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Chapter 16
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Hind Swaraj, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Passive Resistance and Indian Independence
Modern Civilization and Colonialism
The Personal and the Political
Indian Nationhood and Identity
Summary
Analysis
The reader asks if the soul-force of passive resistance (or satyagraha) has ever changed a society. The editor cites the poet Tulsidas, who said that pity and love are the root of religion. This means that the force of truth, love, and the soul is the fundamental force of the universe. There is ample evidence of this in the past, but not in what Westerners call “history,” which is really just the story of kings, wars, and mass murder. And despite all these atrocities, humanity survives because of love-, truth-, or soul-force. Through this force, families naturally reconcile and nations naturally maintain peace. But historians only talk about interruptions in this natural peace.
Gandhi views human history as a battle between two forces: the truth-, love-, or soul-force that brings people together to live in harmony, on the one hand, and the brute force of self-interest and violence, on the other. He sees these forces of good and evil, or peace and war, as inherent parts of human nature. But he is remarkably optimistic about the power of unity, forgiveness, and reconciliation, which he thinks must be the driving force behind the independence movement. If English colonialism made history by rupturing India’s harmonious way of life, then the struggle for an independent India must strive to heal this rupture and be fundamentally driven by soul-force.
Themes
The reader asks the editor to explain passive resistance. The editor replies that it means refusing to obey unjust laws. Because passive resisters only put themselves on the line, if their beliefs are mistaken, nobody else has to suffer for it. But when it is truly right to disobey the law, passive resisters do so, and they suffer the consequences of doing so. Passive resisters follow the only true laws—God’s laws. In fact, achieving self-rule (Swaraj) requires doing precisely this: obeying just laws and rejecting unjust laws. But by using brute force, protestors justify the other side doing the same, and this makes it difficult for them to reach an agreement with their opponent.
“Passive resistance” is an imprecise translation of satyagraha, which really refers to the power that comes from holding onto the truth, so is anything but passive. In theory, it sounds simple to follow morality while rejecting unjust laws. In practice, however, this means actively disobeying the government based on moral principles and often putting oneself in harm’s way. Like the homeowner who invites a robber into their home, passive resisters refuse to give up their own commitment to morality just because others have done so. This can be an effective way of declaring a government illegitimate and forcing it to change.
Themes
The reader thinks that passive resistance is for the weak, but the editor explains that it is actually stronger than physical force. It takes more courage to sacrifice oneself for justice than to attack others for self-interest. But passive resistance specifically requires a strength of the mind, not the body. The editor compares it to a sword that fights for justice without spilling blood. And he says it’s especially powerful in India, which has a tradition of noncooperation with unjust rulers. This is the only way to achieve true home-rule.
It's significant that passive resistance requires strength of the mind, because Gandhi’s main critique of modern civilization is that it prioritizes physical power while totally forgetting the mind and soul. In other words, passive resistance is both a sign of people’s commitment to a spiritually healthy civilization and a way for them to strengthen their own minds. Through collective passive resistance, nonviolent protestors actually start building the responsible, disciplined, and ethical society that they seek to eventually establish in place of the existing repressive government.
Themes
Still, the editor clarifies that it’s still important for passive resisters to strengthen their bodies, because this helps them strengthen their minds. He outlines what else people must do to learn passive resistance: they should be chaste, live in voluntary poverty, always seek after the truth, and be as fearless as possible. These virtues are heroic for anyone, not just passive resisters—they are even important for warriors. But warriors are weak and hateful if they choose violence over peace, as “one who is free from hatred requires no sword.”
Crucially, Gandhi thinks that personal change is a necessary prerequisite to political change: people should become models of virtue if they want others to follow in their footsteps and hope to build a virtuous society. In Gandhi’s eyes, people must choose self-discipline and humility for themselves, and society will only change once enough individuals do. This is consistent with what Gandhi argued in earlier chapters: the means and ends of action are always connected, and all societies’ strengths and weaknesses ultimately come down to their fundamental values.
Themes
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