Gandhiji returned to India in January 1915 after gaining experience in South Africa with his agitational/ protest methods. After coming to India, he decided to travel India and not to take any position on any political matter for at least one year.
In 1917 Gandhiji was requested to look into the problems of the farmers in context of indigo planters of Champaran in Bihar. First lesson in disobedience movement: Gandhi travelled across the district to different villages, meeting farmers and taking note of their sufferings and complaints against the forced indigo cultivation.
Champaran movement marked the beginning of mass movement era as from now onwards masses were part of national movement. Gandhi through Champaran movement reposed faith in common masses unlike Congress which did not considered masses were yet ready for mass movement.
Gandhiji built on his South African experience and established his reputation as mass leader beginning with Champaran and later Ahmedabad and Kheda movement. He found his feet among the masses and came to have a surer understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the masses.