At the early stage of his political career, Gandhi professed himself to be a loyal citizen of the British Empire.
His early use of passive resistance was directed against certain evils of the system without any effort to destroy it.
Gandhi found that is was possible for him to be governed the least under the British Empire.
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He had faith in the British sense of Justice and fair play and assumed that once the facts of an issue are presented properly British intervention can be favourable.
During the First World War Gandhi offered his service to the Govt, of India in the Ambulance Corps which rendered a considerable help in the recruitment campaigns and this earned him the title of Kaisar-i-Hind, as a token of British gratitude.
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Gandhi’s honesty of purpose as active co-operator with the government is also exemplified by the part he played in getting the reforms of 1919 accepted by the Congress.
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Soon, however, the situation changed. The Rowlatt Act, which intended to rob the people of all freedom, came as first shock to Gandhi.
This was followed by the Punjab horrors beginning with the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and culminating in unprecedented uncivilized atrocities.
And finally, Gandhi realized that the plighted word of the British Prime Minister George to the Muslims of India regarding the integrity of Turkey and the holy places of Islam was not likely to be fulfilled. Thus was the Gandhi’s transformation from loyalty to rebellion.