Was Gandhi a ‘Champion of the Caste System’?

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s views on the caste system is sought to be understood through three approaches: by exploring his personal practices with regard to caste; by studying how community life was organised in Gandhi’s ashrams, since the way of life in these ashrams reflects his philosophy of life; and by reflecting on some explanations that have been put forward to explain the inconsistencies between Gandhi’s practices and his writings, where he explicitly defends caste.