This included many Indian immigrants who were shipped to South Africa to work as servants. When Gandhi arrived in South Africa his first experience with discriminatory treatment was a conflict with a fellow first class passenger. This passenger complained to train officials about Gandhi's occupation of one of the forward first class cabins. When the train officials asked Gandhi to move to the lower class van compartment he refused stating the validity of his situation with the authority held in his first class ticket. Gandhi and his luggage were thrown off the train at the next stop. The next day Gandhi sent a letter of protest to the general manager of the railroad regarding this incident. As a result of Gandhi's letter he was allowed to ride first class on his next train ride. This inspired Gandhi and over the course of the next twenty-one years he made an undying effort to non-violently yet non-passively assert Indian opinions of civil rights and restrictions to the British controlled South African government officials. By the time WWI began in 1914 Gandhi had negotiated the recognition of Hindu and Muslim marriages, the lifting of unfair taxes on Indians, and had protested the mandatory registration of Indians under the Black Act, which required all Indians to carry a registration card at all times and obey a 9:00pm curfew.
Gandhi's experience in South Africa invoked him to formulate a style of persuasion that the world had never seen. This style of persuasion contained many components and Gandhi made sure to emphasize their importance in every aspect of his political and social being. Firstly, Gandhi chose to wear self-spun woolen shawls called dhotis. He used this to demonstrate a number of things ranging from equality of importance in profession to the importance of self-provision both on a small and large scale. Gandhi disapproved of the discrimination towards untouchables, who were bound by bloodline to work the lowest occupations.