Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Why was Gandhiji impressed with Rajkumar Shukla tenacity and determination?
Ans: Raj Kumar Shukla was a poor sharecropper from Champaran who persistently sought Gandhi's help at the Congress session in Lucknow, urging him to visit Champaran where sharecroppers faced severe injustice. When Gandhi did not fix a date immediately, Shukla refused to leave and followed Gandhi everywhere, showing single-minded determination. He even accompanied Gandhi to the ashram near Ahmedabad and kept insisting until Gandhi agreed to go to Champaran from Calcutta. Gandhi was impressed by this persistence and loyalty.
Q2. Why did Gandhi chide the lawyers who represented the interests of group of sharecroppers of Champaran?
Ans: Gandhi rebuked the lawyers because they took large fees from the impoverished sharecroppers, making legal recourse too costly for them. He believed that when people are crushed by fear and oppression, immediate relief from fear and collective mobilisation matter more than expensive court cases. Gandhi therefore emphasised freeing them from fear and encouraged practical, accessible help rather than burdening them with legal costs.
Q3. What were the conditions of sharecroppers of Champaran?
Ans: The sharecroppers in Champaran were tenant farmers on large estates owned by British planters. They were compelled to grow indigo on about 15 per cent of their land and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. When Germany developed synthetic indigo and the market price fell, landlords forced peasants to accept compensatory payments and used coercion to collect money. Many peasants resisted and some engaged lawyers to fight in the courts, but they suffered from intimidation and unfair treatment until Gandhi intervened.
Q4. What made the British realize that the Indians would challenge their might hitherto unquestioned?
Ans: The spontaneous mass demonstration by peasants around the Motihari courthouse when they learned that Gandhi was in trouble showed that ordinary people were no longer paralysed by fear. This public display of unity and courage revealed to the British that their authority could be openly challenged and that Indians were willing to stand together against injustice.
Q5. How did Gandhi make the peasants fearless and self-reliant?
Ans: Gandhi helped the peasants overcome fear by informing them of their rights, organising collective action, and offering practical support in their struggle. He combined legal effort with moral force, encouraged non-violent resistance where needed, and helped obtain refunds of unlawfully collected sums. He also promoted education, hygiene, and self-help in villages so that people gained confidence and could stand up for themselves in future.
Q6. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being 'resolute'?
Ans: Rajkumar Shukla is described as resolute because he travelled all the way from Champaran to Lucknow to seek Gandhi's help and then doggedly followed Gandhi wherever he went. He stayed by Gandhi's side for weeks, never leaving until Gandhi finally agreed to visit Champaran. His unshakable purpose and perseverance mark him out as resolute.
Q7. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?
Ans: The servants assumed Gandhi was another peasant because he was travelling with Raj Kumar Shukla, an illiterate sharecropper, and Gandhi's appearance and simple manner made him seem like one of the common people rather than a public leader. His choice of company and plain dress led them to that mistaken impression.
Q8. How was Gandhi able to influence the lawyers? Give instances.
Ans: Gandhi influenced the lawyers through his sincerity, clear arguments and moral courage. He reproached them for charging high fees and asked whether they would stand by the peasants if he were arrested; the lawyers offered to court arrest in solidarity. This willingness to act with him convinced Gandhi that legal professionals could be persuaded to support the peasants' cause without exploiting them.
Q9. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of 'home rule'?
Ans: In smaller localities many Indians were afraid to show open sympathy for advocates of home rule because of fear of official retribution. Therefore it was unusual and courageous when figures like Professor Malkani, a government teacher, provided shelter to Gandhi; such acts showed the gradual erosion of fear and the beginning of wider local support.
Q10. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
Ans: Ordinary people made clear contributions: Professor J. B. Kriplani and students received Gandhi at Muzaffarpur; sharecroppers travelled long distances on foot or by conveyance to meet him; local lawyers met him; huge crowds greeted him at Motihari railway station; and thousands demonstrated around the courthouse. These actions show that ordinary men and women actively supported and sustained the movement.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Why was the share-cropping arrangement irksome? What was its fate?
Ans: Most cultivating land in Champaran belonged to large estates owned by British planters and was tilled by Indian tenant peasants who paid rent. Indigo was the main commercial crop and peasants were compelled to grow it on about 15 per cent of their land, surrendering the whole indigo yield as rent. When synthetic indigo was developed in Germany and prices fell, landlords forced peasants to accept compensatory payments; many landlords then used thugs to collect money by intimidation. The arrangement was therefore deeply exploitative and left peasants impoverished and fearful. Gandhi's intervention-through investigation, civil resistance and public mobilisation-led the Lieutenant Governor to appoint a commission of inquiry which found for the peasants. Landlords were ordered to refund part of the money, and within a few years many estate owners abandoned indigo cultivation. Eventually indigo sharecropping disappeared from Champaran.
Q2. How did Gandhiji win the battle of Champaran?
Ans: On arriving at Motihari Gandhi set up a base to investigate the peasants' grievances. When officials ordered him to quit Champaran, he refused to be intimidated and appeared in court. He also sent for Rajendra Prasad and other influential friends to support the cause. Learning that Gandhi faced official trouble, thousands of peasants gathered around the courthouse in a spontaneous show of solidarity, which put pressure on the authorities. The trial was postponed and, through persistent protest and negotiation, Gandhi gained time to organise a proper inquiry. Prominent lawyers agreed to stand with him, even offering to court arrest if necessary. Faced with this united and peaceful opposition, officials had to seek a solution, and the peasants obtained redress. Gandhi declared that the "battle of Champaran" was won when the campaign secured justice for the sharecroppers.
Q3. How did a visit to Champaran become a turning point in Gandhi's life? How does this show Gandhi's love and concern for the common people of India?
Ans: Gandhi's visit to Champaran marked a turning point because it transformed his engagement from moral teaching into active political leadership on behalf of ordinary people. He saw how British planters extracted 15 per cent of the land produce as indigo rent and how peasants were crushed by unfair demands and violence. With patient investigation and non-violent action he helped secure refunds and legal remedies, which emboldened the peasants to claim their rights. Gandhi also addressed broader social needs: he organised volunteers to teach villagers, encouraged community sanitation and personal hygiene lessons taught by Kasturba, and arranged medical help. These practical measures helped villagers become self-reliant and confident. The success in Champaran showed Gandhi's deep concern for India's common people and set the pattern for his future work of combining social improvement with political struggle.
Q4. "Freedom from fear is more important than legal justice for the poor." Do you think that the poor of India are free from fear after Independence?
Ans: For the motion: India's democratic system, the Constitution's guarantees, an independent judiciary and an active press have all contributed to reducing fear among the poor. These institutions give citizens legal protections, a voice to complain, and wider awareness of their rights. Administrative mechanisms and social movements have also enabled many disadvantaged people to assert themselves with greater confidence than under colonial rule.
Against the motion: Despite these safeguards, many poor people still live in fear. Economic insecurity, lack of social protection, corruption, and weak enforcement of labour and human rights mean that ordinary workers and marginalised groups may hesitate to protest. Women, in particular, often fear for their personal safety. Local power structures, including corrupt officials or criminal elements, can intimidate communities and deter people from asserting their rights. Thus, while formal freedom exists, genuine freedom from fear is an ongoing struggle for much of the poor population.
Q5. 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 Gandhi's campaign to counter the present day problems of exploitation?
Ans: Gandhi's campaign against indigo exploitation teaches several enduring values useful for addressing modern exploitation of unorganised labour. First, unity and collective action empower the weak to resist injustice. Second, non-violent protest and truthfulness can win moral support and legitimacy. Third, educating workers about their rights and encouraging self-reliance reduce dependency on exploitative employers. Fourth, seeking legal redress while mobilising public opinion helps secure lasting change. Finally, compassion, patience and persistence are essential: organised, peaceful pressure combined with practical social reform can restore dignity and fair treatment to exploited workers. These values-unity, truth, non-violence, education and legal awareness-remain relevant to contemporary struggles against exploitation.
