In this Post you will get AHSEC Class 12 Indigo Question answers prepared as per academic session 2025. HS 2nd Year Indigo Solution with most important questions can be a great resource for your preparation.
About Class 12 English Chapter – 3 Indigo
The chapter Indigo is an excerpt from Fischer’s book ‘The Life of Mahatma Gandhi’. The book has been reviewed by the Times Educational Supplement as one of the best books ever written on Gandhi. The author visited Gandhi in 1942 and Gandhi narrated to him the incident which prompted him to fight against the British. Rajkumar Shukla, a poor peasant, who came to Gandhi with the problem of exploitation in his district. Gandhi visited the place and freed the people of Champaran from tyranny ( cruelty).
About AHSEC Class 12 Indigo Characters
Gandhi: The Father of Nation; here he helps the peasants of Champaran to become self-reliant.
Rajkumar Shukla: A poor, emaciated peasant whose resoluteness impresses Gandhi to work for empowering Champaran’s peasants.
Brief Summary of AHSEC Class 12 Indigo by Louis Fischer
This story is set in 1916 when Gandhi steps up to help poor peasants in Champaran. This land is owned by Englishmen and cultivated by Indian tenants under compulsion to grow Indigo. British no longer needs it as the German have developed a synthetic indigo and they ask for compensation as a way of releasing their tenants from their agreement. Some peasants are on board while others are not.
Raj Kumar Shukla organizes a meeting between Gandhi; thus, he visits Champaran. Lawyers’ physical support and increased peasant pressure follow after his arrival. He makes lawyers feel guilty through making them understand that they demand high fees while being expected to give advice which could only be given by a counselor in order to make peasants trust themselves. After one year’s struggle, justice was obtained for these people by Gandhi who also arranged for other things like better education, health and sanitary facilities. In addition, he taught them how to be self-sufficient and increase their self-esteem.
Lastly, the efforts of Gandhi at Champaran show his commitment to improving the conditions of his fellow countrymen right from the start.
Assam Board Class 12 English Notes for 2025 Exam
CHAPTER: 3 INDIGO
VERY SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (1 Mark)
1 Who was Sir Edward Gait? (AHSEC 2012, 2015)
ANS: Sir Edward Gait was the Lieutenant Governor of the province of Champaran.
2. Who was Rajkumar Shukla?(AHSEC 2012, 2016)
ANS: Rajkumar Shukla was one of the poor sharecropper peasants of Champaran.
3. Whom did Gandhi and Shukla propose to meet at Patna? (AHSEC 2013, 2017)
ANS: Rajendra Prasad
4. Why was Gandhi visiting Lucknow in 1916?
(AHSEC 2013,2020,2022)
ANS: Gandhi was visiting Lucknow to attend the annual convention of the Indian National Congress party in 1916.
5. Where is Champaran situated? (AHSEC 2014)
Or
Where was Champaran? (AHSEC 2018)
ANS: Champaran was in the foothills of the Himalayas, near the kingdom of Nepal.
6. What did Shukla want Gandhi to do? (AHSEC 2015)
ANS: Shukla wanted Gandhi to visit his district and seek a way out of the unfair situation prevailing there owing to the injustice of the landlord system.
7. What was Gandhi’s politics intertwined with? (AHSEC 2016)
ANS: Gandhi’s politics were intertwined with the practical, day to-day problems of the millions.
8. Who is the author of the lesson, ‘Indigo’?
ANS: The author of the lesson, ‘Indigo’ is Louis Fischer.
9. Which book by Louis Fischer has been reviewed as one of the best books ever written on Gandhi by Times Educational Supplement?
ANS: Louis Fischer’s book – The Life of Mahatma Gandhi has been reviewed as one of the best books ever written about Gandhi by Times Educational Supplement.
10. When did Gandhi decide ‘to urge the departure of the British?
ANS: Gandhi decided to urge the departure of the British in 1917.
11. Where was Rajkumar Shukla from?
ANS: Rajkumar Shukla was from Champaran in the foothills of the Himalayas, near Nepal.
12. Why was Rajkumar Shukla ‘resolute’?
ANS: Rajkumar Shukla is described as being ‘resolute’ because he was adamant to take Gandhi to Champaran.
13. Where did Gandhi and Shukla board a train?
ANS: Gandhi and Shukla boarded a train to the city of Patna in Bihar.
14. Whom did they meet there?
ANS: They met Rajendra Prasad there.
15. Where did Gandhi decide to go first?
ANS: Gandhi decided to go first to Muzzafarpur.
16 Which country had developed synthetic indigo? [AHSEC 2019]
ANS: Germany had developed synthetic indigo.
17. What was the capital of Champaran?
ANS:Motihari was the capital of Champaran
18. What happened when Gandhi refused to furnish bail?
ANS: When Gandhi refused to furnish bail, the Judge released him without bail.
19. Where did the author of “Indigo” visit Gandhi for the first time?
ANS: The author of ‘Indigo’ visited Gandhi for the first time at Kanpur in 1942 at his ashram sevagram.
20. Where did Gandhi meet Prof. J. B. Kriplani for the first time? [AHSEC 2024]
ANS:- The first person who came in contact with Gandhi was JB Kriplani, a lawyer by profession. He met Gandhi at the station of Muzaffarpur when he arrived at the station.
21. How many times did Gandhi meet the Lt. Governor? [AHSEC 2024]
ANS:- Gandhi met the Lieutenant Governor a total of four times during his movement in Champaran.
22. What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent ?[AHSEC 2024]
ANS:– The peasants paid the entire indigo harvest, which they had to cultivate on 15 percent (15%) of the land, as a rent to the British.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (2 Marks)
1. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life? (HS 2012)
Or
Why was the Champaran episode so significant in Gandhi’s life? (HS 2016)
ANS: The Champaran episode began as an attempt to ease the suffering of large number of poor peasants. He got the spontaneous support of thousands of people. Gandhi admits that what he had done was a very ordinary thing. He declared that the British could not order him about in his own country. Hence, he considered the Champaran episode as a turning- point in his life.
2. What was the incident that prompted Gandhi to raise his voice of protest against the British? (HS 2013)
ANS: On the request of Rajkumar Shukla, a sharecropper peasant, Gandhi went to his district, Champaran to find a way out of the unfairness done to the Sharecroppers by the landlords. He, at last, forced a way for an honourable settlement of the peasants. This episode of Champaran promoted Gandhi to protest against the British as it made him clear that they must quit India sooner.
4. Why did Gandhi decide to go to Muzzafarpur first before going on to Champaran? (HS 2018)
ANS: Gandhi thought it would be advisable to go to Muzzafarpur which was on the way to Champaran because He wanted to collect more information about condition prevailing there. Therefore, he sent a telegram to Professor. J.B. Kripalani. He stayed there for two days in the house of Prof. Kripalani.Even the lawyers of Muzzafarpur called on Gandhi to brief him.
5. What did Gandhi tell Rajkumar Shukla?
ANS: When Rajkumar Sukla requested Gandhi to visit his district, Champaran in order to find out a way of the unfair situation prevailing over there, Gandhi told him that he had an arrangement to go to Cawnpore (Now Kanpur) and then some other parts of India.
6. Why was Gandhi impressed with Shukla? (HS 2022)
ANS: Though Shokla was an illiterate person, he knew his duty and was very much determined to take Gandhi to his district, Champaran to find a way out of the unfairness done to the farmers by the Englishmen. When Gandhi returned to his ashram near Ahmedabad, Shukla followed him there too. For weeks he stayed with Gandhi and begged him to visit Champaran. This resolution and the tenacity of Shukla impressed Gandhi a lot.
7. What did the servants at Rajendra Prasad’s house mistake Gandhi to be?
ANS: The servants at Rajendra Prasad’s house knew Shukla as a farmer who was after their master to help the indigo sharecroppers.As Shukla was accompanying Gandhi,so the servants presumed him to be another peasant and also an untouchable.
8. Why was Gandhi not allowed to draw water from the well?
ANS: The servants at Rajendra Prasad’s house knew Shukla as a poor farmer who was after their master to help the indigo They were the victims of the landlord system in Champaran. Rajkumar Shukla went to meet Gandhi because he knew that only Gandhi can help them in getting freedom from the landlord system.
9. Why did Gandhi chide the lawyers of Muzaffarpur?
ANS: Gandhi chided the lawyers for collecting big fees from the poor sharecroppers. When peasants were so poor and crushed, it was inhuman to charge heavy fees from them.
10. Why did the indigo planters obtain new agreements from the sharecroppers to pay them compensation? Why did many sign willingly?
ANS: Germany had produced synthetic indigo. Now the plantation of indigo was no longer profitable. The landlords wanted to free the peasants from the 15% agreement. For this freedom, they demanded compensation from them. Many of them signed willingly as the previous 15% arrangement was not liked by them.
11. What did Gandhi do to remove the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran Villages?
ANS: Politics and economic issues were important. But for Gandhi, the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran villages was a curse. He wanted to do something about it immediately. Many volunteers came from other parts of India. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturbai taught cleanliness and situation. Gandhi got a doctor to volunteer his services for six months.
12. Whom did Gandhi send a telegram to in Muzzafarpur?
ANS: Gandhi thought it would be better to go first to Muzzafarpur to collect more information about conditions prevailing in Champaran.Hence, he sent a telegram to Professor J.B. Kripalani of the Arts College in Muzzafarpur whom he had seen at Tagore’s Shantiniketan school.
13. Where did Gandhi stay in Muzaffarpur? (2019)
ANS: At Muzaffarpur, Gandhi stayed at the home of Professor Malkani,a teacher in a government school. It was an extraordinary thing as in those days government professors were afraid to harbor or show sympathy for Indian advocates.
14. Why did Gandhi chide the lawyers?
ANS: Gandhi chided the lawyers of Muzzafarpur for a big fee on the cases of the sharecroppers. charging
15. What did the British Commissioner of the Tirhut division in Champaran district ask Gandhi to do?
ANS: Gandhi tried to get the facts about the Champaran situation So, he called on the British official commissioner of the Tirhut division in which the Champaran district lay. But the commissioner instead bullied Gandhi and advised him to leave Tirhut at once.
16. Why was Professor Malkani’s action of offering shelter to Gandhi ‘extraordinary’? (HS 2022,2020)
ANS: Professor Malkani was a teacher in a government school. Hence, it was extraordinary for him to offer shelter to Gandhi as during those days most government employees were afraid to harbour or show sympathy to an Indian advocate.
17. How was a solution to the problems of indigo sharecroppers of Champaran found? (HS 2023)
Ans: Mahatma Gandhi resolved the problems of the indigo sharecroppers of Champaran through a peaceful resistance movement known as the Champaran Satyagraha. His efforts brought attention to the farmers’ plight and eventually led to the British government abolishing the system of forced indigo cultivation and returning the control of the land to the farmers.
18. What did Gandhi do to improve the health condition of the Champaran villages? (HS 2023)
Ans: Gandhi promoted sanitation and hygiene in Champaran village by encouraging the use of latrines and natural fertilizers. He established a mobile dispensary to provide medical aid and organized teams to distribute medicines and educate villagers. This helped improve the health conditions and reduce diseases in the area.
(d) How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.
ANS:– Gandhi influenced lawyers by emphasizing non-violent civil disobedience. For instance, during the Champaran Satyagraha, he mobilized lawyers to support farmers’ rights against oppressive indigo planters. [AHSEC 2024]
(e) Explain the statement: “The Battle of Champaran is won.” [AHSEC 2024]
ANS:– The statement “The Battle of Champaran is won” refers to the successful outcome of Gandhi’s protest against indigo cultivation. It marked a victory for the peasants’ rights and led to significant reforms.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (5 Marks)
1. Describe the exploitation of the indigo sharecroppers by the English landlords. Did Gandhi help them to get an honorable settlement? (AHSEC 2013, 2017,2019)
ANS: The English landlords in Champaran compelled all sharecroppers to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo. They had to surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent to the landlords. This was done by a long-term contract. Then Germany developed synthetic indigo. The plantation of natural indigo was no longer a profitable business for English landlords. They decided to free the Indian sharecroppers from a 15% contract. They were to pay compensation for this freedom. The peasants saw through the trick and fraud of the landlords. Therefore, they refused to pay the compensation. Those who had signed the agreement demanded their money back. Gandhi went to Bihar to take up the cause of poor peasants. There was a huge demonstration of thousands of peasants the very next day. The government was baffled. A commission of inquiry was constituted. Gandhi was the sole representative of the peasants. The landlords decided to refund the money to the peasants. At last, they settled for 25%.) The amount of the refund was less important. The more important thing was the victory of the peasants and the victory of the Civil Disobedience in India.
2. Describe the efforts made by RK Shukla to persuade Gandhi to go to Champaran. (HS 2014)
ANS: Rajkumar Shukla a poor peasant from Champaran went to the annual convention of the Indian National Congress party in Lucknow, to meet Gandhi. He told Gandhi that he wanted him to come to their district. Gandhi told Shukla that he had an appointment in Cawnpore. From Cawnpore he had to visit other parts of India. Shukla followed Gandhi everywhere. Then Gandhi returned to his ashram near Ahmadabad and Shukla followed him to the Ashram also. He did not leave Gandhi’s side for weeks and pleaded with Gandhi to fix a date to come to Champaran. Gandhi was impressed by Shukla’s steadfastness and asked the latter to come to Calcutta on such and such a date Gandhi asked him to come and take him from there. Months later Shukla met Gandhi at the Calcutta station and both left for Champaran.
3. ‘The battle of Champaran is won’, Gandhi exclaimed. Explain the context in which it was said. (HS 2015, 2016)
ANS: The lawyers played a very vital role in the Champaran movement. The news of Gandhi’s advent spread among the lawyers of Muzaffarpur. They called on Gandhi to brief him. Gandhi chided the lawyers for collecting big fees from the poor sharecroppers. Law courts were useless for them. The lawyers from Bihar were again in the news. Gandhi was going to be tried in the court. Rajendra Prasad and several other prominent lawyers had arrived from Bihar to support him. Gandhi asked what they would do if he was sentenced to prison. A senior lawyer replied that if he went to jail, they would go home. Gandhi was disappointed. He asked what would happen to the sharecroppers if he went to jail. Who would fight for them? The lawyers felt ashamed. They thought that going home would be ‘shameful desertion’. They told him that they were ready to follow him into jail. Gandhi was more than satisfied. He declared: “The battle of Champaran is won”.
4. What was the long-term contract between the English landlords and the Sharecroppers of Champaran? Why did the sharecroppers protest this agreement?
ANS: Champaran is in the foothills of the towering Himalayas, near the kingdom of Nepal. Gandhi went there to find a way out of the unfairness done to the farmers by Englishmen. During the pre-independent times ,most of the arable land in the Champaran district was divided into large estates owned by Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was indigo.The landlords compelled all tenants to plant there twentieth or fifteen percent of their holdings with indigo and surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. This was done by long term contract.
However, when Germany developed synthetic indigo,indigo plantation was no, more profitable business for the English landlords.They decided to free the Indian sharecroppers from the 15 percent contract. However, for this freedom, the farmers had to pay a compensation.
5. What solution to the problems of the poor did Gandhi suggest? How far did the Champaran Movement help in this direction?
Or
“The real relief for them is to be free from fear”, remarked Gandhi. What do you think was “the beginning of their liberation from the fear of the British”?
ANS: The sharecropper peasants had to grow indigo on 15 percent of their holdings and surrender the indigo harvest as rent to the landlord. When Germany developed synthetic indigo, the British planters started extracting money illegally and deceitfully as compensation from the peasants for being released from the 15 percent arrangement. The peasants were made to sign new agreements and pay money. The planters behaved as lords above the law. Many peasants engaged lawyers at hefty fees and went to courts. The Muzaffarpur lawyers briefed Gandhi about the peasants whom they frequently represented in courts. Gandhi realized that these peasants were badly crushed and fear-stricken. Freedom from fear was more important than legal justice for them. Gandhiji was ready to court arrest for them. Thousands of peasants demonstrated spontaneously around the court. The government had to release Gandhi without bail. This voluntary uprising of the peasants marked the beginning of their liberation from the fear of the British.
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Last Words
We hope you find these Important Question Answers, prepared by our team on AHSEC Class 12 English, ‘ Indigo,’ helpful. We’ve included previous year questions with answers, along with additional ones for upcoming examinations. Our aim is to provide you with the best possible resources to help you score well. Still if you have any questions or suggestion feel free to comment below.
