130. Consider three statements about the Rowlatt Act of 1919:
I. Gandhi launched nationwide Satyagraha against it.
II. It passed despite Indian members’ opposition.
III. It granted sweeping powers to suppress political activity.
Which are correct?
[UPSC NDA-II 2026, GAT]
A. I only
B. III only
C. I, II and III
D. I and II only
Answer: C. I, II and III
Explanation: All three statements are correct. The Rowlatt legislation of 1919 allowed extraordinary repression and detention without trial. Gandhi called for a nationwide campaign against it, while Indian legislators had protested its passage. This agitation marked an expansion of Gandhian mass politics.
129. Who founded Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith at Varanasi?
[UPSSSC Lower PCS 2026]
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Acharya Narendra Dev
C. Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta
D. Madan Mohan Malaviya
Answer: C. Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta
Explanation: Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta founded the institution in February 1921 during the Non-Cooperation Movement. It offered nationalist education independent of colonial institutions. Gandhi lent his support to this educational experiment, but he was not its founder.
128. Which of these events took place earliest?
[UPSC CAPF (AC) 2026]
A. Dandi March
B. Chauri Chaura incident
C. Partition of Bengal
D. Champaran Satyagraha
Answer: C. Partition of Bengal
Explanation: The Bengal partition occurred in 1905 under Lord Curzon. Gandhi’s Champaran intervention followed in 1917, the Chauri Chaura incident occurred in 1922, and the Dandi March began in 1930. The sequence therefore begins with the partition.
127. Which British measure directly prompted Gandhi’s Rowlatt Satyagraha?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-II 2025, held July 2026]
A. Restrictions on salt production
B. Detention without trial
C. A new system of separate electorates
D. A land revenue settlement
Answer: B. Detention without trial
Explanation: The Rowlatt Act of 1919 empowered colonial authorities to imprison suspects without an ordinary judicial trial. Gandhi condemned these powers and mobilized a hartal and nonviolent protest. The controversy helped bring urban populations into a nationwide campaign.
126. Why was salt particularly effective as the focus of Gandhi’s Civil Disobedience campaign?
[OTET Social Studies 2026]
A. It was consumed only by merchants
B. It concerned only coastal fishermen
C. It was an everyday necessity across social classes
D. It was imported exclusively from Europe
Answer: C. It was an everyday necessity across social classes
Explanation: Salt was essential to Indians regardless of occupation, income or region. By breaking the colonial salt law in 1930, Gandhi made an abstract demand for freedom concrete. The symbol enabled ordinary people to participate in civil disobedience.
125. Which pact suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I 2026]
A. Poona Pact
B. Lahore Pact
C. Gandhi-Irwin Pact
D. Lucknow Pact
Answer: C. Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Explanation: Signed on 5 March 1931, the Gandhi-Irwin Pact provided for the suspension of civil disobedience and Congress participation in the Second Round Table Conference. Certain prisoners were to be released and limited salt-making concessions were accepted.
124. In which year did Gandhi lead the Kheda Satyagraha?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 14 May Shift 2]
A. 1916
B. 1908
C. 1918
D. 1920
Answer: C. 1918
Explanation: The Kheda campaign occurred in 1918 in Gujarat. Farmers affected by crop failure and hardship demanded remission of land revenue. Gandhi and local leaders, especially Vallabhbhai Patel, organized collective refusal to pay until relief was secured.
123. After Gandhi’s arrest, which salt protest was led by Sarojini Naidu?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 12 May Shift 2]
A. Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha
B. Dharasana Salt Works Satyagraha
C. Payyanur Salt Satyagraha
D. Nagpur Salt Satyagraha
Answer: B. Dharasana Salt Works Satyagraha
Explanation: The Dharasana protest took place in Gujarat in May 1930. After Gandhi and Abbas Tyabji were arrested, Sarojini Naidu helped lead nonviolent volunteers towards the government salt works. Reports of the police assault gained international attention.
122. When did Gandhi establish the Satyagraha Sabha at Bombay to resist the Rowlatt Act?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 12 May Shift 2]
A. April 1920
B. April 1919
C. February 1919
D. February 1920
Answer: C. February 1919
Explanation: Gandhi organized the Satyagraha Sabha in February 1919 to coordinate opposition to the proposed repressive legislation. Members pledged nonviolent resistance. The subsequent nationwide hartal demonstrated the potential and difficulties of mobilizing people across India.
121. Which movement launched in August 1942 carried Gandhi’s slogan “Do or Die”?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 10 May Shift 3]
A. Swadeshi Movement
B. Quit India Movement
C. Non-Cooperation Movement
D. Khilafat Movement
Answer: B. Quit India Movement
Explanation: Gandhi delivered the Do or Die call at the All India Congress Committee meeting in Bombay on 8 August 1942. The Quit India resolution demanded an end to British rule. The government immediately arrested major Congress leaders.
120. What distinguished Gandhi’s contribution to the national movement?
[UP PGT History 2026]
A. Restricting politics to elite negotiation
B. Avoiding social issues in favour of constitutional reform
C. Transforming politics into mass struggle through nonviolence and social reform
D. Using armed rebellion as the main tactic
Answer: C. Transforming politics into mass struggle through nonviolence and social reform
Explanation: Gandhi extended nationalism beyond legislative politics by mobilizing peasants, workers, women and students. Satyagraha linked civil disobedience to ethical self-discipline and social reform. His methods connected everyday grievances with the wider goal of national independence.
119. Which statement best describes the socio-economic element of Gandhi’s strategy?
[UP PGT History 2026]
A. It prioritized heavy industrialization
B. It depended chiefly on foreign support
C. It excluded social transformation
D. It connected political struggle with khadi, village industries and reform
Answer: D. It connected political struggle with khadi, village industries and reform
Explanation: Gandhi regarded swaraj as more than a change of rulers. Spinning, khadi, village crafts and campaigns against untouchability promoted self-reliance and dignity. These constructive programmes ran alongside protests and broadened the social meaning of political freedom.
118. Match movements with dates:
(a) Champaran,
(b) Non-Cooperation,
(c) Civil Disobedience,
(d) Quit India;
I. 1920–22,
II. 1917,
III. 1942,
IV. 1930–34.
[UP PGT History 2026]
A. a-I, b-III, c-II, d-IV
B. a-II, b-I, c-IV, d-III
C. a-I, b-II, c-III, d-IV
D. a-IV, b-II, c-I, d-III
Answer: B. a-II, b-I, c-IV, d-III
Explanation: Champaran was conducted in 1917; Non-Cooperation began in 1920 and was withdrawn in 1922. Civil Disobedience opened in 1930 and continued in phases, while Quit India was launched in August 1942. The correct mapping is a-II, b-I, c-IV, d-III.
117. Which periodical was published by Gandhi?
[UP PGT Sociology 2026]
A. Aaj (1920)
B. Yugantar (1906)
C. Bahishkrit Bharat (1927)
D. Indian Opinion (1903)
Answer: D. Indian Opinion (1903)
Explanation: Gandhi helped establish Indian Opinion in South Africa in 1903. It reported the experiences of the Indian diaspora, challenged discriminatory regulations and spread principles associated with satyagraha. The other listed journals were associated with different leaders or movements.
116. In which year did Gandhi lead the Ahmedabad Mill Strike?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 9 May Shift 3]
A. 1918
B. 1928
C. 1916
D. 1935
Answer: A. 1918
Explanation: The Ahmedabad textile dispute occurred in 1918 after mill owners withdrew the plague bonus and workers sought higher wages. Gandhi supported arbitration and conducted a fast during the agitation. The episode became an important experiment with industrial satyagraha.
115. Which incident caused Gandhi to suspend the Non-Cooperation Movement?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I 2026, 9 May]
A. Dandi March
B. Chauri Chaura incident
C. Simon Commission arrival
D. Poona Pact
Answer: B. Chauri Chaura incident
Explanation: In February 1922 protesters attacked and burned a police station at Chauri Chaura, killing policemen. Gandhi believed the violence contradicted satyagraha and withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement. The decision generated debate among nationalists about mass action and discipline.
114. What was a major outcome of the Champaran movement of 1917?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 8 May Shift 2]
A. Abolition of the Tinkathia system
B. Fixing national minimum wages
C. Establishment of cooperative banks
D. Voting rights for peasants
Answer: A. Abolition of the Tinkathia system
Explanation: Gandhi investigated complaints by Champaran’s indigo cultivators against European planters. The ensuing inquiry and legislation ended the coercive Tinkathia arrangement. This victory made Champaran a landmark in the early application of satyagraha in India.
113. What provoked the Rowlatt Satyagraha of 1919?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I 2026, 7 May Shift 3]
A. Abolition of import duties
B. Power to detain people without trial
C. The abolition of salt tax
D. A ban on Indian newspapers abroad
Answer: B. Power to detain people without trial
Explanation: The Rowlatt law extended wartime-style coercive powers into peacetime, allowing detention without the usual safeguards. Gandhi opposed it as a violation of civil liberty and called for a nationwide hartal. Resistance preceded the unrest in Punjab.
112. Which national movement began with Gandhi’s Dandi March in 1930?
[OSSSC Forest Guard 2026, 2 May Shift 3]
A. Non-Cooperation Movement
B. Khilafat Movement
C. Civil Disobedience Movement
D. Quit India Movement
Answer: C. Civil Disobedience Movement
Explanation: Gandhi walked from Sabarmati Ashram to the Gujarat coast and broke the salt law at Dandi on 6 April 1930. This symbolic act inaugurated the Civil Disobedience Movement, encouraging Indians to disobey specified colonial laws nonviolently.
111. Which slogan was associated with the Quit India Movement?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 1 May Shift 3]
A. Swaraj is my birthright
B. Inquilab Zindabad
C. Do or Die
D. Simon Go Back
Answer: C. Do or Die
Explanation: Do or Die was Gandhi’s appeal during the Quit India launch in August 1942. He asked citizens to work for freedom with unwavering determination but within nonviolent principles. The slogan became central to resistance during the Second World War.
110. What was Gandhi’s first nationwide mass movement in India?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 1 May Shift 3]
A. Champaran Satyagraha
B. Quit India Movement
C. Non-Cooperation Movement
D. Civil Disobedience Movement
Answer: C. Non-Cooperation Movement
Explanation: Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda were important local campaigns. The Non-Cooperation Movement of 1920 mobilized Indians on an unprecedented national scale through boycotts of colonial schools, law courts, official honours and imported goods, giving nationalism broad participation.
109. Who was Gandhi’s political mentor among the Moderate leaders?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 1 May Shift 1]
A. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
B. Lala Lajpat Rai
C. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
D. Bipin Chandra Pal
Answer: C. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Explanation: Gopal Krishna Gokhale advocated constitutional reform and public service and greatly influenced Gandhi. After Gandhi returned from South Africa in 1915, Gokhale encouraged him to study Indian conditions firsthand before beginning major political campaigns.
108. Where was Gandhi on 15 August 1947 rather than joining celebrations in Delhi?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 1 May Shift 1]
A. Bombay
B. Delhi
C. Calcutta
D. Lahore
Answer: C. Calcutta
Explanation: Gandhi stayed in riot-affected Calcutta, particularly the Beliaghata area, during independence. Instead of attending official celebrations, he worked to encourage communal peace. His actions reflected his conviction that national freedom required harmony and protection of minorities.
107. Why did Gandhi pursue the Kheda Satyagraha in 1918?
[OSSSC Forest Guard 2026, 29 April Shift 1]
A. Officials rejected revenue remission despite substantial crop damage
B. The Home Rule League compelled him
C. He sought personal popularity in Gujarat
D. The government invited him to mediate
Answer: A. Officials rejected revenue remission despite substantial crop damage
Explanation: Crop failure left Kheda cultivators unable to pay the full revenue demand. Existing rules envisaged relief when crops fell below a prescribed threshold, yet collection continued. Gandhi therefore supported disciplined, collective refusal to pay unjustified dues.
106. Which peasant persuaded Gandhi to visit Champaran?
[OSSSC Forest Guard 2026, 23 April Shift 3]
A. Raj Kumar Shukla
B. J. B. Kripalani
C. Gorakh Prasad
D. Rajendra Prasad
Answer: A. Raj Kumar Shukla
Explanation: Raj Kumar Shukla persistently approached Gandhi at the Lucknow Congress session of 1916 and later meetings. He sought intervention against forced indigo cultivation in Bihar. Gandhi accepted the invitation, leading to the Champaran investigation in 1917.
105. In which year was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 23 April Shift 3]
A. 1931
B. 1927
C. 1928
D. 1936
Answer: A. 1931
Explanation: The agreement was concluded on 5 March 1931 between Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin. Congress suspended civil disobedience and agreed to attend the Second Round Table Conference; the government offered limited concessions, including release of nonviolent political prisoners.
104. Which movement marked Gandhi’s first Satyagraha in India?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 19 April Shift 2]
A. Champaran Satyagraha
B. Kheda Satyagraha
C. Ahmedabad Mill Strike
D. Rowlatt Satyagraha
Answer: A. Champaran Satyagraha
Explanation: Champaran in Bihar was Gandhi’s first major Indian satyagraha, organized in 1917 after complaints about indigo cultivation. Ahmedabad and Kheda followed in 1918, whereas the Rowlatt protest was launched in 1919 on a national scale.
103. Whom did Gandhi call his “Rajya Guru” in May 1915?
[UPSC CDS-I 2026, General Knowledge]
A. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
B. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
C. G. G. Agarkar
D. Dadabhai Naoroji
Answer: A. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Explanation: The specific phrase Rajya Guru in this question referred to Bal Gangadhar Tilak, whom Gandhi honoured at a Pune reception in May 1915. Gopal Krishna Gokhale is separately well known as Gandhi’s political mentor, making the distinction important.
102. Which movement-and-year pair is incorrect?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I 2026, 27 March Shift 2]
A. 1917 – Champaran Satyagraha
B. 1918 – Kheda Satyagraha
C. 1928 – Bardoli Satyagraha
D. 1929 – Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Answer: D. 1929 – Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Explanation: The Gandhi-Irwin Pact belongs to March 1931, not 1929. Champaran was in 1917, Kheda in 1918 and the Bardoli revenue campaign in 1928. Remembering these milestones helps establish the chronology of Gandhian activism.
101. In what year did Gandhi break the Salt Act at Dandi?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I 2026, 25 March]
A. 1929
B. 1931
C. 1928
D. 1930
Answer: D. 1930
Explanation: Gandhi broke the colonial salt law on 6 April 1930 after marching from Sabarmati Ashram. The protest opposed the government’s salt monopoly and became the opening action of nationwide civil disobedience. Its symbolism appealed across communities and classes.
100. Which event led Gandhi to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I 2026, 18 March Shift 2]
A. Alipore bomb case
B. Withdrawal of the Khilafat Movement
C. Chauri Chaura incident
D. Suspension of the Rowlatt Act
Answer: C. Chauri Chaura incident
Explanation: The violent confrontation at Chauri Chaura in February 1922 resulted in the burning of a police station and numerous deaths. Gandhi called off Non-Cooperation because he considered nonviolence essential to the moral integrity of mass protest.
99. Which movement did Congress suspend under the Gandhi-Irwin Pact?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I 2026, 18 March Shift 2]
A. Non-Cooperation Movement
B. Quit India Movement
C. Swadeshi Movement
D. Civil Disobedience Movement
Answer: D. Civil Disobedience Movement
Explanation: Congress agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement when the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed in 1931. The agreement also opened the way for Gandhi to attend the Second Round Table Conference in London as Congress’s representative.
98. What immediate issue was central to Gandhi’s Civil Disobedience campaign of 1930?
[DSSSB MTS 2026, 27 February Shift 1]
A. Abolition of the Salt Tax
B. Abolition of untouchability
C. Reduction in land revenue
D. Complete independence
Answer: A. Abolition of the Salt Tax
Explanation: Although complete independence was the wider national objective, Gandhi chose the salt levy as the immediate symbolic issue. Salt was universally needed, so challenging its monopoly provided an accessible way to demonstrate resistance to colonial economic control.
97. Which pair actively supported Gandhi during the Kheda Satyagraha?
[RRB JE CBT-I 2025, held February 2026]
A. Raj Kumar Shukla and Rajendra Prasad
B. Ambalal Sarabhai and Anasuya Ben
C. Vallabhbhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad
D. Vallabhbhai Patel and Indulal Yajnik
Answer: D. Vallabhbhai Patel and Indulal Yajnik
Explanation: Vallabhbhai Patel and Indulal Yajnik organized support among cultivators in Gujarat during the 1918 campaign. The Kheda peasants demanded revenue remission after crop failure. Their action strengthened local organization through collective, nonviolent resistance.
96. Whom did Gandhi regard as his political mentor?
[SSC MTS 2025 paper, held 10 February 2026 Shift 3]
A. Lala Lajpat Rai
B. Dadabhai Naoroji
C. Subhas Chandra Bose
D. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Answer: D. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Explanation: Gokhale was Gandhi’s political guide and a leading Moderate nationalist. He favoured patient study, reform and public service. His advice to Gandhi in 1915 was to travel across India and understand the people before political intervention.
95. In which state is Kheda, where Gandhi organized a peasant satyagraha?
[SSC MTS 2025 paper, held 10 February 2026 Shift 2]
A. West Bengal
B. Maharashtra
C. Gujarat
D. Uttar Pradesh
Answer: C. Gujarat
Explanation: Kheda is in Gujarat. In 1918 its farmers sought relief from land revenue assessments following crop failures and widespread hardship. Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel helped organize the protest, marking an important stage in agrarian nationalism.
94. Who wrote Hind Swaraj in 1909?
[SSC MTS 2025 paper, held 6 February 2026 Shift 2]
A. Rabindranath Tagore
B. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
C. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
D. Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: D. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Gandhi wrote Hind Swaraj aboard a ship travelling from England to South Africa in 1909. The Gujarati work, also called Indian Home Rule, criticized modern industrial civilization and discussed genuine self-rule, moral reform and nonviolent resistance.
93. Consider: 1. The Rowlatt Act permitted detention without trial. 2. Gandhi launched Rowlatt Satyagraha in April 1917. Which statements are correct?
[AFCAT 2026, 31 January Shift 1]
A. Both 1 and 2
B. Neither 1 nor 2
C. 2 only
D. 1 only
Answer: D. 1 only
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct because the 1919 legislation permitted extraordinary detention. Statement 2 is false: the Rowlatt Satyagraha occurred in 1919, not 1917. The earlier year belongs to Gandhi’s Champaran action in Bihar.
92. The Salt Satyagraha of 1930 directly challenged which British policy?
[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 paper, held 19 January 2026]
A. Heavy land-revenue taxation
B. Monopoly on making and selling salt
C. Restrictions on internal migration
D. Introduction of separate electorates
Answer: B. Monopoly on making and selling salt
Explanation: Colonial law restricted private manufacture and sale of salt while imposing a tax on this essential commodity. Gandhi’s march to Dandi and symbolic salt-making on 6 April 1930 challenged that monopoly and launched wider civil disobedience.
91. With whom are Phoenix Farm and Tolstoy Farm associated?
[UGC NET Education, 3 January 2026 Shift 2]
A. Jiddu Krishnamurti
B. Sri Aurobindo
C. John Dewey
D. M. K. Gandhi
Answer: D. M. K. Gandhi
Explanation: Gandhi established Phoenix Settlement in 1904 and Tolstoy Farm in 1910 in South Africa. These communities emphasized cooperative work, simple living, education and self-reliance while providing organizational support for satyagraha against discriminatory laws.
90. In which year was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact concluded?
[OSSSC Combined Recruitment Exam 2025]
A. 1928
B. 1929
C. 1930
D. 1931
Answer: D. 1931
Explanation: The agreement dates to 5 March 1931. It was reached during Lord Irwin’s viceroyalty after the first phase of Civil Disobedience. In return for concessions, Congress agreed to suspend the campaign and enter further constitutional discussions.
89. The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 supported which group?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-II 2025, 13 October Shift 1]
A. Peasant tenants in Awadh
B. Tea plantation workers in Assam
C. Cotton mill workers in Bombay
D. Indigo farmers in Bihar
Answer: D. Indigo farmers in Bihar
Explanation: Champaran indigo farmers suffered coercive agreements imposed by European planters. Gandhi travelled to Bihar at Raj Kumar Shukla’s insistence, gathered evidence and confronted official orders peacefully. The inquiry eventually brought important relief to cultivators.
88. Identify caste-based reform movements: I. Young Bengal; II. Self-Respect; III. Theosophical; IV. Vaikom Satyagraha.
[IB Security Assistant 2025, 29 September Shift 3]
A. IV only
B. II and IV only
C. I, II and III
D. III and IV only
Answer: B. II and IV only
Explanation: The Self-Respect Movement attacked caste hierarchy and unequal social customs, while Vaikom Satyagraha challenged untouchability restrictions on public roads near a Kerala temple. Young Bengal promoted intellectual reform and the Theosophical Society had a broader religious focus.
87. About Ahmedabad Mill Labour Movement 1918:
1. Gandhi participated.
2. Anasuya Ben, sister of mill owner Ambalal Sarabhai, supported workers.
3. The dispute involved a plague bonus.
Which are correct?
[IB ACIO Grade-II 2025, 18 September Shift 2]
A. Only 1 and 3
B. All 1, 2 and 3
C. Only 1
D. Only 2 and 3
Answer: B. All 1, 2 and 3
Explanation: All statements describe the 1918 Ahmedabad dispute. Workers protested a proposed reduction in plague-related compensation. Anasuya Sarabhai championed labour interests despite her brother’s position among mill owners, and Gandhi mediated through nonviolent collective action.
86. The Champaran Agrarian Committee was appointed following an understanding between whom?
[71st BPSC CCE 2025]
A. Government and Raj Kumar Shukla
B. Government and Mahatma Gandhi
C. Government and Rajendra Prasad
D. Government and Anugrah Narayan Sinha
Answer: B. Government and Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: The government formed an inquiry committee after Gandhi’s peaceful intervention in Champaran. Gandhi participated in examining the complaints of indigo cultivators. The resulting recommendations led to legislative changes curbing forced cultivation and unlawful exactions by planters.
85. Where did Gandhi launch his first satyagraha campaign in India?
[MP Excise Constable 2025, 11 September Shift 1]
A. Champaran
B. Calcutta
C. Baroda
D. Delhi
Answer: A. Champaran
Explanation: Champaran in Bihar witnessed Gandhi’s first major Indian satyagraha in 1917. Raj Kumar Shukla appealed to him on behalf of indigo cultivators. Gandhi’s investigation and civil disobedience drew attention to the peasants’ contractual exploitation.
84. Which initiative first drew Gandhi into mass national politics with the Khilafat cause?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I 2025]
A. Non-Cooperation Movement
B. Home Rule League
C. Swadeshi Boycott of 1905
D. Individual Satyagraha
Answer: A. Non-Cooperation Movement
Explanation: The Non-Cooperation Movement united opposition to colonial repression with Khilafat concerns beginning in 1920. Gandhi urged withdrawal of cooperation from government-controlled institutions. This collaboration expanded political participation but later encountered tensions and was suspended in 1922.
83. Which event changed Gandhi from a comparatively moderate public figure into a mass leader?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I 2025, 19 August Shift 1]
A. Jallianwala Bagh massacre
B. Salt Satyagraha
C. Rowlatt Act protest
D. Champaran Satyagraha
Answer: D. Champaran Satyagraha
Explanation: The 1917 Champaran campaign showed Gandhi could secure concessions by mobilizing ordinary cultivators through peaceful resistance. Its success established his reputation in India before he led nationwide protests against the Rowlatt Act and later colonial government.
82. Which cultivation system was abolished following Champaran Satyagraha?
[BSSC Field Assistant 2025]
A. Tinkathia system
B. Mahalwari system
C. Ryotwari system
D. Permanent Settlement
Answer: A. Tinkathia system
Explanation: Tinkathia forced tenants to plant indigo on three kathas out of twenty, or roughly three-twentieths of their holdings. Gandhi investigated the arrangement in 1917. Reforms associated with the Champaran Agrarian Act ended the exploitative obligation.
81. Which leader, later India’s first President, assisted the Champaran campaign?
[BPSC District Statistical Officer 2025]
A. Anugrah Narayan Sinha
B. Rajendra Prasad
C. Jayaprakash Narayan
D. Shri Krishna Sinha
Answer: B. Rajendra Prasad
Explanation: Rajendra Prasad helped Gandhi during the 1917 agitation by assisting local organization and investigation. The movement opposed indigo planters’ coercion of tenants. Prasad’s participation strengthened his public career before he ultimately became independent India’s first President.
80. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas commemorates which leader’s return from South Africa?
[SSC Selection Post 2025, 30 July Shift 2]
A. Lala Lajpat Rai
B. Sarojini Naidu
C. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
D. Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: D. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is marked on 9 January, the date Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915. The commemoration honours the overseas Indian community and its contribution to the development of India.
79. Which book did Gandhi describe as casting a “magic spell” upon him?
[UGC NET History 2025, 28 June]
A. Unto This Last
B. The Republic
C. Gitanjali
D. The Wealth of Nations
Answer: A. Unto This Last
Explanation: John Ruskin’s Unto This Last had a profound effect on Gandhi, reinforcing his belief in the dignity of labour and welfare of all. He later rendered its ideas into Gujarati under the title Sarvodaya.
78. Consider statements about the Dandi March: (a) It covered roughly 240 miles. (b) It led directly to the Poona Pact. Choose the correct answer.
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I 2025]
A. Only (a)
B. Only (b)
C. Both (a) and (b)
D. Neither (a) nor (b)
Answer: A. Only (a)
Explanation: The march from Sabarmati to Dandi covered about 240 miles in March–April 1930. The Poona Pact was negotiated separately in 1932 over political representation for the Depressed Classes, so it was not the direct outcome of the Salt March.
77. Who worked with Gandhi in organizing the 1918 Kheda Satyagraha?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I 2025, 11 June Shift 1]
A. Raj Kumar Shukla
B. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
C. Subhas Chandra Bose
D. Lala Lajpat Rai
Answer: B. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Explanation: Vallabhbhai Patel coordinated villagers and encouraged collective resistance during the Kheda campaign. Crop losses made tax payment difficult, while government demands continued. The experience helped establish Patel’s leadership in Gujarat and his political partnership with Gandhi.
76. Who led Champaran Satyagraha in 1917?
[70th BPSC CCE Re-examination 2025]
A. Jawaharlal Nehru
B. Subhas Chandra Bose
C. Sardar Patel
D. Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: D. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Mahatma Gandhi led the Champaran campaign after investigating the grievances of indigo cultivators in Bihar. His nonviolent refusal to obey an expulsion order transformed a local agrarian dispute into a powerful demonstration of civil resistance.
75. Who gave the principal call for the Quit India Movement?
[SSC MTS 2024, 13 November]
A. Subhas Chandra Bose
B. Mahatma Gandhi
C. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
D. Lala Lajpat Rai
Answer: B. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Gandhi called for British withdrawal at the All India Congress Committee session in Bombay in August 1942. His Do or Die appeal became a defining slogan of the Quit India Movement, despite swift detention of Congress leadership.
74. Which of the following historical event-year pairs is wrongly matched?
[APSSB CSLE 2024]
A. Champaran – 1917
B. Kheda – 1918
C. Gandhi-Irwin Pact – 1932
D. Dandi March – 1930
Answer: C. Gandhi-Irwin Pact – 1932
Explanation: The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed in March 1931, not 1932. The other dates are correct: Gandhi intervened at Champaran in 1917 and Kheda in 1918, and he launched the Salt March in 1930.
73. In which district did Gandhi organize his first Indian Satyagraha?
[SSC MTS 2024, 15 October]
A. Ahmedabad
B. Champaran
C. Kheda
D. Bardoli
Answer: B. Champaran
Explanation: Champaran is a district of Bihar where European planters forced tenants to cultivate indigo. Gandhi visited in 1917 at the insistence of Raj Kumar Shukla, beginning his first major satyagraha in India and obtaining agrarian reforms.
72. In which country did Gandhi and other Indians establish the Natal Indian Congress to oppose discrimination?
[SSC CGL 2024, 26 September Shift 3]
A. South Africa
B. India
C. England
D. France
Answer: A. South Africa
Explanation: The Natal Indian Congress was founded in 1894 in the British colony of Natal, now in South Africa. Gandhi and fellow Indians used it to campaign against racial discrimination, coordinate petitions and advocate civil and political rights for the Indian community.
71. Which region witnessed Gandhi’s 1917 campaign for indigo cultivators?
[SSC CGL 2024, 17 September]
A. Bardoli
B. Champaran
C. Ahmedabad
D. Kheda
Answer: B. Champaran
Explanation: Champaran, now in Bihar, became the setting for Gandhi’s first major Indian satyagraha. He investigated complaints against European indigo planters, especially the Tinkathia cultivation obligation. The episode attracted lawyers and local volunteers to the nationalist cause.
70. Arrange the events in E. V. Ramasamy’s life:
(1) President of Justice Party;
(2) joined Congress;
(3) President of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee;
(4) organized Vaikom Satyagraha.
[TNPSC Group II 2024]
A. (2), (4), (3), (1)
B. (4), (1), (3), (2)
C. (2), (3), (4), (1)
D. (3), (1), (4), (2)
Answer: C. (2), (3), (4), (1)
Explanation: Periyar joined the Congress before becoming president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. He played a prominent role in the 1924 Vaikom campaign against caste restrictions on public roads. His leadership of the Justice Party came much later, in 1938.
69. Which Satyagraha protested the exploitation of peasants forced to cultivate indigo?
[SSC CGL 2024, 11 September]
A. Kheda Satyagraha
B. Champaran Satyagraha
C. Vaikom Satyagraha
D. Bardoli Satyagraha
Answer: B. Champaran Satyagraha
Explanation: The Champaran agitation concerned indigo tenants compelled to cultivate part of their holdings for European planters. Gandhi’s inquiry in 1917 led to government investigation and eventual abolition of the coercive Tinkathia arrangement.
68. Which was Gandhi’s first major Satyagraha on Indian soil?
[SSC CGL 2024, 10 September]
A. Kheda
B. Champaran
C. Bardoli
D. Ahmedabad
Answer: B. Champaran
Explanation: Gandhi’s first widely recognized satyagraha in India occurred in Champaran in 1917. Earlier he had experimented with the method in South Africa. The Bihar struggle centered on indigo cultivation and demonstrated collective nonviolent resistance.
67. What was Gandhi’s first successful Satyagraha in India?
[UP Police Constable Re-exam 2024]
A. Champaran
B. Bardoli
C. Salt March
D. Quit India
Answer: A. Champaran
Explanation: Champaran in 1917 is considered Gandhi’s first successful Indian satyagraha. Peasants protested the restrictions and exactions of European indigo planters. Government inquiry and subsequent legislative action weakened the compulsory cultivation system.
66. Who authored the political work Hind Swaraj?
[WBCS Mains 2023 paper, held August 2024]
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
C. Bipin Chandra Pal
D. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Answer: A. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Hind Swaraj was written by Gandhi in Gujarati in 1909 and later translated into English as Indian Home Rule. It addressed self-government, technology, modern civilization and ethical resistance through a dialogue between editor and reader.
65. At which Congress session did Raj Kumar Shukla first invite Gandhi to Champaran?
[SSC CPO 2024, 29 June]
A. Surat session 1907
B. Lucknow session 1916
C. Calcutta session 1920
D. Lahore session 1929
Answer: B. Lucknow session 1916
Explanation: Raj Kumar Shukla met Gandhi at the 1916 Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress. He persistently requested Gandhi’s help against indigo planters. Gandhi eventually travelled to Bihar in 1917 to investigate farmers’ conditions.
64. What was the main cause of the Champaran Satyagraha?
[DSSSB Assistant Engineer 2024]
A. Forced indigo cultivation under Tinkathia
B. Increased railway fares
C. Restrictions on spinning cloth
D. A separate electorate proposal
Answer: A. Forced indigo cultivation under Tinkathia
Explanation: The coercive Tinkathia system obliged tenants to grow indigo on part of their land. Gandhi’s 1917 investigation collected testimony and exposed exploitation. Official inquiry and reform followed, helping place agrarian grievances in the nationalist mainstream.
63. Gandhi’s first Indian satyagraha took place at which location?
[SSC Selection Post 2024, 21 June]
A. Ahmedabad
B. Kheda
C. Champaran
D. Dandi
Answer: C. Champaran
Explanation: Champaran was the venue of Gandhi’s first major satyagraha in India in 1917. Ahmedabad and Kheda followed in 1918, while Dandi belongs to the Salt March of 1930. Comparing these dates clarifies their historical sequence.
62. In which year did Gandhi return to India after his work in South Africa?
[DSSSB Jail Warder 2024]
A. 1905
B. 1910
C. 1915
D. 1920
Answer: C. 1915
Explanation: Gandhi returned to India on 9 January 1915 after more than two decades of experience in South Africa. The organizational and moral methods developed there shaped his later Indian campaigns in Champaran, Ahmedabad, Kheda and beyond.
61. What is the correct sequence of Champaran Satyagraha, Non-Cooperation, Flag Satyagraha and Salt March?
[Chandigarh JBT 2024]
A. Champaran, Non-Cooperation, Flag Satyagraha, Salt March
B. Salt March, Champaran, Non-Cooperation, Flag Satyagraha
C. Non-Cooperation, Champaran, Salt March, Flag Satyagraha
D. Flag Satyagraha, Salt March, Champaran, Non-Cooperation
Answer: A. Champaran, Non-Cooperation, Flag Satyagraha, Salt March
Explanation: The order is Champaran in 1917, Non-Cooperation from 1920, the Flag Satyagraha in 1923 and Salt March in 1930. These movements illustrate the expanding repertoire of nonviolent protest during the freedom struggle.
60. In which year did Gandhi visit Champaran to study the conditions of indigo farmers?
[Bihar Teacher TRE-3 2024]
A. 1915
B. 1916
C. 1917
D. 1919
Answer: C. 1917
Explanation: Gandhi came to Champaran in 1917 after repeated appeals from Raj Kumar Shukla. He interviewed villagers, gathered evidence against plantation practices and defied an order to depart. The ensuing campaign won reforms in cultivation arrangements.
59. The 1913 march from Newcastle towards the Transvaal was associated with whose South African struggle?
[Bihar Teacher TRE 2024]
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
C. Jawaharlal Nehru
D. Subhas Chandra Bose
Answer: A. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: During the 1913 South African satyagraha, Gandhi led or inspired organized resistance involving Indian workers and families. The protest challenged discriminatory measures and restrictions. It formed part of the campaign that helped secure concessions through the Indian Relief Act.
58. Consider: (1) Rowlatt Satyagraha was an early all-India struggle against British rule, although primarily urban. (2) The Rowlatt Act curtailed civil liberties and increased police powers. Which statements are correct?
[CGPSC Prelims 2024]
A. Both (1) and (2)
B. Only (1)
C. Only (2)
D. Neither
Answer: A. Both (1) and (2)
Explanation: Both are correct. The Rowlatt Act of 1919 expanded coercive colonial powers and allowed detention without normal judicial safeguards. Gandhi organized nationwide protest, but participation was concentrated in many urban centres and its scale remained uneven across India.
57. Which book is Gandhi’s autobiography?
[Delhi Police Constable 2023, 1 December]
A. India Wins Freedom
B. The Story of My Experiments with Truth
C. Discovery of India
D. Glimpses of World History
Answer: B. The Story of My Experiments with Truth
Explanation: Gandhi’s autobiography is The Story of My Experiments with Truth, originally serialized in Gujarati as Satya Na Prayogo. It describes his development, moral struggles and experiments in truth and nonviolence rather than functioning solely as a political memoir.
56. Who authored The Story of My Experiments with Truth?
[Delhi Police Constable 2023, 30 November]
A. Jawaharlal Nehru
B. Mahatma Gandhi
C. Rabindranath Tagore
D. Subhas Chandra Bose
Answer: B. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Mahatma Gandhi wrote the autobiographical account, published serially in the 1920s. It discusses formative experiences in India, England and South Africa, showing how he developed principles of satyagraha, self-discipline and nonviolent public action.
55. Gandhi’s first major public appearance in India took place at the inauguration of which institution in 1916?
[Delhi Police Constable 2023, 28 November]
A. Aligarh Muslim University
B. Banaras Hindu University
C. Calcutta University
D. Visva-Bharati
Answer: B. Banaras Hindu University
Explanation: Gandhi spoke at the inauguration of Banaras Hindu University in February 1916. He criticized ostentation among elites and drew attention to the deprivation of ordinary Indians. The speech foreshadowed his later emphasis on mass participation.
54. Which was Gandhi’s earliest Satyagraha in British India?
[SSC MTS 2023, 13 September]
A. Champaran Satyagraha
B. Kheda Satyagraha
C. Salt Satyagraha
D. Ahmedabad Mill Strike
Answer: A. Champaran Satyagraha
Explanation: The first major satyagraha led by Gandhi in India took place in 1917 at Champaran, Bihar. Local indigo farmers sought relief from exploitative plantation contracts. Gandhi’s investigation prompted official examination and reforms.
53. Which statement about Gandhi’s Champaran action is incorrect?
[SSC MTS 2023, 11 September]
A. It involved indigo cultivators
B. It took place in Bihar
C. It occurred in 1910
D. It was associated with Raj Kumar Shukla
Answer: C. It occurred in 1910
Explanation: Champaran Satyagraha took place in 1917, not 1910. Raj Kumar Shukla invited Gandhi to investigate indigo tenants’ grievances in Bihar. It became Gandhi’s earliest major Indian satyagraha and led to changes in the Tinkathia arrangement.
52. Which autobiography describes Gandhi’s experiments with truth?
[SSC MTS 2023, 11 September, another shift]
A. My Experiments with Truth
B. The Indian Struggle
C. Why I Am an Atheist
D. Unhappy India
Answer: A. My Experiments with Truth
Explanation: Gandhi’s autobiographical work is commonly known as The Story of My Experiments with Truth. It recounts experiences shaping his ethical development and explains how truth, discipline and nonviolence informed his personal life and later public campaigns.
51. In what year did Gandhi launch the Champaran Satyagraha?
[MP Police Constable 2023]
A. 1915
B. 1916
C. 1917
D. 1919
Answer: C. 1917
Explanation: The Champaran agitation began in 1917 after Gandhi visited Bihar to study the grievances of indigo farmers. By combining fact-finding, public mobilization and peaceful defiance, he helped secure recognition of agrarian abuses.
50. In which year did the Champaran Satyagraha occur?
[SSC CGL Tier-I 2023, 24 July]
A. 1916
B. 1917
C. 1918
D. 1921
Answer: B. 1917
Explanation: The 1917 Champaran Satyagraha challenged the coercive system under which peasant tenants cultivated indigo for European planters. It was followed by Gandhi’s Ahmedabad and Kheda campaigns in 1918, clarifying the chronology of his early activism.
49. Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in which month and year?
[SSC CGL Tier-I 2023, 19 July Shift 3]
A. January 1915
B. January 1912
C. January 1914
D. January 1913
Answer: A. January 1915
Explanation: Gandhi arrived in Bombay on 9 January 1915 following his South African campaigns. He subsequently travelled through India before participating actively in local struggles. His return is commemorated annually as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
48. Which was Gandhi’s first nationwide protest in India?
[CRPF Constable Technical Tradesman 2023, 5 July Shift 1]
A. Kheda Satyagraha
B. Champaran Satyagraha
C. Rowlatt Satyagraha
D. Ahmedabad Mill Strike
Answer: C. Rowlatt Satyagraha
Explanation: The 1919 Rowlatt campaign was Gandhi’s first major effort at coordinating protest across India. Earlier struggles at Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda were regional. The nationwide hartal protested coercive legislation permitting detention without trial.
47. Put these campaigns in chronological order: I. Rowlatt Satyagraha; II. Kheda Satyagraha; III. Salt March.
[SSB Constable 2023, 22 June Shift 3]
A. II-I-III
B. II-III-I
C. I-III-II
D. I-II-III
Answer: A. II-I-III
Explanation: Kheda took place in 1918, the Rowlatt Satyagraha in 1919 and the Salt March in 1930. The correct sequence therefore runs II, I, III. Their aims ranged from land-revenue relief to civil liberties and defiance of the salt monopoly.
46. Where did Gandhi first begin Satyagraha in India?
[MP Forest Guard 2023, 14 June]
A. Champaran
B. Ahmedabad
C. Dandi
D. Bardoli
Answer: A. Champaran
Explanation: Champaran in Bihar became the starting point of Gandhi’s major Indian satyagraha in 1917. The campaign addressed coercive indigo cultivation. Ahmedabad and Kheda followed a year later, while Dandi became nationally important in 1930.
45. In what year was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed?
[SSC MTS 2023, 14 June Shift 2]
A. 1928
B. 1935
C. 1931
D. 1929
Answer: C. 1931
Explanation: The pact was signed on 5 March 1931 by Gandhi and Lord Irwin. It temporarily suspended civil disobedience and facilitated Congress attendance at the Second Round Table Conference. It followed the popular Salt Satyagraha of 1930.
44. In which year was Gandhi’s book Hind Swaraj published?
[MP Patwari 2022 recruitment, exam held 20 April 2023]
A. 1909
B. 1915
C. 1917
D. 1919
Answer: A. 1909
Explanation: Hind Swaraj was written in 1909 and originally published in Gujarati. Gandhi framed it as a dialogue criticizing modern civilization and offering an ethical conception of Indian self-rule. Its ideas reflect his early South African political thinking.
43. Which pairs are correct? I. Champaran 1917 – first Civil Disobedience. II. Ahmedabad 1918 – first hunger strike. III. Kheda 1919 – first Non-Cooperation.
[CRPF Head Constable 2023, 27 February Shift 2]
A. Only I and II
B. Only II and III
C. Only I and III
D. I, II and III
Answer: A. Only I and II
Explanation: Statements I and II match familiar milestones of Gandhi’s early Indian activism. Statement III is wrong because Kheda Satyagraha took place in 1918, not 1919. The Rowlatt nationwide satyagraha followed in 1919.
42. Which location is associated with Gandhi’s first Indian Satyagraha?
[MP Excise Constable 2023, 22 February]
A. Champaran
B. Bardoli
C. Dandi
D. Chauri Chaura
Answer: A. Champaran
Explanation: Gandhi’s 1917 action at Champaran investigated exploitation by indigo planters. The movement showed how disciplined nonviolent resistance could secure administrative inquiry and reform. Bardoli and Dandi belong to later stages of anti-colonial struggle.
41. When was the Harijan Sevak Sangh founded following the Poona Pact?
[SSC GD Constable 2022 paper, held 25 January 2023 Shift 2]
A. 1938
B. 1932
C. 1936
D. 1940
Answer: B. 1932
Explanation: The Harijan Sevak Sangh was founded in 1932 during Gandhi’s campaign against untouchability. The Poona Pact of September 1932 addressed representation of the Depressed Classes. The Sangh sought to promote education, social reform and the elimination of caste discrimination.
40. Which work did Gandhi translate into Gujarati under the title Sarvodaya?
[APPSC Group-I Prelims 2022 paper, held 8 January 2023]
A. John Ruskin – Unto This Last
B. Leo Tolstoy – The Kingdom of God Is Within You
C. Karl Marx – Das Kapital
D. Maxim Gorky – The Lower Depths
Answer: A. John Ruskin – Unto This Last
Explanation: Gandhi translated and adapted Ruskin’s Unto This Last as Sarvodaya. The book encouraged his belief that the welfare of each person depends upon that of all and that useful labour has dignity regardless of occupation.
39. Which sequence is chronological: D-Champaran, A-Jallianwala Bagh, C-Dandi March, F-Bhagat Singh’s execution, E-Quit India, B-Bose reached Japan?
[Telangana Police Constable Mains 2023]
A. D-A-C-F-E-B
B. D-A-F-C-E-B
C. A-D-E-B-F-C
D. A-D-C-F-B-E
Answer: A. D-A-C-F-E-B
Explanation: The events occurred in 1917 (Champaran), 1919 (Jallianwala Bagh), 1930 (Dandi), 1931 (Bhagat Singh’s execution), 1942 (Quit India) and 1943 (Bose’s arrival in Japan). This gives the sequence D-A-C-F-E-B.
38. When was the Kheda Satyagraha conducted?
[JKSSB Sub-Inspector 2022, 16 December Shift 2]
A. 1915
B. 1916
C. 1917
D. 1918
Answer: D. 1918
Explanation: Kheda Satyagraha took place in 1918 amid widespread crop failure in Gujarat. Farmers refused revenue demands because of their inability to pay. Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel and others organized the peaceful campaign for tax remission.
37. Who led the Champaran Satyagraha against oppressive indigo cultivation?
[OSSC Block Social Security Officer 2022]
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. Lala Lajpat Rai
C. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
D. Subhas Chandra Bose
Answer: A. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Gandhi led the Champaran protest in 1917 after investigating coercive plantation practices in Bihar. He relied on peaceful defiance and detailed evidence collection. The result included official inquiry and legislation reforming indigo cultivation obligations.
36. In which year was Hind Swaraj published?
[Delhi Police Head Constable 2022, 14 October Shift 2]
A. 1909
B. 1920
C. 1908
D. 1911
Answer: A. 1909
Explanation: Gandhi composed Hind Swaraj in 1909 while returning from England to South Africa. Its conversational format explored Indian self-rule and the problems of modern civilization. The work influenced later debates about nonviolence and swadeshi.
35. Hind Swaraj was an early major writing of which freedom fighter?
[RRB Group D 2022, 5 September Shift 3]
A. Jawaharlal Nehru
B. Lala Lajpat Rai
C. Dadabhai Naoroji
D. Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: D. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Hind Swaraj, also titled Indian Home Rule, was written by Gandhi in 1909. Unlike a conventional history book, it presents a sustained argument concerning civilization, freedom, methods of resistance and the ethical obligations of citizens.
34. In which year did Gandhi write Hind Swaraj?
[Rajasthan VDO Mains 2022, 9 July]
A. 1897
B. 1906
C. 1909
D. 1919
Answer: C. 1909
Explanation: Gandhi wrote Hind Swaraj in 1909. The work emerged from his transoceanic journey and experiences in South Africa, where he confronted racial discrimination. It proposed self-rule grounded in self-restraint, moral regeneration and nonviolent action.
33. Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in which year?
[APSSB Forest Guard 2022, 26 June]
A. 1913
B. 1914
C. 1915
D. 1916
Answer: C. 1915
Explanation: Gandhi returned permanently to India in January 1915, after campaigns among Indian communities in South Africa. His experiences with petitions, organization and satyagraha influenced his subsequent leadership of Indian social and political movements.
32. In what year did Gandhi conduct the Champaran Satyagraha?
[RRB NTPC CBT-II Level 6 2022, 9 May]
A. 1916
B. 1917
C. 1918
D. 1920
Answer: B. 1917
Explanation: The Champaran Satyagraha was organized in Bihar in 1917 to support indigo cultivators. Gandhi challenged an order to leave the district and led a fact-finding effort that helped bring government attention and legislative reform.
31. Which statement about Gandhi is incorrect?
[NHPC Junior Engineer 2022, 4 April Shift 1]
A. He returned from South Africa in January 1915
B. He was born at Porbandar in 1869
C. He helped peasants during the Kheda Satyagraha in 1918
D. He became Congress president in 1927
Answer: D. He became Congress president in 1927
Explanation: Gandhi presided over the Indian National Congress session at Belgaum in 1924, not in 1927. His return in January 1915, birth at Porbandar on 2 October 1869 and role at Kheda in 1918 are correct.
30. The Champaran Satyagraha took place in which state?
[DSSSB Junior Secretariat Assistant 2022, 1 April Shift 2]
A. Odisha
B. Gujarat
C. Bihar
D. West Bengal
Answer: C. Bihar
Explanation: Champaran lies in Bihar. The 1917 Satyagraha challenged the compulsory cultivation of indigo under exploitative agreements. Gandhi’s campaign involved investigation, legal resistance and constructive social activities such as improving local sanitation and education.
29. Consider:
I. The Champaran movement opposed indigo planters.
II. Under the Permanent Settlement, rajas and taluqdars were recognized as zamindars.
Which statements are correct?
[DSSSB NDMC Primary Teacher, 23 March 2022 Shift 2]
A. Only II
B. Only I
C. Neither I nor II
D. Both I and II
Answer: D. Both I and II
Explanation: Both statements are correct. Champaran’s cultivators resisted exploitative indigo planting arrangements, which Gandhi investigated in 1917. The Permanent Settlement of 1793 recognized zamindars, including many rajas and taluqdars, as land-revenue intermediaries liable to pay fixed sums to the colonial government.
28. In what year was the Champaran movement launched by Gandhi?
[OSSC Soil Conservation Extension Worker 2022]
A. 1917
B. 1905
C. 1885
D. 1922
Answer: A. 1917
Explanation: Gandhi launched the Champaran agitation in 1917 after receiving appeals about forced indigo cultivation. It was his first major Indian satyagraha. The experience helped demonstrate how organized nonviolence and scrutiny of unjust systems could bring change.
27. When did Gandhi lead his first South African Satyagraha against the Asiatic Registration legislation?
[SSC Selection Post HSC Level 2022, 9 February Shift 2]
A. 1896–97
B. 1913–14
C. 1906–07
D. 1903–04
Answer: C. 1906–07
Explanation: The South African satyagraha emerged in 1906–07 against compulsory Asian registration in the Transvaal. Gandhi urged Indians to reject discriminatory rules without violence. The campaign helped establish the method later adapted to mass movements in India.
26. When did Gandhi come back to India after his South African years?
[DSSSB Personal Assistant Grade-II 2022]
A. 1909
B. 1911
C. 1915
D. 1919
Answer: C. 1915
Explanation: Gandhi arrived in India in January 1915. Before that he had practiced law, mobilized Indian residents and organized resistance in South Africa. On returning, he sought to understand Indian society before leading major local campaigns.
25. Champaran Satyagraha originated in which present-day state?
[JKSSB Junior Assistant 2022, 25 January Shift 1]
A. Assam
B. Madhya Pradesh
C. West Bengal
D. Bihar
Answer: D. Bihar
Explanation: The movement originated in Champaran, Bihar, where tenant farmers faced pressure from European indigo planters. Raj Kumar Shukla encouraged Gandhi to visit the district in 1917, leading to his first major Indian satyagraha.
24. What was Gandhi’s first major Satyagraha in India?
[MP Police Constable 2022]
A. Kheda
B. Champaran
C. Ahmedabad
D. Bardoli
Answer: B. Champaran
Explanation: Champaran in 1917 preceded both the Ahmedabad strike and the Kheda Satyagraha of 1918. It focused on plantation exploitation and helped introduce Gandhi’s methods of disciplined nonviolent resistance to a national audience.
23. The famous Kheda Satyagraha was launched primarily for what demand?
[MPPSC Assistant Professor History Paper-II 2022]
A. Opposition to plantation contracts
B. Rights of textile workers
C. Relief from taxes after crop failure
D. None of these
Answer: C. Relief from taxes after crop failure
Explanation: Peasants in Kheda sought relief from land revenue demands after severe crop losses. Gandhi encouraged nonviolent refusal to pay assessments considered unjust in the circumstances. The campaign differs from the indigo issue at Champaran and wage demands in Ahmedabad.
22. Consider statements about Vaikom Satyagraha:
1. It opposed untouchability.
2. Gandhi associated himself with the campaign.
Which is correct?
[UPPSC / UPPCS Prelims 2021]
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C. Both 1 and 2
Explanation: The Vaikom agitation in Travancore protested the exclusion of oppressed castes from public roads surrounding a temple. Gandhi visited Vaikom in 1925 and encouraged negotiated reform, although the campaign itself was organized by several local leaders.
21. Which American journalist reported the police violence at Dharasana Salt Works?
[UPPCS Prelims 2021]
A. Francis Louis
B. Mark Tully
C. Web Miller
D. Philip Spratt
Answer: C. Web Miller
Explanation: Webb Miller reported the brutal assault on nonviolent satyagrahis at Dharasana in May 1930. His dispatches reached audiences abroad and strengthened international awareness of the methods and repression involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
20. Which Russian thinker strongly influenced Gandhi’s views on nonviolence?
[WBCS Prelims 2021]
A. Leo Tolstoy
B. Charles Dickens
C. Karl Marx
D. Abraham Lincoln
Answer: A. Leo Tolstoy
Explanation: Leo Tolstoy’s writings on nonviolence, morality and resistance to injustice deeply influenced Gandhi. Their correspondence included discussions of love and spiritual strength. Gandhi named Tolstoy Farm in South Africa in honour of the Russian writer.
19. Which journal did Gandhi publish in South Africa?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I 2021]
A. Indian Opinion
B. The Statesman
C. The Hindu
D. Kesari
Answer: A. Indian Opinion
Explanation: Indian Opinion began publication in 1903 and was closely associated with Gandhi’s South African work. It offered a public voice to Indian communities facing discrimination and helped explain the ideas underlying collective nonviolent resistance.
18. Which sequence correctly orders Gandhi’s return to India, Non-Cooperation, Dandi March and Quit India?
[RRB NTPC CBT-I 2021]
A. 1915, 1920, 1930, 1942
B. 1920, 1915, 1942, 1930
C. 1915, 1930, 1920, 1942
D. 1930, 1915, 1942, 1920
Answer: A. 1915, 1920, 1930, 1942
Explanation: Gandhi returned from South Africa in 1915. The Non-Cooperation Movement began in 1920, the Salt March took place in 1930 and Quit India followed in 1942. The dates mark successive stages of mass mobilization.
17. Where did Gandhi address a major gathering at the inauguration of an Indian university in 1916?
[UPSC CDS 2021 General Knowledge]
A. Banaras Hindu University
B. Aligarh Muslim University
C. University of Bombay
D. University of Madras
Answer: A. Banaras Hindu University
Explanation: Gandhi’s speech at the inaugural ceremonies of Banaras Hindu University in February 1916 drew attention to the condition of India’s poor and criticized ostentation among elites. It is remembered as an early public address after his return.
16. In which country did Gandhi first develop nonviolent noncooperation as a political method?
[WBPSC Clerkship 2019 exam, held January 2020]
A. India
B. South Africa
C. England
D. United States
Answer: B. South Africa
Explanation: Gandhi developed practical methods of satyagraha while organizing Indians against discriminatory policies in South Africa. His resistance to registration laws and other injustices preceded his later application of disciplined mass nonviolence in India.
15. Which 1918 movement involved Gandhi in a dispute between textile workers and industrialists?
[MPSC State Services 2019]
A. Champaran
B. Kheda
C. Ahmedabad Mill Strike
D. Bardoli
Answer: C. Ahmedabad Mill Strike
Explanation: The Ahmedabad dispute of 1918 arose over wages and withdrawal of a plague bonus. Gandhi supported workers’ demands, promoted arbitration and undertook a fast. It was distinct from peasant campaigns in Champaran and Kheda.
14. Under the Tinkathia system, what share of a cultivator’s land was required for indigo?
[UP PGT History 2019]
A. One-tenth
B. Three-twentieths
C. One-half
D. One-third
Answer: B. Three-twentieths
Explanation: The term Tinkathia referred to three kathas out of twenty kathas, equivalent to three-twentieths of a tenant’s holding. It was associated with the compulsory indigo cultivation opposed by Gandhi in Champaran in 1917.
13. Which Indian founded the Natal Indian Congress (NIC)?
[SSC MTS 2019, 16 August Shift 2]
A. Govind Ranade
B. Mahatma Gandhi
C. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
D. Jawaharlal Nehru
Answer: B. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Gandhi helped found the Natal Indian Congress in South Africa in 1894. It represented Indian settlers against discriminatory restrictions and organized petitions and public advocacy. His experience of collective organization in Natal laid foundations for later campaigns involving satyagraha.
12. When was the Natal Indian Congress founded through Gandhi’s efforts?
[SSC CGL 2019]
A. 1894
B. 1904
C. 1910
D. 1915
Answer: A. 1894
Explanation: Gandhi helped organize the Natal Indian Congress in 1894 to represent the Indian population of Natal and challenge discriminatory restrictions. The association developed petitioning and community mobilization skills later reflected in satyagraha campaigns.
11. Tolstoy Farm, the community founded by Gandhi, was located in which country?
[UPPCL Junior Engineer, 27 August 2018 Shift 1]
A. Russia
B. England
C. India
D. South Africa
Answer: D. South Africa
Explanation: Tolstoy Farm was established near Johannesburg in South Africa in 1910, with support from Gandhi’s friend Hermann Kallenbach. It provided accommodation to satyagrahis and their families and emphasized communal living, manual work, practical education and resistance to racial discrimination.
10. Who founded the Phoenix Settlement in South Africa?
[UPSC CDS 2018 General Knowledge]
A. Mahatma Gandhi
B. C. F. Andrews
C. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
D. Dadabhai Naoroji
Answer: A. Mahatma Gandhi
Explanation: Gandhi established Phoenix Settlement near Durban in 1904. It was inspired partly by the ideal of dignified labour and communal self-sufficiency. The settlement became closely connected with the production of Indian Opinion and early experiments in simple living.
9. Which one of the following is a very significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2018]
A. Active all-India participation of lawyers, students and women in the National Movement
B. Active involvement of Dalit and Tribal communities of India in the National Movement
C. Joining of peasant unrest to India’s National Movement
D. Drastic decrease in the cultivation of plantation crops and commercial crops
Answer: C. Joining of peasant unrest to India’s National Movement
Explanation: Champaran linked the grievances of ordinary cultivators with organized nationalist politics. Gandhi’s investigation and satyagraha helped transform a local agrarian issue into a widely recognized challenge to colonial authority, setting a pattern for later mobilization.
8. In which present-day Indian state did the Vaikom Satyagraha take place?
[SSC JE 2018]
A. Kerala
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Karnataka
D. Andhra Pradesh
Answer: A. Kerala
Explanation: Vaikom lies in present-day Kerala, then part of Travancore. The 1924–25 agitation challenged restrictions that excluded oppressed caste groups from roads around a temple. The campaign became a landmark in anti-untouchability struggles.
7. Arrange these in order: Champaran, Ahmedabad strike, Kheda and Rowlatt Satyagraha.
[UPPCS Prelims 2017]
A. Champaran – Ahmedabad – Kheda – Rowlatt
B. Kheda – Champaran – Rowlatt – Ahmedabad
C. Rowlatt – Kheda – Ahmedabad – Champaran
D. Ahmedabad – Rowlatt – Kheda – Champaran
Answer: A. Champaran – Ahmedabad – Kheda – Rowlatt
Explanation: The Champaran campaign occurred in 1917. Gandhi worked with Ahmedabad workers and Kheda farmers in 1918, followed by the Rowlatt agitation in 1919. Ahmedabad generally preceded Kheda in the standard sequence of his Indian campaigns.
6. In which year did Vaikom Satyagraha begin?
[TNPSC Group-II 2017]
A. 1917
B. 1920
C. 1924
D. 1932
Answer: C. 1924
Explanation: The Vaikom protest began in March 1924 in Travancore. Protesters challenged caste-based exclusion from public roads near a Shiva temple. The campaign continued into 1925 and helped widen discussion of civil rights and access to public spaces.
5. During which journey did Gandhi write Hind Swaraj?
[WBCS Prelims 2016]
A. London to South Africa
B. India to England
C. South Africa to India in 1915
D. Bombay to Ahmedabad
Answer: A. London to South Africa
Explanation: Gandhi wrote Hind Swaraj aboard a ship while travelling from London to South Africa in 1909. It was first composed in Gujarati and subsequently translated into English. The dialogue questions modern civilization and explains the moral basis of self-rule.
4. Which event was associated with Gandhi’s use of fasting during an industrial dispute?
[UPSC CAPF (AC) 2015]
A. Ahmedabad Mill Strike
B. Champaran Satyagraha
C. Dandi March
D. Quit India Movement
Answer: A. Ahmedabad Mill Strike
Explanation: Gandhi fasted during the Ahmedabad mill workers’ strike in 1918 to strengthen commitment to a nonviolent settlement. The workers were demanding improved wages after the plague bonus controversy. The strike differed from agrarian satyagraha campaigns.
3. In which country did Gandhi practise law before returning to India?
[JVVNL Technical Helper 2013]
A. Zimbabwe
B. South Africa
C. Nigeria
D. Argentina
Answer: B. South Africa
Explanation: Gandhi travelled to South Africa in 1893 for legal work. Racial discrimination there transformed his career into public advocacy, community organization and sustained satyagraha. He returned to India in January 1915 after roughly two decades of activism abroad.
2. What share of cultivable land was covered by the Tinkathia system in Champaran?
[UPPCS Prelims 2013]
A. One-fifth
B. Three-twentieths
C. One-quarter
D. One-tenth
Answer: B. Three-twentieths
Explanation: Tinkathia compelled indigo cultivators to use three kathas per twenty-katha holding for indigo. It formed a principal grievance behind Gandhi’s Champaran investigation. The campaign eventually helped terminate this coercive system.
1. Gandhi said the book “Unto This Last” transformed his life. What was the book’s message that transformed him?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2011]
A. Uplifting the oppressed and poor is the moral responsibility of an educated man
B. The good of the individual is contained in the good of all
C. Celibacy and spiritual pursuit are essential for a noble life
D. All three statements are correct in this context
Answer: B. The good of the individual is contained in the good of all
Explanation: John Ruskin argued for an ethical understanding of economic relationships. Gandhi drew from the book the idea that individual welfare is inseparable from collective welfare, later r