Why is the Champaran episode considered …

The Champaran episode is considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for independence because, for the first time, farmers and peasants rose against the Britishers. The English landlords had owned most of the arable land in Champaran. The Indian tenants worked on the land. The chief commercial crop was indigo. The English planters compelled all sharecroppers to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo. They had to surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent to the landlords. Later, it was found that the Germany had already developed synthetic indigo. The British Landlords realised that the plantation of natural indigo was no more a profitable business for English landlords. So, they decided to free the Indian sharecroppers from the 15% contract. They were to pay compensation for this freedom. The peasants saw through the trick and fraud of the landlords. Therefore, they wanted their money back. The peasants had always been oppressed by their British landlords, but they lacked the courage to revolt. Now, under the leadership of Gandhiji, they became aware of their rights. Thousands of peasants demonstrated courageously. Soon, a commission of enquiry was set up and its findings forced the landlords to agree to refund the money to the peasants. The surrender of landlords declared the victory of the peasants and the victory of the Civil Disobedience in India.