Sure Shot Questions: Indigo

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1: How was Gandhiji able to influence the lawyers at Champaran?
Ans: Gandhiji appealed to the lawyers' sense of justice and conscience. He pointed out how unjust it was to take large fees from peasants who were already oppressed and impoverished. By offering selfless service and showing deep concern for the peasants' suffering, he shamed the lawyers into rethinking their position and won their moral support.

Q2: Why did the servants think Gandhiji to be another peasant?
Ans: Rajkumar Shukla was known to the servants of Rajendra Prasad as a poor peasant who frequently visited their master to press the peasants' case. Gandhiji accompanied Shukla and was dressed simply. Because of his plain appearance and Shukla's reputation, the servants assumed Gandhiji was another peasant accompanying him.

Q3: How were Shukla and Gandhiji received in Rajendra Prasad's house?
Ans: The servants recognised Shukla and allowed him to stay at their master's house. Gandhiji was permitted to remain with him but was treated according to prevailing social prejudices: he was not allowed to draw water from the well because the servants feared contamination. This treatment reflected the caste and social attitudes of the time.

Q4: Why did Gandhiji accept 25 percent compensation?
Ans: Gandhiji had sought a larger refund for the peasants, but the landlords were prepared to give only 25 percent. He accepted this amount because his priority was to secure justice and to break the deadlock so that the peasants regained some compensation and, more importantly, courage and dignity. The settlement represented a moral victory in which the landlords were compelled to surrender a part of their unfair claims.

Q5: "The battle of Champaran is won." When and why did Gandhiji exclaim this?
Ans: Gandhiji declared, "The battle of Champaran is won," when several prominent lawyers publicly pledged to follow him to jail in support of the peasants. This show of solidarity, together with the mass demonstrations and the pressure they created, demonstrated that the movement had achieved its objective of confronting injustice and forcing official inquiry and concessions from the landlords.

Q6: What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji?
Ans: The Lieutenant Governor dropped the case because the lawyers and public opinion rallied behind Gandhiji, with lawyers threatening to accompany him to jail and large numbers of peasants demonstrating. Faced with this united and potentially disorderly opposition and its moral force, the Lieutenant Governor directed the Magistrate to withdraw the case.

Q7: Why did Gandhiji agree to 25% compensation?
Ans: Gandhiji agreed because his concern was not only the monetary amount but the principle of justice and the removal of fear among the peasants. Accepting 25 percent ended the immediate exploitation, compelled the landlords to admit some wrongdoing, and gave the peasants a moral and practical victory that could be built upon.

Q8: How was Gandhi treated at Rajendra Prasad's house?
Ans: The servants recognised Shukla and allowed him to stay, but they treated Gandhiji with social prejudice. He was not permitted to draw water from the well because they feared his bucket might 'pollute' the water, reflecting the caste attitudes prevalent then. Despite this, Gandhiji remained composed and focused on the peasants' cause.

Q9: Why is Raj Kumar Shukla described as being 'resolute'?
Ans: Rajkumar Shukla is called resolute because he showed relentless determination in persuading Gandhiji to visit Champaran. Despite repeated refusals and many obstacles, he followed Gandhiji persistently and would not give up until his appeal for the peasants was heard. His steadfastness and single-minded purpose exemplify resoluteness.

Q10: Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of mere 25 percent?
Ans: Gandhiji accepted 25 percent because a negotiated settlement was better than continued injustice and deadlock. By securing this refund he achieved a concrete relief for the peasants and, more importantly, forced the landlords to acknowledge their exploitation. The settlement restored some material loss and, crucially, gave the peasants confidence to assert their rights.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q11: How was a solution to the problem of indigo sharecroppers of Champaran found?
Ans: The solution emerged through fact-finding, public pressure and negotiation. Gandhiji first collected evidence by recording depositions from thousands of peasants and gathering documents that showed how landlords forced sharecroppers to give up 15 percent of indigo produce. Public demonstrations and legal support created pressure on the authorities. An official inquiry was then set up, which confirmed the peasants' complaints. After negotiations the landlords agreed to refund 25 percent of the dues. Gandhiji accepted this settlement because it provided immediate relief, broke the power of the landlords, and gave the peasants a moral and practical victory.

Q12: How was the Champaran incident a turning point in Gandhiji's life?
Ans: Champaran marked Gandhiji's emergence as a national leader and demonstrated the power of satyagraha in practice. By standing with the oppressed peasants, organising fact-finding, and leading non-violent resistance against colonial authority, he showed that peaceful mass mobilisation could win concrete results. The episode proved that he would not be directed by British officials in his own country and established methods - non-violence, civil disobedience and moral persuasion - that would shape his later campaigns. He also remained in Champaran after the settlement to work for social and cultural upliftment, showing his commitment to long-term change.

Q13: How did Gandhiji use satyagraha and non-violence at Champaran to achieve his goal?
Ans: Gandhiji applied satyagraha and non-violence by combining moral persuasion with organised, peaceful action. He gathered evidence to expose injustice, encouraged peasants to demonstrate without violence, and relied on legal and public opinion rather than force. The lawyers' willingness to support him and follow him to jail, together with large peaceful demonstrations, created pressure that led to an official inquiry. When the inquiry validated the peasants' claims, the landlords were compelled to offer compensation. Thus, non-violence and steady moral pressure produced both legal recognition and practical remedy.

Q14: Give an account of Gandhiji's efforts to secure justice for the poor indigo sharecroppers of Champaran.
Ans: Gandhiji began by collecting detailed evidence: depositions from peasants, documents and testimony that showed how sharecroppers were exploited. He faced official opposition and attempts to intimidate him, but he persisted. Through peaceful demonstrations and legal support from sympathetic lawyers he generated public pressure. The Lieutenant Governor and other officials were forced to order an inquiry. The inquiry confirmed the peasants' plight and negotiations followed, resulting in a refund of 25 percent to the farmers. Gandhiji accepted the settlement, seeing it as a moral victory that ended some immediate injustice and empowered the peasants to claim their rights in future.

Q15: Why did Rajkumar Shukla invite Gandhiji to Champaran? How did Gandhiji solve the problem of the indigo farmers?
Ans: Rajkumar Shukla was an oppressed indigo sharecropper who repeatedly urged Gandhiji to visit Champaran so that the peasants' sufferings might be addressed. Shukla's persistence persuaded Gandhiji to investigate. Gandhiji then collected thousands of depositions and documentary evidence, organised the peasants, and exposed the exploitation. He faced official resistance but used non-violent mass mobilisation and legal pressure to secure an official inquiry. The inquiry supported the peasants, and after negotiation the landlords agreed to refund 25 percent, which Gandhiji accepted as a just and practical outcome.

Q16: Exploitation is a universal phenomenon. The poor indigo farmers were exploited by the British landlords to which Gandhiji objected. Even after our independence we find exploitation of unorganized labour. What values do we learn from Gandhiji campaign to counter the present day problems of exploitation?
Ans: Gandhiji's campaign teaches several enduring values to counter exploitation today. First, empower the oppressed: encourage courage and confidence so they can assert their rights. Second, use non-violent but organised collective action combined with facts and legal channels to expose injustice. Third, show persistence, patience and moral clarity rather than opting for quick, violent reactions. Fourth, adopt a humanitarian approach that focuses on practical solutions for the poor. Finally, education and organisation of unorganised labour help prevent exploitation and enable lasting social change.