Gandhi and his Early Movements (Part-I)

Total Questions: 35

21. Mahatma Gandhi set up an Ashram on the banks of Sabarmati near Ahmedabad is known as: [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2003]

Correct Answer: (c) Satyagraha Ashram
Solution:Gandhi’s Satyagraha Ashram was originally established at the Kochrab Bungalow of Jivanlal Desai, a barrister, and friend of Gandhi. At that time, the Ashram was called the Satyagraha Ashram. But Gandhi wanted to carry out various activities such as farming and animal husbandry, in addition to other pursuits which required a much larger area of usable land.

So two years later, on 17 June 1917, the Ashram was relocated to an area of thirty-six acres on the banks of the River Sabarmati, in Ahmedabad and later came to be known as the Sabarmati Ashram.

22. Who among the following was the ‘Political Guru’ of Mahatma Gandhi? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1991]

Correct Answer: (d) G.K. Gokhale
Solution:Gopal Krishna Gokhale was one of the early social and political leaders during the Indian Independence Movement against the British Empire in India. Gokhale was famously a mentor of Mahatma Gandhi in his formative years. In 1912, Gokhale visited South Africa at Gandhi’s invitation.

As a young barrister, Gandhi returned from his struggles against the Empire in South Africa and received personal guidance from Gokhale, including knowledge and understanding of India and the issues confronting common Indians.

By 1920, Gandhi emerged as the leader of the Indian Independence Movement. In his autobiography, Gandhi calls Gokhale his mentor and guide.

23. Which one of the following Ashrams related to Mahatma Gandhi, is the oldest? [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2012]

Correct Answer: (b) Phoenix
Solution:Gandhi purchased some land near Phoenix station and established the Phoenix Ashram in 1904. It was reopened on 27 February 2000. It was the first Ashram established by Gandhiji.

24. Where did Gandhiji adopt ‘Seva Dharma’? [U.P. Lower Sub. (Mains) 2015]

Correct Answer: (c) South Africa
Solution:During his stay in South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi rendered his services as an attendant to the helpless poor patients in the charity hospitals of Rustumji. Here, he gave his voluntary service as a compounder. He also served the wounded soldiers of the Boer War.

25. Given below are two statements, in which one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R): [U.P. R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2023]

Assertion (A): The struggles in South Africa prepared Gandhiji to lead the National Movement.

Reason (R): Seeing the militancy of Indians in South Africa, Gandhiji was convinced that the Indian people would be ready for militant struggle and sacrifice for a cause.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Code -

Correct Answer: (c) (A) is correct but (R) is incorrect.
Solution:It was in South Africa that Gandhiji discovered himself. He emerged from shy and timid youth as a successful organiser and leader. It was only after the struggles of South Africa that he prepared himself for the leadership of Indian national movement.

Militancy is generally associated  with violent methods of struggles. But Gandhiji's  struggle in South Africa was completely non-violent and based on Satyagraha. Hence Reason (R) can not be considered right.

26. As per Mahatma Gandhi politics meant— [U.P. Lower Sub. (Mains) 2013]

Correct Answer: (b) Activity for public welfare
Solution:For Gandhi, politics meant social welfare and public welfare. The most important suggestion about politics from Gandhiji was “decentralization of power”. For him, the decentralization meant to encourage the village Panchayats and control their local administration.

27. Which of the following is not a feature of politics of the Gandhian model? [U.P. Lower Sub. (Mains) 2013]

Correct Answer: (d) Authority
Solution:The paradigm of politics presented by Gandhiji is the combination of three elements-morality, religion and humanity. But in Gandhian political model, there is no place for authority. He wanted to establish a Stateless Society.

28. The cook from Bihar who saved Mahatma Gandhi’s life from a murder attempt by food poisoning in 1917 was— [69th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2023]

Correct Answer: (b) Batak Mian
Solution:Batak Mian was a cook for a British manager of an Indigo plantation in Bihar known as Erwin in popular memory. During Champaran Satyagraha, he invited Gandhiji for dinner and coerced Batak Mian to poison Gandhi through milk. But Batak Mian, while serving milk to Gandhiji, broke down and told Gandhi about the poison and Gandhi escaped unhurt.

This story was corroborated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in one of his speeches given in the 1950s at Motihari which is mentioned in Delhi University Professor Dr. Girish Mishra’s article "Gandhi's Champaran Struggle".

29. Who saved the life of Gandhiji in Bihar during Champaran Satyagraha? [68th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2022]

Correct Answer: (b) Batak Mian
Solution:Batak Mian was a cook for a British manager of an Indigo plantation in Bihar known as Erwin in popular memory. During Champaran Satyagraha, he invited Gandhiji for dinner and coerced Batak Mian to poison Gandhi through milk. But Batak Mian, while serving milk to Gandhiji, broke down and told Gandhi about the poison and Gandhi escaped unhurt.

This story was corroborated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in one of his speeches given in the 1950s at Motihari which is mentioned in Delhi University Professor Dr. Girish Mishra’s article "Gandhi's Champaran Struggle".

30. Who amongst the following coined the word ‘Satyagraha’? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2015]

Correct Answer: (b) Mahatma Gandhi
Solution:The nephew of Mahatma Gandhi, Magan Lal Gandhi, first used the term ‘Sada Graha’ during a competition for which he was rewarded.

Satyagraha means truth and rigidity. Later on, Gandhi improvised the word as ‘Satyagraha’. Hence, it is clear that the word ‘Satyagraha’ was used first by Gandhi.