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| Women’s Participation in the Individual Satyagraha Movement in Tamil Nadu — A representative image. |
File Information
| Document Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Women’s Participation in the Individual Satyagraha Movement in Tamil Nadu: With Special Reference to the North Arcot District |
| Article Credit | Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR), ISSN: ISSN-2349-5162, Vol.: 13, Issue: 4, Year: 2026 |
| Author | Prof. S.S. Sundaram (Professor and Head) G. Thenmozhi (Ph.D, Research Scholar) |
| Subject | This study examines women’s political participation in the Individual Satyagraha Movement in Tamil Nadu, with emphasis on North Arcot District. It focuses on anti-war activism, arrests, imprisonment, and the role of women in sustaining nationalist protest. |
| Category | Historical research article |
| Institution | Department of Indian History, University of Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Main Topics | Individual Satyagraha Movement, Women’s participation in Tamil Nadu, North Arcot District, Anti-war protest and civil disobedience, Arrests and imprisonment of satyagrahis, Vellore Jail and hunger strike, Madras Presidency Congress activities |
| Number of Pages | 5 |
| Language | English |
| File Type | |
| File Size | 388.2 KB |
Summary Note of this Document
Women’s Participation in the Individual Satyagraha Movement in Tamil Nadu: With Special Reference to the North Arcot District
This article studies women’s participation in the Individual Satyagraha Movement in Tamil Nadu, with special reference to North Arcot District. It situates the movement within the anti-war politics of 1940-41 and shows how Gandhian protest spread across the Madras Presidency through speeches, pamphlets, volunteer recruitment, and court arrest. The paper argues that women were not marginal observers but active political agents who preached anti-war ideas, joined satyagraha campaigns, accepted imprisonment, and in some cases paid heavy fines or endured detention in Vellore and other jails. It highlights named women participants from several districts, but gives particular attention to North Arcot, where the movement was organized through a satyagraha camp and where women took visible roles in local agitation. The discussion also includes prison conditions, class discrimination among detenus, and the Vellore Jail hunger strike as evidence of the coercive climate surrounding the movement. By tracing individual cases, the article connects women’s activism to the broader nationalist struggle and to the later phase of the Indian freedom movement, especially the ways women challenged colonial authority through public protest and sacrifice.
Core Themes
- Women as active nationalist participants
- Gandhian anti-war resistance
- Colonial repression and imprisonment
- Local activism in North Arcot
- Political sacrifice and protest discipline
Keywords
About Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi lived from 1869 to 1948. Born in India, he trained as a lawyer and became a political thinker. Colonial rule repelled him. He opposed it fiercely and eventually led India’s independence movement.
Gandhi pioneered Satyagraha, the power of truth and nonviolent resistance. He put these ideals into practice during political and social upheavals. Over twenty years in South Africa shaped his thinking. That’s where he developed his tactics of nonviolent defiance. He returned to India in 1915 and launched major movements against British rule. Non-Cooperation Movement. Salt March. Quit India Movement. Each one challenged colonial domination.
In 1883 he married Kasturba Gandhi. Marriage and family life remained central to who he was. He spoke powerfully about his beliefs. His writing included Hind Swaraj, Satyagraha in South Africa, and The Story of My Experiments with Truth, his autobiography.
His vision stretched beyond political independence. Religious harmony mattered to him. Social equality. Self-reliance. Women’s rights. Ending untouchability. All of these were part of what he fought for.
Nonviolence and Satyagraha shaped movements worldwide. Civil rights activists drew from his example. Freedom struggles across the globe felt his influence. His approach changed how people thought about resistance and change.
Complete Gandhi Research Collection
Download the entire collection of Gandhi research PDFs available on HISTORY MARG