Civil Disobedience in Indian Tradition, with Some Early Nineteenth Century Documents c5.19

c5.19

It appears that Mahatma Gandhi as well as Mill had a more correct idea of the ruler-ruled relationship in India than conventional historians. Even without going far back into Indian history, a systematic search of Indian and British source materials pertaining to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries should provide ample evidence of the correctness of Mahatma Gandhi's and Mill's view. Further, it would probably also indicate that civil disobedience and non-cooperation were traditionally the key methods used by the Indian people against oppressive and unjust actions of government. Even with a relatively cursory search, a number of instances of civil disobedience and non-cooperation readily emerge. These are recorded primarily in the correspondence maintained within the British ruling apparatus. For example, the Proceedings of the British Governor and Council at Madras, dated November, 1680 record the following response by 'the disaffected persons' in the town of Madraspatnam to what they considered arbitrary actions on the part of the British rulers: