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Glossary Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Satya | Truth as divine; God is Truth; foundation of Gandhian ethics | Core principle |
| Ahimsa | Active non-violence; love in face of injustice; thought + word + deed | Most-tested |
| Satyagraha | Truth-force; non-violent resistance to convert opponent's heart | 2016 PYQ |
| Swadeshi | Economic self-reliance; use locally produced goods | Aatmanirbhar link |
| Swaraj | Self-rule — political (independence) and moral (inner self-governance) | 2023 PYQ |
| Ramrajya | Righteous just polity; weakest has equal justice; NOT Hindu state | Common misconception |
| Sarvodaya | Welfare of all; measure success by condition of weakest; from Ruskin | 2018 PYQ |
| Trusteeship | Wealthy are trustees of social wealth, not private owners | Economic ethics |
| Gram Swaraj | Village self-governance as ideal political unit | Art 40, 73rd Amdt |
| Seven Social Sins | Gandhi's 1925 diagnostic: politics-wealth-pleasure-knowledge-commerce-science-worship all without corresponding virtue | Most-tested formula |
| Passive Resistance | Gandhi rejected this term — less demanding than satyagraha | Contrast with satyagraha |
| Hind Swaraj | Gandhi's 1909 manifesto — critique of modern civilisation; true independence | Key text |
| Anasaktiyoga | Gandhi's Gita commentary (1929) — selfless action gospel | Gita-Gandhi link |
| Constructive Programme | 18-point social reconstruction programme — Harijan, khadi, communal harmony | Direct action alternative |
| Ahimsa Paramo Dharma | "Non-violence is the supreme dharma" — from Mahabharata; Gandhi's guiding motto | 2023 PYQ |
| Naitik Swaraj | Inner moral self-governance — governing one's own desires | Deeper Swaraj concept |
| Means-Ends Unity | Means must be as pure as ends; corrupt means corrupt the end | 2021 PYQ (10m) |
| Vinoba Bhave | Gandhi's spiritual successor; Bhoodan movement (1951); extended Sarvodaya | Post-Gandhi Gandhism |
| Young India | Gandhi's English journal (1919–32); source of Seven Social Sins (1925) | Publication context |
| Harijan | Gandhi's term for untouchables — "children of God"; also his journal name | Constructive Programme |
| Bhoodan | Land gift movement by Vinoba Bhave — voluntary redistribution of land | Sarvodaya in practice |
| Civil Disobedience | Deliberate, non-violent breaking of unjust laws; accepting legal consequence | Satyagraha form |
| Salt March / Dandi March | 1930 — 241-mile march to defy salt tax; classic civil disobedience | Historical satyagraha |
| Vishada | Not a Gandhi concept but linked — contrast: Arjuna's paralysis vs Gandhi's action despite consequences | Gita-Gandhi connection |
| Unto This Last | Ruskin's 1860 essay; Gandhi translated as Sarvodaya; inspired welfare of weakest philosophy | Intellectual source |
Sources: M.K. Gandhi, Hind Swaraj (1909); M.K. Gandhi, An Autobiography / The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1927–29); M.K. Gandhi, Constructive Programme (1941); M.K. Gandhi, Young India (1919–32); M.K. Gandhi, Anasaktiyoga (1929); Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gita Rahasya; John Ruskin, Unto This Last (1860) — Gandhi's Sarvodaya; B.R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste (1936) — critical perspective; Raghavan Iyer, The Moral and Political Thought of Mahatma Gandhi; RPSC Mains PYQ 2013–2023; RPSC 2026 Official Syllabus.