Which of the following statements about Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha is/are correct? 1. It was during the course of his campaign against racialism in South Africa that Gandhiji first applied Satyagraha 2. The two vital ingredients of Satyagraha are 'truth' and 'non-violence' 3. The Satyagraha resists evil by inflicting suffering on himself and not by inflicting suffering in the opponent 4. In India, Satyagraha was first tried by Gandhiji in Champaran

Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha is defined by several core principles. He first evolved and applied this technique in South Africa (1906) to combat racial discrimination and the compulsory registration of Indians [5]. The philosophy is fundamentally rooted in 'Satya' (truth) and 'Ahimsa' (non-violence), which Gandhi considered its two vital ingredients [5]. A key tenet of Satyagraha is that the practitioner (Satyagrahi) resists evil by voluntarily submitting to suffering themselves rather than inflicting it upon the opponent, aiming to bring about a 'change of heart' in the wrongdoer. Upon his return to India, Gandhi's first successful application of Satyagraha occurred in 1917 at Champaran, Bihar, where he supported peasants against the oppressive indigo plantation system [4]. Since all four statements accurately reflect the origins, principles, and historical application of Satyagraha, option 4 is correct.

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Phase of Passive Resistance or Satyagraha (1906-1914) > p. 313
2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Gandhi's Technique of Satyagraha > p. 315
3. [5] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Advent of Gandhi and Mass Mobilisation > Introduction > p. 42
4. [3] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > New words > p. 31
5. [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > Gandhi in India > p. 316