Champaran is a district of Bihar state in India. Champaran Satyagraha was known as the first Satyagraha which Gandhiji started in 1917. In Champaran tenant farmers were forced to grow indigo plants on three out of twenty parts of their land. If they refused, they got less compensation or faced heavy taxation. The indigo farming resulting in poor production of food crops. Farmers were not allowed to grow any other plants during indigo off-season also which resulted in shortfall of food. Raj Kumar Shukla, and Sant raut a money lender who also owned some land in Champaran convinced Gandhi to go to Champaran to see the situation and thus, the Champaran Satyagraha began.