ASSIGNMENT

MODERN INDIAN POLITICAL

THOUGHT

Name - Tulsi Tiwari

Course - B.A.[Hons.] Political Science
Examination Roll No. - 22014527062
Semester - 5
Topic – Swaraj of Gandhi
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Philosophical Foundations of Swaraj
3. Meaning of Swaraj
4. Dimensions of Swaraj
4.1. National Independence
4.2. Political Freedom
4.3. Economic Freedom
4.4. Spiritual Freedom
5. Criticisms of Gandhian Swaraj
6. Conclusion
7. References
INTRODUCTION
Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution to India’s freedom struggle in unparalleled. He
transformed the political landscape of the nation through his unique approach to
resistance, anchored in non-violence (ahimsa) and the truth (satya). Central to his
ideology was the concept of Swaraj or self-rule. His book Hind Swaraj (1909) is
considered to be his most seminal work.

Rooted in India's past, his philosophy aimed to restore "ramrajya," an ideal society
of self-sufficient villages governed by traditional ethics and subsistence economy,
which had been disrupted by colonial capitalism. Gandhi valued the simplicity of
rural life, seeing it as superior to industrialized civilization, yet he offered a
balanced view—appreciating traditional economies while critiquing caste and
gender discrimination. Swaraj was to be achieved through Satyagraha, a non-
violent resistance that uses moral power to transform society and eliminate evil,
fostering a transition to higher consciousness.

PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SWARAJ

Born as the son of a Dewan in a small state in Gujarat, Gandhi grew up in an
environment where Jainism and Vaishnavism intersected. His early exposure to the
writings of Ruskin and Tolstoy further shaped his views. From Jainism, he adopted
the principle of non-violence; from Vaishnavism, he embraced a broad-minded
perspective; and from Ruskin and Tolstoy, he developed a critique of industrial
civilization and an appreciation for passive resistance. Hence, his ideas were a
synthesis of diverse sources – different religions, Bhagvad Gita, Upanishads,
English writer and philosopher John Ruskin, Russian writer Leo Tolstoy,
American philosopher Henry Thoreau and the Ancient Greek philosophers
(Socrates and Plato).

With the exception of Hind Swaraj, Gandhi never wrote a grand philosophical
treatise. Gandhi was not a philosopher or an academic intellectual. He had himself
declared that, ‘I am not built for academic writing and action is my domain’. Thus,
his ideas are a practitioner’s perspective; that is meant to transform the world
around him by taking action against socio-economic and political problems.
MEANING OF SWARAJ
The term Swaraj is derived from the Sanskrit word swa(self) and raj(rule),
meaning “self-rule.” While political freedom was a critical aspect of Swaraj,
Gandhi interpreted it far more holistically. “The word Swaraj”, says Gandhi “is a
sacred word, a Vedic word meaning self- rule and self-restraint, and not freedom
from all restraint which ‘independence’ often means.” By Swaraj, he meant
freedom and self-rule which should be practiced at three levels,

● In case of individual Swaraj, it is self-control or Swaraj of the self,

● In case of the country, it is the freedom of India from the British clutch, and
● In case of community level, it is Gram Swaraj or freedom of village.

Gandhi viewed Swaraj, or self-rule, as a way of living that guides individuals

toward their duties, emphasizing control over desires and mastery of their minds
and emotions. It is primarily concerned with having knowledge of self and living
within bounds. It calls for a life of simplicity, as opposed to pursuit of wealth and
power.

Essentially, Gandhi’s swaraj meant an ethical world of sovereign individuals who

followed their agricultural occupation and lived independently. It was a civilization
that absolutely despised coercive power and thrived through moral encouragement

“In effect, it means this: We want English rule without the Englishman. You want
the tiger's nature, but not the tiger; that is to say, you would make India English.
Moreover, when it becomes English, it will be called not Hindustan but Englistan.
This is not the Swaraj that I want.”

[Hind Swaraj, Chap.IV]

For Gandhi’s contemporaries, swaraj meant absence of British rule. But for Gandhi
it was a word with a broad meaning and not just driving the British away from
India. For him, swaraj was a question of Indianness and it can be achieved only
through Indian aspirations and traditions. As his views are famous, he wanted to
end crime, not criminals. Thus, he was against Britishness and wanted freedom
from Britishness rather than only from the British.
DIMENSIONS OF SWARAJ
Gandhi’s vision of Swaraj focused on morality and individual at its centre. The
individual needed to control his/her senses so that pursuit of wealth and power
could be kept away to focus on renunciation and self-realization. Swaraj could be
understood with four meanings: (a) national independence; (b) political freedom;
(c) economic freedom; and (d) spiritual freedom. Even though these four meanings
stand for four different characteristics of swaraj, they are nonetheless
complementary to each other. Among these, first three are negative in character
while the last one is positive. Swaraj as national independence, political and
economic freedom requires abolition of alien rule, absence of exploitation by
individuals and poverty, respectively. Spiritual freedom is positive in character as
it is a state of being which everyone wants to achieve once the first three
conditions are fulfilled. It means self-rule or spiritual freedom cannot be achieved
until the first three negative factors are not done away with.

(A) National Independence

Swaraj, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi, was much more than political
independence from British rule; it represented a broader idea of human
emancipation. While the Moderates initially conceptualized Swaraj in a more
limited sense, Gandhi expanded its meaning significantly. He emphasized that
Swaraj was not just about the withdrawal of British power but about self-rule and
self-restraint, rooted in truth and non-violence (ahimsa). Gandhi believed true
independence would be achieved only when people understood that they were
responsible for their own destinies and governed themselves through their
representatives. In his words, “The mere departure of the English is not
independence. It means the consciousness in the average villager that he is the
maker of his own destiny.”

(B) Political Freedom

Political freedom, as envisioned by Gandhi, extends beyond mere independence
from British rule; it encompasses a broader vision of self-governance. For the
Moderates, political freedom meant autonomy within the framework of British
administration, with leaders like Surendranath Banerji advocating for constitutional
means to secure political rights for Indians. In contrast, the Extremists demanded
complete independence, insisting on the total withdrawal of British power. Despite
these differing perspectives, the concept of Swaraj was often reduced to a narrow
definition of political freedom, overshadowing its wider implications that Gandhi
emphasized.

Gandhi’s idea of political freedom did not align with Western democratic models.
He envisioned Swaraj as Ramrajya, a system where the sovereignty of the people
is based on pure moral authority. Over time, he believed that individuals would
become self-regulated and no longer require political representatives. This vision
would lead to a state of enlightened anarchy, where everyone governs themselves
without being a hindrance to others. In this enlightened anarchy, society could
function without the coercive power of the state, as individuals would have full
control over their own lives.

In Gandhi’s ideal state, life would not be like a pyramid where the top depends on
the bottom. Instead, it would resemble an oceanic circle, with each individual at
the center, always willing to sacrifice for the community of villages. Over time,
this entire circle would form a single life made up of individuals who are not
aggressive or arrogant but humble, sharing in the greatness of the collective. Each
village would function as its own republic or panchayat, self-sufficient and capable
of managing its own affairs, even able to defend itself against outside threats. In
this system, everyone would be equal—there would be no one at the top or bottom;
all would share the same status.
 GANDHI’S OCEANIC
CIRCLE

Gandhi was influenced by Thoreau's idea that the best government is the one that
governs the least. He rejected the notion of the greatest good for the greatest
number, which he deemed heartless, instead advocating for the greatest good for
all, achievable through self-sacrifice. He referred to this concept as Sarvodaya, or
the equal freedom of all.

Gandhi emphasized the importance of responsible and active citizenship to

strengthen democracy. For him, Swaraj would come through educating the masses
on how to regulate and control authority.

(C) Economic Freedom

Gandhi believed that India lost its political independence because it first lost
control over its economy. In his detailed treatise Hind Swaraj, he devotes an entire
chapter titled "Why was India lost?" where he presents an economic argument for
India’s enslavement by the British. For him, political swaraj was incomplete
without economic swaraj which is economic freedom of the individual.

Under colonialism, poverty was inevitable due to its exploitative nature. Initially,
Moderates like Gokhale and Naoroji believed that British-led industrialization,
with its modern science and technology, would help develop India’s economy and
reduce poverty. However, they soon became disillusioned as India’s economy did
not progress as expected. Instead, India became a supplier of raw materials and a
market for British goods, while poverty persisted.

In contrast, Gandhi advocated for a return to traditional village industries,

particularly the use of the charkha (spinning wheel) and khadi (homespun cloth).
He believed that rural prosperity depended on the revival of village crafts, which
would provide employment for millions of Indians. Gandhi rejected
mechanization, seeing it as harmful in a country with a surplus of labor, and argued
that industrialization as seen in the West would devastate India’s village economy
and lead to exploitation. Gandhi wrote:

“It is machinery that has impoverished India. It is difficult to measure the harm
that Manchester has done to us it. It is due to Manchester that Indian handicraft
has all but disappeared.”

[Hind Swaraj, Chap.XIX]

Instead, he proposed an economic model based on cottage industries, which would

provide employment to millions and support self-sufficiency. Unlike Nehru, who
championed industrialization, Gandhi believed that large-scale industrialization
could not solve India’s employment challenges and was unsuitable for the
country’s needs. He was convinced that industrialism, with its focus on
competition and marketing, would only worsen the plight of Indian villagers. His
support for traditional crafts was based on practical economic reasons, offering a
model of development more suited to India’s realities than Western
industrialization.

(D) Spiritual Freedom

Fourth, Gandhi’s idea of Swaraj carried a deeply spiritual dimension, centered on
the notion of self-control or self-regulation. For Gandhi, real freedom wasn’t just
about breaking free from colonial rule; it was about overcoming the personal
barriers we each carry within ourselves. He believed that the true obstacles to
freedom often come from within—our desires, attachments, and the pursuit of
material wealth. In his eyes, Western civilization, with its emphasis on
consumerism and greed, was an embodiment of maya—the illusion that material
success leads to happiness. Gandhi felt that this illusion distracted people from
their higher purpose and led them further away from true independence.

Gandhi saw this attachment to materialism as a roadblock to self-realization, the

process of understanding and connecting with one’s true self. He often spoke of
advaita, or non-duality, which means that all beings are interconnected, sharing the
same spiritual essence. In this way, Gandhi’s vision of Swaraj wasn’t just about
political autonomy but about recognizing that we are all fundamentally equal, tied
together by a shared soul. For him, freedom meant understanding this
interconnectedness and shedding the illusions of division and greed.

At the heart of his philosophy was the belief that every individual had to take
responsibility for their own spiritual and moral development. Gandhi was
convinced that to achieve true Swaraj, people needed to practice self-regulation—
learning to control their impulses and desires. Only by mastering themselves could
individuals contribute meaningfully to the collective good.

Gandhi once said, “The real Swaraj will come not by the acquisition of authority
by a few but by the acquisition of the capacity by all to resist authority when it is
abused.” In other words, true freedom meant empowering every person to govern
their own life with integrity, kindness, and self-discipline. For Gandhi, Swaraj was
about inner liberation just as much as it was about political freedom. It is perfect
freedom from all bondage. He equates it with moksha or liberation.

CRITICISMS OF GANDHIAN SWARAJ

Gandhi’s concept of Swaraj faced criticism for being overly utopian and
impractical, especially in the context of a modernizing India. His vision of
decentralized, self-sufficient villages (Gram Swaraj) was seen as incompatible
with the demands of modern industrial economies. Critics like Jawaharlal Nehru
believed that large-scale industrialization and centralization were necessary for
economic growth and job creation, while Gandhi’s preference for small-scale,
village-based industries was viewed as insufficient for addressing the needs of a
growing population.

Economically, Gandhi’s promotion of Swadeshi and opposition to large-scale

industrialization were criticized for being unsustainable in a globalized economy.
His advocacy for small-scale industries and self-reliance was viewed as inadequate
to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population.

Socially, Gandhi’s approach to issues like caste and gender was criticized for being
too conservative. Though he worked for the eradication of untouchability, his
unwillingness to completely dismantle the caste system was challenged by figures
like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who advocated for more radical reform. Similarly, while
Gandhi supported women’s involvement in the independence movement, his views
on gender roles were often seen as traditional and limiting, as they emphasized
women’s roles within the domestic sphere.

Gandhi’s commitment to non-violence (Ahimsa) also faced criticism, particularly

from extremists, who believed that armed resistance was necessary to achieve
independence. Some argued that Gandhi’s insistence on non-violence slowed down
India’s fight for freedom. Critics felt that military force was sometimes essential in
confronting violent dictatorships and oppressive colonial rule.

CONCLUSION
Mahatma Gandhi's vision of Swaraj goes beyond just political independence; it
emphasizes a social order based on ahimsa (non-violence) characterized by
interdependence, harmony, and a meaningful form of equality. He believed that
effective social, economic, and political organization should reflect the natural
contours of local communities, with villages serving as the primary units of
governance. In this ideal village republic, communities would be self-sufficient in
food and clothing, possess self-governing powers, and embody true democracy
based on individual freedom.

While his vision inspired many during India's fight for independence, it also faced
criticism for being impractical in the modern world. Critics pointed out that his
ideas on decentralization, non-violence, and self-reliance might not address the
economic and social challenges that India faced. Despite these criticisms, Gandhi’s
ideas about Swaraj are still important today. They remind us to think about our
responsibilities in building a fair society.

Gandhi envisioned a world made up of interconnected villages, where life is not

structured like a pyramid but resembles an oceanic circle, with every individual
and community contributing to the greater whole. This means that each village
would support the others, creating a network of cooperation and shared
responsibility. Ultimately, Gandhi’s blueprint for Swaraj reflects a harmonious
society where everyone plays a role, promoting justice, equality, and freedom for
all. This vision of global Swaraj encourages us to strive for a world where
communities are empowered, interconnected, and committed to the welfare of each
other.

REFERENCES
● Roy, Himanshu and M P Singh. (2017). Indian Political Thought –Themes
and Thinkers. Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd.
● Mehta, V. R. Foundations of Indian (1992). Thought: An Interpretation :
from Manu to the Present Day. Manohar Publications.
● Mathai, M P. (1999). What Swaraj Meant to Gandhi.
● Chakrabarty, Bidyut and Pandey, Rajendra Kumar. (2009). Modern Indian
Political Thought – Text and Context. Sage publications India Pvt Ltd
● Gandhi, M K. (1909). Hind Swaraj.
● Iyer, R. N. The Moral and Political Thought of Gandhi. Oxford University
Press.
● M K Gandhi: Critique of Tradition & The Idea of Swaraj, Unit-5, IGNOU
● Ipsita Rout. Gandhi Swaraj and Satyagraha. International Journal of
Political Science and Governance,2021