Mahatma Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj is essen- tially

Mahatma Gandhi's 'Hind Swaraj' (1909) is primarily recognized as a trenchant critique of modern Western civilization. Written in a dialogic form, the text condemns the claims of superiority made by modern civilization, industrialization, and Western materialism [2]. Gandhi argues that true 'Swaraj' or self-rule is not merely the transfer of political power from British to Indian hands—which he likened to 'English rule without the Englishman'—but a deeper liberation from institutions of dehumanization [1]. He critiques the 'malaise' of modernity, including its legal and medical systems, and emphasizes that Western civilization is a 'mode of conduct' that leads away from ethical behavior. While the book discusses the nature of Indian self-rule and the means to achieve it, its essential character remains a fundamental philosophical challenge to the values of the modern West [3].

Sources

1. [2] https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/62831/1/Block-6.pdf
2. [1] Political Theory, Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Freedom > SWARAJ > p. 20
3. [3] https://train.moh.gov.zm/browse/NajS9o/277045/HindSwarajByMahatmaGandhi.pdf