South African Experience — Key Changes

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
Asiatic Registration Act	1906	This Act, also known as the 'Black Act', required all Asians (Indians and Chinese) in Transvaal to register, provide fingerprints, and carry a registration certificate at all times. Failure to comply led to fines, imprisonment, or deportation.	It was the direct catalyst for Gandhi's first Satyagraha campaign, as Indians vowed to defy this humiliating law. It became a symbol of racial oppression and a focal point for organized non-violent resistance.
Immigration Restriction Act	1907	This legislation further restricted the entry of Asians into Transvaal, aiming to control and reduce the Indian population in the region.	It intensified the struggle for Indian rights, as Gandhi and his followers engaged in civil disobedience by deliberately crossing provincial borders, leading to mass arrests and imprisonments. It highlighted the discriminatory nature of colonial immigration policies.
£3 Annual Tax	1913	A punitive annual tax levied on ex-indentured Indian laborers in Natal who chose to remain in South Africa after their contracts expired, rather than returning to India.	This tax was a severe economic burden and a symbol of continued servitude. Gandhi's campaign against it mobilized thousands of indentured laborers, culminating in the Great March, and its eventual abolition was a significant victory for the Satyagraha movement.
Indian Marriages Act (indirectly through court ruling)	1913	A Supreme Court ruling declared all non-Christian Indian marriages invalid, effectively delegitimizing Indian families and their children.	This deeply offensive judgment sparked widespread outrage, particularly among Indian women, who joined the Satyagraha movement in large numbers. It became a critical issue that Gandhi fought to rectify, leading to its eventual recognition in the Gandhi-Smuts Agreement.