Contents

MAHATMA GANDHI ................................................................................... 2

BEGINNING OF GANDHIAN ERA: ............................................................ 3
GANDHI AS A PEOPLE’S LEADER:........................................................... 4
BACKGROUND OF NATIONAL MOVEMENTS IN INDIA: ............................ 4
KHILAFAT AND NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT:.................................. 5
QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT: ........................................................................ 7
THE LAST HEROIC DAYS OF MAHATMA GANDHI: .................................. 7
KNOWING MAHATMA GANDHI: ............................................................... 8
GANDHISM................................................................................................. 9
GANDHIJI AND HIS HUMAN VALUES: ..................................................... 9
GANDHISM: A POOL OF IDEAS OF LIFE:................................................. 9
SOURCES OF GANDHISM: FOUR SORTS OF EFFECTS ARE SEEN ON
GANDHIAN IDEAS ................................................................................... 9
SOUTH AFRICA: LABORATORY OF GANDHIJI’S EXPERIMENTS: ............. 9
SPIRITUALIZATION OF POLITICS: ............................................................ 9
PURITY OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND MEANS: ......................................... 9
NON-COOPERATION AND ITS NATURE: ................................................ 10
GANDHIJI’S ECONOMIC VIEWS: ........................................................... 10
PRESENT TIME AND GANDHIJI: ............................................................ 10
Gandhiji’s Suggestion to Remove Social and Economic Differences: ........ 10
SWADESHI: ........................................................................................... 11
EVALUATION OF GANDHIJI’S ECONOMIC THOUGHTS: ........................ 11
GANDHIJI’S POLITICAL VIEW: ............................................................... 11
GANDHIJI’S CONTRIBUTION: ................................................................ 11
EVALUATION OF GANDHIJI’S IDEAS: .................................................... 12
CONCLUSION: ....................................................................................... 12
IMPORTANT DATES RELATED TO INCIDENTS: ..................................... 12

1|Page
 MAHATMA GANDHI
• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was India Muslim League at Dacca. The
born in Porbandar on 2nd October, founder members of the League were
1869. Muslim landlords and nawabs. They
• Gandhiji left for South Africa as a supported the partition of Bengal
barrister to argue a case in 1893. and demanded for separate
• Gandhiji returned from South Africa electorates for Muslims.
in Jan, 1915. • However, in the year 1916, the
• Gopal Krishna Gokhale- The political Congress and the Muslim League
Guru of Mahatma Gandhi decided to work together for
• Peasant Movement in Bardoli-1928 representative government in the
• BHU stands for-Benaras Hindu country.
University • The growth of mass nationalism
• Khilafat Movement-1920 began to take place after 1919.
• Peasant Movement in Bardoli-1928 Peasants, tribals, students and
• Resolution of Pooma Swaraj passed women became involved in the
in Congress Session in Lahore on struggle against the British rule.
26th Jan, 1930 • Mahatma Gandhi emerged as a mass
• Civil Disobedience Movement leader. He, first of all, toured the
begins- March-April 1930 entire country in order to
• Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed- understand the people, their needs
March 1931 and the overall situation.
• Second Round Table Conference • Afterwards, he led to local
held in London-Dee 1930 movements in Champaran, Kheda
• Government of India Act and Ahmedabad in which he got
promulagated -1935 immense success.
• Provincial Government formed by • In 1919 Gandhiji started Satyagraha
Congress in some provinces-193 7 Movement against the Rowlett Act
• Second World War broke out- Sep that the British had just passed. The
1939 Act curbed fundamental rights such
• Congress Provincial Governments as the freedom of expression and
resign- 1939 strengthened the police powers.
• Quit India Movement begins- Aug • In April 1919, there were a number
1942 of demonstrations and hartals in the
• India becomes independent- 15th country against this Act. The
Aug 1947 government used hartal measures to
• In 1905, Bengal, the biggest province suppress them. The Jallianwala
of British India and included Bihar Bagh atrocities in Amritsar on
and some parts of Orissa, was Baishakhi Day were a part of this
partitioned by Viceroy Curzon. It suppression.
enraged people all over India. Both • In the year 1920, the British did
the Moderates and the Radicals another wrong known as khilafat
unitedly oppressed the British movement. The British imposed a
action. This led to the birth of the harsh treaty on the Turkish Sultan
Swadeshi Movement, which also known as Khalifa. This enraged
boycotted British institutions and Muslims and Khalifa agitation
goods. started under the leadership of
• An important development came in Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
1906 with the formation of the All They wished to initiate a full-fledged
2|Page
 Non-Cooperation Movement. of the country. Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhiji supported their call and was not in favour of this.
urged the congress to campaign • The League began to think that
against Jallianwala massacre, and Muslims were a minority and they
demand swaraj. would always have to play second
• During the years 1921-22, the Non- fiddle in any democratic structure.
Cooperation Movement gained The Congress’s rejection of the
momentum because it got a wide Leagues desire to form a joint
support. However, it was abruptly Congress-League government in the
called off by Mahatma Gandhi when United Provinces in 1937 further
on February 1922 a crowd of annoyed the League.
peasants set fire to a police station • In 1945, the British opened
in Chauri Chaura. twenty two negotiations between the Congress,
policemen were killed on that day. It the League and themselves for the
hurt Mahatma Gandhi because he independence of India. The talks
had never thought that people would failed because the League then
go violent. He always wished to drive wanted Pakistan.
away the British by violent methods. • In March 1946, the British cabinet
• The Congress now resolved to fight sent a three-member mission to
for Purna Swaraj (complete Delhi to examine the League’s
independence under the demand for Pakistan and to suggest
presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru. a suitable political framework for a
• Now efforts began to be made in this free India.
direction. In 1930, Gandhiji started • The Mission suggested that India
Dandi March against the Salt Law. should remain united and constitute
He got immense support from the itself as a loose confederation with
people. some autonomy for Muslim majority
• The combined struggles of the Indian areas. Neither the Congress nor the
people bore fruit when the League agreed to it. Now, partition of
Government of India Act of 1935 India became inevitable.
prescribed provincial autonomy and • Finally, Pakistan came into
the government announced elections existence. The violence of partition
to the provincial legislatures in shook both the newly- independent
1937. countries—India and Pakistan. It
• In September 1939, the Second marred the joy of independence.
World War broke out. The Congress
leaders were ready to support the BEGINNING OF GANDHIAN ERA:
British war effort. But in return they • Some times in the history of
wanted independence after the war. nationalism an individual with his
The British refused to concede the contribution is identified with the
demand. making of a nation. Mahatma
• A new phase of movement popularly Gandhi is regarded as the father of
known as Quit India Movement was Indian nation.
initiated in August 1942 under the • Gandhi came back to India in
leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. As a January 1915 after leading
result prominent leaders were jailed successful struggle against
at once. But the movement spread. discriminatory and oppressive policy
• In between these events the Muslim of British in South Africa. For the
League began to demand first time, Gandhi started
independent states for Muslims in Satyagraha in South Africa (non-
the north-western and eastern areas violent protest ) and promoted

3|Page
 harmony between different religious distinction between mental labour
communities. and manual labour.
• When Gandhi came back to India, he • Gandhiji appealed to peasants as
realised that India become politically saviour who can save them from
more active. Congress had made its oppressive taxes, officials and
reach to major towns and cities and restore dignity and autonomy to
Swadeshi Movement greatly their lives. Gandhiji ascetic lifestyle
broadened National Movements and love of working with hand, a
appeal among middle classes. deep empathy for poor and peasant
• Gandhiji’s first major public won him followers irrespective of
appearance in India was at opening caste, creed and religion.
of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) • A series of Praja mandal were
in 1916. During his speech, Gandhiji established to promote the
charged the Indian elite with a lack nationalist creed in the princely
of concern for the labouring poor states. Gandhiji stressed the use of
sections of our society. mother tongue in communication, as
• Gandhiji said “There can be no spirit the provincial Congress Committees
of self-government if we take away or were based on linguistic region.
allow other to ’ take away from the Many industrialists, entrepreneurs,
peasant almost the whole result of businessmen started supporting
their labour.” Congress and Gandhiji.
• Gandhiji’s speech at one level was a • Mahatma Gandhi was released from
statement of the fact that Indian prison in 1924 and now choose to
nationalism was an elite devote his attention to the promotion
phenomenon in which lawyers, of home spun khadi and the
doctors and landlords were mostly abolition of untouchability. He
involved. But he wanted that Indian believed that India need to be free
National Movement should represent from evils of untouchability, child
Indian people as a whole. marriage, to cultivate a genuine
tolerance for one another and
GANDHI AS A PEOPLE’S LEADER: religious harmony.
• Gandhiji made the freedom struggle • He stressed the Indian’s need to be
and National Movement self-reliant on the economic front, so
representative of masses.Movement he promoted Khadi and was against
transcended from elite to peasants, mill-made clothes.
working class and encompassed
every section of society. People BACKGROUND OF NATIONAL
started venerating Gandhiji refering MOVEMENTS IN INDIA:
to him as ‘Mahatma’. People started • In 1917, Gandhiji successfully led
appreciating the fact that Gandhiji Champaran Movement. Through
lived like them, dressed like them, this movement he wanted to seek
spoke their language, stand with security of the peasants and their
them, empathise with them, and freedom to cultivate crop of their
identified with them. choice. In 1918, he led a strike
• Gandhiji went among the people in demanding for better working
simple dhoti or loincloth. He spent conditions for the textile mill
some part of each day working on workers in Ahmedabad and other
Charkha and encouraged other peasant movement asking the state
nationalist to do likewise. The act of for the remission of taxes in Kheda.
spinning helped in breaking During the First World War (1914-
traditional caste system and

4|Page
 18), the British government • Students refused to go to schools,
instituted censorship of the colleges, lawyers stopped to going
• press and permitted detention courts, working class went on strike,
without trial. At the tribes in Andhra Pradesh violated
recommendation of Rowlatt forest laws and farmers in Awadh
Committee, these policies were stopped paying taxes.
continued. So in response to it • American biographer of Mahatma
Gandhiji called for nationwide Gandhiji, Louis Fisher wrote “Non-
campaign against Rowlatt Act and Cooperation became the name of an
Bandh were observed. epoch in the life of India and
• In Punjab opposition was quite Gandhiji. It was negative enough to
intense, Gandhiji was detained while be peaceful but positive enough to be
going to Punjab and many other effective. It entailed denial
local Congress leaders were also renunciation and self-discipline. It
arrested. In April 1919, repressive w’as training for self-rule.” Due to
policy took very ugly and this movement British government
tremendous turn when British was shaken.
Brigadier Dyer ordered his troops to • In February 1922, Gandhiji called off
fire on peaceful assembly at Non-Cooperation Movement due to
Jallianwalah Bagh in Amritsar. In untowards incident of burning of
this incident more than 400 people police stations in Chauri Chaura in
died. This shocked the nation and which several constables were burnt
very deep resentment and anger was to death.
brewing inside Indians. • During the Non-Cooperation
• It was the Rowlatt Satyagraha that Movement, thousands of Indians
made Gandhiji a true national were put in jail and Gandhiji was
leader. Emboldened by its success, arrested in March in 1922, charged
Gandhji called for campaign of non- with sedition and awarded him six
cooperation with British rule. years of imprisonment.
Indians were asked to renunciate all
voluntary associations with British THE SALT SATYAGRAHA:
government. Gandhiji believed if • In year 1928, there was Anti-Simon
non-cooperation was carried Commission Movement in which
effectively, British would leave the Lala Lajpat Rai was brutally
country within a year. lathicharged and later he
succumbed to it. In year 1928,
KHILAFAT AND NON-COOPERATION another famous Bordoli Satyagraha
MOVEMENT: took place. So again by the year
• To further strengthen the movement 1928 political activism started
and unity among fellow Indians he brewing in India.
joined hand with Khilafat Movement. • In 1929, Congress session was held
Khilafat Movement was led by at Lahore and Nehru was elected as
Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali and its President. In this session “Purna
it demanded restoration of the Swaraj” was proclaimed as motto,
respect of the Caliphate. and on 26th January, 1930 Republic
• According to Gandhiji by intermixing day was observed.
of Non-Cooperation and Khilafat
Movement, the two major religious DANDI (SALT) MARCH:
commuities i.e. Hindus and Muslims • After Republic day observance,
could collectively bring an end to Gandhiji announced his plan of
colonial rule. march to break salt law. This law

5|Page
 was widely disliked by Indians, as it women including Kamladevi
gave state a monopoly in broke salt and liquor laws and
manufacture and sale of salt. courted arrest.
• On 12th March, 1930 Gandhiji o Third and most significant was
began his march from ashram to that this movement forced the
ocean. He reached to shore and British to realise that their Raj
made a salt and thereby making would not last forever and they
himself criminal in sight of law. need to devolve some power to
Many parallel salt marches were Indians.
undertook during this time in other • In January, 1931 Gandhiji was
parts of the country. released from jail and afterwards
• Movement was supported by many meetings between Gandhi and
peasants, working class, factory Irwin took place and these meetings
workers, lawyers and even Indian ended in a Gandhi-Irwin pact.
officials in British government Through this pact Civil Disobedience
supported it and Movement would be called off,
• left their jobs. Lawyer boycotted the political prisoner will be released
courts, peasants stopped paying and salt manufacturers can make
taxes and tribal broke forest laws. salt near coast. This pact was
There were strikes in factories or criticised by radical nationalist, as
mills. Gandhiji was unable to obtain
• The government responded by commitment of political
detaining the dissenters or Independence for Indians.
Satvagrahis. 60000 Indians were • In later part of 1931, Gandhiji went
arrested and various high rank to attend Second Round Table
leaders of Congress including Conference as representative of
Gandhiji were arrested. Congress and he said his party
• An American magazine, ‘Time’, was represent all of India but his claim
initially doubtful on the strength of was countered by Muslim league,
Gandhiji and wrote that Salt March Princely states and BR
would not be successful. But latter it • So, this conference remained
wrote that this march made the inconclusive. Gandhiji returned to
British rulers ‘desperately anxious’. India dejected and resume Civil
• These rulers were now started Disobedience Movement.
considering Gandhiji as a ‘Saint’ and • In 1935, a Government of India Act
‘Statesman’, who was using came and it promised some part of
Christian acts as a weapon against representative government. Two
men with Christian beliefs. years later, elections were held and
out of 11 provinces in 8 provinces
SIGNIFICANCE OF DANDI MARCH: Congress government were formed.
• Davdi March was very significant for However in 1939, Congress
at least three reasons: government resigned from office as
o It brought Mahatma Gandhi and British declined their offer of
India to attention of the world. cooperation in the war in lieu of
o It was the first National granting freedom to India after the
Movement in which women end of war.
participation was really very • In 1940 and 1941 Congress
notable. Kamladevi organised individual Satyagraha to
Chattopadhyay, a socialist leader pressure the government. In 1940,
persuaded Gandhi not to restrict Muslim league passed the resolution
movement to men alone. Many demanding autonomy for the
Muslim-majority areas of the
6|Page
 subcontinent. Now, whole struggle • In 1946, Cabinet Mission came but
became complicated and took a it failed in getting Congress and the
shape of three way struggle between Muslim League agreed on federal
British, Congress and Muslim system which would have kept India
league. united and autonomy would have
• In 1942, Prime Minister Winston been granted to provinces to a
Churchill sent a mission under certain extent.
Stafford Cripps to India to try and • After failing of talks Jinnah called for
forge a compromise with Congress direct action day to press demand for
and Gandhiji. However, talks broke Pakistan. On 16th August, 1946,
down when Congress offered, it will riots broke out in Calcutta, later
help the British to defend India from spread to other parts of Bengal, then
Axis powers. Then the viceroy had to to Bihar, United Provinces and
appoint an Indian as the Defence Punjab. In riots both the
member of his Executive Council. communities suffered.
• In February 1947, Viceroy Lord
QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT: Mountbatten replaced Wavell. He
called for one last round of talk and
• After the failure of Cripps Mission, when talks were inconclusive he
Gandhiji started Quit India announced India would be freed and
Movement in August, 1948 from it will be divided. Finally on 15th
Bombay. Immediately, Gandhiji and August, 1947, power was transferred
other senior leaders were arrested, to India.
but younger activists organised
strikes and acts of sabotage all over THE LAST HEROIC DAYS OF
the country. MAHATMA GANDHI:
• Quit India Movement being a Mass • Gandhiji marked the day of
Movement brought into its ambit Independence with a 24 hour fast.
hundreds of thousand of ordinary The freedom struggle ended with
citizens and youths left their colleges division of country and Hindus and
and went to jail. During this time as Muslims seeking each others life.
Congress leaders were in jail, Jinnah • In the months of September and
and other Muslim league leaders October Gandhiji went around
worked patiently to extend its hospitals and refugee camps giving
influence in Punjab and Sind where consolation to people. He appealed
it had scarcely any presence. to Sikhs, the Hindus and Muslims to
• In June, 1944 Gandhiji was released forget the past and to extend the
from prison, later he held series of hand of friendship, cooperation and
meeting with Jinnah to sort out the peace.
differences. • At the backing of Gandhiji and
• In 1945, labour government came to Nehru, Congress passed resolution
power in England and committed on the right of minorities. It further
itself to grant Independence to India. said party had never accepted
In India, Lord Wavell organised partition but it has been forced on it.
meetings with Congress and league. • Congress said India will be a
In elections of 1946, polarization was democratic secular country, every
completely observed when Congress citizen will be equal. Congress tried
swept general category but seats to assure the minorities in India that
reserved for Muslims. These seats their rights will be protected in India.
were won by the Muslim League by • On 26th January, 1948, Gandhiji
overwhelming majority. said, earlier independence day was

7|Page
 celebrated on this day, now freedom important source for knowing the
has come but it has been deeply events. Though there is a difference,
disillusioning. He believed that worst speech were meant for public while
is over. He allowed himself to hope private letter were meant to express
that though geographically and emotions and thinking that cannot
politically India is divided into two, be expressed publicly.
at heart we shall ever be friends and • Many letters written to individuals
brothers helping and respecting one were personal but they were also
another and be one for the outside meant for the public. The language
world. of letter was shaped by the
• Gandhiji was shot dead by a Hindu awareness that it might be
extremist Nathuram Godse. published, so it often prevent people
Nathuram Godse was an editor of from expressing their opinion freely.
Hindu extremist, newspaper who • Autobiographies give us an account
had denounced Gandhiji as an of past, but one need to be careful
appeaser of Muslims. while reading and interpreting it.
• Gandhiji’s death led to extraordinary They are written on the basis of
pouring of grief, tributes were paid memory of author.
across the political spectrum in • Government records, official letters
India and appreciation coining from were also important source for
International figure such as George knowing the history. But it also have
Orwell, Einstein, etc. Time magazine limitations as these were mostly
compared his death to Abraham biased so it needs to be interpreted
Lincoln. carefully.
• Newspapers in English and other
KNOWING MAHATMA GANDHI: Vernacular
• languages tracked Gandhiji’s
• There are different sources from movement, National Movement and
which history of the National sentiment of Indians regarding
Movement and the political career of freedom movement and Gandhiji.
Gandhiji can be reconstructed. Newspaper should not be seen as
• Writing and speeches of Mahatma unprejudiced as they were published
Gandhi and his contemporaries were by people who had their own political
opinions and views.

8|Page
 GANDHISM
• The other name of Gandhiji’s ideas The ideas of Gandhiji were influenced
and ideals is Gandhism. by many thinkers like-John Ruskin,
Currently, the philosophy and Henary David Thoro, Leo-Tolstoy and
these ideals and ideas of Gandhiji Socrates.
are known as Gandhi Darshan, Effect of India’s helpless position and
Gandhian political philosophy and poverty impressed Gandhiji’s ideas,
Gandhism. which was the base of his socialistic
• Gandhiji’s method was ideas.
experimental, perceptive and
scientific. SOUTH AFRICA: LABORATORY OF
GANDHIJI’S EXPERIMENTS:
GANDHIJI AND HIS HUMAN
VALUES: • South Africa was the laboratory of
• Gandhiji wanted to make politics Gandhiji’s experiments and his
pure and based on religion and religious feelings have developed
justice. Gandhiji wanted to there. He studied there the ideas of
communicate the feeling of love, western writers.
freedom and self-reliance in a • The development of Gandhiji’s
person. political philosophy ‘Satyagrah’
took place in resistance of white
GANDHISM: A POOL OF IDEAS OF casteism and its initial
LIFE: experiments were done there only.
• Truth, non-violence, love and A feeling of selfless human feeling
brotherhood are the basics of his developed in him there.
ideals.
• Gandhiji was influenced by the SPIRITUALIZATION OF POLITICS:
views of Mahaveer Swami, Gautam • For Gandhiji religion and politics
Buddha, Socrates, Thoro and are the same. He believes that the
Ruskin. aim of politics, like the aim of
• Gandhiji did not consider material religion, is to bring change in
pursuits or materialism as the social relations that are based on
carrier of civilization and culture. injustice, torture and exploitation.
He emphasised on intensive
internal development. PURITY OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
• Gandhiji opposed the materialistic AND MEANS:
or economic interpretation of
Marx’s history, class struggle and • It is the quality of Gandhiji’s ideas
violence. He did not like the use of that there is no difference in purity
violence in practice. of accomplishment and purity of
means.
SOURCES OF GANDHISM: • Gandhiji was not willing to get
FOUR SORTS OF EFFECTS ARE independence through deception
SEEN ON GANDHIAN IDEAS and animal force.
• Human nature : Each philosophy
• Effect of religious books. starts with human definition or
• Effect of philosophy analysis of human nature.
• Effect of reformist movements. Hobbes, considers man
• Effect of socio-economic quarrelsome, selfish and jealous
conditions. while Roussean considers him
peaceful.

9|Page
• Non-violence : It means not to means to negate immoral laws. It
tease any one through heart, word, is a non-violent sort of revolution.
and action, A non-violent man is a • Fasting Tasting is such a pain that
statue of love, compassion, persons apply on themselves. This
forgiveness. He has no enemy. is the most powerful weapon of the
• Origin of Satyagarh : This word Satyagarh.
was originated in South Africa by
Gandhiji. GANDHIJI’S ECONOMIC VIEWS:
• Meaning of Satyagarh : In simple • Gandhiji’s outlook on economic
language, it is a way to keep away problem was liberal and his
evil or to keep away disputes from suggestions were inspired with the
non-violent methods. For a simple outlook of time, need, and
Indian citizen, it was a way of humanity. His such suggestions
Indian against English rule for were based on reality and
independence. experience.

NON-COOPERATION AND ITS PRESENT TIME AND GANDHIJI:

NATURE: • According to Gandhiji dependence
• According to Gandhiji, it is not on instruments is troublesome.
only man’s duty to be non- Gandhiji’s views on instruments
cooperate towards the evil, but were influenced by the views of
also his religion. Non-cooperation Ruskin, Tolstoy, and R.C. Dutta.
can adopt the following forms: • Gandhiji has condemned
• Strike : To stop working voluntarily capitalism in very strong words.
in opposition is a strike. The strike He believed that capitalism had
is volunteer attempt for self increased the feelings of poverty,
purification, and it is heart unemployment, exploitation and
changing for a person moving on imperialism.
the improper way.
• Social exclusion : It is an old GANDHIJI’S SUGGESTION TO
tradition which came into being REMOVE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
with castes. It is such a severe DIFFERENCES:
punishment that can be used
effectively in a very effective • Astai and Aparigraha : Gandhiji
manner. has accepted ‘Astai’ in the form of
• Sits in : It is related with ‘the associate ‘Vrit’ of truth and non-
change of ideas’. It should be violence. The general meaning of
necessarily peaceful. ‘Astai’ is not to steal, that in not to
• Hijrat : When a person or a public take any thing or money without
group has no soul power and has permission of its owner.
no power of violence, that time this • Gandhiji did not confine Aparigrah
activity is done. To save the self only to collect money,but he
respect “Gandhiji advised considered it not to collect money
Satyagrahis of Bardoli in 1928 and for future prospects also.
Satyagrahis of Limbari, Junagarh • Theory of Trusteeship : To end the
and Vithalgarh in 1939 to leave economic dissatisfaction, Gandhiji
their houses. neither believed in western
• Civil disobedience : It is an economy being based on
important branch of stayagrah. It capitalism, as it gives birth to

10 | P a g e
 exploitation, competition, and • Gandhiji’s theory is not only wrong
struggle, nor did he like collectivist in present circumstances, but
system of east. these neglect technological
• According to Gandhiji’s knowledge.
trusteeship theory, the capitalists • The principle of Gandhiji’s
should use their property trusteeship is impractical.
according to their need and • Gandhiji has condemned
become a trustee of remaining instruments. But the
property and they should put it in condemnation of instruments is
public welfare work. the “condemnation of the law of
origin”.
SWADESHI:
• Gandhiji’s swadeshi definition is
not narrow in any form. He GANDHIJI’S POLITICAL VIEW:
accepted only those foreign goods • Gandhiji did not clearly outline his
which were necessary to make ideal of non-violent society as was
better the home or Indian done by Plato, Rousseau, Karl
industries. He believed in Marx.
exchange of things in international • Gandhiji accepted the need for a
trade. limited state, Gandhiji opposed the
• Gandhi did not want to separate state which purely represents
India from the world. He politics and power.
emphasized only to become self • Gandhiji emphasized on the
reliant. He could compromise with establishment of ‘limited state’. In
capital and foreign technological his view, the work of the state is
knowledge if it was kept under not only pure politics, but also
Indian control. should be high, the best and the
• Khadi’s economics :Khadi’s welfare. Gandhiji was not in favor
economics has the main place in for excessive growth in the state’s
Gandhian scheme of economic power.
reconstruction of India. Gandhiji
believed that to solve economic GANDHIJI’S CONTRIBUTION:
problem, Khadi or Charkha is the • According to Gandhiji economics,
best, natural, cheap and practical sociology, political science, religion
way. all are related to ibe another.
• From political point of view, Khadi • Gandhiji has spiritualised politics,
was a movement of organization and emphasized on religion word
and contact. In freedom struggle, it in politics.
became a symbol of unity. • The biggest contribution of
Gandhiji to political science is “full
EVALUATION OF GANDHIJI’S theory of Satyagarh”. It is based on
ECONOMIC THOUGHTS: non-violence. Contrary to the
• Gandhiji’s economic views have option of war available till now
been criticised by terming them with the world to drive away
impractical. These views injustice, Gandhiji presented
emphasize only one aspect of Satyagrah principle as an
human nature and neglect worldly alternative of war.
needs.

11 | P a g e
EVALUATION OF GANDHIJI’S
IDEAS:
• War gave birth to only war, not to
peace. That is why supporters of
Gandhiji’s thoughts consider his
ideas not only relevant for all the
times, but also being universally
fitted.
• Gandhiji’s principles-truth, non-
violence, love and cooperation
have impressed a large number of
people throughout the world. .
• On the other hand, the writers who
criticize Gandhiji’s thoughts tell
them impractical, non-scientific,
one sided, pushing the society
back, supporters of capitalism,
and stabilizing class distinction
etc.

CONCLUSION:
• Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas are full of
humanity, life values and national
feelings.

IMPORTANT DATES RELATED TO

INCIDENTS:
• On March 20,1937-Gandhiji wrote
in ‘Harijan Sewak’, “The idea of
inequality and high and low is bad
between man to mem, But I do not
want to take out it from the man’s
heart with sword”.
• In 1928- Gandhiji advised the
Bardoli Satyagrahis to leave their
houses to save their self respects.
• In 1939, Gandhiji advised the
Satyagrahis’ of Limbari, Junagarh,
and Vitthalgarh to leave their
house for Hizrat or self respect.

12 | P a g e