Class 12 English - GUJARAT
Prose: Indigo
Indigo, authored by Louis Fischer, chronicles Mahatma Gandhi's struggle in 1916 at Champaran, Bihar. The chapter highlights Gandhi's fight against the brutal sharecropping system imposed by British landlords who forced Indian peasants to grow indigo on 15% of their land and surrender the entire harvest as rent. Through meticulous fact-finding, moral authority, and mass mobilization of lawyers and peasants, Gandhi secured justice and self-reliance for the exploited farmers. For Gujarat (GSEB) Class 12 board exams, this chapter is extremely important as it tests students' comprehension of narrative prose, historical context, and Gandhian philosophy of peaceful resistance.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Rajkumar Shukla
A resolute and poor sharecropper from Champaran who persistently followed Gandhi to Lucknow, Calcutta, and various ashrams until he convinced Gandhi to visit his district to resolve the peasants' grievances.
The Sharecropping System
An exploitative arrangement where British planters forced Indian tenants to plant 15 percent of their land with indigo and surrender the entire harvest as rent, which became financially unviable after synthetic indigo was developed by Germany.
The Champaran Satyagraha
Mahatma Gandhi's first successful civil disobedience movement in India (1917), which forced the British landlords to refund 25 percent of the illegally extorted money to the farmers, boosting Indian self-reliance.
Role of Charles Freer Andrews
A devoted English pacifist and follower of Gandhi who wished to stay in Champaran to help the Indian peasants, though Gandhi opposed taking British help, emphasizing that victory must depend on Indian self-reliance.
Significance of Self-Reliance
Gandhi taught the peasants that fighting fear was more important than legal victories, instilling courage, hygiene, education, and political independence among the rural poor of Champaran.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Gujarat (GSEB) Class 12 English exam, 'Indigo' regularly features for around 5 to 8 marks. Questions typically include short answer questions (2-3 marks), long descriptive or analytical questions (4 marks) testing character traits of Gandhi or the plight of sharecroppers, and multiple-choice questions regarding facts, dates, and characters from the chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the chapter named 'Indigo'?
The chapter is named 'Indigo' because the entire conflict, exploitation of peasants, and Gandhi's historical Satyagraha in Champaran centered around the forced cultivation and unjust trade practices of indigo by British landlords.
Why did Gandhi refuse CF Andrews' help in Champaran?
Gandhi refused the help of Englishman Charles Freer Andrews because he wanted Indians to be self-reliant and not depend on British support to fight a battle for their own justice and rights.
What was the turning point in the Champaran movement?
The turning point occurred when thousands of peasants demonstrated outside the courthouse in Motihari, compelling the magistrate to release Gandhi without bail and proving that British authority could be challenged.
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