UPSC CSE Prelims
Gandhian Era Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — Joining of peasant unrest to India's National Movement

The Champaran Satyagraha (1917) was Mahatma Gandhi's first major experiment with Satyagraha in India, addressing the grievances of indigo cultivators in Bihar who were exploited under the oppressive Tinkathia system by European planters. The most significant aspect of this movement was that it brought peasant issues into the mainstream of India's National Movement, transforming it from an urban, elitist struggle into a mass-based movement that included the rural agrarian masses. This marked a turning point in the freedom struggle, demonstrating the power of non-violent resistance and establishing Gandhi's leadership at the national level.

📝 Short Notes: Champaran Satyagraha (1917)

• Location: Champaran district, Bihar
• Issue: Tinkathia system forcing peasants to cultivate indigo on 3/20th of their land; exploitation by European planters
• Leadership: Mahatma Gandhi, supported by Rajendra Prasad, J.B. Kripalani, and Braj Kishore Prasad
• Method: First use of Satyagraha (non-violent civil disobedience) in India
• Outcome: Abolition of the Tinkathia system; landlords had to refund money to peasants
• Significance: Transformed the National Movement into a mass-based struggle by linking it with peasant grievances; established Gandhi's mass leadership
• Impact: Demonstrated efficacy of non-violent methods; inspired future peasant movements across India

Detailed Explanation:

Mahatma Gandhi began a fast unto death on 20 September 1932 at Yerwada Jail to protest the Communal Award announced by British PM Ramsay MacDonald in August 1932.

The Award provided separate electorates for Depressed Classes (Dalits), which Gandhi opposed as he feared it would permanently divide Hindu society and hinder social integration; the fast ended with the Poona Pact (24 September 1932) between Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar, replacing separate electorates with reserved seats within joint electorates.