|
1893 |
April |
13 |
Gandhiji left for South
Africa from Bombay via S.S. Safari. |
|
|
May |
25 |
Attended the Durban
Court. |
|
|
June |
07 |
Gandhiji was thrown out
of moving train at Pietermaritzburg. |
|
|
December |
|
On the eve of his
departure to India, Gandhiji read an article in Natal Mercury about the
Bill to defranchise the Indians. The Indians in South Africa persuaded
Gandhiji to extend his stay to lead them against the struggle with
colonial rule. |
|
|
1894 |
August |
22 |
Natal Indian Congress
was found, with Gandhiji as Honorary Secretary. |
|
|
September |
03 |
Gandhiji was enrolled
as an advocate of Supreme Court of Natal. He was the first Indian to be
admitted. |
|
|
September |
19 |
His first case in
South Africa. Defending Gope Maharaj and Gandhiji won this case. |
|
|
1895 |
December |
16 |
Published the book –
The Indian Franchise: An appeal to Every Indian in South Africa. |
|
|
1896 |
January |
23 |
Applied to be appointed
as interpreter in Gujarati |
|
|
June |
05 |
Left Durban for India
via Calcutta |
|
|
July |
04 |
Reached Calcutta
|
|
|
July |
09 |
Reached Rajkot
|
|
|
August |
14 |
Published ‘Green
Pamphlet’ in Rajkot |
|
|
September |
14 |
Reuter sent a
misleading report on ‘ Green Pamphlet’ |
|
|
September - November |
|
Addressed several
meetings in India on plight of Indians in South Africa. |
|
|
November |
30 |
Left India with his
family for Natal, South Africa on S.S. Courtland. S.S.Naderi also left
about the same time. The two ships were carrying approximately 600
people to South Africa from India. |
|
|
December |
18 |
S.S.Courtland and
S.S.Naderi reached Durban Port. |
|
|
December |
19 |
The Natal Government
declared Bombay an infected port. Placed these two ships from India
under quarantine. |
|
|
December |
25 |
Gandhiji gave a
Christmas dinner speech aboard the ship criticizing western values. |
|
|
1897 |
January |
13 |
Passengers were allowed
to disembark the ships.
Gandhiji was assaulted
by the European youths.
Whites’ protested
against Gandhiji’s anti South Africa Government speeches in India and on
board the ship. |
|
|
1898 |
August |
|
Gandhiji objected to
Durban Town council for refusing trading licenses to Indians on racial
grounds. |
|
|
1899 |
April |
25 |
Indians in Transvaal
were ordered to move to locations. |
|
|
October |
17 |
Indians volunteered for
Boer war against the Dutch.
Gandhiji felt that if
Indians demanded the rights as British citizens then it was also their
duty to participate in the defense of the Empire.
Gandhiji formed Indian
Ambulance Corps. |
|
|
1899 |
December |
14 |
Left for the front with
Indian Corps |
|
|
December |
19 |
Corps was disbanded
temporarily. |
|
|
1900 |
January |
07 |
Ambulance Corps was
re-formed and was sent to Estcourt. Indians gave their services as
stretch bearers.
They carried the
wounded through heavy firings. |
|
|
October |
08 |
Sent Draft Resolution
to Dadabhai Naoroji,
on South African Indian problem for Congress session. |
|
|
1901 |
October |
15 |
Gandhiji decided to
leave for India.
Attended farewell
meetings.
Received gifts from
well-wishers, in turn he gave these gifts to the community trust in
South Africa. |
|
|
October |
18 |
Sailed with family back
to India. |
|
|
October |
30 |
Disembarked at Port
Louis, Mauritius.
Attended the reception
given by the Indian community. |
|
|
December |
14 |
Reached Rajkot via
Porbundar. |
|
|
December |
17 |
Left Rajkot for
Calcutta via Bombay. |
|
|
1902 |
January |
19 |
Addressed the public
meeting at Albert Hall, Calcutta. Spoke on the question of Indians in
South Africa. |
|
|
January |
27 |
In Calcutta, he spoke
on the work of Indian Ambulance Corps in South Africa. |
|
|
January |
28 |
Sailed for Rangoon. |
|
|
February
|
02 |
Returned to Calcutta
and stayed with Gokhale for several days. |
|
|
February |
21-22 |
Toured Benaras, Agra,
Jaipur and Palampur .Enroute to Rajkot, traveled by third class. In
Benaras, Gandhiji called on Annie Besant. |
|
|
February |
26 |
Reached Rajkot and
settled down to practice law |
|
|
July |
10 |
Sets up a practice in
Bombay |
|
|
November |
03 |
Recalled to South
Africa to advocate against anti- Asiatic legislation in Transvaal.
Gandhiji was reluctant
to leave on account of his children’s illness. |
|
|
November |
14 |
Wrote to Gokhale
regarding his intension to leave for South Africa on November 20th.
|
|
|
December |
25 |
Arrived in Durban |
|
|
1903 |
February |
16 |
Enrolled at Bar and
settled down in Johannesburg |
|
|
March |
16 |
Dispatched periodical
statement to Dadabhai Naoroji on the situation of Indians in South
Africa. |
|
|
April |
25 |
Wrote in ‘The
Vegetarian’, offering tips to prospective emigrants to South Africa. |
|
|
June |
04 |
Started ‘Indian Opinion
‘. With Mansukhlal Nazar as Honorary Secretary. |
|
|
December |
11 |
Mass meeting of British
Indians to protest against licensing laws. |
|
|
1904 |
February |
11 |
Wrote to medical
officer of Health, Johannesburg, about the overcrowding and insanitary
conditions in Indian locations. And warned about the outbreak of plague
epidemic. |
|
|
March |
01 |
Informed about the
breakout of plague in Johannesburg. |
|
|
March |
18 |
Informed the
authorities that number of Indians were either ‘dead or dying’ were
being dumped in the location. |
|
|
March |
19 |
Town council allocated
a warehouse for a makeshift hospital but it declined to bear any further
responsibility. |
|
|
March |
21 |
Was interviewed by a
representative of ‘The Star’ on plague problem. |
|
|
April |
05 |
Wrote to Johannesburg
Press about plague epidemic. Released his correspondence with Medical
Officer of health. |
|
|
October |
|
Took over the
responsibility for the management of Indian Opinion.
Read Ruskin’s ‘Unto
This Last’ while traveling to Durban.
Inspired by the book.
Gandhiji decided to set-up a colony on the lines suggested in the book.
|
|
|
November-December |
|
Founded Phoenix
Settlement |
|
|
December |
24 |
First number of ‘Indian
Opinion’ was issued from Phoenix settlement. |
|
|
1905 |
January |
13 |
Wrote to Gokhale
regarding ‘Indian Opinion’ and his intention to open school for Indian
Children in South Africa. |
|
|
February |
17 |
Visited Cape Town with
Parsee Rustomjee. |
|
|
May |
|
Was learning Tamil
about this time. |
|
|
June |
(post) 09 |
Visited Durban and
Phoenix Settlement |
|
|
July |
08 |
Gandhiji wrote in
‘Indian Opinion’ for abolition of salt-tax in India. |
|
|
August |
19 |
Called for united
opposition to Bengal partition and supported boycott of British goods. |
|
|
September |
01 |
British Indian
Association objected to the rule requiring Indian refugees to furnish
European references. |
|
|
September |
16 |
Gandhiji considered
Gokhale for the presidentship of Indian National Congress. |
|
|
October |
28 |
Hailed progress of
swadeshi movement in Bengal. |
|
|
November |
25 |
Called for revision of
poll tax and its discretionary application to poor Indians. |
|
|
December |
30 |
Acted as best man at
wedding of Mr. Polak. And Miss Douns. |
|
|
1906 |
January
|
01 |
1 Pound tax was
enforced on Indians aged 18 and above. |
|
|
January |
20 |
Mansukhlal Nazar, one
time editor of Indian Opinion died. |
|
|
February |
22 |
A Statement regarding
the safeguards of British Indians in Transvaal and Orange River Colony
was sent by Gandhiji to Dadabhai Naoroji,
who forwarded a copy to the Secretary of State for India on March 20. |
|
|
February |
27 |
Zulu Rebellion broke
out this month. |
|
|
March |
07 |
Gandhiji appeared for
plaintiff in tram test case at Johannesburg. (An Indian, Mr. Coovadia,
was
prevented from boarding
the tram-car. ( ref. -CWMG Johannesburg Letter, March 3, 1906.) |
|
|
March |
12 |
Appeared in Tram test
case and won. |
|
|
March |
17 |
Gandhiji asked Indians
to offer their services to the Government on the occasion of Zulu
Rebellion. |
|
|
March |
21 |
Addressed Coloured
peoples’ meeting at Johannesburg. |
|
|
April |
Before 14 |
Natal Indian Congress
decided to send deputation to England under Gandhiji’s leadership. |
|
|
April |
24 |
Addressed Natal Indian
Congress meeting which then offered to form an ambulance corps. |
|
|
May |
Before 05 |
Met General Manager,
Natal Government Railways regarding prohibition of Indians from
traveling by certain trains between Johannesburg and Pretoria. |
|
|
May |
Around 12 |
British Indian
Association wrote to Lord Selborne regarding permits and visitors’
passes.
Gandhiji supported home
rule for India. He wrote “in the name of justice and for the good
humanity.” |
|
|
May |
18 |
Judgment favouring
Indians ‘right to use trams awarded in Coovadia’s tram test case. |
|
|
May |
27 |
Wrote to brother
Laxmidas, declaring his lack of interest in
worldly possessions. |
|
|
June
|
02 |
Addressed meeting of
Indians in Durban to raise funds for ambulance work. |
|
|
June |
16 |
Gandhiji was medically
examined and certified fit. |
|
|
June |
22 |
Gandhiji was given the rank of Sergent-Major by Government.
Wrote to Gokhale about
Corps; invited him to visit South Africa. |
|
|
June -July |
23 -18 |
Gandhiji on ambulance
duty at the front. |
|
|
July |
19 |
Stretcher-Bearer Corps
disbanded. |
|
|
August |
06 |
Wrote to
Dadabhai Naoroji
about problems of Transvaal Indians. |
|
|
September |
11 |
Mass meeting of Indians
at Empire theatre, Johannesburg. Demanded
withdrawal of Pass Bill, warned Indians would resort to
resistance if Ordinance became law. This meeting led
to the first Satyagarha of Gandhiji. |
|
|
October |
03 |
British Indian
association sends Gandhiji, H.O. Ally as a deputation to England to
withdraw Oridinance. Gandhiji sails to
England on S.S. Armadale . |
|
|
October |
|
On board S.S.
Armadale ,Gandhiji learns Tamil. |
|
|
October |
21 |
Gandhiji
reached London. Visited J.H.
Polak and stayed
with him for a day.
Met
Pandit Shyamji
Krishnavarma. |
|
|
October
|
27 |
Gandhiji was
interviewed by Reuter. |
|
|
November |
07 |
Addressed Members of
Parliament |
|
|
November |
28 |
Met Winston Churchill,
who was at that time under- secretary of State
for Colonies. |
|
|
December |
01 |
Left England for South
Africa. |
|
|
1907 |
January |
02 |
Visited Phoenix. Gave
an account of work in England. |
|
|
Jan-Feb |
|
Wrote series of eight
articles in Gujarati on ‘ Ethical Religion’ . |
|
|
March |
02 |
British Indian
association protested to the Registrar of
Asiatics against taking of finger prints
by police. |
|
|
March |
11 |
Mass meeting at Gaiety
Theatre, Johannesburg, against the ill-treatment of
Indians. |
|
|
March |
19 |
The new
Parliament re-introduced Anti Asiatic
Ordinance as Transvaal Asiatic registration Bill, followed by Transvaal
Immigration Restriction Bill. Both these Bills were passed in Transvaal
parliament as TARA and TIRA. |
|
|
July |
01 |
Act was enforced in
Pretoria . First permit office opened in
Transvaal. Indians were notified that they have to register themselves
within a month.
Gandhiji addressed a
mass meeting saying that Indians will not
submit to compulsory registration. |
|
|
July |
24 |
Gandhiji arrived in
Pretoria. Called at Khamisa’s shop where
applications for registration were being received
secretly at night. |
|
|
July |
28 |
Mass meeting was held
at Hamidia Islamic Society Hall,
Johannesburg , to protest against the
registrations .
Day of
hartal was declared in Transvaal. |
|
|
November |
30 |
Last day for
registration; only 511 out of 13,000 Indians
registered .
|
|
|
December |
26 |
General Smuts decided
to procecute Gandhiji and other pickets. |
|
|
December |
28 |
Gandhiji conducted his
own trial and appeared in defence of
pickets.
He was ordered to leave
Transvaal within 48 hours. |
|
|
1908 |
January |
01 |
TARA and TIRA came into
force. (Transvaal Asiatic Registration Act and Transvaal Immigration
Restriction Act.) |
|
|
January |
04 |
British Indian
Association informed the authorities that Indian traders, whose
licences were refused under TARA, would
trade without licences. |
|
|
January |
08 |
Gandhiji told Reuters
that, if TARA was suspended, all Indian traders
would be registered within a month. |
|
|
January |
10 |
Wrote to Indians in
Indian Opinion to be ready to face imprisonment and deportation.
Gandhiji adopted the
term ’satyagraha’ as the Gujarati equivalent
for passive resisitance.
Addressed a meeting
before a trail.
Gandhiji was tried and
sentenced to jail for two months.
|
|
|
January |
21 |
Agreed to settlement on
basis of voluntary registration, if Registration Act is repealed. |
|
|
January |
30 |
Gandhiji was escorted to Pretoria to meet general Smuts, settlement was reached
regarding voluntary registration.
Formally released from
prison.
Addressed a mass
meeting at Hamidia Mosque. |
|
|
January |
31 |
All
satyagrahis were released. |
|
|
February |
02 |
In a meeting in
Johannesburg, Gandhiji declared, if violence was to be used against
those giving finger-prints, he would be the first victim. |
|
|
February |
10 |
Voluntary registration
began.
Gandhiji was assaulted
by Mir Alam Khan and others
pathans who thought that compromise was
betrayal of Indian interest.
He appealed that his
assailants be forgiven and asked Asiatics to
give their finger prints voluntarily. |
|
|
February |
15 |
“A Dialogue on the
Compromise” published in Indian Opinion.
|
|
|
March |
05 |
Another attempted
assault on Gandhiji in Durban by pathans.
|
|
|
March |
14 |
At dinner, said to be
first of its kind in South Africa, British Indian Association gave gifts
to whites who had helped in satyagraha. |
|
|
May |
09 |
Last date for voluntary
registration by Asiatics. 8,700 applications
were received and 6000 were accepted. |
|
|
May |
22 |
Registrar of
Asiatics wrote to British Indian Association
pointing out that introduction of minors into Colony by
Asiatics, punishable under TARA. |
|
|
May |
23 |
Indian association
wrote back that enforcement of TARA was breach of compromise. |
|
|
Before May |
30 |
British Indian
Association informed Indians to resume
satyagraha.
Gandhiji offered to
defend satyagrahis free of charge. |
|
|
May |
30 |
In a letter to Indian
Opinion , Gandhiji announced that satyagraha
was resumed |
|
|
June |
24 |
In a mass meeting in
Johannesburg, Gandhiji appealed to Indians not to submit to TARA. |
|
|
July |
20 |
Addressed a meeting
outside the court, Gandhiji asked traders to court arrest by trading
without licences as a protest against
proposed deprivation of educated Indians’ rights.
Also exhorted Indian traders not to affix thumb-impressions on their
licence applications under TARA. |
|
|
July |
26 |
Voluntary certificates
and hawkers’ licences were handed over to
British Indian Association for burning. |
|
|
July |
27 |
Harilal Gandhi was arrested for hawking without licence. |
|
|
July |
28 |
Gandhiji appeared in
Court to defend Harilal and others. |
|
|
August |
23 |
Mass meeting in
Johannesburg in which more registration certificates were burnt.
Mir
Alam and other
Gandhiji’s assailants, admitted their error and asked for their
forgiveness. They also resolved join
satyagraha and to fight to the end. |
|
|
September |
13 |
Harilal
was deported from Transvaal. |
|
|
September |
18 |
Royal assent was given
to amended Registration Act.
Smut
refused Indian terms for settlement . |
|
|
October |
07 |
Arrested at
Volksrust, along with fifteen other
Indians, for entering
Transvaal without registration certificates |
|
|
October |
15 |
Gandhiji reported at
road-making work on Market Square. Reuter's
Volksrust correspondent wrote, "Mr.Gandhi
expressed himself as being the happiest man in the Transvaal". |
|
|
October |
25 |
Gandhiji removed from
Volksrust prison to Johannesburg in
convict's garb to testify in Daya
Lala's case; refused offer of cab, and
marched on foot from Park Station to Fort, carrying prison knapsack. |
|
|
November |
09 |
Gandhiji, writing to A.
H. West, declared satyagraha a religious
fight and refused to obtain release, by paying fine, even to visit
Kasturba who was gravely
ill .
Wrote to her a farewell
note. |
|
|
December |
12 |
Gandhiji released from
Volksrust prison.
Interviewed at
Volksrust, on way to Johannesburg, about
ill-treatment in prison.
Spoke at Johannesburg
reception. |
|
|
December |
23 |
Gandhiji presented
Nelson, Volksrust Prison Office,
Tolstoy's Kingdom of God Is within You. |
|
|
December |
26 |
Gandhiji reached Durban
was given rousing reception; Left for Phoenix to meet
Kasturba who was ill. |
|
|
1909 |
January |
10 |
Dr.
Nanji operated on
Kasturba who was seriously ill for 3 months, in Durban. Gandhiji
attended on her. |
|
|
January |
18 |
Gandhiji, on way to
Johannesburg was arrested at Volkrust for
failing to produce registration certificate.
Deported and escorted to border, returned immediately and was re-arrested.Released
on bail .Returned to Johannesburg. |
|
|
January |
25 |
Gandhiji, in interview
to Rand Daily Mail, stated he would not be satisfied until
Asiatic traders got their rights in South
Africa. |
|
|
January |
29 |
Gandhiji was informed
of improvement in Kasturba's condition. Left
for Durban. |
|
|
February |
04 |
Gandhiji shifted
Kasturba
to Phoenix , who was convale |
