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who was
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Porbandar, British India; October 2, 1869-New Delhi, Union of India; January 30, 1948). He was the foremost leader of the Indian Independence Movement against the British Raj, practicing non-violent civil disobedience, as well as an Indian Hindu pacifist, politician, thinker and lawyer. He received from Rabindranath Tagore the honorary name of Mahatma, In India he was also called Bāpu (બાપુ, ‘father’ in Gujarati language). -
celibacy
When Gandhi was 16 years old, his father fell seriously ill. As Gandhi was very devoted to his parents, he cared for his father at all hours during his illness. However, one night, Gandhi's uncle came to relieve him for a few hours. Gandhi retired to his bedroom and slept with his wife. While he was having sexual relations, a servant came in and told him that his father had just died. Gandhi felt tremendous guilt and could never forgive himself. He called this event "double guilt." -
i work in south africa
In 1893 he accepted a one-year employment contract with an Indian company operating in Natal, South Africa. He was interested in the situation of the 150,000 compatriots who resided there, fighting against the laws that discriminated against Indians in South Africa through passive resistance and civil disobedience. -
Inspiration
During his years in South Africa, Gandhi was inspired by the Bhagavad-guita and the books of Leo Tolstoy, particularly in The Kingdom of God is in You. In the 1880s, Tolstoy had become a profound convert to the cause of Christian anarchism. Gandhi translated another book by Tolstoy called Letter to an Indian (1908), in response to Indian nationalists who supported the violence. Gandhi remained in contact with Tolstoy until his death in 1910 -
Return to India
Gandhi returned to India in 1915. At this time he had already changed his habits and lifestyle adopting the more traditional ones of India. At first he tried to launch a new newspaper and practice law, but was dissuaded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who persuaded him to pursue work of greater national importance. -
suffrage
In the article he published in "Indian Opinion" entitled "Facts better than words" he recounted what happened to 20 women who were jailed for harassing members of the House of Commons and causing material damage. They were women belonging to the English suffrage movement, who refused to pay the fine as a result of which they entered prison. Gandhi said he was attracted to this movement, which inspired him, citing it as a benchmark for the Transvaal Indians. -
March of salt
From March 12 to April 6, 1930, he starred in an important non-violent protest, known as the salt march (salt satiagraha), which would serve as inspiration for movements such as that of the American Martin Luther King. -
Second World War
World War II broke out on September, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Initially, Gandhi had favored the policy of indifference and non-violence against the British, but the unilateral inclusion of India in the war, without the consultation of the people's representatives, offended other leaders of Congress. All members of Congress elected to resign en masse. After lengthy deliberations, Gandhi declared that India could not support a war that was apparently a fight for democratic freedom -
partition of india
The plan for the division of India was approved by Congress as a way to avoid a large-scale Hindu-Muslim civil war. Congressional leaders knew that while Gandhi was viscerally opposed to partitioning India, it was also virtually impossible to accept the plan without Gandhi's approval, because the support he enjoyed throughout India was so strong. Sadar Patel, Gandhi's trusted person, was in charge of obtaining his consent to the division plan. -
violence and racism
Some historians have accused Gandhi of racist attitudes during his stay in South Africa, such as referring to blacks with the derogatory term kaffirs. In South Africa and other African countries, part of the population takes these accusations as true and has spoken out against statues in their territory to honor the hero. In his youth, Gandhi was influenced by the segregationist ideas prevailing in the 1890s.
