Read the following source and answer the questions that follow:
'It is said of "passive resistance" that it is the weapon of the weak, but the power which is the subject of this article can be used only by the strong. This power is not passive resistance; indeed it calls for intense activity … Satyagraha is not physical force. A satyagrahi does not inflict pain on the adversary; he does not seek his destruction … Satyagraha is pure soul-force. Truth is the very substance of the soul … Non-violence is the supreme dharma …'
— Mahatma Gandhi
(i) According to Gandhi, why is satyagraha a weapon of the strong rather than the weak? (1 mark)
(ii) What does Gandhi mean when he says satyagraha 'calls for intense activity'? How is this different from simply doing nothing? (1 mark)
(iii) Gandhi believed that this dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians. Why was such unity considered essential before launching a nationwide movement? (2 marks)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:38 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) According to Gandhi, satyagraha requires immense inner strength, courage, and soul-force to face the oppressor without violence or ill-will. Only a morally and spiritually strong person can use it; the weak resort to passive submission or physical force.
(ii) Gandhi means satyagrahi actively confronts injustice — marching, courting arrest, boycotting — appealing to the oppressor's conscience. It is different from doing nothing because it involves deliberate, disciplined resistance, not mere inaction or submission.
(iii) India's population was divided by religion, caste, and community. A nationwide movement needed mass participation across all groups to put effective pressure on the British. Gandhi believed non-violence was the common dharma that could transcend these differences and unite Hindus, Muslims, and others into a single, powerful struggle for freedom.
Source: Chapter 2 — The Nationalist Movement in India, Section 1.1 (The Idea of Satyagraha) and Source A
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Explanation
- (i) The passage directly states satyagraha "can be used only by the strong" — link this to soul-force/inner courage, not physical strength.
- (ii) The passage says "it calls for intense activity" and the movement was "not passive but active." Give a concrete example (marching, appealing to conscience) to show it isn't inaction.
- (iii) This is 2 marks, so expand: mention India's social divisions AND how non-violence was the bridge. Use the textbook phrase "dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians" from Section 1.1.
- Keep answers concise; examiners reward relevance over length.