The First Satyagraha: Gandhi's Campaign Against Indigo Plantations in Early 20th-Century India
Anand Yang, University of Washington A high demand for indigo dyes in Europe led British planters in northeastern India (Bengal) to force peasants to grow indigo on part of their land. With almost no compensation, the peasants suffered from food shortages and violence. In this talk held on India’s Republic Day, Anand Yang discusses how Gandhi’s 1917 involvement in the indigo growing area of Champaran (in current Bihar state) led to his first civil disobedience campaign, or satyagraha, in the struggle for India’s independence. About the Presenter Anand Yang is Professor and Chair of the Department of History, University of Washington. His early scholarship dealt with peasants and agrarian societies under British colonial rule. He currently writes on comparative and world history relating to labor and migration, and India-China relations.
Please note: South Hall doors open at 9:30 AM. |