Where did Gandhiji initially forge the techniques of Satyagraha?
- A.England
- B.South Africa
- C.North Africa
- D.India
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, South Africa. Gandhiji first used and shaped Satyagraha there while fighting racial laws against Indians.
Gandhiji went to South Africa in 1893 as a lawyer and stayed about 21 years. In 1906 he led the Indian community in Transvaal against the law forcing Indians to register and carry passes, and the method of non-violent resistance he developed came to be called Satyagraha, meaning insistence on truth. He also set up the Phoenix Settlement and Tolstoy Farm there before returning to India in January 1915.
A is wrong because Gandhiji only studied law in England and did not lead any movement there.
C is wrong because he did no political work in North Africa.
D is wrong because his first satyagrahas in India, Champaran in 1917 followed by Kheda and Ahmedabad, came after he had already tested the method in South Africa.
Exam tip: Satyagraha born in South Africa (1906, Transvaal); first in India = Champaran 1917, then Ahmedabad and Kheda 1918.
Practice Questions
View allWho was the Viceroy of India at the time of Gandhiji’s Dandi march?
- A.Lord Irwin
- B.Lord Linlithgow
- C.Lord Reading
- D.Lord Willingdon
Show answer
He was Viceroy from 1926 to 1931, which covers the Dandi March of 1930.
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- A.James Hargreaves
- B.John Kay
- C.Richard Arkwright
- D.Humphry Davy
Show answer
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Read the full explanation →In India, the first major public appearance of Mahatma Gandhi was in
- A.Champaran (1917)
- B.Kheda (1918)
- C.Inauguration of Banaras Hindu University (1916)
- D.Rowlatt Satyagraha (1919)
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Gandhi's first major public appearance in India was his speech at the opening of the Banaras Hindu University in February 1916.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following does not refer to the bow (and arrow) as a weapon of war in ancient India?
- A.Sharnga
- B.Kunta
- C.Kodanda
- D.Karmuka
Show answer
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Read the full explanation →Who among the following was not a Jain Acharya ?
- A.Bhadrabahu
- B.Khema
- C.Haribhadra
- D.Siddhasena Divakara
Show answer
Khema was a Buddhist nun, not a Jain teacher; the other three are well-known Jain acharyas. Khema was a queen of King Bimbisara of Magadha who became a disciple of the Buddha and joined the order of nuns.
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