Indian Civilization and Culture Summary in English by M.K. Gandhi

Summary of Indian Civilization and Culture

Indian civilization and culture is an extract from Gandhiji's autobiography. It is all about the praises of our civilization. Gandhiji's emphasizes on the point that no other Civilization can compete with the Indian civilization. As it gives value to the performance of duty and observance of morality.

It depends on more or idealism rather than the materialistic concept of Western civilization.

Our culture has also taught self-denial unlike the self-indulgence of Western Civilization. They can go to any length for their physical and materialistic comforts.

Self-satisfaction and self-denial is what our Indian culture rests upon. 

Gandhiji takes pride in our culture and Civilization and says that it has stood and passed the test of time.

Objective Questions

1. Simple living and high thinking is the base of…

• American Civilization
• Indian Civilization
• Iranian Civilization
• European Civilization

Answer:- Indian Civilization

 

2. Who wrote Indian Civilization and Culture?

• Dr. Zakir Hussain
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Indira Gandhi

Answer:- Mahatma Gandhi

 

3. …..prefers spiritualism to materialism.

• Mahatma Gandhi
• H.E Bates
• Jawahar Lal Nehru
• Zakir Hussain

Answer:- Mahatma Gandhi

 

4. Who used truth and non-violence as the chief weapons against the British rule in India?

• Sardar Patel
• Jawahar Lal Nehru
• S.C. Bose
• Mahatma Gandhi

Answer:- Mahatma Gandhi

 

5. Who dominated Indian politics from 1915 to 1948?

• Mahatma Gandhi
• Sardar Patel
• S.C. Bose
• J.L. Nehru

Answer:- Mahatma Gandhi

 

6. The world-famous Attic civilization is in…

• Italy
• Greece
• Spain
• Portugal

Answer:- Greece

 

7. Gandhi went to Champaran in…

• 1915
• 1916
• 1917
• 1918

Answer:- 1917

 

8. European civilization will mean…..for India.

• real
• want
• living
• ruin

Answer:- ruin

 

9. Has civilization taught us to be more…..towards one another.

• Friendly
• Angry
• Enemy
• Upset

Answer:- friendly

 

10. ….. viewed large cities as snares and useless encumbrances.

• Italians
• Germans
• Romans
• Our ancestors

Answer:- Our ancestors

 

11. …were satisfied with small villages.

• Our ancestors
• Italians
• Romans
• Germans

Answer:- Our ancestors

 

12. Our ancestors enjoyed…..rule.[2018]

• nice
• home
• nation
• society

Answer:- home

 

13. …is dead against blind imitation of western civilization.

• Patel
• Nehru
• Gandhiji
• Ambedkar

Answer:- Gandhiji

 

14. The people of Europe are inspired by…..and Roman writers.

• Greek
• British
• German
• Indian

Answer:- Greek

 

15. Pharaohs were rulers of ancient…..

• Russia
• India
• Greece
• Egypt

Answer:- Egypt

 

16. Civilization is the state of development of a…..

• Animal
• Bird
• People
• non of these

Answer:- people

 

17. Indian glory is that it is……

• Immovable
• movable
• ignorant
• uncivilized

Answer:- Immovable

 

18. ..…is known as the father of the nation or Bapu.

• Sardar Patel
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Jawahar Lal Nehru
• Lal Bahadur Shashtri

Answer:- Mahatma Gandhi

 

19. My Experiments with Truth was written by…..

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
• Sardar Patel
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Jawahar Lal Nehru

Answer:- Mahatma Gandhi

 

20. Indian civilization elevates the-

• Foundation
• Independence
• Spiritual
• Moral being

Answer:- Moral being

 

21. My Experiments with Truth is-

• Story
• Autobiography
• Novel
• Biography

Answer:- Autobiography

 

22. Mahatma Gandhi has written the lesson—

• I Have a Dream
• The Artist
• Indian Civilization and Culture
• The Earth

Answer:- Indian Civilization and Culture

 

23. Gibbon is associated with..…[2018]

• Italy
• Sweden
• Russia
• America

Answer:- Italy

 

24. The people of Europe are inspired by ….. and Roman writers.

• British
• Greek
• German
• Indian

Answer:- Greek

 

25. The invention of……proved a milestone in our development.

• Fire
• Agriculture
• Carpentry
• None of these

Answer:- Fire

 

26. Who wrote different articles for Young India–

• Sardar Patel
• Jawahar Lal Nehru
• Lal Bahadur Shashtri
• Mahatma Gandhi

Answer:- Mahatma Gandhi

 

27. The mind is a restless bird which always remains—

• Hungry
• Unsatisfied
• Thirsty
• Sick

Answer:- Unsatisfied

 

28. Our ancestors dissuaded us from –

• Politics
• luxuries and pleasure
• morality
• spirituality

Answer:- luxuries and pleasure

 

29. In ancient days the common people followed –

• Business
• Agriculture
• Industry
• Politics

Answer:- Agriculture

 

30. We have been…..west for long.

• Watching
• Copying
• Copied
• Seeing

Answer:- Copying

Subjective Questions

1. Why does Gandhiji say that mind is a restless Bird?

Ans:- Gandhiji in his essay Indian civilization and culture believes in the performance of duty and observance of morality. 

He says that our ancestors understood very clearly that our minds are restless. It will keep on increasing our desires and wants.

So, they set a limit to our indulgences and made themselves firm with the belief that happiness is a mental condition. 

  

2. What does our Civilization depend upon?

Ans:- Our Civilization and our culture do not depend upon our multiplication of wants, rather it rests on the idea of self-denial and restriction of wants.

Self-indulgence is easy but self-denial is something that requires determination and strength.

So, we are proud to acknowledge that our civilization teaches us self-denial.

3. What is Civilization in the real sense of the term?[2020]

Ans:- Mahatma Gandhi, in his essay, Indian civilization and culture talk about Indian civilization as the best in this world. Because we follow the path of our ancestors.

Our ancestors taught us to be morally high and believe in the motto of 'simple living and high thinking'. 

  

4. Why is he thankful to modern civilization?

Ans:- He is no hater of the west. He is thankful to the west for many a thing that he has learned from Western literature. 

  

5. What other civilizations does he refer to, while highlighting the vitality of Indian civilization?

Ans:- He refers to the civilizations of Rome, Greece, Japan, and China which are now destroyed or westernized. Indian civilization is still alive.  

6. How did our ancestors view large cities? Why were they satisfied with small villages?

Ans:- They viewed large cities as snares and useless encumbrances, having gangs of thieves, robbers, and prostitutes. Their village fulfilled all their needs. 

So they were satisfied with small villages. 

  

7. How did our ancestors enjoy true home rule?

Ans:- Our ancestors disliked courts and lawyers. They settled their disputes without going to courts. They needed no intervention by the police are courts.   

 In this way, they enjoyed a true home rule.  

8. What does Gandhiji prefer to materialism?

Ans:- Gandhiji is dead against blind imitation of Western Civilization that is based on naked materialism. 

He prefers the development of moral being, restriction on wants, and contentment with a firm belief in God.  

Explanations

1. We noticed that the mind is a restless bird, the more it gets the more it wants, and still remains unsatisfied.

>> This line has been taken from Indian civilization and culture. Our mind is like a restless bird. The bird is not satisfied with what it has. It wants more and more.   

 Like the bird, our mind is also not satisfied with what it has. It remains unsatisfied. So we should try to control our passion and learn to remain satisfied with what we have.  

2. Plain living and high thinking.

>> This line has been taken from Indian civilization and culture, which is written by Mahatma Gandhi. A Western philosopher says that plain living and high thinking is the best way to lead a peaceful life.   

 We may get satisfaction through-plane living. High living is not a guarantee of high thinking. Our thinking is low but we try to maintain a high living standard. 

  

3. A man is not necessarily happy because he is rich....... the poor to be happy.

>> This line has been taken from Indian civilization and Culture by Mahatma Gandhi. He does not see any relationship between happiness and wealth. 

The rich may be unhappy and the poor may be happy. Happiness is a state of mind free from inflicts. Real happiness lies in the proper use of hands and feet.  

4. A certain degree of physical harmony and comfort is necessary....... instead of help.

>> This line has been stated by Mahatma Gandhi in the essay Indian civilization and culture. He is not totally against the comfort of life and wealth.

A certain amount of wealth and comfort is needed for physical well being and smooth functioning of life. But excess of them is bad and harmful. They become a hindrance instead of help.  

5. Civilization is that mode of conduct...... good conduct.

>> In this line taken from Indian civilization and culture, Mahatma Gandhi defines civilization. To his mind culture is that mode of conduct that points man to the path of duty and morality.   

 It lies in attaining mastery over mind and passions. It means it has nothing to do with our materialistic progress.

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