Satyagraha

noun

/ˌsʌt.jɑːˈɡrʌ.hə/

A philosophy and practice of non-violent civil resistance developed by Mahatma Gandhi, in which protesters actively but peacefully refuse to comply with unjust laws while accepting the legal consequences.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

By grounding the anti-colonial struggle in satyagraha rather than armed insurrection, Gandhi reframed political resistance as an ethical enterprise, compelling the coloniser to confront the injustice of his own conduct while denying him any pretext for violent reprisal.

Synonyms

non-violent resistancecivil disobediencepassive resistancenon-violent protestnon-cooperationtruth-force

Antonyms

violent insurrectionarmed rebellionmilitancycoercion

🌱 Word Family

satyagrahi (n — one who practises satyagraha), agraha (n Sanskrit), satya (n Sanskrit)

🔡 Root

Sanskrit satya (सत्य) = truth (from root sat- = existing, true); āgraha (आग्रह) = firm insistence (from gṛh- = to seize); coined by Gandhi 1906

📜 Etymology

From Sanskrit, combining satya (सत्य, "truth," from the root sat-, "existing, true") and āgraha (आग्रह, "firm grasping, insistence," from gṛh-, "to seize"); coined by Gandhi in 1906 during his South Africa campaign.

🧠 Memory Hook

Break it into "Satya" (truth) + "agraha" (grip): satyagraha is "gripping the truth" so firmly that you will suffer for it but never strike back.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2015 — Modern India

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Satyagraha” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: Gandhi's Early Movements (1915–1922)

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