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Primary sourceDocumentMarch 1922

Great Trial of 1922

March 1922

Gandhi's courtroom statement at Ahmedabad in March 1922, pleading guilty to sedition and asking for the harshest punishment.

Gandhi's own courtroom statement explains his shift from loyalism to active resistance against British rule.

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Cover of a brown paper pamphlet titled 'The Great Trial of Mahatma Gandhi & Mr. Banker'. A white library label reads A 842,495. A boxed 'Message for India' quote is printed in the middle. The publisher is Ganesh & Co., Madras. The cover is torn at the edges and has a yellow dot and a Google watermark at the bottom.
The Great Trial of Mahatma Gandhi & Mr. Banker, ed. K. P. Kesava Menon, foreword by Sarojini Naidu. Ganesh & Co., Madras, 1922.

About this source

What it is

In March 1922, Mahatma Gandhi was tried for sedition at Ahmedabad alongside Shankarlal Banker, charged over articles published in his paper Young India. He appeared without a lawyer, pleaded guilty, and asked for the maximum penalty.

Why it matters

The trial record shows Gandhi using the courtroom itself as a platform, openly explaining why he had turned from loyalty to the British Empire to active non-cooperation. Figures such as Sarojini Naidu and Kasturba Gandhi were present, showing the wide public attention the trial drew.

Look closer

  • Why might Gandhi have chosen to defend himself rather than use a lawyer?
  • What does asking for the maximum penalty tell you about his strategy of nonviolent protest?
  • Who else is named as present, and what might that tell you about the trial's importance?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Mahatma Gandhi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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