Gandhi's Role and Achievements in India before 1922
Gandhi played a central role in the struggle for Indian Independence. His achievements before 1922 included Champaran, Kaira, Ahmedab.,Rowlatt Bills, Hindu-Muslim Unity, Non cooperation. When Gandhi returned to India in 1914 he has made progress, but the theory of Satyagraha was not complete. Activities in South Africa had earned him a reputation. He earned the title Mahatma (from the poet Tagore). He spoke out about India's misery and challenged the British to fix the problem.
During one of these speeches he met Rajkumar Shukla who persuaded Gandhi, that there was trouble in his district of Champaran. Much of the land was permanently leased to British Indigo planters, an arrangement known as the Tinkathia System. Each peasant was forced to use three-twentieths of his subleased land to grow indigo, the land to be chosen not by the peasant, but by the British Planter. The British would sell indigo to the planter at a price fixed by the planter. When the Germans invented a synthetic dye substitute the value of indigo fell. The British charged more rent to their Indian sub-tenants who were already poor. This caused unrest.
Gandhi towards Champaran and saw something was indeed wrong. He held a meeting with Morshead the British Commissioner about peasant grievances. Morshead ordered his magistrate Heycock to arrest Gandhi, who let himself be arrested rather than leave. A letter from the Provincial Government allowed Gandhi to continue his inquiry.
His next task was in his home district of Kaira. The problems there were poor crops and a rising cost of living. Peasants refused to pay tax. The government sent in mamlatdars (tax collectors) to seize possessions and crops. Gandhi called off Satyagraha and the government withdrew the mamlatdar but the campaign was not entirely a success.
During World War I 1 he became a recruiter for the Indian Army. This shows some inconstancies in the non-violent stance. He stopped recruiting when he became very ill. During the war, Britain imposed censorship to stop terrorist activity. Through what came to be known as the Rowlatt Bills. Every Indian politician was opposed to them. Gandhi too was opposed and argued it stopped people from expressing themselves and instead put satyagraha back in place.
Gandhi also organized a hartal, a closing of shops for prayer. Non Violent protests were met quickly by police swinging batons. Gandhi was arrested. His strategy had been a failure. However, it showed the violence Britain displayed gave it no rightful reason to rule India. The Hunter Report was the inquiry into police brutality. The inquiry that followed produced the Hunter Report which that police brutality was widespread. Gandhi wanted Hindus and Muslims to be united and fight for equality in India. It was Gandhi's concern for Muslim holy places that kept Muslims on the side. (Khalifat Issue)
Gandhi decided after the Hunter Report and Khalifat Issue that non-cooperation with the British would force them to leave India. A vote in Indian Congress passed in 1920. 144 voted in favor. It would include a boycott of all foreign goods. In 1921 Gandhi became the leader of the nationalist movement. 20000 nationalists were imprisoned by the end of the campaign including congress leaders and Gandhi.
Some of Gandhi's achievements can also be viewed as short-term failures. On a number of occasions, he was arrested for what he believed in. In the longer term his ideas and strategies, in general, were highly successful. His practice of Satyagraha was often changed. This included when he recruited troops for World War I. His support for Muslim holy places allowed him to gain more support from Muslims to follow his cause.
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