Mahatma Gandhi Practice Questions

Correct answer: Porbandar

Mahatma Gandhi was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, in 1869. This coastal town was part of British India at the time.

Correct answer: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Gandhi’s full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He later became widely known as Mahatma Gandhi.

Correct answer: South Africa

Gandhi developed and practiced Satyagraha in South Africa. He fought against racial discrimination faced by Indians there.

Correct answer: Truth force or soul force

Satyagraha means 'truth force' or 'soul force.' It emphasizes nonviolent resistance to injustice.

Correct answer: Rowlatt Satyagraha Movement

Gandhi launched the Rowlatt Satyagraha to protest the Rowlatt Act. It marked his first nationwide movement in India.

Correct answer: Chauri Chaura Incident

The Chauri Chaura Incident involved violent clashes. Gandhi called off the movement as it contradicted his nonviolent principles.

Correct answer: Challenge British salt tax

The Salt March protested the British monopoly on salt production. Gandhi symbolically made salt to defy the law.

Correct answer: Nonviolence

Gandhi strongly advocated nonviolence as a means of achieving political and social change. It became central to his movements.

Correct answer: He led the movement

Gandhi led the Quit India Movement in 1942. He urged Indians to demand immediate independence from British rule.

Correct answer: Hind Swaraj, or Home Rule

Gandhi wrote 'Hind Swaraj' in 1909. It presented his ideas on self-rule and critique of Western civilization.

Correct answer: Village-based self-reliance

Gandhi emphasized self-reliant villages and local production. He believed this would empower rural communities.

Correct answer: Khadi cloth

Gandhi promoted khadi, hand-spun cloth, as a symbol of self-reliance. It became a symbol of resistance against British goods.

Correct answer: He strongly opposed it

Gandhi opposed untouchability and worked for social equality. He called the oppressed communities 'Harijans.'

Correct answer: Nobel Peace Prize

Despite multiple nominations, Gandhi never received the Nobel Peace Prize. His contributions to peace are widely recognized globally.

Correct answer: Lawyer

Gandhi trained as a lawyer in England. He practiced law in South Africa before entering politics.

Correct answer: Truth, nonviolence

Gandhi’s protests were guided by truth (Satya) and nonviolence (Ahimsa). These principles defined his approach.

Correct answer: 1948

Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948. His death shocked the nation and the world.

Correct answer: Nathuram Godse

Nathuram Godse assassinated Gandhi in 1948. He opposed Gandhi’s views on communal harmony.

Correct answer: Peaceful self-reliance

Gandhi envisioned a peaceful and self-reliant India. He emphasized moral values and social harmony.

Correct answer: Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King Jr. adopted Gandhi’s principles of nonviolence in the American civil rights movement. Gandhi’s influence extended globally.

Correct answer: Pietermaritzburg

This 1893 incident in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, is often cited as the turning point in Gandhi's life. It sparked his lifelong commitment to fighting racial discrimination and social injustice through nonviolent resistance.

Correct answer: Harijan

Gandhi coined the term 'Harijan' to advocate for the social inclusion and dignity of those marginalized by the caste system. While the term is less commonly used today, it was central to his campaign against untouchability.

Correct answer: Champaran

The Champaran Satyagraha was Gandhi's first active involvement in Indian politics. He successfully protested against the 'Tinkathia' system, which forced farmers to grow indigo under oppressive conditions.

Correct answer: It was the only time he served as the President of the Congress.

Despite his immense influence over the party for decades, the Belgaum session in 1924 was the only time Mahatma Gandhi officially presided as the President of the Indian National Congress.

Correct answer: Civil Disobedience

Thoreau's 'Civil Disobedience' provided Gandhi with a philosophical framework for the individual's right to refuse to obey unjust laws. Gandhi adapted these ideas into his broader collective strategy of nonviolent resistance.

Correct answer: 240 miles

Gandhi walked approximately 240 miles from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi over 24 days. This act of defiance against the British salt tax captured global attention and revitalized the independence movement.

Correct answer: Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy Farm was a community started by Gandhi in 1910 near Johannesburg. It was named after Leo Tolstoy, whose book 'The Kingdom of God is Within You' deeply moved Gandhi toward pacifism.

Correct answer: Civil Disobedience Movement

The pact was signed between Gandhi and the British Viceroy Lord Irwin. In exchange for certain concessions and the release of political prisoners, Gandhi agreed to discontinue the Civil Disobedience Movement and attend the Second Round Table Conference.

Correct answer: Do or Die

Gandhi's call of 'Do or Die' ('Karo ya Maro') signaled a more urgent and determined phase of the struggle. He insisted that Indians should either free the country or die in the attempt.

Correct answer: Universal uplift or progress of all

Sarvodaya is a term Gandhi used to represent a social order based on the well-being of every individual. It emphasizes that the progress of a society is measured by the upliftment of its poorest and weakest members.

Correct answer: United Nations

In June 2007, the UN General Assembly established October 2nd as the International Day of Non-Violence. This was done to disseminate the message of non-violence through education and public awareness, honoring Gandhi's legacy.

Correct answer: Yerwada Jail

While in Yerwada Prison, Gandhi protested the Communal Award. This led to the Poona Pact between Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar, which secured reserved seats for the depressed classes within the general electorate.

Correct answer: Gujarati

The book was originally serialized in his journal 'Navjivan' in Gujarati. It was later translated into English by his close associate Mahadev Desai.

Correct answer: Indian Opinion

Launched in 1903, 'Indian Opinion' was a critical tool for Gandhi's political work in South Africa. It served as a means to educate the Indian community about their rights and to advocate for social change.

Correct answer: Madeleine Slade

Madeleine Slade left her life in England to join Gandhi's ashram in 1925. He gave her the name Mirabehn, after the Hindu mystic Mirabai, and she became a lifelong devotee to his principles and the cause of Indian independence.

Correct answer: Wealthy holding riches in trust for society

Trusteeship was Gandhi's alternative to both capitalism and violent socialism. He argued that the wealthy should view themselves as trustees of their wealth, using it for the benefit of the community rather than personal greed.

Correct answer: Muriel Lester

Muriel Lester hosted Gandhi at Kingsley Hall in London during the 1931 Round Table Conference. She was a pacifist and social activist who worked closely with Gandhi on international peace initiatives.

Correct answer: Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Gokhale advised Gandhi to spend his first year in India traveling across the country to understand its people and problems before entering active politics. Gandhi deeply respected Gokhale's moderate and constitutional approach.

Correct answer: Temple road access for Dalits

Vaikom Satyagraha in Travancore was a movement against untouchability. It sought to secure the right for Dalits to walk on the public roads surrounding the Vaikom Temple, a cause Gandhi actively mediated.

Correct answer: Gujarat Vidyapith

Gandhi founded Gujarat Vidyapith in Ahmedabad during the Non-Cooperation Movement. It was established to provide an alternative to the British-controlled educational system and to foster nationalistic and self-reliant values.