Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in January 1915 after spending many years leading struggles against racial discrimination in which country?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on a key transition in Mahatma Gandhi's life: his return to India in January 1915. Before emerging as the leader of the Indian national movement, Gandhi spent over two decades abroad, where he developed his ideas of satyagraha and non violent resistance. Identifying the country from which he returned in 1915 is essential for understanding how his overseas experiences shaped his later leadership in India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The date of return is January 1915.
• The question asks from which country Gandhi returned to India at that time.
• Options include South Africa, England, USA, Russia and Canada.
• We assume knowledge of Gandhi's early career abroad and where he conducted major political experiments before coming back.

Concept / Approach:
Gandhi first went to England to study law, but his major political work occurred in South Africa, where he fought against racial discrimination faced by the Indian community. It was in South Africa that he developed satyagraha through campaigns against unjust laws. He returned to India from South Africa in 1915. He did not live or lead such campaigns in the USA, Russia or Canada. Although England played an earlier role in his education, the specific return as a tested political leader is from South Africa. Therefore, the correct conceptual link is between Gandhi's 1915 return and South Africa.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Gandhi went to London as a student in the late nineteenth century, then later practiced law in South Africa. Step 2: Remember that his major satyagraha campaigns before 1915 were all in South Africa, fighting discriminatory laws. Step 3: Note that he returned to India permanently in January 1915 after winding up his work in South Africa. Step 4: Compare this with the options and see that only South Africa matches his political career immediately before 1915. Step 5: Select South Africa as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, think of the usual textbook structure of Gandhi's life: early years and education, South Africa period from 1893 to 1914, and then the Indian phase from 1915 onwards. The key historical narrative emphasises how he experimented with non violent protest in South Africa and then brought those methods back to India. No standard account describes his return from the USA, Russia or Canada in 1915. England is mentioned earlier in his life, but not as the country he returned from just before leading Indian struggles. This confirms that South Africa is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
England: Gandhi did study law there and returned to India for a short time after his studies, but his major political return as a satyagrahi in 1915 was from South Africa, not England.

USA: Gandhi did not conduct major political movements there, and he did not return to India from the United States in 1915.
Russia: There is no record of Gandhi living or working in Russia in a way that would match this question.
Canada: Similarly, Gandhi had no significant political residency in Canada that would make it the correct answer.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students mix up Gandhi's education in England with his later political activism in South Africa. Seeing England in the options, they may choose it without considering the date and political context. Others may guess randomly among foreign countries. To avoid such mistakes, remember the broad three phase structure of Gandhi's life and specifically that his long political apprenticeship abroad was in South Africa, which directly preceded his return to India in 1915.

Final Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in January 1915 from South Africa.