Read the passage and answer the questions: In January 1915, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi returned to his homeland after two decades of residence abroad. These years had been spent for the most part in South Africa, where he went as a lawyer, and in time became a leader of the Indian community in that territory. As the historian Chandran Devanesan has remarked, South Africa was “the making of the Mahatma.” It was in South Africa that Mahatma Gandhi first forged the distinctive techniques of non-violent protest known as satyagraha, first promoted harmony between religions, and first alerted upper-caste Indians to their discriminatory treatment of low castes and women. Which historian remarked that South Africa was "the making of the Mahatma"?
Chandran Devanesan
Analyzing the Passage on Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa
The question asks us to identify the historian who made a specific remark about Mahatma Gandhi's time in South Africa based on the provided passage. We need to carefully read the passage to find this information.
The passage discusses Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's return to India in January 1915 after spending two decades abroad, primarily in South Africa. It highlights the significance of his time there.
Identifying the Historian's Remark
Let's look for the sentence in the passage that contains the remark mentioned in the question: "South Africa was 'the making of the Mahatma'."
The passage states:
As the historian Chandran Devanesan has remarked, South Africa was “the making of the Mahatma.”
This sentence directly attributes the remark "South Africa was 'the making of the Mahatma'" to the historian Chandran Devanesan.
Evaluating the Options
Now, let's compare this finding with the given options:
- Chandran Devanesan
- Irfan Habib
- Romila Thapar
- Seema Alavi
Based on the passage, the historian who made the remark is Chandran Devanesan, which matches option 1.
Confirming the Answer
The passage explicitly names Chandran Devanesan as the historian who remarked that South Africa was "the making of the Mahatma". Therefore, option 1 is the correct answer.
Revision Table: Key Figures and Concepts
| Figure/Concept | Description based on passage | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi | Returned to India in Jan 1915 after 20 years abroad, mostly in South Africa. | Became a leader of the Indian community in South Africa; developed key techniques there. |
| South Africa | Where Gandhi spent significant time after going as a lawyer. | Described as "the making of the Mahatma"; place where Satyagraha, religious harmony, and caste/gender awareness were forged. |
| Chandran Devanesan | Historian mentioned in the passage. | Remarked that South Africa was "the making of the Mahatma". |
| Satyagraha | Distinctive technique of non-violent protest. | First forged by Gandhi in South Africa. |
Additional Information: Gandhi's South Africa Experience
Mahatma Gandhi's time in South Africa (1893-1914) was indeed transformative. It was here that he faced racial discrimination firsthand, which deeply impacted him and shaped his future struggles.
- Development of Satyagraha: The concept of non-violent resistance or 'Satyagraha' (truth force) was born out of his protests against discriminatory laws imposed on Indians in South Africa.
- Leadership Skills: He organized the Indian community, uniting people from different regions and religions to fight for their rights. This experience honed his leadership skills significantly.
- Awareness of Social Issues: His time there also heightened his awareness of social injustices, including issues of caste and gender discrimination, which he later addressed in India.
- Preparation for India: The campaigns he led in South Africa, like the passive resistance movement against the Black Act (1906) and the Great March (1913), prepared him for the larger struggle for independence he would lead in India.
Thus, the remark by Chandran Devanesan highlights the crucial role South Africa played in shaping Gandhi into the leader known as Mahatma.
Important Questions from Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement
Mahatma Gandhi tried to obtain for the peasants security of tenure and freedom to cultivate the crops of their choice in which of the following movements?
Match List - I with List - II.
List - I List - II (A) Shaukat Ali (IV) Khilafat Movement (B) Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (I) Salt Satyagraha (C) Jayaprakash Narayan (II) Socialist member of Congress (D) Annie Besant (III) Theosophical Society Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Arrange the following movements in order of their occurrence:
(A) Kheda Satyagraha
(B) Bardoli Satyagraha
(C) Rowlatt Satyagraha
(D) Quit India Movement
(E) Champaran Satyagraha
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Arrange the following events chronologically:
(A) Lahore Session and the demand for Purna Swaraj
(B) On 26 January, Gandhiji promoted celebrating Independence Day in a traditional way
(C) The Salt March begins
(D) Salt was made by Gandhiji and the salt law was broken at Dandi
(E) Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
How did Gandhiji broaden the basis of nationalism?
(A) New branches of Congress were set up in various parts of India
(B) A series of ‘Praja Mandals’ were established to promote nationalist creed in the princely states
(C) Gandhiji encouraged communication of the nationalist message in the mother tongue
(D) Gandhiji was not able to gather support from Indian entrepreneurs and industrialists
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
