Previous Year Questions: Indigo

CBSE Previous Year Questions 2025

Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1. How was self-reliance intertwined with the Champaran incident? (2 Marks)

Answer: Self-reliance became a central lesson of the Champaran movement when Gandhi refused to allow the English pacifist Charles Freer Andrews to stay and assist the peasants. Gandhi argued that relying on an Englishman in an unequal fight showed a weakness of heart; instead, he insisted that Indians must rely upon themselves to win the battle for justice. Consequently, the success of the sharecroppers, the move toward Indian independence, and the concept of self-reliance became inseparable.

Q.2. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being resolute? (2 Marks)

Answer: Rajkumar Shukla is described as resolute because of his unwavering tenacity in bringing Gandhi to Champaran. Despite Gandhi's busy schedule and prior commitments across various parts of India, Shukla accompanied him everywhere for weeks. He even waited for months at a specific location in Calcutta until Gandhi was finally free to travel with him to Bihar.

Q.3. Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers? (2 Marks) 

Answer: Gandhi agreed to a 25% refund because he believed that the specific amount of money was less significant than the symbolic victory. By agreeing to the refund, the British landlords were forced to surrender not only a portion of their money but also a part of their prestige. This broke the long-standing deadlock and taught the peasants that they had rights and defenders, effectively liberating them from their fear of the planters.

Q.4. Give a brief account of the reception that Gandhi got in Motihari? (2 Marks)

Answer: Upon arriving at the railway station in Motihari, Gandhi was greeted by a "vast multitude". Later, when it was discovered that he was in trouble with the British authorities, thousands of peasants gathered for a spontaneous demonstration around the courthouse. This massive show of support was so overwhelming that the town was described as being "black with peasants," leaving the officials feeling powerless without Gandhi's cooperation.

Long Answer Type Questions 

Q.5. How do the characters of Rajkumar Shukla from 'Indigo' and William Douglas from 'Deep Water' compare and contrast in terms of their courage, constraints, and determination? (120 - 150 words) (5 Marks)

​Answer: Both Rajkumar Shukla and William Douglas exemplify extraordinary determination and tenacity, though they face different constraints. Shukla, an illiterate sharecropper, is constrained by the oppressive British landlord system and his own poverty. His courage is reflected in his persistence to seek Gandhi's help, following him for months until he succeeds. In contrast, William Douglas's constraints are psychological; he is paralyzed by a deep-seated childhood fear of water following a near-death experience in a pool.

While Shukla's determination is directed outward to seek justice for his community, Douglas's determination is inward, as he spends months training with an instructor to "build a swimmer" and conquer his phobia. Both characters show that overcoming significant obstacles-whether they are external injustices or internal terrors-requires a resolute spirit and a refusal to give up until the goal is achieved.

Q.6. In 'Indigo', Gandhi as the sole representative of peasants fought against the injustice to share-croppers and saved them from the exploitation of the British. On the other hand bangle makers in Firozabad in 'Lost Spring' felt 'There is no leader among them, no one could help them see things differently' and they were caught in the vicious circle. With reference to the two texts, analyse the importance of a leader and how Gandhi emerged as an ideal leader. (120 - 150 words) (5 Marks)

​Answer: Leadership serves as the catalyst for change, as seen by the contrast between the organized resistance in Champaran and the stagnant misery in Firozabad. In 'Lost Spring', the bangle makers are trapped in a "vicious circle" of middlemen, policemen, and politicians because they lack a leader to help them organize into a cooperative or see their situation differently. Their initiative has been killed by "mind-numbing toil".

In 'Indigo', Gandhi emerges as an ideal leader by identifying the root cause of the peasants' plight-fear. He prioritizes "liberation from fear" over mere legal victories, knowing that legal justice is useless if the people are crushed and terror-stricken. Gandhi's leadership is practical and grounded in "day-to-day problems," involving himself in health, sanitation, and education alongside political negotiations. He leads by example, showing that the British can be challenged through truth and non-violence, thereby transforming a local grievance into a national triumph.

CBSE Previous Year Questions 2024

Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1. Why did Gandhi say: Freedom from fear is more important than legal justice for the poor? (2 Marks)

Answer: Gandhi observed that the peasants of Champaran were so "crushed and fear-stricken" that the existing law courts had become "useless" for them. He believed that taking such cases to court provided "little good" because the primary obstacle was the peasants' psychological subjection to the British. Therefore, Gandhi concluded that the "real relief" for the sharecroppers was to be "free from fear," as internal liberation was a prerequisite for any meaningful legal or social justice.

Extract-Based Questions

Q.2. Read the following extracts and answer the questions (6 Marks)
​"Their spontaneous demonstration, in thousands, around the courthouse was the beginning of their liberation from fear of the British. The officials felt powerless without Gandhi's cooperation. He helped them regulate the crowd. He was polite and friendly. He was giving them concrete proof that their might, hitherto dreaded and unquestioned, could be challenged by Indians."

Questions and Answers:

(i) What does the "spontaneous demonstration" signify?

​Answer: The demonstration signified the "beginning of their liberation from fear" of the British authorities. It was the first instance where the masses stood together against the dreaded might of the British.

(ii) Why did the officials feel powerless?

​Answer: The officials felt powerless because they could not control the "thousands" of peasants who had gathered around the courthouse, and they required Gandhi's cooperation to "regulate the crowd".

(iii) How did Gandhi's behaviour contrast with the officials' expectations?

​Answer: While the authorities were "baffled" and felt their power challenged, Gandhi remained "polite and friendly," proving that Indian resistance could be disciplined and firm rather than chaotic.

(iv) What "concrete proof" was Gandhi providing to the British?

​Answer: Gandhi provided proof that the British "might," which had been "hitherto dreaded and unquestioned," could indeed be "challenged by Indians" through collective action.

(v) What was the immediate result of this demonstration in court?

​Answer: The government was so "baffled" that the prosecutor requested the judge to "postpone the trial" so the authorities could "consult their superiors".

(vi) Which trait of Gandhi is highlighted in this extract?

Answer: The extract highlights Gandhi's leadership and his ability to employ non-violent cooperation, as he helped the officials regulate the same crowd that was protesting for him.

Q.3. Read the following extracts and answer the questions (6 Marks)

​"This settlement was adopted unanimously by the commission. Gandhi explained that the amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender part of the money and, with it, part of their prestige. Therefore, as far as the peasants were concerned, the planters had behaved as lords above the law. Now the peasant saw that he had rights and defenders. He learned courage."

Questions and Answers:

(i) What was Gandhi's purpose in agreeing to the settlement, even at a lesser amount?

​Answer: Gandhi's purpose was to break the "deadlock" and ensure that the landlords were "obliged to surrender" not just the money, but more importantly, "part of their prestige".

(ii) Complete the sentence with one word:The commission agreed by common consent, or in other words, they agreed to the settlement ______________.

​Answer: Unanimously.

(iii) Explain the impact on the landlords as a result of the settlement.

​Answer: The landlords lost their status as "lords above the law". They were forced to surrender money and prestige, eventually leading them to "abandon their estates" a few years later.

(iv) Based on the content provided in the extract, select the most likely option about the behaviour of the landlords.
(A) The landlords were sorry for their behaviour. 
(B) The landlords were obstinate and refused Gandhi's suggestion. 
(C) The landlords had to refund the money. 
(D) The landlords and the planters became partners in the Indigo plantation.

Answer: (C) The landlords had to refund the money.
​Solution: The extract specifically mentions that the landlords "had been obliged to surrender part of the money" as part of the settlement.

(v) What did the peasants realize from the Champaran incident?

​Answer: The peasants realized that they "had rights and defenders," which transformed their mindset and helped them learn "courage".

(vi) Complete the sentence appropriately.The phrase 'lords above the law' suggests that ___________.

Answer: The planters had previously acted as if they were exempt from the legal system and could exploit peasants without any fear of accountability or consequences.

Q.4.  Read the following extracts and answer the questions (6 Marks)
​"They thought he would demand repayment in full of the money which they had illegally and deceitfully extorted from the sharecroppers. He asked only 50 percent. "There he seemed adamant", writes Reverend J.Z. Hodge, a British missionary in Champaran, who observed the entire episode at close range. "Thinking probably that he would not give way, the representatives of the planters offered to refund to the extent of 25 percent, and to his amazement Mr. Gandhi took him at his words thus breaking the deadlock."

(i) Choose the correct option:
'Then he seemed adamant,' reflects Gandhi's trait of being
(A) arrogant 
(B) uncompromising 
(C) argumentative 
(D) courageous

Answer: (B) uncompromising
​Solution: In the context of the negotiations, "adamant" refers to Gandhi's firm and fixed stance on the 50 percent demand, showing he was not willing to be easily swayed until he achieved a breakthrough for the peasants.

(ii) "...deceitfully extorted from the sharecroppers." The status of sharecroppers as inferred from the above line is:
(A) law-abiding citizens 
(B) followers of Gandhi 
(C) victims of exploitation 
(D) contract labourers

Answer: (C) victims of exploitation
​Solution: The use of the words "illegally" and "deceitfully extorted" clearly indicates that the sharecroppers were being unfairly treated and manipulated by the landlords.

(iii) Complete the following sentence:Gandhi surprised them by _________.

​Answer: Accepting the planters' offer of a 25 percent refund.
Solution: The planters expected Gandhi to stick to his demand of 50 percent, but he accepted 25 percent to immediately break the "deadlock".

(iv) The inference that can be drawn from the line "Mr. Gandhi took him at his word" is ___________.

​Answer: Gandhi accepted the representative's offer immediately and without further haggling.

(v) 'Deadlock' in the last line means:

​Answer: A stalemate or a situation where no progress is possible due to a disagreement between two parties.

(vi) What do we infer about the attitude of planters towards sharecroppers?

Answer: We infer that the planters were exploitative, dishonest, and oppressive, as they "illegally and deceitfully extorted" money and viewed themselves as being "above the law".