Q1. [3] medium thorough-understanding
Mahatma Gandhi organised satyagraha movements in Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad before launching a nationwide one. What common principle did each of these struggles share, despite involving different groups of people with different grievances?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 14:57 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Despite involving different groups — Bihar peasants (Champaran), Gujarat peasants (Kheda), and Ahmedabad mill workers — all three struggles shared the common principle of satyagraha: fighting injustice through non-violence rather than physical force. Each movement appealed to the conscience of the oppressor instead of seeking vengeance or using aggression. Truth was considered powerful enough to win, without violence. Gandhi believed this principle of non-violence (non-violent soul-force) could unite all Indians across different classes and grievances.
Source: Chapter 2, Section 1.1 – The Idea of Satyagraha
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Explanation
- The examiner wants you to identify the shared principle, not describe each movement separately.
- Key terms to use: satyagraha, non-violence, truth, appealing to conscience, no physical force — these come directly from the passage and score marks.
- Avoid listing grievances; the question asks what was common, not what was different.
- One mark each for: naming the principle (satyagraha/non-violence), explaining it (truth over force), and its universality (applicable to all groups/classes).