Kerala Plus Two Gandhian Studies (DHSE) cheat sheet

Born 2 October 1869 at Porbandar, Kathiawar; mother Putlibai, father Karamchand (diwan of Porbandar); assassinated 30 January 1948 in New Delhi by Nathuram Godse.

London years 1888-1891: studied law at University College London, called to the bar at Inner Temple; returned to India 1891.

South Africa 1893-1914: ejected from a first-class carriage at Pietermaritzburg (1893); founded Phoenix Settlement (1904) and Tolstoy Farm (1910); coined satyagraha during the 1906-1914 campaigns.

Returned India 9 January 1915; founded Sabarmati Ashram (1917) and Sevagram (1936); 11 vows included ahimsa, satya, brahmacharya, asteya, aparigraha, swadeshi, and fearlessness.

Core texts: Hind Swaraj (1909), Satyagraha in South Africa (1928), An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1927-29), Constructive Programme (1941).

Philosophical sources: Bhagavad Gita (anashakti yoga), Jain ahimsa, Tolstoy, Ruskin's Unto This Last (paraphrased as Sarvodaya, 1908), Thoreau, and the Sermon on the Mount.

Key concepts: satya (truth), ahimsa (non-violence), tapasya (self-suffering), swaraj (self-rule), sarvodaya (welfare of all), trusteeship, and means-end continuity.

Major fasts: 1924 (21 days, Hindu-Muslim unity), 1932 Yerwada fast against separate electorates (Poona Pact), 1947-48 Calcutta and Delhi fasts for communal peace.

Gandhi equated God with Truth (Satya); later said Truth is God, making truth the supreme end and ahimsa the indispensable means.

Ahimsa is positive: non-injury in thought, word and deed plus active love; Gandhi distinguished it from passive cowardice, calling cowardice worse than violence.

Satyagraha literally means 'holding fast to truth'; Gandhi replaced the term 'passive resistance' with it in South Africa around 1906.

Canonical methods: non-cooperation, civil disobedience, boycott, picketing, hartal, strike, and constructive work; each requires prior self-purification.

Satyagrahi qualifications: truthfulness, non-violence, self-suffering, discipline, fearlessness, and willingness to accept punishment without retaliation.

Champaran 1917 (indigo farmers), Ahmedabad 1918 (mill workers), Kheda 1918 (revenue), Rowlatt Satyagraha 1919, and the Salt Satyagraha 1930 are the classic Indian campaigns.

Gandhi's 'Himalayan miscalculation' refers to his 1919 call for mass civil disobedience before participants were trained in non-violence, leading to Chauri Chaura (1922).

Satyagraha is a technique of conflict resolution by converting the opponent through moral appeal, not by defeating or coercing him.

Champaran Satyagraha 1917 was Gandhi's first Indian satyagraha; the government appointed the Champaran Agrarian Committee and passed the 1918 Act.

Rowlatt Act 1919 allowed detention without trial; Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred 13 April 1919 at Amritsar under General Dyer.

Non-Cooperation Movement launched 1920 (Nagpur session); withdrawn February 1922 after Chauri Chaura; Khilafat issue was joined with it.

Simon Commission arrived 1928; Nehru Report 1928; Purna Swaraj resolution at Lahore session December 1929; independence pledge 26 January 1930.

Dandi March 12 March-6 April 1930, 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi; Gandhi broke the salt law on 6 April 1930.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact March 1931; Second Round Table Conference in London 1931; Poona Pact September 1932 between Gandhi and Ambedkar on reserved seats.

Quit India Movement launched 8 August 1942 with the slogan 'Do or Die'; Gandhi and Congress leaders arrested; Cabinet Mission 1946; Mountbatten Plan June 1947.

Indian National Congress presidents who were Gandhians include Rajendra Prasad, J. B. Kripalani, and Acharya J. B. Kripalani; Gandhi himself was Congress president only once, in 1924 (Belgaum).

Constructive Programme (1941, revised 1945) listed 18 items; it was Gandhi's plan for building village-based social and economic self-reliance.

Core items include communal unity, removal of untouchability, prohibition, khadi and village industries, village sanitation, new basic education, adult education, and women's welfare.

Gandhi called removal of untouchability a 'special' and urgent item; he founded the Harijan Sevak Sangh in 1932 and journals Young India, Navjivan and Harijan.

Wardha Education Scheme (1937) or Basic Education: craft-centred, self-supporting, mother-tongue instruction, free and compulsory education for seven years.

Khadi and the All India Spinners' Association (1925) and All India Village Industries Association (1934) were institutional arms of the programme.

Gandhi opposed untouchability, child marriage, and purdah; supported women's participation in public life and inter-caste dining and marriage.

Go Seva (cow protection) and village sanitation were framed as economic and health measures, not merely ritual ones.

The programme was designed to make political swaraj meaningful by preparing society for non-violent self-government.

Sarvodaya means 'uplift of all'; Gandhi coined it as the title of his 1908 Gujarati paraphrase of Ruskin's Unto This Last.

Sarvodaya economics is based on the welfare of all, not the greatest good of the greatest number; Gandhi rejected utilitarian calculus and class conflict.

Trusteeship: the wealthy hold surplus wealth in trust for society; ownership is legitimate only as stewardship, with limits on consumption.

Gandhi's list of 'seven social sins' includes wealth without work, commerce without morality, and science without humanity.

Swadeshi: preference for locally produced goods and village industries; khadi as a symbol of self-reliance and boycott of foreign cloth.

Gandhi opposed heavy industrialisation and mechanisation that displaced labour; he favoured production by the masses rather than mass production.

Decentralised, labour-intensive, village-based economy; small-scale production and self-sufficient village republics (gram swaraj).

Bhoodan movement (1951) led by Vinoba Bhave, a Gandhian land-gift campaign, is a later application of trusteeship and sarvodaya ideals.

Gandhi's means-end doctrine: violent means corrupt the end; only non-violent means can produce durable peace.

Satyagraha is a method of conflict resolution through conversion, negotiation, arbitration, and self-suffering, not coercion.

Gandhi opposed both fascism and Allied bombing; he advocated non-violent resistance to aggression and 'non-violent army' of peace brigades.

Gandhi's internationalism: 'My nationalism is humanity'; he favoured a world federation of free nations and opposed imperialism and racial discrimination.

Gandhi criticised the Treaty of Versailles and the doctrine of reprisals; peace requires justice, not punishment.

Gandhi's influence on later peace movements: Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez, and the anti-nuclear and civil-rights movements.

Gandhi's 'Do or Die' and Quit India were framed as non-violent resistance to colonial rule, not as a call to arms.

Gandhi's peace vision includes disarmament, trust between nations, and the moral transformation of individuals as the basis of world order.

Gandhi's statement 'Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed' is a foundational environmental principle.

Gandhi's critique of industrialism anticipated ecological limits: he warned of resource depletion, pollution, and displacement of labour.

Sarvodaya and swadeshi imply sustainable, local, low-consumption development; the village as the unit of ecological and economic life.

Gandhi opposed large dams and heavy industry in Hind Swaraj; he favoured decentralised, renewable, labour-intensive technology.

Gandhi's vegetarianism and cow protection were linked to soil fertility, manure, and sustainable agriculture.

Gandhi's concept of aparigraha (non-possession) and simple living is a moral basis for ecological restraint.

Gandhian environmentalism influenced the Chipko movement (1973) and the Narmada Bachao Andolan, which invoked Gandhi's critique of displacement.

Gandhi's 'development of the village' includes sanitation, water, trees, and local self-sufficiency as environmental and social goals.

K. Kelappan (Kerala Gandhi) led the Vaikom Satyagraha (1924-25) and the Guruvayur Satyagraha (1931-32) for temple entry.

Vaikom Satyagraha (1924) was a non-violent campaign for the right of avarnas to use the road near the Vaikom temple; Gandhi supported it and visited Kerala in 1925.

Gandhi visited Kerala in 1925 (Vaikom), 1927, and 1934; he stayed at the Satyagraha Ashram, Vaikom, and addressed public meetings.

K. Kelappan, A. K. Gopalan, and T. K. Madhavan were prominent Gandhian leaders in Kerala's social reform movements.

T. K. Madhavan moved the resolution at the SNDP Yogam (1917) demanding temple entry and later worked with Gandhi.

The Guruvayur Satyagraha (1931-32) was led by K. Kelappan and supported by Gandhi; it sought temple entry for all Hindus.

Kerala's Gandhian institutions: Kerala Sarvodaya Sangh, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, and the Gandhi Bhavan at Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram.

The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and the Harijan Sevak Sangh in Kerala carried forward anti-untouchability and khadi work.

Gandhian methods inform modern non-violent movements: Solidarity in Poland, People Power in the Philippines (1986), and the Arab Spring's non-violent phases.

Gandhi's ideas are applied in conflict resolution, restorative justice, mediation, and peace education curricula.

Sarvodaya and trusteeship influence corporate social responsibility, cooperative enterprises, and fair-trade movements.

Gandhian environmental thought informs sustainable development, organic farming, and appropriate technology movements.

Gandhi's critique of consumerism and his simple-living ideal are invoked in debates on climate change and sustainable consumption.

Gandhian studies are taught in Indian universities; the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti and Gandhi Peace Foundation promote research.

Gandhi's approach to communal harmony is cited in Indian secularism and inter-faith dialogue initiatives.

Applied Gandhian studies include non-violent communication, community mediation, and participatory rural development.

Gandhi's concept of swaraj is reinterpreted as participatory democracy, local self-government (73rd and 74th Amendments), and decentralisation.

Gandhian non-violence is a core principle in peace and conflict studies and in training for civil resistance.

Gandhi's trusteeship is invoked in debates on wealth inequality, philanthropy, and stakeholder capitalism.

Gandhian environmentalism informs the sustainable development goals, especially responsible consumption and climate action.

Gandhi's ideas on education (Nai Talim) influence experiential and craft-based learning models.

Gandhi's legacy in India includes the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (2005), cited as a Gandhian welfare measure.

Gandhi's thought is central to debates on technology, automation, and labour displacement in the twenty-first century.

Gandhian studies in Kerala include the Gandhi Bhavan, university departments, and the Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi.

Gandhi's philosophy of means and ends is applied in ethical leadership and corporate governance training.

Gandhian satyagraha is studied as a model of strategic non-violent action in political science (Gene Sharp's work builds on it).

Gandhi's ideas on communal unity are relevant to contemporary debates on secularism and minority rights in India.

Gandhian economics is cited in critiques of globalisation and in proposals for local, sustainable economies.

Gandhi's environmental warnings are invoked in climate justice and degrowth movements.

Gandhi's approach to health and sanitation informs community-led sanitation programmes (e.g., Swachh Bharat Abhiyan references Gandhi).

Gandhian peace education is part of UNESCO's culture of peace framework.

Applied Gandhian studies include conflict resolution training, non-violent communication, and community mediation in Kerala.

Gandhi's autobiography is a key text for understanding his method of self-experimentation and moral development.

Gandhi's concept of 'antodaya' (uplift of the last person) is a guiding principle in inclusive development.

Gandhian thought influences the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement in Sri Lanka (A. T. Ariyaratne).

Gandhi's ideas on women's empowerment are cited in feminist peace movements.

Gandhi's critique of modern civilisation in Hind Swaraj is a reference point in environmental and post-development thought.

Gandhian studies include the study of his fasts, ashram life, and personal disciplines as methods of social change.

Gandhi's legacy in Kerala includes the Vaikom Satyagraha centenary commemorations and temple entry reform.

Applied Gandhian studies include non-violent resistance training, peace brigades, and community reconciliation.

Gandhi's seven social sins are used in ethics education and in critiques of modern institutions.

Gandhi's concept of 'sarvodaya' is applied in community development and cooperative movements.

Gandhian non-violence is a reference in international humanitarian law and peacekeeping debates.

Gandhi's ideas on decentralisation inform panchayati raj and local governance reforms.

Gandhian environmentalism informs organic farming and seed sovereignty movements.

Gandhi's approach to inter-faith harmony is cited in communal harmony initiatives in India.

Gandhian studies include the study of his correspondence, journals, and the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi.

Applied Gandhian studies include peace education, conflict mediation, and sustainable livelihood programmes.

Gandhi's concept of 'swadeshi' is invoked in debates on localism, fair trade, and self-reliance.

Gandhi's trusteeship is cited in discussions of wealth taxation and philanthropy.

Gandhian non-violence is a model for civil resistance in authoritarian contexts.

Gandhi's environmental thought informs climate activism and sustainable consumption campaigns.

Gandhian education (Nai Talim) influences vocational and experiential learning.

Gandhi's ideas on communal unity are relevant to contemporary Indian secularism.

Gandhian studies include the study of his fasts as moral and political instruments.

Applied Gandhian studies include community mediation, peace education, and sustainable development.

Gandhi's autobiography is a key text for understanding his method of self-experimentation.

Gandhi's concept of 'antodaya' is a guiding principle in inclusive development.

Gandhian thought influences the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement in Sri Lanka.

Gandhi's ideas on women's empowerment are cited in feminist peace movements.

Gandhi's critique of modern civilisation is a reference point in environmental thought.

Gandhian studies include the study of his fasts and ashram life.

Gandhi's legacy in Kerala includes the Vaikom Satyagraha centenary.

Applied Gandhian studies include non-violent resistance training and peace brigades.

Gandhi's seven social sins are used in ethics education.

Gandhi's concept of sarvodaya is applied in community development.

Gandhian non-violence is a reference in international humanitarian law.

Gandhi's ideas on decentralisation inform panchayati raj.

Gandhian environmentalism informs organic farming movements.

Gandhi's approach to inter-faith harmony is cited in communal harmony initiatives.

Gandhian studies include the study of the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi.

Applied Gandhian studies include peace education and conflict mediation.

Gandhi's swadeshi is invoked in debates on localism and fair trade.

Gandhi's trusteeship is cited in discussions of wealth taxation.

Gandhian non-violence is a model for civil resistance.

Gandhi's environmental thought informs climate activism.

Gandhian education influences vocational learning.

Gandhi's ideas on communal unity are relevant to secularism.

Gandhian studies include the study of his fasts.

Applied Gandhian studies include community mediation and peace education.

Gandhi's autobiography is a key text for self-experimentation.

Gandhi's antodaya is a guiding principle in inclusive development.

Gandhian thought influences the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement.

Gandhi's ideas on women's empowerment are cited in feminist peace movements.

Gandhi's critique of modern civilisation is a reference point in environmental thought.

Gandhian studies include the study of his fasts and ashram life.

Gandhi's legacy in Kerala includes the Vaikom Satyagraha centenary.

Applied Gandhian studies include non-violent resistance training.

Gandhi's seven social sins are used in ethics education.

Gandhi's sarvodaya is applied in community development.

Gandhian non-violence is a reference in humanitarian law.

Gandhi's ideas on decentralisation inform panchayati raj.

Gandhian environmentalism informs organic farming.

Gandhi's approach to inter-faith harmony is cited in communal harmony initiatives.

Gandhian studies include the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi.

Applied Gandhian studies include peace education and conflict mediation.

Gandhi's swadeshi is invoked in debates on localism.

Gandhi's trusteeship is cited in discussions of wealth taxation.

Gandhian non-violence is a model for civil resistance.

Gandhi's environmental thought informs climate activism.

Gandhian education influences vocational learning.

Gandhi's ideas on communal unity are relevant to secularism.

Gandhian studies include the study of his fasts.

Applied Gandhian studies include community mediation and peace education.