Gandhi

Question 1

Describe Gandhi’s early life

Answer 1

Born to a vaishya family raised as a hindu and exposed to Jain and Christian ideas. Married at 13 and left India to study law in England aged 19.

Question 2

Describe his time in England

Answer 2

He studied law and joined the vegetarian society, he was introduced to the ideas of mill, Tolstoy, Jesus, the Bhagavad Gita and the New Testament, he began to develop his ideas on non violence.

Question 3

Describe his time in South Africa

Answer 3

He first experienced discrimination and began to support swaraj and satyagraha. After being arrested for protesting a law nullifying Indian marriages, which he got repealed, he returned to India in 1915.

Question 4

Give four of his main Indian campaigns

Answer 4

1. After organizing peaceful protests, a group of Sikhs was fired on by general dyer in 1919, 400 were killed, Gandhi fasted in protest. 2. 1930 salt march against a law which forced Hindus to only buy English salt. 3. 1930s- fast until death for changes to the treatment of Dalits and political reform. 4. 1947- opposition to the partition of India.

Question 5

Why did he oppose partition?

Answer 5

He wanted India to continue to be a country made from different faiths who respected each other and lived harmoniously, the partition encouraged division.

Question 6

Who were his three western influences?

Answer 6

1. Jesus- turning the other cheek and the idea that blessed are the peacemakers. 2. Tolstoy- the importance of agape. 3. Thoreau- inspired his non cooperation with his ideas about civil disobedience.

Question 7

What were his two Indian influences?

Answer 7

1. Bhagavad Gita- letting go of the ego and doing what is right for others. 2. Jain religion- sky clad monks who advocate ahimsa.

Question 8

What did he think of religious pluralism?

Answer 8

Strongly supported it, he believed the Jain idea that out knowledge of truth is fragmentary, so we have no right to impose out beliefs upon others.

Question 9

What were his thoughts on ahimsa?

Answer 9

He saw it as respect for all life, he was influenced by Jain and advaita Vedanta ideas that man and god are the same and we are all equal, so when you harm someone else, you are harming yourself.

Question 10

What is satyagraha?

Answer 10

A Sikh concept that ‘god’s name is truth’ truth has an internal force and if you are on the side of truth, you cannot loose.

Question 11

What is brahmacharya?

Answer 11

Student stage where you are celibate, embrace aparigraha and study the holy texts. Gandhi dedicated his life to this stage after previously being a householder, he saw it as the highest path.

Question 12

What did he think of asceticism?

Answer 12

He rejected it, sannyasin was selfish and rejecting the world does not help society or improve one’s spirituality.

Question 13

How did he see the varna system?

Answer 13

Supported it, thought it had merit as a way of social organization and religious truth.

Question 14

How did he see the untouchables?

Answer 14

Despised the untouchability system as it went against ahimsa, he renamed the untouchables harijans, but they rejected this and took on the name Dalit.

Question 15

Give two of Gandhi’s views on women

Answer 15

1. Belived in equality as all people were equal. 2. Supported widow remarriage and opposed the dowry system as it disadvantaged the poor and led to more inequality.

Question 16

What was swaraj?

Answer 16

Self rule “wanting the systems of english rule without the Englishman.” Aimed to set India free from the exploitative and unjust British systems of rule, bureaucracy and law.

Question 17

What did Gandhi think about swaraj?

Answer 17

It was about more then getting rid of the English then taking up their systems of rule, it was about regaining self control and self respect and replacing British rule with a new Indian way of ruling that was right for India.

Question 18

How did he see big industrial companies?

Answer 18

He hated their power, the best way to reduce it was to teach Hindus handicrafts so they could generate income for themselves, educating people in their own languages was crucial to achieve swaraj.

Question 19

How do Gandhi’s views compare to Sarsawati’s?

Answer 19

1. He also wanted home rule and education in local languages. 2. He also did not want to combine western science with hindu teachings and thought that it would be better to teach poor Indians handicrafts and skills as opposed to literacy and numeracy.

Question 20

How did he view home rule?

Answer 20

It should be universalist, India should continue to be diverse in faith. This feeling would lead to his assassination by a radical Hindutva who opposed his support of giving political power to Muslims.

Question 21

Was he Hindutva or neo Vedanta?

Answer 21

Can be seen as both, wanted home rule and education in local languages like Hindutva, but was not exclusivist. Advocated pluralism like neo Vedanta, but did not focus on reinterpreting the vedas.

Question 22

Give two points to show the limit of Gandhi’s influence

Answer 22

1. Ideas are well known in the west, but have lost much of their original context- brahmacharya and aparigraha. 2. Dalit discrimination is still widespread and Dalits rejected the name harijan.

Question 23

Give five points to show Gandhi’s influence

Answer 23

1. Influenced martin Luther king with his non violence and active resistance. 2. Made the west take Hinduism seriously. 3. Because of him, ahimsa and vegetarianism are key parts of Hinduism. 4. Discrimination against Dalits is illegal. 5. Tried to find radical, but Indian solutions to Indian problems.

Question 24

How can he be seen as a reformer?

Answer 24

1. Rejected untouchability and saw women as equals. 2. Wanted Hinduism to be universalist and accept all faiths. 3. Campaigned for political change.

Question 25

How can he be seen as a traditionalist?

Answer 25

1. Based his thinking on Bhagavad Gita ideas of ahimsa and aparigraha. 2. Wanted to maintain Varna. 3. Did not want to blend Hinduism with western science.