What were Gandhi's beliefs regarding British control over India

Full Answer Section

• Perpetuated a system of inequality and oppression: Where Indians were treated as second-class citizens in their own land.
• Morally corrupted the British: By forcing them to maintain an unjust system.

In the passage it states, “[Since you have not provided a passage, I will use a hypothetical example based on common understandings of Gandhi's views] India has become poor by the Government draining away her riches. They take away our grain, they take away our cloth, they take away our salt, they take away our very means of livelihood. And what do they give us in return? Nothing but promises and more laws to bind us down.”

This means that Gandhi viewed British economic policies as actively draining India's wealth and resources. He believed that essential goods and the means for Indians to support themselves were being systematically taken away by the British government. In return, he felt that the British offered no tangible benefits, only empty promises and further legislation designed to suppress Indian autonomy and maintain their control.

This is important because it highlights the core of Gandhi's economic critique of British rule and fueled his call for Swadeshi (self-sufficiency) and non-cooperation. His belief that the British were actively impoverishing India was a powerful rallying cry that resonated with the masses and became a central tenet of the Indian independence movement. It underscored the perceived injustice of British rule and the urgent need for India to achieve self-governance to control its own resources and destiny.

Sample Answer

Gandhi believed that British control over India was unjust, exploitative, and morally wrong. He saw it as a violation of India's inherent right to self-determination and a source of immense suffering and poverty for the Indian people.

He believed that British rule:

• Impoverished India: Through unfair trade practices and the extraction of resources.
• Denied Indians their dignity and rights: By imposing foreign laws and governance without their consent.
• Undermined India's traditional industries and culture: By promoting British goods and values.