07-08-2026

Indigo

Author: Louis Fischer

Introduction

Indigo is an extract from The Life of Mahatma Gandhi written by Louis Fischer. The chapter narrates the historic Champaran Satyagraha of 1917, the first successful civil disobedience movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in India. It highlights Gandhi's leadership, courage, truthfulness, and faith in non-violence. The chapter also shows how a determined farmer, Rajkumar Shukla, brought Gandhi to Champaran and how Gandhi's simple methods transformed the lives of thousands of poor peasants.

Beginning of the Story

The chapter opens in 1942, when Louis Fischer visited Gandhi at Sevagram Ashram. Gandhi narrated an incident that had changed the course of India's freedom struggle. He told Fischer that the movement against British rule actually began in 1917, when he met an ordinary peasant named Rajkumar Shukla.

Gandhi had attended the annual session of the Indian National Congress at Lucknow in December 1916. During the session, Rajkumar Shukla approached him. Shukla was a poor, illiterate, but highly determined sharecropper from Champaran. He repeatedly requested Gandhi to visit Champaran and see the miserable condition of the farmers. Gandhi was impressed by Shukla's persistence and finally agreed to visit Champaran after completing his other engagements.

The Exploitation of the Indigo Farmers

The farmers of Champaran suffered under the cruel Tinkathia System. According to this system, the British landlords forced the peasants to grow indigo on 15% (three-twentieths) of their land. The peasants received very little money for their crop and remained trapped in poverty.

Later, when Germany developed synthetic indigo, the demand for natural indigo declined. The British planters wanted to end the agreement but forced the farmers to pay heavy compensation. Many ignorant peasants accepted these unfair demands because they were unaware of their legal rights. This exploitation caused immense suffering among the farmers.

Gandhi Reaches Champaran

Gandhi first went to Patna, where he stayed at the house of Rajendra Prasad. Since Rajendra Prasad was away, the servants, thinking Gandhi was an ordinary peasant, treated him disrespectfully.

From Patna, Gandhi travelled to Muzaffarpur, where J. B. Kripalani, a professor, warmly welcomed him. Gandhi gathered detailed information from lawyers and local people about the condition of the peasants. The lawyers admitted that although they fought legal cases, they charged high fees and had not been able to solve the peasants' problems permanently.

Gandhi realised that fear, not just poverty, was the greatest enemy of the peasants. They had lost confidence after years of oppression.

Gandhi Defies the British Authorities

When Gandhi reached Champaran to investigate the farmers' problems, the British authorities ordered him to leave the district immediately. Gandhi politely refused because he believed it was his moral duty to help the suffering peasants.

He appeared in court and admitted that he had disobeyed the official order. However, he explained that he had acted according to his conscience. Thousands of peasants gathered peacefully outside the courthouse to support him. Seeing the growing public support, the British officials became nervous. Finally, the case against Gandhi was withdrawn, and he was allowed to continue his inquiry.

This was a major victory. It proved that truth, courage, and peaceful resistance could defeat injustice.

The Official Inquiry

Gandhi and his volunteers travelled from village to village. They collected statements from nearly 10,000 peasants, documenting the exploitation they had suffered. The evidence was so strong that the government had to appoint an official inquiry committee.

Gandhi was made a member of this committee. During the inquiry, the British landlords agreed to refund a part of the illegal money they had taken from the peasants. Gandhi accepted only 25% compensation, even though the farmers could have demanded more.

Many people wondered why Gandhi accepted such a small amount. Gandhi believed that the amount of money was not important. What mattered was that the British landlords publicly admitted they had been wrong. This destroyed their false sense of superiority and restored the self-respect of the peasants. Soon afterwards, the Tinkathia system was abolished, and many British landlords left the area.

Social Reforms

Gandhi's work did not end with solving the indigo dispute. He believed that true freedom also required social improvement. Therefore, he encouraged education, cleanliness, hygiene, and better health care in the villages.

Volunteers opened schools, taught children, improved sanitation, and spread awareness about healthy living. Gandhi wanted villagers to become self-reliant and confident rather than depending on others for every problem. This showed that his vision extended beyond political freedom to the overall development of society.

The Role of Charles Freer Andrews

During the movement, Charles Freer Andrews, an English supporter of India's freedom struggle, offered to help Gandhi. However, Gandhi advised the Indian lawyers not to depend on Andrews because he believed Indians should fight their own battles. Gandhi wanted the people to develop courage, confidence, and self-reliance.

Conclusion

The Champaran episode became a turning point in Gandhi's life and in India's freedom movement. It was his first successful experiment with Satyagraha in India. By relying on truth, non-violence, courage, and moral strength, Gandhi succeeded in ending the exploitation of the indigo farmers. More importantly, he awakened self-respect and confidence among ordinary people. The movement proved that determined and united people could defeat injustice without using violence. It laid the foundation for many future national movements and strengthened India's struggle for independence

Themes of the Chapter

• Truth and non-violence
• Courage and determination
• Social justice
• Exploitation of poor farmers
• Self-reliance and leadership
• Power of peaceful protest
• Human dignity and equality

Important Message

The chapter teaches that one determined person can bring about great social change. Gandhi's leadership, honesty, and belief in non-violence transformed the lives of the Champaran peasants and inspired millions of Indians to fight for freedom with courage and self-confidence.

Page 45 — Think as You Read

Q1. Strike out what is not true in the following.

(a) Rajkumar Shukla was
— a sharecropper
— a politician
— delegate
— a poor farmer 
— landlord

Correct Answer: a poor farmer

Rajkumar Shukla was a poor indigo sharecropper from Champaran, Bihar.

Q2. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?

Answer:
Rajkumar Shukla is called ‘resolute’ because he was very determined. He wanted Gandhi to visit Champaran and help poor farmers. He followed Gandhi everywhere, waited patiently, and didn’t give up until Gandhi finally agreed to go with him.

Q3. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?

Answer:
The servants thought Gandhi was another poor peasant because of his simple clothes and plain appearance. He didn’t look rich or important, like most visitors. He lived and dressed like ordinary Indians.

Page 47 — Think as You Read

Q1. List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.

Answer:
Gandhi visited:

• Kanpur

• Other parts of India

• Calcutta (now Kolkata)

• Patna (met Rajendra Prasad)

• Muzaffarpur

• Then finally reached Champaran

Q2. What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent? What did the British now want instead? Why did the demand surprise the peasants?

Answer:

The peasants paid the British landlords rent in the form of 15% of their land’s produce, usually indigo. But when Germany developed synthetic indigo, the British no longer needed natural indigo and demanded compensation from the peasants to release them from growing it.

This demand surprised the peasants because they were poor and had already been forced to grow indigo. They couldn’t understand why they should pay for something they didn’t ask for.

Q3. How did the peasant react to the new demand?

Answer:
At first, many peasants agreed to pay the compensation.
But later, when they realised it was unfair, they demanded their money back. This was due to Gandhi’s guidance and support.

Q4. How did Gandhi teach them a lesson in self-reliance?

Answer:
Gandhi taught them to not depend on others to fight for their rights.
He set up schools, health clinics, and made them confident and brave.
He showed them that truth and courage could bring change, and they could stand up against injustice themselves.

Understanding the Text

Q1. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life?

Answer:
Gandhi considered the Champaran episode a turning point because it was his first active involvement in an Indian mass movement. It showed that people could fight injustice through non-violence. It gave Indian peasants confidence and made Gandhi a national leader who could inspire change through truth and civil disobedience.

Q2. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.

Answer:
Gandhi influenced lawyers by showing them the importance of helping the poor, not just earning money. When he decided to stay in Champaran despite the government’s order, the lawyers were inspired. They told Gandhi they would follow him to jail if needed. This showed Gandhi’s power to inspire moral courage.

Q3. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of ‘home rule’?

Answer:
The average Indian in smaller areas was afraid to support the movement openly. They feared the British government. But when they saw Gandhi’s courage and honesty, they slowly started trusting him and began to support the freedom movement with more confidence.

Q4. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?

Answer:
Ordinary people like Rajkumar Shukla helped by bringing Gandhi to Champaran. Peasants supported Gandhi by gathering in large numbers. Volunteers like teachers, doctors, and students helped in education and health care. These acts show that the freedom movement was supported by many common Indians.

Talking About the Text

(Discuss in class, but here are sample answers.)

Q1. "Freedom from fear is more important than legal justice for the poor." Do you agree? Why/Why not?

Answer:
Yes, I agree. If people are afraid, they cannot fight for justice. Gandhi saw that the peasants in Champaran were scared of the British. Once they lost fear, they could stand up for their rights. Legal justice is important, but courage and confidence are needed first.

Q2. The qualities of a good leader. Use examples from Gandhi’s life.

Answer:
A good leader should be brave, honest, and caring. Gandhi had all these qualities. He was not afraid of the British, stayed with the peasants, and fought for them peacefully. He believed in truth, simple living, and service to others.

Page 45 – THINK AS YOU READ

Q1. Strike out what is not true in the following:

Rajkumar Shukla was —
— a sharecropper
— a politician 
— a delegate 
— a poor farmer 
— a landlord 

Correct Answer: a poor farmer

Q2. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?

Answer:
Rajkumar Shukla is called ‘resolute’ because he was firm and determined. He wanted Gandhi to visit Champaran to help the poor farmers. He followed Gandhi everywhere until Gandhi agreed to go.

Q3. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?

Answer:
The servants thought Gandhi was just another poor farmer because he wore simple clothes and looked very plain. He did not look like an important person.

Page 47 – THINK AS YOU READ

Q1. List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.

Answer:
After meeting Shukla, Gandhi went to:

1. Kanpur

2. Calcutta

3. Patna (met Rajendra Prasad)

4. Muzaffarpur
   Then he reached Champaran.

Q2. What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent? What did the British now want instead? Why did the demand surprise the peasants?

Answer:
The peasants had to grow indigo and give 15% of the crop to the British as rent.
Later, the British wanted money instead, because they no longer needed indigo.
The peasants were surprised because it was unfair – they were being asked to pay for something that helped only the British.

Q3. How did the peasants react to the new demand?

Answer:
At first, many peasants paid the money.
But later, with Gandhi’s help, they realised it was wrong and started refusing to pay.
They also asked to get their money back.

Q4. How did Gandhi teach them a lesson in self-reliance?

Answer:
Gandhi taught the peasants to believe in themselves.
He helped them fight without fear or violence.
He started schools, helped with health and cleanliness, and gave legal advice.
This made the peasants strong, confident, and independent.