions outside the court

a. Thousands of peasants gathered outside the court.
b. Their spontaneous demonstration was the first step towards losing their fear of the
British.

11. [!] Why did Gandhiji help the officials to regulate the crowd?
a. Thousands of peasants gathered outside the court and staged spontaneous
demonstrations against the British.
b. The officials felt powerless without Gandhiji’s help. He was polite and friendly and
helped them to regulate the crowd.
c. He wanted to show the British that their mighty power could be challenged when
the Indians were united.

12. [!] What was the “conflict of duties” Gandhiji talked about? Or What did Gandhiji write in
his statement pleading guilty in the court?
a. He wrote in his statement in the court that he was caught in a conflict of duties.
b. He did not wish to appear as a law-breaker.
c. On the other hand, he wanted to give national and humanitarian service for which
he had come.
d. He had obeyed the higher law that is the voice of conscience.

13. Why did Gandhiji exclaim, “The battle of Champaran is won!”?

a. The lawyers felt that Gandhiji, who was an outsider, was ready to go to prison for
the peasants of their state.
 b. If they went back, it would be shameful desertion. Hence, they volunteered to get
themselves arrested.
c. Moreover, the peasants had also united and raised demonstrations against the
British outside the court.

14. How was Gandhiji able to influence the lawyers at Champaran?

a. Gandhiji’s sincerity of purpose, convincing argument and logical approach influenced
the lawyers.
b. He made them realize their responsibility and the need to be self-reliant.
c. The lawyers felt that Gandhiji, who was an outsider, was ready to go to prison for
the peasants of their state so they volunteered to get themselves arrested.

15. [!] Why did Gandhiji agree to the settlement of 25%?

a. He wanted to break the deadlock in the talk.
b. It was a moral victory for the peasants and they got freedom from fear.
c. The amount refunded was not important. The landlords had given a part of the
money along with the part of their prestige.

16. How did the episode of Champaran change the condition of the peasants? Or the result of
Champaran
a. They learnt courage and got freedom from fear.
b. They realized they had rights and defenders.
c. The British landlords left their estates which went back to the Indian peasants.
d. The indigo share-cropping system ended.

17. [!] [2/5 marks] How did Gandhiji improve the social and cultural backwardness of the
Champaran villages?
a. He opened primary schools in six villages. Mahadev Desai, Narhari Parikh, along with
teachers from other parts of India, volunteered for the job.
b. Kasturbai taught the rules on personal cleanliness and community sanitation.
c. A doctor was appointed and the basic medicines like Castor Oil, Quinine and Sulphur
Ointment were made available.

18. How did the Champaran episode prove to be a turning point in the life of Gandhiji
a. Gandhiji realized that the British could not order him in his own country.
b. The time had come to urge the departure of the British from India.
c. It was important for every Indian to be self-reliant.
d. He realized the importance of civil disobedience in getting rid of the British.

19. What was the typical Gandhi politics?

a. His politics were related to the practical day-to-day problems of the people.
b. His was not a loyalty to abstractions, but a loyalty to living human beings.

20. Why did Gandhiji not take the help of Charles Andrew?
a. Taking the help of an Englishman would show the weakness of their heart.
b. The cause was just and they must rely on themselves to win the battle.
 c. They should not seek a prop in Mr. Andrews.

21. How did Champaran prove to be a turning point in the life of Gandhiji?

The Champaran episode proved to be a turning point in the life of Gandhiji as well as the nation. For
the peasants, it became the road to freedom from the fear of the British. For Gandhiji, it was a
realization that the British could not order him in his own country and the time had come to urge
their departure from India. For the common Indian, this incident was an eye-opener that
determination, tenacity and self-reliance could enable them to fight the tyranny of the oppressors.

The entire indigo harvest grown on 15 percent of land holdings was given as rent to the landlords.
Due to synthetic indigo being manufactured in Germany, the landlords demanded compensation
money to release the farmers from this contract. Gandhiji’s fearless dealings with the British
motivated the peasants to come together and stage spontaneous demonstrations. In this way, they
got freedom from fear of the British. The coming together of the lawyers as a united force was
another significant achievement.

The result was that in the inquiry commission set up by the lieutenant governor, the landlords were
ordered to refund 25 percent of the collected money to the farmers. The peasants realized that they
had rights and defenders. The British landlords left the estates and the land went back to the
peasants. Indigo share cropping system disappeared. For the first time, civil disobedience had
triumphed in modern India.

22. [5 marks] How did Gandhiji improve the social and cultural backwardness of Champaran
village?
The typical Gandhi philosophy was that it was intertwined with practical day-to-day problems of the
people. His was not a loyalty to abstractions, but a loyalty to living human beings. He came to
Champaran on the request of a peasant, Rajkumar Shukla. He realized that the main problem was
that the peasants were afraid of the landlords. The reason for this was their social and cultural
backwardness

In order to ensure that this did not get repeated again, he decided to take some measures. [refer to
2 marks answers]