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Character of Gandhian Nationalism

2020-04-26 19:38:46


  • Gandhi’s ==moderate phase struggle in SA was from 1894-1906== relied on sending petitions, memorials in South Africa.
  • set up the Natal Indian Congress and started a paper Indian Opinion.
  • Passive Resistance or ==Satyagrah phase was from 1906 -1914== in SA was characterised by Civil disobedience.

Various Campaigns Started by Gandhi in This Phase Was

Section titled “Various Campaigns Started by Gandhi in This Phase Was”
  • Satyagraha against Registration Certificates (1906) - this was the first Satyagrah.
  • Campaign against Restrictions on Indian Migration (1908).
  • against Poll Tax and Invalidation of Indian Marriage.
  • Gandhiji started the ==Tolstoy farm with the help of Kallenbach to house the families of Satyagrahis== so that they can sustain themselves.
  • Appealed to few wholly but to all partially
  • Offered ==political prgm spiritually noble at a time of political vacuum, physical despodency==
  • Inspired from Henry David Thoreau, John Ruskin, Ralph Waldo Emerson aka Leo Tolstoy
  • wrote Hind Swaraj 1909
  • Offered civilisational concept of IN nation
  • Industrial capitalism resp for conflict of interests
  • Eng has not taken IN we have given it to them
  • West liberal political sys did not reflect Gandhi view of general will of people
  • His alternate was ==concept of pop sovereignty where each indi controls restrains his/herself==
  • Self-rule through satyagraha/ truth force or soul force, practically civil disobedience, change hearts through moral strength, non-violence or ahimsa
  • Adopted centrist united Moderates (non-violence) + Extremists (satyagraha/ passive resistance)
  • United H+M, Khilafat

Rise of Gandhi; Character of Gandhian nationalism; Gandhi’s popular appeal

  1. How would you explain Gandhiji’s ‘rise to power’ or ‘capture’ of national leadership in the course of 1919-20? Was it a very skillful top-level political game? [1987, 60m]
  1. Gandhi restrained mass-movements yet he retained his popularity among the masses. How do you explain this paradox? [1994, 60m]

3.”Gandhi’s mystique consisted of a union of original ideas with a remarkable flair for tactics and an uncanny insight in the mass mind.” Elucidate. [1999, 60m]

  1. “Gandhi restrained mass movements, yet he retained his popularity among the masses.” Comment. [2002, 20m]
  1. “Is moral law, the laws of conscience, higher than the law of the State which is oppressive?” Comment. [2008, 20m]

  2. Discuss how the Satyagrahas of Gandhi removed the spell of fear among Indians and thus knocked off an important pillar of imperialism. [2017, 20m]