The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was a significant event in India’s struggle for independence, led by Mahatma Gandhi in Bihar. It was the first major civil disobedience movement organized by Gandhi in India, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s freedom movement.

Causes:

1. Indigo Cultivation Exploitation: British planters in Champaran forced local farmers to grow indigo instead of food crops under a system called Tinkathia. Farmers were made to surrender a significant portion of their land for indigo cultivation and were often exploited with low wages and high rents.
2. Economic Oppression: The indigo farmers faced economic hardships, as the low prices offered by planters for their crops made it difficult to sustain themselves. Additionally, the farmers were bound by unfair contracts and faced threats and harassment from the planters.
3. Peasant Unrest: The farmers, burdened by exploitation and injustice, began protesting, and local leaders had raised their voices against the British indigo planters’ practices.

Results:

1. Successful Satyagraha: Gandhi’s peaceful protest led to the formation of an inquiry committee by the British government, which found the allegations against the planters true. The commission granted compensation to the farmers and reduced the land under indigo cultivation.
2. Political Awakening: The success of the Champaran Satyagraha galvanized India’s struggle for independence, proving the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance. It also marked the beginning of Gandhi’s involvement in the Indian freedom movement on a larger scale.