Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, political leader, and spiritual figure who led the movement for Indian independence from British rule. He developed the method of nonviolent resistance known as satyagraha, and he is regarded as the father of the Indian nation.

Early Life and Education

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in 1869 in Porbandar, in western India. He was raised in a devout Hindu family and was influenced by the Jain tradition of nonviolence.

He studied law in London and then worked as a lawyer in South Africa. He experienced racial discrimination there, and he began to organise the Indian community in defence of its rights.

He developed the technique of satyagraha, or truth force, which he used in campaigns against discriminatory laws. He returned to India in 1915.

The Indian Independence Movement

Gandhi became a leader of the Indian National Congress and transformed it into a mass movement. He advocated non-cooperation with the British and the boycott of British goods.

He led the Salt March of 1930, a protest against the British monopoly on salt. The march attracted enormous attention and led to the arrest of tens of thousands of people.

He worked to unite Hindus and Muslims and to end the practice of untouchability. He promoted the spinning wheel as a symbol of self-reliance and of the dignity of manual labour.

Philosophy and Method

Gandhi's philosophy combined religious and political ideas. He believed in the unity of means and ends and in the power of nonviolent action to transform both the oppressor and the oppressed.

He practised simplicity, fasting, and celibacy, and he lived in an ashram with his followers. He was called Mahatma, or great soul, by the poet Rabindranath Tagore.

His ideas influenced Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and many other leaders of movements for justice. The method of nonviolent resistance has been used throughout the world.

Partition and Death

Gandhi opposed the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan, and he worked to prevent communal violence. He undertook fasts to stop the rioting in Calcutta and Delhi.

He was assassinated in January 1948 by a Hindu nationalist who objected to his tolerance of Muslims. His death was mourned throughout the world.

His ashes were scattered in the rivers of India, and his birthday is observed as a national holiday. He is remembered as the father of the nation.

Legacy

Gandhi is one of the most influential political figures of the twentieth century. His method of nonviolence has been adopted by movements for civil rights, for independence, and for social justice.

His writings are extensive and continue to be studied. He is remembered for his moral authority and for his personal austerity.

His legacy is contested in India, where his economic and social ideas have been debated. He remains a symbol of the struggle for freedom and of the power of nonviolence.

The South African Years

Gandhi spent more than twenty years in South Africa, where he worked as a lawyer and as a community leader. He experienced discrimination and began to organise the Indian community.

He developed the method of satyagraha during the campaign against the registration of Indians. The method combined nonviolence with the willingness to suffer the consequences of disobedience.

He founded the newspaper Indian Opinion and established the Phoenix Settlement and Tolstoy Farm. The communities practised simple living and manual labour.

The Non-Cooperation Movement

Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and became a leader of the Indian National Congress. He transformed the party into a mass organisation with a broad base.

The non-cooperation movement of 1920 to 1922 called for the boycott of British institutions and goods. The movement was suspended after an outbreak of violence at Chauri Chaura.

Gandhi was arrested and imprisoned several times. He used fasting as a means of political and moral pressure, and he inspired his followers by his personal example.

The Salt March

The Salt March of 1930 was a protest against the British monopoly on the manufacture of salt. Gandhi and his followers walked more than two hundred miles to the sea, where he made salt by evaporation.

The march attracted international attention and led to the arrest of tens of thousands of people. It marked the beginning of the civil disobedience movement.

Gandhi negotiated with the British at the Round Table Conference in London. The talks failed to produce an agreement on independence, but they established his standing as a national leader.

Quit India

The Quit India movement of 1942 demanded the immediate withdrawal of the British. The movement was suppressed, and Gandhi and the other leaders were imprisoned.

Gandhi opposed the partition of India and worked to prevent communal violence. He undertook fasts to stop the rioting and to promote Hindu-Muslim unity.

He was assassinated in January 1948 by a Hindu nationalist. His death was followed by a period of mourning throughout the world.

Legacy

Gandhi's method of nonviolent resistance has been adopted by movements for civil rights and for independence throughout the world. His influence on Martin Luther King Jr. and on Nelson Mandela was decisive.

His writings include an autobiography and many articles and letters. He is remembered for his moral authority and for his personal austerity.

His economic and social ideas have been debated, and his legacy is contested. He remains a symbol of the struggle for freedom and of the power of nonviolence.

See also

• Indian independence movement
• Satyagraha