​Indigo.

(HS 2012-2020+important questions answers)

Short Questions

1.What did Shukla want Gandhi to do? (2015)

Ans: Rajkumar Shukla wanted Gandhi to visit his district Champaran.

2.Who was Rajkumar Shukla? (2012)

Ans: Rajkumar Shukla was a poor sharecropper from Champaran.

3. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a

turning point in his life?(2012)

Ans:Because Gandhi realised that civil disobedience, which had won for
the first time, could go a long way in the freedom struggle. Moreover, he
had succeeded in making the peasants aware of their rights and becoming
confident. This success, thus, proved the effectiveness of Gandhi's method
of non-violence and non-cooperation.

4.Where is Champaran situated? (2014, 18)

Ans: Champaran was situated in the foothills of the Himalayas in Bihar and
adjacent to the kingdom of Nepal.

5.What was Gandhi's politics intertwined with? (2016) Ans: Gandhi's

politics was intertwined with the practical, day to day problems of millions.
6.Whom did Gandhi and Shukla want to meet at Patna? (2013, 17)
Ans: Gandhi and Shukla wanted to meet Rajendra Prasad at Patna.

7.Why was the Champaran episode so significant in Gandhi's life? (2016)

Ans: The Champaran episode was really so significant in Gandhi's life. It
was an effort to remove the distress of poor peasants. The Britishers who
were dreaded and unquestioned could now be challenged by the Indians. It
was the first mass movement in India. The success of Champaran was the
success of peaceful Civil Disobedience in modern India.

8.Why did Gandhi choose to go to Muzzafarpur first before going on to

Champaran? (2018)

Ans: Gandhi chooses to go to Muzzafarpur first because it was a route to

Champaran and he wanted to collect more information about conditions
prevailing in Champaran.

9.Where did Gandhi stay in Muzzafarpur? (2019)

Ans: In Muzzafarpur Gandhi stayed at the home of Professor Malkani, a

teacher of his Government School.

10.Why was Gandhi visiting Lucknow in 1916? (2013, 20)

Ans: Gandhi visited Lucknow in 1916 to attend the annual meeting of the
Indian National Congress.

11.Whom did Gandhi send a telegram to in Muzzafarpur?

Ans: Gandhi sent a telegram to Prof. J.B. Kripalani of the Arts college of
Muzzafarpur.

12. Which country had developed synthetic indigo?

Ans: Germany.

13.What is the capital of Champaran?

Ans: Motihari.

14.Why was Professor Malkani's action of offering shelter to Gandhi

'extraordinary'? (2020)

Ans: Professor Malkani was a teacher in a Government school. It was an

extraordinary thing in those days for a Government officer to harbor or
show sympathy to an advocate home-rule for India.

15.Why did Gandhi chide the lawyers of Muzaffarpur?

Ans: Muzaffarpur lawyers called on Gandhi to brief him. They had

frequently represented peasants in courts. Gandhi chided them for
collecting big fees from the poor sharecroppers. When peasants were so
poor and crushed, it was inhuman to charge heavy fees from them.

16.How did Gandhi teach us a lesson in self-reliance? Why did he oppose

taking help from C.F.Andrews?

Ans: Gandhi wanted to mould 'a new free Indian'. He wanted Indians to
stand on their own feet. Some of his followers wanted C.F.Andrews to stay
in Champaran and help them, Gandhi opposed it. He didn't want Indians to
take the help of an Englishman in their struggle for freedom. So he taught a
lesson in self-reliance

. 17.What was the incident that prompted Gandhi to raise his voice of
protest against the British? (2013, 17)

Ans: In 1917 Gandhi visited Champaran at the request of Rajkumar Shukla

to fight against the injustice done to the sharecroppers of the district by the
landlords. Gandhi succeeded in getting an honorable settlement for the
sharecropping peasants. This Champaran episode prompted Gandhi to
raise his voice against the British. 18.How was a solution to the problem of
indigo sharecroppers of Champaran found? (2019)

Ans: Gandhi went to Bihar to take up the cause of poor peasants. There was
a huge demonstration of the thousands of peasants the very next morning.
The Government was baffled. A commission of inquiry was constituted.
Gandhi was the sole representative of the peasants. He remained in
Champaran for more than seven months. There were many evidences
against the landlords. They had illegally extorted money from the
sharecroppers. Gandhi asked for 50% refund. The planters offered to
refund only 25%. Gandhi agreed.

19.Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being 'resolute'?

Ans: Rajkumar Shukla wanted Gandhi to take up the cause of the poor
peasants in Champaran. He met Gandhi in the Lucknow session of the
Congress. But Gandhi had many engagements in different parts of India.
Shukla accompanied Gandhi everywhere. He waited till Gandhi was free.
Gandhi was impressed by his tenacity and finally went to Bihar with him.

20.Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?

Ans: In Patna, Shukla led Gandhi to the house of a lawyer Rajendra Prasad.
The servants knew Shukla. He was a poor peasant of Champaran. He
always troubled Rajendra Prasad to take up the cause of the indigo
sharecroppers of Champaran. So the servants took Gandhi to be another
peasant.

21.List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla
and his arrival at Champaran. Ans: Gandhi met Shukla in Lucknow. He had
appointments in other parts of India. Then

Gandhi returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad. Shukla accompanied him

everywhere. Gandhi visited Calcutta. From there they boarded a train for
Patna in Bihar, Then he came to Muzaffarpur and from there to Motihari.
Then finally, he came to Champaran.
22.What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent? What did the
British now want instead and why? What would be the impact of synthetic
indigo on the prices of natural indigo?

Ans: The peasants were forced to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo.
They surrendered the entire indigo harvest as rent. Presently Germany had
developed synthetic indigo. Indigo plantation was no more profitable. Now
the landlords wanted compensation for freeing the peasants. The peasants
saw through their tricks. 23.Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25
percent refund to the farmers? Ans: The landlords feared that Gandhi
would demand repayment of all the money. He asked only for 50%. Then
the planters offered to refund 25% of the money. Gandhi agreed. Gandhi
explained that the amount of the refund was less important. More
important was that English landlords were forced to surrender part of the
money.

24.How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?

Ans: The settlement changed the condition of the peasants of Champaran.
Previously the landlords behaved as lords above the law. Now the 15%
clause was over. The peasants realized they had their legal rights. They
learned courage. Within a few years, the British planters abandoned their
estates. They were given back to the peasants. Broad Questions

1. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a

turning point in his life? (AHSEC 2012)

Ans: The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhi's life. Gandhi
himself accepted it. It was the first mass movement in India. Gandhi took
up the cause of the poor peasants. He fought against the injustices of the
cruel landlords. They extorted money from the poor sharecroppers. But
Champaran didn't begin as an act of defiance. The movement grew out of
Gandhi's attempt to remove the distress of thousands of poor peasants. It
was a typical Gandhian movement.

The success of Champaran marked the first victory of the Civil

Disobedience in mode India. The amount of the refund money was less
important. More important was that English landlords were forced to
surrender part of the money. Previously they behaved as lords above the
law. Now the Indian peasants had people to defend their rights. Above all,
the Champaran episode was the beginning of their liberation from fear of
the British.

2.How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.

Ans: The role of the lawyers in the Champaran movement was quite
significant. The news of Gandhi's advent spread among the lawyers of
Muzaffarpur. They called on Gandhi to brief him. Gandhi chided the
lawyers for collecting big fees from the poor sharecroppers. Law courts
were useless for them.

The lawyers from Bihar were again in the news. Gandhi was going to be
tried in court. Rajendra Prasad and several other prominent lawyers had
arrived from Bihar to support him. Gandhi asked what they would do if he
was sentenced to prison.A senior lawyer replied that if he went to jail, they
would go home.

Gandhi was disappointed. He asked what would happen to the

sharecroppers if he went to jail. Who would fight for them? The lawyers
felt ashamed. They thought that going home would be a 'shameful
desertion'. They told him that they were ready to follow him into jail.
Gandhi was more than satisfied. He declared: "The battle of Champaran is
won".

3. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards
advocates of home rule'?

Ans: It is true that before the advent of Gandhi, there was no mass
movement in India. The common masses were totally indifferent and
unorganized. They were crushed and exploited by the landlords. The
attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities was quite indifferent or
evasive. They were afraid to show sympathy for advocates of home rule.
Gandhi brought the average Indian away from this isolation and
indifference. Some leaders like J.B. Kripalani and Prof. Malkani were with
Gandhiji. Kripalani was present at the station with a large body of
students. Gandhi stayed for two days in the home of Professor Malkani. It
was quite a courageous and extraordinary thing in those days to give
shelter to man like Gandhi But J.B. Kripalani and Professor Malkani were
exceptional cases. The average Indian in smaller localities preferred to be
indifferent to such burning issues.

4. Describe the efforts made by R. K. Shukla to persuade Gandhi to go to

Champaran. (2014)

Ans: Gandhiji had gone to the December 1916 Annual Convention of the
Indian National Congress in Lucknow. A peasant came up to see him. He
was Rajkumar Shukla. He looked like any other peasant in India. He was
poor and emaciated. He was from Champaran. Gandhiji had never heard
of the place. Shukla apprised Gandhiji about the injustices of the landlord
system in Champaran. Gandhiji told Shukla that he had an appointment in
Kanpur. He was also committed to go to other parts of India. Shukla
accompanied Gandhi everywhere. Gandhiji returned to his ashram near
Ahmedabad. Shukla also followed him to the ashram. He begged Gandhiji
to fix a date. Gandhiji was impressed by Shukla's tenacity and honesty.
Gandhiji was to be in Calcutta on a particular day. He asked Shukla to come
and take him from there. Months passed. When Gandhiji arrived at
Calcutta he found Shukla sitting there on his haunches. He waited till
Gandhiji was free. Then both of them boarded a train for Patna in Bihar.
From there Gandhiji went to Muzaffarpur and from there to Motihari.
Then finally, he came to Champaran.

5.'The battle of Champaran is won', Gandhi exclaimed. Explain the context

in which this was said. (2015, 16)

Ans: When Gandhi was in Motihari, the headquarter of Champaran

district, he was served with a notice to leave the district immediately.
Gandhi signed a receipt for the notice and wrote on it that he would
disobey the order. Thereupon, he was summoned to appear in the Court
the next morning. The news of Gandhi being summoned to the court
spread and thousands of peasants gathered around the courthouse the
next morning. Their spontaneous demonstration baffled the government
and it wanted to postpone the date of trial. But Gandhi protested against
the postponement and he told the court that he was involved in a 'conflict
of duties-on the one hand, not to set a bad example as a lawbreaker, on the
other hand, he was to do justices to thousands of poor sharecroppers. He
disobeyed the order to leave not because he did not have respect for the
lawful authority, but because of his obedience to the voice of his
conscience. But the magistrate reserved the judgment to a later date.
Rajendra Prasad, and many other prominent lawyers who had come to
help Gandhi then conferred among themselves and decided to follow him
into jail. At this Gandhi exclaimed with joy that "The battle of Champaran
is won."

6. Describe the exploitation of the indigo sharecroppers by the English

landlords.

Did Gandhi help them to get an honorable settlement? (2013, 17, 19)

Ans: The English landlords in Champaran compelled all sharecroppers to

plant 15% of their holdings with indigo. They had to surrender the entire
indigo harvest as rent to the landlords. This was done by a long-term
contract. Then Germany developed synthetic indigo. The plantation of
natural indigo was no more a profitable business for English landlords.
They decided to free the Indian sharecroppers from the 15% contract. They
were to pay compensation for this freedom. The peasants saw through the
trick and fraud of the landlords.

Therefore, they refused to pay compensation. Those who had signed the
agreement demanded their money back.

Yes, Gandhi helps them to get an honorable settlement. He went to Bihar to

take up the cause of poor peasants. There was a huge demonstration of
thousands of peasants the very next day. The government was baffled. A
commission of inquiry was constituted. Gandhi was the sole representative
of the peasants. The landlords decided to refund the money to the
peasants. At last, they settled for 25%. The amount of refund was le
ss important. The more important thing was the victory of the peasants
and the victory of the Civil Disobedience in India.