Introduction

• Gandhi’s theories of swaraj and satyagraha have been central to his liberation struggle and public discourse since the early 20th century, in both Africa and India.
• Gandhi’s philosophy was distinct from typical liberal and Marxian development discourses, as it was rooted in India’s past and centered on the restoration of ramrajya—an ideal society of small, autonomous villages guided by sanatani ethics and scriptures.
• The concept of swaraj and ramrajya was based on governance by an ideal state, regulated by elementary technologyand a subsistence economy, centered around a self-sufficient village destroyed by colonial capitalism.
• Gandhi believed in the traditional peasant world as superior to the urban, industrialized, and capitalist civilization, advocating a return to it for humanity’s blissful existence.
• His concept envisioned an unalienated world rooted in simplicity, characterized by the plough, small villages, and cottages, guided by good conduct.
• Gandhi’s approach was neither a critique nor a glorification of traditional civilization, but a balanced view—appreciating its traditional economy while critiquing discriminatory practices related to gender and caste.
• His goal was to restore the past glory of Indian civilization, forming a foundation for the future of humanity.
• The restoration was to be achieved through satyagraha, a non-violent method of struggle that resists evil with moral power and without ill-will towards the evil doers.
• In satyagraha, there is no defeat as the evil slowly diminishes through persuasion, and the doer gradually changes their position, leading to a societal shift toward enlightened consciousness.
• The key postulates of Gandhi’s struggle are found in Chapter XII of Hind Swaraj (1909) and his article ‘Who Can Offer Satyagraha’ (1909), which laid the foundation for his future experiences and developments.