A Short and Brief Biography
| Famous as |
Leader of India national movement against British, Non vilence (Ahinsa) |
| Born on |
02 October 1869 |
| Born in |
Porbandar, Gujrat, India |
| Died on |
30 January 1948 |
| Nationality |
India |
| Works & Achievements |
Non-Coperation Movement, Salt march, Fastism an non vilence |
Mohandas Gandhi is considered the father of the Indian independence
movement. Gandhi spent twenty years in South Africa working to fight
discrimination. It was there that he created his concept of satyagraha, a
non-violent way of protesting against injustices. While in India,
Gandhi's obvious virtue, simplistic lifestyle, and minimal dress
endeared him to the people. He spent his remaining years working
diligently to both remove British rule from India as well as to better
the lives of India's poorest classes. Many civil rights leaders,
including Martin Luther King Jr., used Gandhi's concept of non-violent
protest as a model for their own struggles.
Mohandas Gandhi {full name Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Mahatma ("Great Soul"), Father of the Nation, Bapu ("Father"), Gandhiji} born on 02 october 1869 in Porbanda, Gujrat
was the last child of his father (Karamchand Gandhi) and
his father's fourth wife (Putlibai). During his youth, Mohandas Gandhi
was shy, soft-spoken, and only a mediocre student at school. Although
generally an obedient child, at one point Gandhi experimented with
eating meat, smoking, and a small amount of stealing -- all of which he
later regretted. At age 13, Gandhi married Kasturba (also spelled
Kasturbai) in an arranged marriage. Kasturba bore Gandhi four sons and
supported Gandhi's endeavors until her death in 1944.
Off to London
In September 1888, at age 18, Gandhi left India, without his wife and
newborn son, in order to study to become a barrister (lawyer) in London.
Attempting to fit into English society, Gandhi spent his first three
months in London attempting to make himself into an English gentleman by
buying new suits, fine-tuning his English accent, learning French, and
taking violin and dance lessons. After three months of these expensive
endeavors, Gandhi decided they were a waste of time and money. He then
cancelled all of these classes and spent the remainder of his three-year
stay in London being a serious student and living a very simple
lifestyle.
In addition to learning to live a very simple and frugal lifestyle,
Gandhi discovered his life-long passion for vegetarianism while in
England. Although most of the other Indian students ate meat while they
were in England, Gandhi was determined not to do so, in part because he
had vowed to his mother that he would stay a vegetarian. In his search
for vegetarian restaurants, Gandhi found and joined the London
Vegetarian Society. The Society consisted of an intellectual crowd who
introduced Gandhi to different authors, such as Henry David Thoreau and
Leo Tolstoy. It was also through members of the Society that Gandhi
began to really read the
Bhagavad Gita, an epic poem which is
considered a sacred text to Hindus. The new ideas and concepts that he
learned from these books set the foundation for his later beliefs.
Gandhi successfully passed the bar on June 10, 1891 and sailed back to
India two days later. For the next two years, Gandhi attempted to
practice law in India. Unfortunately, Gandhi found that he lacked both
knowledge of Indian law and self-confidence at trial. When he was
offered a year-long position to take a case in South Africa, he was
thankful for the opportunity.
Arriving in South Africa
At age 23, Gandhi once again left his family behind and set off for
South Africa, arriving in British-governed Natal in May 1893. Although
Gandhi was hoping to earn a little bit of money and to learn more about
law, it was in South Africa that Gandhi transformed from a very quiet
and shy man to a resilient and potent leader against discrimination. The
beginning of this transformation occurred during a business trip taken
shortly after his arrival in South Africa.
Gandhi had only been in South Africa for about a week when he was asked
to take the long trip from Natal to the capital of the Dutch-governed
Transvaal province of South Africa for his case. It was to be a several
day trip, including transportation by train and by stagecoach. When
Gandhi boarded the first train of his journey at the Pietermartizburg
station, railroad officials told Gandhi that he needed to transfer to
the third-class passenger car. When Gandhi, who was holding first-class
passenger tickets, refused to move, a policeman came and threw him off
the train.
That was not the last of the injustices Gandhi suffered on this trip. As
Gandhi talked to other Indians in South Africa (derogatorily called
"coolies"), he found that his experiences were most definitely not
isolated incidents but rather, these types of situations were common.
During that first night of his trip, sitting in the cold of the railroad
station after being thrown off the train, Gandhi contemplated whether
he should go back home to India or to fight the discrimination. After
much thought, Gandhi decided that he could not let these injustices
continue and that he was going to fight to change these discriminatory
practices.
The Reformer
Gandhi spent the next twenty years working to better Indians' rights in
South Africa. During the first three years, Gandhi learned more about
Indian grievances, studied the law, wrote letters to officials, and
organized petitions. On May 22, 1894, Gandhi established the Natal
Indian Congress (NIC). Although the NIC began as an organization for
wealthy Indians, Gandhi worked diligently to expand its membership to
all classes and castes. Gandhi became well-known for his activism and
his acts were even covered by newspapers in England and India. In a few
short years, Gandhi had become a leader of the Indian community in South
Africa.
In 1896, after living three years in South Africa, Gandhi sailed to
India with the intention of bringing his wife and two sons back with
him. While in India, there was a bubonic plague outbreak. Since it was
then believed that poor sanitation was the cause of the spread of the
plague, Gandhi offered to help inspect latrines and offer suggestions
for better sanitation. Although others were willing to inspect the
latrines of the wealthy, Gandhi personally inspected the latrines of the
untouchables as well as the rich. He found that it was the wealthy that
had the worst sanitation problems.
On November 30, 1896, Gandhi and his family headed for South Africa.
Gandhi did not realize that while he had been away from South Africa,
his pamphlet of Indian grievances, known as the
Green Pamphlet,
had been exaggerated and distorted. When Gandhi's ship reached the
Durban harbor, it was detained for 23 days for quarantine. The real
reason for the delay was that there was a large, angry mob of whites at
the dock who believed that Gandhi was returning with two shiploads of
Indian passengers to overrun South Africa. When allowed to disembark,
Gandhi successfully sent his family off to safety, but he himself was
assaulted with bricks, rotten eggs, and fists. Police arrived in time to
save Gandhi from the mob and then escort him to safety. Once Gandhi had
refuted the claims against him and refused to prosecute those who had
assailed him, the violence against him stopped. However, the entire
incident strengthened Gandhi's prestige in South Africa.
A Simplified Life
Influenced by the
Gita, Gandhi wanted to purify his life by following the concepts of
aparigraha (non-possession) and
samabhava (equability). Then, when a friend gave him the book,
Unto This Last
by John Ruskin, Gandhi became excited about the ideals proffered by
Ruskin. The book inspired Gandhi to establish a communal living
community called Phoenix Settlement just outside of Durban in June 1904.
The Settlement was an experiment in communal living, a way to eliminate
one's needless possessions and to live in a society with full equality.
Gandhi moved his newspaper, the
Indian Opinion, and its workers
to the Phoenix Settlement as well as his own family a bit later. Besides
a building for the press, each community member was allotted three
acres of land on which to build a dwelling made of corrugated iron. In
addition to farming, all members of the community were to be trained and
expected to help with the newspaper.
In 1906, believing that family life was taking away from his full potential as a public advocate, Gandhi took the vow of
brahmacharya
(a vow of abstinence against sexual relations, even with one's own
wife). This was not an easy vow for him to follow, but one that he
worked diligently to keep for the rest of his life. Thinking that one
passion fed others, Gandhi decided to restrict his diet in order to
remove passion from his palette. To aid him in this endeavor, Gandhi
simplified his diet from strict vegetarianism to foods that were
unspiced and usually uncooked, with fruits and nuts being a large
portion of his food choices. Fasting, he believed, would also help still
the urges of the flesh.
Satyagraha
Gandhi believed that his taking the vow of
brahmacharya had allowed him the focus to come up with the concept of
satyagraha in late 1906. In the very simplest sense,
satyagraha
is passive resistance. However, Gandhi believed the English phrase of
"passive resistance" did not represent the true spirit of Indian
resistance since passive resistance was often thought to be used by the
weak and was a tactic that could potentially be conducted in anger.
Needing a new term for the Indian resistance, Gandhi chose the term
"satyagraha," which literally means "truth force." Since Gandhi believed
that exploitation was only possible if both the exploited and the
exploiter accepted it, if one could see above the current situation and
see the universal truth, then one had the power to make change. (Truth,
in this manner, could mean "natural right," a right granted by nature
and the universe that should not be impeded on by man.)
He first time Gandhi officially used
satyagraha was in South
Africa beginning in 1907 when he organized opposition to the Asiatic
Registration Law (known as the Black Act). In March 1907, the Black Act
was passed, requiring all Indians - young and old, men and women - to
get fingerprinted and to keep registration documents on them at all
times. While using
satyagraha, Indians refused to get
fingerprinted and picketed the documentation offices. Mass protests were
organized, miners went on strike, and masses of Indians illegally
traveled from Natal to the Transvaal in opposition to the Black Act.
Many of the protesters were beaten and arrested, including Gandhi. (This
was the first of Gandhi's many jail sentences.) It took seven years of
protest, but in June 1914, the Black Act was repealed. Gandhi had proved
that nonviolent protest could be immensely successful.
Back to India
Having spent twenty years in South Africa helping fight discrimination,
Gandhi decided it was time to head back to India in July 1914. On his
way home, Gandhi was scheduled to make a short stop in England. However,
when World War I broke out during his journey, Gandhi decided to stay
in England and form another ambulance corps of Indians to help the
British. When the British air caused Gandhi to take ill, he sailed to
India in January 1915.
Gandhi's struggles and triumphs in South Africa had been reported in the
worldwide press, so by the time he reached home he was a national hero.
Although he was eager to begin reforms in India, a friend advised him
to wait a year and spend the time traveling around India to acquaint
himself with the people and their tribulations.
Yet Gandhi soon found his fame getting in the way of accurately seeing
the conditions that the poorer people lived in day to day. In an attempt
to travel more anonymously, Gandhi began wearing a loincloth (
dhoti)
and sandals (the average dress of the masses) during this journey. If
it was cold out, he would add a shawl. This became his wardrobe for the
rest of his life.
Also during this year of observation, Gandhi founded another communal
settlement, this time in Ahmadabad and called the Sabarmati Ashram.
Gandhi lived on the Ashram for the next sixteen years, along with his
family and several members who had once been part of the Phoenix
Settlement.
Mahatma
It was during his first year back in India that Gandhi was given the
honorary title of Mahatma ("Great Soul"). Many credit Indian poet
Rabindranath Tagore, winner of the 1913 Nobel Prize for Literature, for
both awarding Gandhi of this name and of publicizing it. The title
represented the feelings of the millions of Indian peasants who viewed
Gandhi as a holy man. However, Gandhi never liked the title because it
seemed to mean he was special while he viewed himself as ordinary.
After Gandhi's year of travel and observance was over, he was still stifled in his actions because of the World War. As part of
satyagraha,
Gandhi had vowed to never take advantage of an opponent's troubles.
With the British fighting a huge war, Gandhi could not fight for Indian
freedom from British rule. This did not mean that Gandhi sat idle.
Turning Against the British
As the First World War reached its end, it was time for Gandhi to focus on the fight for Indian self-rule (
swaraj).
In 1919, the British gave Gandhi something specific to fight against -
the Rowlatt Act. This Act gave the British in India nearly free-reign to
root out "revolutionary" elements and to detain them indefinitely
without trial. In response to this Act, Gandhi organized a mass
hartal
(general strike), which began on March 30, 1919. Unfortunately, such a
large scale protest quickly got out of hand and in many places it turned
violent.
Even though Gandhi called off the
hartal once he heard about the
violence, over 300 Indians had died and over 1,100 were injured from
British reprisal in the city of Amritsar. Although
satyagraha had not been realized during this protest, the Amritsar Massacre heated Indian opinion against the British.
The violence that erupted from the
hartal showed Gandhi that the Indian people did not yet fully believe in the power of
satyagraha. Thus, Gandhi spent much of the 1920s advocating for
satyagraha and struggling to learn how to control nationwide protests to keep them from becoming violent.
In March 1922, Gandhi was jailed for sedition and after a trial was
sentenced to six years in prison. After two years, Gandhi was released
due to ill-health following surgery to treat his appendicitis. Upon his
release, Gandhi found his country embroiled in violent attacks between
Muslims and Hindus. As penance for the violence, Gandhi began a 21-day
fast, known as the Great Fast of 1924. Still ill from his recent
surgery, many thought he would die on day twelve, but he rallied. The
fast created a temporary peace.
The Salt March
In December 1928, Gandhi and the Indian National Congress (INC)
announced a new challenge to the British government. If India was not
granted the status of a Commonwealth by December 31, 1929, then they
would organize a nation-wide protest against British taxes. The deadline
came and passed with no change in British policy.
There were many British taxes to choose from, but Gandhi wanted to
choose one that symbolized British exploitation of India's poor. The
answer was the salt tax. Salt was a spice that was used in everyday
cooking, even for the poorest in India. Yet, the British had made it
illegal to own salt not sold or produced by the British government, in
order to make a profit on all salt sold in India.
The Salt March was the beginning of a nationwide campaign to boycott the
salt tax. It began on March 12, 1930 when Gandhi and 78 followers
marched out from the Sabarmati Ashram and headed to the sea, about 200
miles away. The group of marchers grew larger as the days wore on,
building up to approximately two or three thousand. The group marched
about 12 miles per day in the scorching sun. When they reached Dandi, a
town along the coast, on April 5, the group prayed all night. In the
morning, Gandhi made a presentation of picking up a piece of sea salt
that lay on the beach. Technically, he had broken the law.
This began a momentous, national endeavor for Indians to make their own
salt. Thousands of people went to the beaches to pick up loose salt
while others began to evaporate salt water. Indian-made salt was soon
sold across the country. The energy created by this protest was
contagious and felt all around India. Peaceful picketing and marches
were also conducted. The British responded with mass arrests.
When Gandhi announced that he planned a march on the government-owned
Dharasana Saltworks, the British arrested Gandhi and imprisoned him
without trial. Although the British had hoped that Gandhi's arrest would
stop the march, they had underestimated his followers. The poet Mrs.
Sarojini Naidu took over and led the 2,500 marchers. As the group
reached the 400 policemen and 6 British officers who were waiting for
them, the marchers approached in a column of 25 at a time. The marchers
were beaten with clubs, often being hit on their heads and shoulders.
The international press watched as the marchers did not even raise their
hands to defend themselves. After the first 25 marchers were beaten to
the ground, another column of 25 would approach and be beaten, until all
2,500 had marched forward and been pummeled. The news of the brutal
beating by the British of peaceful protesters shocked the world.
Realizing he had to do something to stop the protests, the British
viceroy, Lord Irwin, met with Gandhi. The two men agreed on the Delhi
Pact, which granted limited salt production and the freeing of all the
peaceful protesters from jail as long as Gandhi called off the protests.
While many Indians felt that Gandhi had not been granted enough during
these negotiations, Gandhi himself viewed it as a sure step on the road
to independence.
Indian Independence
Indian independence did not come quickly. After the success of the Salt
March, Gandhi conducted another fast which only enhanced his image as a
holy man or prophet. Concerned and dismayed at such adulation, Gandhi
retired from politics in 1934 at age 64. However, Gandhi came out of
retirement five years later when the British viceroy brazenly announced
that India would side with England during World War II, without having
consulted any Indian leaders. The Indian independence movement had been
revitalized by this British arrogance.
Many in the British Parliament realized that they were once again facing
mass protests in India and began discussing possible ways to create an
independent India. Although Prime Minister Winston Churchill steadfastly
opposed the idea of losing India as a British colony, the British
announced in March 1941 that it would free India at the end of World War
II. This was just not enough for Gandhi.
Wanting independence sooner, Gandhi organized a "Quit India" campaign in
1942. In response, the British once again jailed Gandhi.
When Gandhi was released from prison in 1944, Indian independence seemed
in sight. Unfortunately, however, huge disagreements between Hindus and
Muslims had arisen. Since the majority of Indians were Hindu, the
Muslims feared not having any political power if there was an
independent India. Thus, the Muslims wanted the six provinces in
northwest India, which had a majority population of Muslims, to become
an independent country. Gandhi heatedly opposed the idea of a partition
of India and did his best to bring all sides together.
The differences between Hindus and Muslims proved too great for even the
Mahatma to fix. Massive violence erupted, including raping, slaughter,
and the burning of entire towns. Gandhi toured India, hoping his mere
presence could curb the violence. Although violence did stop where
Gandhi visited, he could not be everywhere.
The British, witnessing what seemed sure to become a violent civil war,
decided to leave India in August 1947. Before leaving, the British were
able to get the Hindus, against Gandhi's wishes, to agree to a partition
plan. On August 15, 1947, Great Britain granted independence to India
and to the newly formed Muslim country of Pakistan.
The violence between the Hindus and Muslims continued as millions of
Muslim refugees marched out of India on the long trek to Pakistan and
millions of Hindus who found themselves in Pakistan packed up their
belongings and walked to India. At no other time have so many people
become refugees. The lines of refugees stretched for miles and many died
along the way from illness, exposure, and dehydration. As 15 million
Indians became uprooted from their homes, Hindus and Muslims attacked
each other with vengeance.
Assassination
Unfortunately, not everyone was happy with this peace plan. There were a
few radical Hindu groups who believed that India should never have been
partitioned. In part, they blamed Gandhi for the separation.
On January 30, 1948, the 78-year-old Gandhi spent his last day as he had
many others. The majority of the day was spent discussing issues with
various groups and individuals. At a few minutes past 5 p.m., when it
was time for the prayer meeting, Gandhi began the walk to Birla House. A
crowd had surrounded him as he walked, being supported by two of his
grandnieces. In front of him, a young Hindu named Nathuram Godse stopped
before him and bowed. Gandhi bowed back. Then Godse rushed forward and
shot Gandhi three times with a black, semi-automatic pistol. Although
Gandhi had survived five other assassination attempts, this time, Gandhi
fell to the ground, dead.
