Updated on 6/06/2026
5. Indigo (Louis Fischer)
Main Points of the chapter:
This chapter is a description of Gandhiji’s struggle for the poor peasants of Champaran.
In 1916, when Mahatma Gandhi went to Lucknow to attend the annual convention of the Indian National Congress.
There a poor peasant named Rajkumar Shukla came to Gandhiji to take help from him for the poor peasants of Champaran.
They went to Patna (Bihar) from Calcutta by a train. Where Gandhiji stayed at the house of Rajendra Prasad who later became President of India.
Gandhiji got information from the peasants that they had to grow Indigo on 15 percent of the land and surrender it as rent (lagan) to the landlords.
By the time 1917, Germany had developed synthetic indigo so the British planters no longer needed the indigo crop.
So they obtained agreements from the sharecroppers to pay compensation for not planting Indigo.
Some of the illiterate peasants agreed to it, but others refused.
Gandhiji fought for the poor peasants of Champaran in a long battle for one year.
He met many prominent lawyers of Bihar, such as Rajendra Prasad, Brij Kishor Babu, Maulana Mazharul Haque and many others.
At last, he got justice for the poor peasants.
During this period, he also kept an eye on the work of his Ashram which was situated in Ahmedabad.
Gandhiji also worked on social level as education, health and hygiene of the poor peasant families.
He taught the people to be self-reliant and not to depend on any outsider.
Very Short Type Q-Ans.
1. Who is the writer of the lesson ‘Indigo’?
Ans. Louis Fischer
2. Who was Louis Fischer?
Ans. An American journalist, writer and friend of Mahatma Gandhi.
3. Where is Gandhiji’s ashram situated?
Ans. In Sevagram
4. When was the annual convention of the Congress party held in Lucknow?
Ans. In December 1916
5. What was the name of the peasant who came from Champaran?
Ans. Rajkumar Shukla
6. Who was Rajkumar Shukla?
Ans. A poor, illiterate but highly resolute sharecropper from Champaran.
7. Where did the Dec 1916 annual convention of the Indian National Congress take place?
Ans. In Lucknow
8. Where was Shukla waiting for Gandhiji?
Ans. Kolkata
9. Where did Rajkumar Shukla belong to?
Ans. To Champaran
10.Which place had Gandhiji never heard of?
Ans. Of Champaran
11.Where did Gandhiji and Shukla board a train for Patna?
Ans. From Calcutta
12.Where did Gandhiji decide to go first to gather facts?
Ans. Muzaffarpur
13.Where did Gandhiji stay in Muzzafarpur ?
Ans. at the house of Prof. Malkani a teacher in a government school
14.When did Gandhiji’s train arrive there?
Ans. At midnight
15.Who was waiting for Gandhiji at the Muzaffarpur railway station at midnight?
Ans. Professor J.B. Kripalani along with a large body of college students.
16.Where did Gandhiji go from Tirhut?
Ans. To Motihari
17.Which status did Motihari have in Champaran?
Ans. The capital of Champaran
18.How is the morning of Motihari town described after Gandhiji received a summons?
Ans. The town was "black with peasants" who came to support Gandhiji.
19.Who had Gandhiji informed telegraphically?
Ans. J.B. Kripalani
20.What was the chief commercial crop of Champaran?
Ans. Indigo
21.What percentage of land was reserved for planting Indigo under the long-term contract?
Ans. 15 per cent of the land
22.Which country had developed synthetic Indigo?
Ans. Germany
23.How much did the planters offer to refund?
Ans. Only 25 per cent
24.Who was J.Z. Hodge?
Ans. A British missionary in Champaran who observed the entire episode closely.
25.Who was Rajendra Prasad?
Ans. A prominent lawyer of Bihar who later became the first President of India.
24.How was Gandhiji’s behavior towards the British officials during the crisis?
Ans. Polite, friendly and Cooperative,
Textual Questions
1. Why is Rajkumar Shukla described as being ‘resolute’?
Ans. Rajkumar Shukla was a poor farmer of Champaran. He wanted Gandhiji to help the poor peasants of his area. He wanted to fix a date for Gandhiji's visit to Champaran. Gandhiji was busy at that time. He had many appointments. But Rajkumar Shukla accompanied Gandhiji everywhere. He did not leave Gandhiji until he fixed the date. Thus Rajkumar Shukla was a resolute man.
2. Where did Rajkumar Shukla go to meet Gandhiji and why?
Ans. Rajkumar Shukla was a poor peasant from Champaran. He went to meet Gandhiji at Lucknow. He wanted him to come to Champaran and help the poor share croppers.
3. Why do you think the servants thought Gandhiji to be another peasant ?
Ans. In Patna, Rajkumar Shukla with Gandhiji went to the house of Rajendra Prasad who later became the first President of India. At that time Rajendra Prasad was not at home. The servants knew Rajkumar as he often visited there. So they thought that Gandhiji would also be a peasant.
4. Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of 25 per cent refund to the farmers?
Ans. The landlords had agreed to surrender a part of their money. Gandhiji thought that the amount of refund was less important than ending this deadlock. The British had to surrender part of their money. It was really a moral victory for the farmers. That is why, Gandhiji agreed to a settlement of 25 percent refund to the farmers.
5. How did the episode change the plight of the peasants?
Ans. This episode changed the condition of the peasants of Champaran. The Peasants now gained courage. They saw that they had defenders of their rights. One by one the British planters left their estates. These estates came back to the peasants. Indigo sharecropping disappeared forever.
6. Why do you think Gandhiji considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life?
Ans. This episode proved that the British could not give order to Gandhiji in his own country. They ordered him to leave Champaran, but he refused. At this Gandhiji was summoned to appear before the court. But he presented his case forcefully. At last, the government had to drop the case.
7. How did Gandhiji help the peasants of Champaran?
Ans. Gandhiji fought a long battle for the poor peasants of Champaran. At last, after one year he was able to get justice for them. Gandhiji worked on the social level also. He arranged education, health and hygiene for the poor peasants and for their families.
8. Who was Louis Fischer? What did Gandhiji tell him?
Ans. Louis Fischer was an American writer. He was a friend and follower of Gandhiji. In 1942, he visited Gandhiji at his ashram in Sevagram. Gandhiji told him how in 1917, he decided to fight against the British officers.
9. Why did thousands of peasants come to Motihari?
Ans. The police ordered Gandhiji to leave Champaran at once. But Gandhiji disobeyed that order. He telegraphed Rajendra Prasad to come from Bihar with his friends. The farmers came to know that Gandhiji was in trouble. So, the next morning a large number of farmers came to Motihari.
10. How was the condition of sharecroppers of Champaran?
Ans. The condition of the sharecroppers was very bad. They were feared to grow Indigo. They were very poor and illiterate. There were no good sources of food and other things. They were living in miserable conditions. They were not so educated so they did not know more about cleanliness and sanitation. Gandhiji motivated them about cleanliness and sanitation. Gandhiji also taught them a lesson about self-reliance.
Long-Answer
1. How did Gandhiji win the battle of Champaran?
Ans. ‘Indigo’ written by Louis Fisher presented how Gandhiji fought for the poor peasants of Champaran. The poor peasants had to grow Indigo on 15 percent of their land and surrender it as rent to the landlord. In 1916, a poor peasant named Rajkumar Shukla met Gandhiji at Calcutta. He urged Gandhiji to help the poor peasants of Champaran. They both went to Rajendra Prasad’s house. Gandhiji went to Muzzafarpur and collected more information about the condition of peasants. The British planters demanded compensation instead of planting Indigo because Germany had developed synthetic Indigo. But the peasants refused to give. At last, Gandhiji fought and got justice for them. He filled them with courage and self-reliance. Along with this, Gandhiji worked on the social level also. He arranged education, health and hygiene for the peasants. Thus he won the battle of Champaran.
Important Spellings
Spellings
Journalist
Injustice
Champaran
Ahmedabad
Lucknow
Muzzafarpur
Shantiniketan
Sharecroppers
Commercial
Synthetic
Surrender
Compensation
Arrangement
Information
Association
Superintendent
Secretary
Commissioner
Confidence
Contribution
Government
Word-meanings
Peasant - farmer
Illiterate - uneducated
Emaciated - weak/thin
Convention - conference
Advent - arrival
Chided - rebuked
Companion - friend
Multitude - crowd
Maltreated - ill treated
Conflict - dispute
Prominent - famous
Adamant - stubborn, jiddi
Surrender - to give up
Filthy - dirty
Trench - ditch
Prop - support
Vast - huge