What term did Mahatma Gandhi popularize for nonviolent resistance to British rule?

• A. Satyagraha
• B. Civil Disobedience
• C. Non-Cooperation
• D. Passive Resistance

Answer: (B)

Satyagraha, meaning truth-force or soul-force, is the term Gandhi popularized for nonviolent resistance to oppression. It isn’t just a single tactic; it’s a whole philosophy that aims to win justice by acting in accordance with truth and love, appealing to the oppressor’s conscience and the strength of nonviolent conviction. Gandhi used Satyagraha across major campaigns—Champaran, Kheda, the Salt March—to mobilize masses without violence, showing that moral power and persistent noncooperation can challenge unjust laws.

Civil disobedience is a tactic within the broader Satyagraha approach—deliberately breaking laws to protest injustice. Non-cooperation and passive resistance describe related methods, but they are not the term that names the entire method Gandhi promoted. Satyagraha is the framework that encompasses these strategies and underpins Gandhi’s method of resisting British rule.