Indigo by Louis Fischer
Class 12 English Core | Flamingo, Prose Chapter 5
NCERT Solutions, Summary, Word Meanings, Important Questions and MCQs
Indigo by Louis Fischer describes Mahatma Gandhi's work with the indigo sharecroppers of Champaran in 1917. It shows how peaceful resistance, careful investigation and the courage to face injustice helped poor farmers challenge an unfair system. These NCERT solutions for Class 12 English cover the chapter's main events, textbook questions, vocabulary and exam practice.
1. About the Author and Chapter
Louis Fischer (1896–1970) was an American journalist and writer. Indigo is an excerpt from his book The Life of Mahatma Gandhi. Fischer presents Gandhi's work in Champaran as an example of how a leader can connect political action with the everyday needs of ordinary people.
The chapter is about the Champaran movement of 1917. Gandhi helped indigo sharecroppers challenge the unfair demands of British landlords. The episode became a turning point because the peasants began to realise that they had rights and could stand up to injustice.
2. Summary of Indigo
At the 1916 Congress session in Lucknow, Gandhi met Rajkumar Shukla, a poor and determined sharecropper from Champaran, Bihar. Shukla wanted Gandhi to see the suffering of the peasants who were forced to grow indigo for British landlords. He followed Gandhi from place to place until Gandhi agreed to visit Champaran.
Gandhi and Shukla travelled to Patna and then to Muzaffarpur, where Gandhi stayed with Professor Malkani. Gandhi wanted to learn more about the farmers' situation before acting. The landlords required tenants to grow indigo on 15 per cent of their land and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.
When synthetic indigo developed in Germany reduced the commercial value of natural indigo, the landlords sought compensation from the peasants in return for releasing them from the old arrangement. Some peasants agreed without understanding the full situation. When they learnt about synthetic indigo, they wanted their money back.
Gandhi investigated the grievances. The British authorities ordered him to leave Champaran, but he refused because he believed his duty to help the peasants was more important than obeying an unjust order. He appeared in court and explained that he was acting according to his conscience. Thousands of peasants gathered outside the courthouse in support. The authorities eventually dropped the case.
Gandhi and the lawyers collected statements from about ten thousand peasants. An official commission of inquiry was set up, with Gandhi as the only representative of the peasants. The landlords agreed to refund part of the money they had taken. Gandhi accepted a refund of 25 per cent, because the landlords' loss of prestige and the peasants' new confidence mattered more than the amount returned.
The movement also led to work on education, health, hygiene and sanitation in the villages. Gandhi wanted the peasants to become self-reliant rather than depend entirely on outside help. Within a few years, the British planters left their estates and indigo sharecropping disappeared.
3. Explanation of Indigo in Sequence
3.1 The Meeting with Rajkumar Shukla
At the Lucknow Congress session in 1916, Rajkumar Shukla approached Gandhi and asked him to visit Champaran. Shukla was not a political leader or a wealthy man. He was an illiterate sharecropper, but he was resolute: he continued to follow Gandhi until Gandhi agreed to come. His persistence brought the farmers' problem to Gandhi's attention.
3.2 Gandhi's Journey to Champaran
After their meeting, Gandhi and Shukla travelled to Cawnpore, then to Gandhi's ashram near Ahmedabad, and later to Calcutta. From Calcutta they travelled to Patna, where Shukla took Gandhi to the house of Rajendra Prasad. The servants mistook Gandhi for another peasant and did not allow him to draw water from the well because they feared that his bucket might pollute it.
Gandhi then went to Muzaffarpur to obtain fuller information about the situation. Professor J. B. Kripalani and a group of students welcomed him. Gandhi stayed with Professor Malkani, a government-school teacher. At that time, it was unusual for a government employee in a smaller town to openly shelter someone who supported home rule.
3.3 The Indigo Sharecropping System
Most of the arable land in Champaran was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The landlords compelled tenants to grow indigo on three-twentieths, or 15 per cent, of their holdings. The tenants had to surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent under long-term contracts.
When Germany developed synthetic indigo, the landlords sought compensation from the sharecroppers for releasing them from the 15 per cent arrangement. The system was already burdensome, and many peasants signed the new agreements. Once they learnt about synthetic indigo, they understood that the landlords had taken advantage of them and demanded their money back.
3.4 Gandhi's Civil Disobedience
Gandhi first tried to obtain information from the landlords and the British commissioner. The commissioner advised him to leave the area, but Gandhi continued his work. When an official notice ordered him to quit Champaran, Gandhi signed the receipt and stated that he would disobey the order.
Gandhi appeared in court and pleaded guilty to disobeying the order. He explained that he faced a conflict of duties: he respected lawful authority, but he also had a duty to provide humanitarian and national service. He acted according to the higher law of conscience.
Thousands of peasants gathered outside the courthouse. Their support showed that they were beginning to overcome their fear of British authority. The officials found it difficult to proceed without Gandhi's cooperation, and the case was eventually dropped. The episode became an early success for civil disobedience in modern India.
3.5 The Role of the Lawyers
Several lawyers from Bihar came to support Gandhi. At first, they said they would return home if Gandhi were sent to prison. Gandhi asked them to consider what would happen to the peasants if those who claimed to help them abandoned the struggle.
The lawyers realised that Gandhi, a relative stranger, was prepared to go to prison for the peasants. They decided that leaving would be shameful and agreed to follow him into jail if necessary. Gandhi's example changed their attitude and strengthened their commitment.
3.6 The Commission and the 25 Per Cent Refund
Gandhi and the lawyers collected depositions from about ten thousand peasants and gathered other evidence. The government appointed an official commission of inquiry, with Gandhi as the sole representative of the peasants.
The landlords agreed in principle to refund the money they had taken. Gandhi first asked for a 50 per cent refund, but the planters' representative offered 25 per cent. Gandhi accepted the offer. He believed that the landlords' willingness to surrender part of the money also meant surrendering part of their prestige. The peasants learnt that they had rights and defenders.
3.7 Social Reform and Self-Reliance
Gandhi did not limit his work to the financial dispute. He saw that the villages needed education, healthcare and better sanitation. Primary schools opened in six villages, volunteers helped with teaching, and Kasturba Gandhi worked on personal cleanliness and community sanitation. A doctor also volunteered to help the villagers.
Gandhi's refusal to depend on an English supporter, Charles Freer Andrews, was another lesson in self-reliance. He wanted the Indians to learn that they could face an unequal struggle through their own courage and organisation. The chapter links self-reliance, independence and the welfare of the peasants.
4. Important People in Indigo
Investigates the peasants' complaints, practises civil disobedience, encourages the lawyers and promotes social reform and self-reliance.
A poor, illiterate but resolute sharecropper whose persistence brings Gandhi to Champaran.
A lawyer who later became President of India. His account records how Gandhi influenced the lawyers to stay and support the peasants.
Welcomes Gandhi at Muzaffarpur and helps connect him with local supporters.
A government-school teacher who gives Gandhi a place to stay despite the risks of openly supporting a home-rule advocate.
An English pacifist and Gandhi's follower. Gandhi refuses the suggestion that Andrews should remain to help, because he wants Indians to rely on their own strength.
5. Themes and Main Ideas
Civil disobedience
Gandhi refuses to obey the order to leave Champaran because he believes his duty to help the peasants is greater than obedience to an unjust order. He accepts responsibility for his action and remains peaceful.
Freedom from fear
The peasants have lived under the power of the landlords for years. Their gathering outside the courthouse shows a change in attitude. They begin to believe that they can challenge authority and defend their rights.
Truth and careful investigation
Gandhi gathers evidence and listens to the peasants before negotiating. His work depends on facts, statements and documents rather than anger or violence.
Self-reliance
Gandhi wants Indians to depend on their own courage and abilities. His refusal to rely on Andrews teaches the lawyers that they must face the struggle themselves.
Social responsibility
Gandhi recognises that political success alone cannot improve village life. Education, health, hygiene and sanitation are also necessary for lasting progress.
Leadership through example
Gandhi influences people by what he does. His willingness to face prison encourages the lawyers to remain, while his calm conduct helps the peasants overcome fear.
6. Word Meanings and Expressions
| Word or expression | Meaning in context |
|---|---|
| Emaciated | Very thin and weak, often because of hunger or illness. |
| Resolute | Firm and determined. |
| Tenacity | The ability to continue despite difficulty. |
| Sharecropper | A farmer who cultivates another person's land and pays rent with a share of the crop or its value. |
| Yeoman | A small farmer who owns or rents land. |
| Harbour someone | To provide shelter or protection to a person. |
| Fee | Money paid for a professional service. |
| Bully | To frighten, threaten or pressure someone into doing something. |
| Summons | An official order to appear before a court. |
| Conflict of duties | A situation in which two responsibilities seem to oppose each other. |
| Civil disobedience | The peaceful refusal to obey a law or order considered unjust. |
| Triumphed | Succeeded or achieved victory. |
| Deposition | A formal statement of evidence, often recorded for legal use. |
| Deadlock | A situation in which no progress is possible because the sides cannot agree. |
| Irksome | Annoying, burdensome or troublesome. |
| Coated tongue | A tongue covered with a visible layer; the phrase appears in the chapter's account of basic medical care. |
| Self-reliance | The ability to depend on one's own efforts and judgement. |
| Oppressed | Kept under unfair control or treated cruelly. |
| Prestige | Respect or status in the eyes of others. |
| Pacifist | A person who opposes war and supports peaceful methods. |
| Prop | Something that gives support; in “seek a prop”, it means looking for help or backing. |
| Alleviate | To reduce pain, hardship or suffering. |
| Conscience | A person's inner sense of right and wrong. |
7. NCERT Solutions: Think as You Read
Part I
1. Strike out what is not true in the following.
(a) Rajkumar Shukla was: (i) a sharecropper, (ii) a politician, (iii) a delegate, (iv) a landlord.
Answer: Strike out politician and landlord. Shukla was a sharecropper and was present as a delegate at the Congress session.
(b) Rajkumar Shukla was: (i) poor, (ii) physically strong, (iii) illiterate.
Answer: Strike out physically strong. The chapter describes Shukla as poor and illiterate.
2. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?
Answer: Shukla was determined to persuade Gandhi to visit Champaran. He followed Gandhi from place to place and did not give up until Gandhi agreed to go.
3. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?
Answer: Gandhi was dressed simply and had arrived with Shukla, whom the servants knew as a poor farmer. They assumed Gandhi was another peasant. They would not let him draw water from the well because they feared that his bucket might pollute it.
Part II
1. List the places that Gandhi visited between his first meeting with Shukla and his arrival at Champaran.
Answer: Gandhi met Shukla at Lucknow. They then went to Cawnpore, Gandhi's ashram near Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Patna and Muzaffarpur before reaching Champaran. This sequence follows the account in the textbook.
2. What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent? What did the British now want instead and why? What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural indigo?
Answer: The peasants had to grow indigo on 15 per cent of their land and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. After Germany developed synthetic indigo, the landlords wanted compensation for releasing the peasants from this arrangement. Synthetic indigo reduced the commercial value of natural indigo, so the landlords wanted to be paid to end the old contracts.
Part III
1. The events in this part of the text illustrate Gandhi's method of working. Can you identify some instances of this method and link them to his ideas of satyagraha and non-violence?
Answer: Gandhi investigates the facts, questions the authorities and refuses to leave Champaran when ordered to do so. He appears in court peacefully, explains his reasons and accepts responsibility for his action. He also encourages the peasants and lawyers to remain firm without using violence. These actions reflect satyagraha, truth and peaceful resistance.
Part IV
1. Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers?
Answer: Gandhi believed that the landlords' willingness to refund money was more important than the exact amount. By surrendering 25 per cent, they also surrendered part of their prestige. The peasants realised that the landlords were not beyond challenge and that they had rights and defenders.
2. How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?
Answer: The peasants gained courage and a sense of their rights. The landlords lost some of their power and, within a few years, abandoned their estates. Indigo sharecropping disappeared. Gandhi's work also brought attention to education, health and sanitation in the villages.
8. NCERT Solutions: Understanding the Text
1. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning-point in his life?
Answer: Champaran showed Gandhi that civil disobedience could be used successfully in India to challenge injustice. He refused to leave when ordered to do so, faced the court calmly and gained the support of the peasants and lawyers. The episode also confirmed his belief that political action must address the daily problems of ordinary people. It was a turning point because it connected peaceful resistance with practical service and self-reliance.
2. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
Answer: Gandhi influenced the lawyers through his example. When they said they would go home if he were imprisoned, he asked what would happen to the peasants if their supporters abandoned them. The lawyers realised that Gandhi, a relative stranger, was prepared to face prison for the farmers. They decided that leaving would be shameful and agreed to support him even if it meant going to jail.
3. What was the attitude of the average Indian in smaller localities towards advocates of ‘home rule’?
Answer: Many Indians in smaller towns were afraid to show open support for people who advocated home rule. They feared the authorities and the possible consequences of helping those who opposed British rule. Professor Malkani's decision to host Gandhi was therefore unusual and courageous.
4. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom movement?
Answer: The peasants travelled to see Gandhi and gathered in large numbers outside the Motihari courthouse when he was ordered to appear. Their support showed that ordinary people could take part in a struggle against injustice. Local lawyers also chose to stand with the peasants. The movement depended on the courage and participation of people beyond prominent leaders.
9. NCERT Solutions: Talking About the Text
These are discussion questions. The sample responses below provide starting points; students can support their views with examples and their own reasoning.
1. “Freedom from fear is more important than legal justice for the poor.” Do you think that the poor of India are free from fear after Independence?
Sample response: Legal justice is essential, but people may be unable to seek it if they are frightened of powerful individuals or institutions. Gandhi understood that the Champaran peasants first needed the courage to speak and act. Independence ended colonial rule, but poverty, discrimination and unequal power can still make people afraid. Freedom from fear therefore requires fair laws, access to justice, education and protection from exploitation.
2. The qualities of a good leader.
Sample response: A good leader listens to people, understands their problems and acts with courage and honesty. A leader should investigate facts, make fair decisions and accept responsibility. Gandhi's work in Champaran shows that a leader should not depend only on speeches or authority. He should lead by example, help people overcome fear and encourage them to become self-reliant.
10. NCERT Solutions: Working with Words
Question 1: Legal terms in the text
List the words used in the text that are related to legal procedures. For example: deposition.
Sample answer: The chapter uses several terms connected with courts, legal orders and official investigations:
- Summons: an official order to appear before a court.
- Trial: a legal process in which a case is examined by a court.
- Magistrate: a judicial or administrative officer with legal powers.
- Penalty: a punishment imposed for an offence.
- Deposition: a formal statement of evidence.
- Commission of inquiry: a body appointed to investigate a matter.
- Evidence: information or material used to establish facts.
- Law court: a place where legal cases are heard.
- Disobey an order: to refuse to comply with an official direction.
Some are formal legal terms, while others describe actions or institutions connected with legal proceedings.
Question 2: Other words related to legal procedures
List other words that you know that fall into this category.
Sample answer: Petition, affidavit, witness, verdict, judgement, appeal, bail, prosecution, defence, lawyer, plaintiff and defendant.
11. NCERT Solutions: Thinking About Language
Question 1: Direct speech
Notice the sentences in the text which are in ‘direct speech’. Why does the author use quotations in his narration?
Answer: Direct speech presents a person's exact words within quotation marks. Fischer uses quotations to bring the people and events to life, preserve the voices of the people involved and show Gandhi's reasoning in his own words. Direct speech also helps readers understand the reactions of the lawyers and officials. It makes the account more immediate and gives support to the author's description of events.
Question 2: Use or non-use of the comma
(a) “When I first visited Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram, he told me what happened in Champaran.”
(b) “He had not proceeded far when the police superintendent’s messenger overtook him.”
Answer:
- Sentence (a): A comma follows the introductory time clause, “When I first visited Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram”. The clause comes before the main clause, so the comma helps separate the two parts.
- Sentence (b): No comma is needed between the two clauses. The time clause beginning with “when” follows the main clause, and the sentence is clear without a comma.
12. Important Extra Questions and Answers
1. Why did Rajkumar Shukla want Gandhi to visit Champaran?
Answer: Shukla wanted Gandhi to investigate the exploitation of indigo sharecroppers by British landlords. He believed Gandhi could help the peasants challenge the unfair system and obtain justice.
2. Why did Gandhi go to Muzaffarpur before reaching Champaran?
Answer: Gandhi wanted fuller information about the peasants' situation before acting. He contacted Professor J. B. Kripalani and stayed with Professor Malkani while gathering information and meeting local supporters.
3. What was the conflict of duties Gandhi faced in court?
Answer: Gandhi believed he should respect lawful authority, but he also had a duty to help the suffering peasants. He chose to disobey the order to leave Champaran because he felt that his humanitarian responsibility and conscience required him to stay.
4. Why was the gathering outside the Motihari courthouse important?
Answer: Thousands of peasants gathered to support Gandhi when he was facing a case. Their presence showed that they were beginning to overcome their fear of British authority. It also made the officials realise that Gandhi had strong public support.
5. Why did Gandhi not insist on a full refund?
Answer: Gandhi considered the landlords' willingness to refund any part of the money a moral victory. Their surrender of 25 per cent weakened their prestige and showed the peasants that they could challenge injustice. The growth of confidence mattered more than the exact amount.
6. What was the significance of opening schools in Champaran?
Answer: The schools were part of Gandhi's wider effort to improve village life. He believed that political and economic change needed to be supported by education, health, hygiene and sanitation. These efforts helped people work towards a better future.
7. Why did Gandhi oppose keeping Charles Freer Andrews in Champaran?
Answer: Gandhi wanted the Indians to rely on their own strength rather than depend on an English supporter. He believed that asking Andrews to stay would show a lack of confidence in their ability to face the struggle themselves.
8. How does the chapter connect self-reliance with independence?
Answer: Gandhi believed that people could become truly free only when they developed the confidence to act for themselves. By helping the peasants challenge the landlords and refusing to depend on Andrews, he taught that self-reliance was part of the larger struggle for independence.
9. What made the Champaran movement successful?
Answer: The movement combined fact-finding, peaceful resistance, public support and organised action. Gandhi's courage encouraged the peasants and lawyers, while evidence collected from the farmers strengthened their case. The movement also addressed social needs beyond the immediate dispute.
10. What is the main message of Indigo?
Answer: The chapter shows that courage, truth, peaceful resistance and self-reliance can challenge injustice. It also teaches that effective leadership means helping people solve practical problems and overcome fear, not merely winning a legal or political argument.
13. MCQs on Indigo by Louis Fischer
Choose the best answer for each question. The answer key is provided at the end of the quiz so you can test yourself first.
1. Where did Gandhi first meet Rajkumar Shukla?
- At the Congress session in Lucknow
- At a meeting in Muzaffarpur
- At Rajendra Prasad's house in Patna
- At Gandhi's ashram near Ahmedabad
2. Which description best fits Rajkumar Shukla?
- A wealthy landlord with political influence
- A poor sharecropper who was determined
- A lawyer who represented the indigo planters
- A government officer from the Champaran district
3. Why did Gandhi visit Muzaffarpur before going to Champaran?
- To arrange a meeting with British landlords
- To begin a new school for local children
- To collect fuller information about the peasants
- To attend a court hearing about the rent system
4. What did the landlords require the tenants to do?
- Grow wheat on 15 per cent of their land
- Pay a fixed tax to the village school
- Work without payment on the landlords' estates
- Grow indigo on 15 per cent of their land
5. Why did the landlords seek compensation from the peasants?
- They wanted to expand the village schools
- Synthetic indigo had changed the indigo trade
- The peasants had refused to pay all other taxes
- The government had ordered them to leave Champaran
6. Why did Gandhi refuse to leave Champaran?
- He wanted to challenge the peasants in court
- He intended to take control of the estates
- He believed his duty to help the peasants required him to stay
- He wanted to avoid speaking to the British officials
7. What did Gandhi do when he appeared in court?
- He denied receiving the official notice
- He asked the peasants to disrupt the hearing
- He refused to explain his actions to the court
- He pleaded guilty and explained his conflict of duties
8. What did the peasants' gathering outside the courthouse show?
- They were beginning to overcome their fear
- They had decided to abandon indigo farming at once
- They wanted Gandhi to leave the district immediately
- They had agreed to accept every landlord's demand
9. How did Gandhi influence the lawyers?
- He offered to pay their legal fees himself
- He promised that the case would never reach court
- He urged them to remain and support the peasants
- He advised them to leave Champaran until the case ended
10. Approximately how many peasants' depositions were recorded?
- About one thousand
- About ten thousand
- About fifty thousand
- About one hundred thousand
11. What refund did Gandhi finally accept?
- A 10 per cent refund
- A 25 per cent refund
- A 50 per cent refund
- A full 100 per cent refund
12. Why did Gandhi accept the 25 per cent refund?
- He believed the landlords had acted fairly
- He wanted to end the investigation without evidence
- He thought the peasants no longer needed help
- The landlords' surrender of money weakened their prestige
13. What was a major result of the Champaran episode?
- The peasants gained courage and recognised their rights
- The British government ended all taxes throughout India
- The landlords were immediately removed from every estate
- The peasants were required to grow more indigo each year
14. What did Gandhi do to address the villages' social needs?
- He arranged for every family to move to a city
- He focused only on the refund and left the villages
- He supported schools, healthcare and sanitation work
- He asked the landlords to manage all village services
15. Why did Gandhi refuse to rely on Charles Freer Andrews?
- He believed Andrews had supported the landlords
- He wanted Indians to develop self-reliance
- He wanted the lawyers to stop helping the peasants
- He believed foreigners could not work for peace
16. What does the word “resolute” mean in the description of Shukla?
- Confused and uncertain
- Quiet and unwilling to act
- Angry and ready to fight
- Firm and determined
17. In the chapter, “conflict of duties” refers to Gandhi's difficulty in balancing—
- his personal wealth and the peasants' income
- his legal respect for authority and his duty to help people
- his work as a teacher and his role as a landlord
- his wish to travel and his duty to remain in the ashram
18. What does the chapter suggest about effective leadership?
- Leaders should act with courage and help others gain confidence
- Leaders should avoid difficult problems and wait for orders
- Leaders should depend on outsiders to solve local problems
- Leaders should focus on money rather than people's dignity
19. Which statement best describes the role of ordinary people in Champaran?
- They stayed away from the struggle until the refund was paid
- They left all decisions to the British officials
- They supported Gandhi and helped challenge injustice
- They refused to give evidence about the landlords
20. Which statement best expresses the central message of Indigo?
- Legal cases are the only way to achieve justice
- Economic progress matters more than personal courage
- Political change should be left to prominent leaders alone
- Peaceful resistance and self-reliance can challenge injustice
MCQ Answer Key
- A — Congress session in Lucknow
- B — A poor, determined sharecropper
- C — To collect fuller information
- D — Grow indigo on 15 per cent of the land
- B — Synthetic indigo changed the trade
- C — His duty required him to stay
- D — He pleaded guilty and explained his duties
- A — They were overcoming fear
- C — He urged them to support the peasants
- B — About ten thousand
- B — A 25 per cent refund
- D — The landlords lost part of their prestige
- A — The peasants gained courage and recognised their rights
- C — Schools, healthcare and sanitation
- B — To develop self-reliance
- D — Firm and determined
- B — Respect for authority versus duty to help
- A — Courage and confidence
- C — They supported Gandhi and challenged injustice
- D — Peaceful resistance and self-reliance
14. Teacher's Insight
The Champaran movement should not be understood only as a dispute over a 25 per cent refund. The financial settlement mattered, but the deeper change was psychological and social. The peasants began to recognise that the landlords could be challenged and that they had rights.
Gandhi's method combined careful investigation, peaceful resistance and practical service. He also encouraged the lawyers to take responsibility instead of abandoning the peasants if he were imprisoned. These details help explain why the episode became a turning point in his life.
When answering questions, use specific incidents from the chapter. For example, support a point about Gandhi's courage with his refusal to leave Champaran, or support a point about self-reliance with his decision not to depend on Andrews.
15. Tips for Exams
- Remember the journey: Lucknow, Cawnpore, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Patna, Muzaffarpur and Champaran.
- Learn the indigo arrangement accurately: 15 per cent of the land and the entire indigo harvest as rent.
- Do not confuse the initial demand for a 50 per cent refund with the final settlement of 25 per cent.
- Explain why the refund mattered: the landlords lost prestige, while the peasants gained courage and recognised their rights.
- Distinguish civil disobedience from violence. Gandhi peacefully refused to obey the order and accepted responsibility for his action.
- For questions about leadership, discuss Gandhi's example, the lawyers' response and the peasants' support.
- For long answers, make a clear point, support it with an event and explain its significance.
- Read the complete NCERT chapter and check the exact wording of any quotation before using it in an answer.
16. Quick Revision
| Key detail | Remember |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis Fischer |
| Chapter | Class 12 English Core, Flamingo, Prose Chapter 5 |
| Setting | Champaran, Bihar, in 1917 |
| Rajkumar Shukla | A poor, illiterate but resolute sharecropper |
| Indigo arrangement | 15 per cent of the land; entire indigo harvest surrendered as rent |
| Gandhi's response | Investigation, civil disobedience and peaceful resistance |
| Support from peasants | Thousands gathered outside the courthouse |
| Refund settlement | 25 per cent of the money |
| Main result | Landlords lost prestige; peasants gained courage and recognised their rights |
| Social work | Education, health, hygiene and sanitation |
| Final lesson | Self-reliance, freedom from fear and peaceful resistance |
Textbook Reference
Read the complete chapter and its exercises in the NCERT Class XII Flamingo textbook. You can also consult the CBSE Class XII English Core Question Bank for additional practice.
These notes are a study aid. The prescribed textbook remains the main reference for the chapter and its exercises.
