NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी, Gujarati મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of India's independence from British colonial rule to world attention. His philosophy of non-violence, for which he coined the term satyagraha has influenced both nationalist and international movements for peaceful change. Mahatma Gandhi This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Father of the Nation is a term used by many countries to describe a political or symbolic leader who was one of the most influential founding fathers of the nation. ... October 2nd is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Porbandar is a town in the Gujarat state of India. ... Gujarat (ગુજરાત in Gujarati) is the most industrialized state in India after Maharashtra and is located in western India, bordered by Pakistan to the northwest and Rajasthan to the north. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... New Delhi ( नई दिल्ली ) is the capital of India, and is part of the National capital territory of Delhi. ... Gandhi is the family name of a number of prominent 20th century Indian politicians and leaders. ... October 2nd is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... च् + छ = च्छ Devanagari in Unicode The Unicode range for Devanagari is U+0900 . ... Gujarati (also sometimes Gujrati) is a language native to the state of Gujarat in western India. ... The word charisma (from the Greek word charis) or gift, is often used in this form to describe an ability to charm or influence people. ... The British Raj is an informal term for the period of British rule of most of the Indian subcontinent, or present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon). ... See Satyagraha (opera) for an account of the opera of that title by Philip Glass. ...

By means of non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi helped bring about India's independence from British rule, inspiring other colonial peoples to work for their own independence, ultimately dismantling the British Empire to replace it with the Commonwealth of Nations. Gandhi's principle of satyagraha (from Sanskrit satya: truth, and graha: grasp/hold), often translated as "way of truth" or "pursuit of truth", has inspired other democratic activists, including Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lennon and the 14th Dalai Lama. He often said that his values were simple; drawn from traditional Hindu beliefs: truth (satya), and non-violence (ahimsa). His auto-biography, "The story of my experiments with truth" reveals his inner persona and reflections on his early life. Civil disobedience encompasses the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government or of an occupying power without resorting to physical violence. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent sovereign states, most of which are former colonies once governed by the United Kingdom as part of the British Empire. ... The Sanskrit language ( संस्कृता वाक्) is one of the earliest attested members of the Indo-European language family and is not only a classical language, but also an official language of India. ... Martin Luther King Jr. ... John Lennon John Winston Lennon, later John Ono Lennon, (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), was best known as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist for The Beatles. ... The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (1876-1933) In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lamas are a sequence of leaders, since 1391, from the Gelug school. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... This article is primarily concerned with truth as it is used in the evaluation of propositions, sentences, and similar items. ... Nonviolence (or non-violence) is a set of assumptions about morality, power and conflict that leads its proponents to reject the use of violence in efforts to attain social or political goals. ... Ahimsa is a religious concept which advocates non-violence and a respect for all life. ...

Early life

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born into a Hindu family in Porbandar, Gujarat, India. They were descendants of traders (the word "Gandhi" means grocer). He was the son of Karamchand Gandhi, the dewan (Chief Minister) of Porbandar, and Putlibai, Karamchand's fourth wife, a Hindu of the Vaishnava sect. Growing up with a devout Vaishnava mother and surrounded by the Jain influences of Gujarat, Gandhi learned from an early age the tenets of non-injury to living beings, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance between members of various creeds and sects. At the age of 13 Gandhi married Kasturba Makharji, who was the same age as he. They had four sons: Harilal Gandhi, born in 1888; Manilal Gandhi, born in 1892; Ramdas Gandhi, born in 1897; and Devdas Gandhi, born in 1900. This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... Porbandar is a town in the Gujarat state of India. ... Gujarat (ગુજરાત in Gujarati) is the most industrialized state in India after Maharashtra and is located in western India, bordered by Pakistan to the northwest and Rajasthan to the north. ... A grocer is a dealer in staple foodstuffs -- meats, produce, dairy products, etc. ... Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (i. ... The hand with a wheel on the palm symbolizes the Jain Vow of Ahinsa, meaning non-injury and nonviolence. ... Kasturba Gandhi (1869-22 February 1944) was the wife of Mohandas Gandhi whom she married when she was 13 years old. ... Harilal Gandhi (Died 1949) was the first son of Mahatma Gandhi. ... 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Manilal Gandhi (October 28, 1892-1956) was the second son of Mahatma Gandhi. ... 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Ramdas Gandhi was the third son of Mahatma Gandhi. ... 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Devdas Gandhi was the fourth son of Mahatma Gandhi. ... 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ...

Gandhi was a mediocre student in his youth at Porbandar and later Rajkot, barely passing the matriculation exam for the University of Bombay in 1887, and joining Samaldas College. He did not stay there long, however, as his family felt he must become a barrister if he were to continue the family tradition of holding high office in Gujarat. Unhappy at Samaldas College, he leapt at the opportunity to study in England, which he viewed as "a land of philosophers and poets, the very centre of civilization." Rajkot (2001 pop. ... The University of Mumbai is one of the outstanding universities of India. ... 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... British barristers wearing traditional dress. ...

At the age of 19, Gandhi went to University College, of the University of London, to train as a barrister. His time in London, the Imperial capital, was influenced by a vow he had made to his mother upon leaving India to observe the Hindu precepts of abstinence from meat and alcohol. Although Gandhi experimented with becoming "English", taking dancing lessons for example, he could not stomach his landlady's mutton and cabbage. She pointed him towards one of London's vegetarian restaurants. Rather than simply go along with his mother's wishes, he read about, and intellectually converted to vegetarianism. He joined the Vegetarian Society, was elected to its Executive Committee, and founded a local chapter. He later credited this with giving him valuable experience in organising and running institutions. Some of the vegetarians he met were members of the Theosophical Society, which had been founded in 1875 by H.P. Blavatsky to further universal brotherhood. The Theosophists were devoted to the study of Buddhist and Hindu Brahmanistic literature. They encouraged Gandhi to read the Bhagavad Gita. Although he had not shown a particular interest in religion before, he began to read works of and about Hinduism, Christianity, and other religions. The Front Quad University College London, commonly known as UCL, is one of the colleges that make up the University of London. ... Senate House, designed by Charles Holden home to the universitys central administration offices and its library The University of London is a federation of colleges which together constitute one of the worlds largest universities. ... British barristers wearing traditional dress. ... London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ... Meat is animal tissue (mainly muscle) used as food. ... In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-khwl الكحول, or al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... A selection of produce typical of a vegetarian diet. ... The Vegetarian Society is a British society founded 30 September 1847 and is believed to be the oldest society promoting vegetarianism in the world. ... The Theosophical Society was the original organization formed to advance the religious doctrine known as Theosophy. ... Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Hahn (also Hélène) (July 31, 1831 (O.S.) (August 12, 1831 (N.S.)) - May 8, 1891 London, England), better known as Helena Blavatsky or Madame Blavatsky was the founder of Theosophy. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... In the Vedantic (and subsequently Yogic) schools of Hinduism, Brahman is the signifying name given to the concept of the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality that is the Divine Ground of all being. ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. ...

He returned to India after being admitted to the British bar. Trying to establish a law practice in Bombay, he had limited success. By this time, the legal profession was overcrowded in India, and Gandhi was not a dynamic figure in a courtroom. He applied for a part-time job as a teacher at a Bombay high school but was turned down. He ended up returning to Rajkot to make a modest living drafting petitions for litigants but was forced to close down that business as well when he ran afoul of a British officer. In his autobiography, he describes this incident as a kind of unsuccessful lobbying attempt on behalf of his older brother. It was in this climate that he accepted a year-long contract from an Indian firm to a post in Natal, South Africa. A bar association is a body of lawyers who, in some jurisdictions, are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession. ... Law (a loanword from Old Norse lag), in politics and jurisprudence, is a set of rules or norms of conduct which mandate, proscribe or permit specified relationships among people and organizations, provide methods for ensuring the impartial treatment of such people, and provide punishments for those who do not follow... Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the most populous Indian city. ... KwaZulu-Natal (often referred to as KZN) is a province of South Africa. ...

Civil rights movement in South Africa

At this point in his life, Gandhi was a mild-mannered, diffident, politically indifferent individual. He had read his first newspaper at age 18 and was prone to horrible stage fright when speaking in court. South Africa changed him dramatically as he faced the humiliation and oppression that was commonly directed at Indians in that country. One day in court in the city of Durban, the magistrate asked him to remove his turban, which he refused to do, and then stormed out of the courtroom. Several days later, he began a journey to Pretoria that would serve as the catalyst for his activism. First, he was literally thrown off a train at Pietermaritzburg after refusing to move from first class to third class while travelling on a first class ticket. Later, travelling by stagecoach, he was beaten by a driver for refusing to travel on the footboard to make room for a European passenger. He suffered other hardships on the journey as well, including being barred from many hotels on account of his race. This experience led him to more closely examine the hardships his people suffered in South Africa during his time in Pretoria. Durban is a vibrant cosmopolitian city in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. ... The central area of Pretoria. ... Location of Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal province Pietermaritzburg is the capital of KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. ...

When Gandhi's contract was up, he prepared to return to India. However, at a farewell party in his honor in Durban, he happened to glance at a newspaper and learned that a bill was being considered by the Natal Legislative Assembly to deny the vote to Indians. When he brought this up with his hosts, they lamented that they did not have the expertise necessary to oppose the bill and implored Gandhi to stay and help them. He circulated several petitions to both the Natal Legislature and the British government in opposition to the bill. Though unable to halt the bill's passage, his campaign was successful in drawing attention to the grievances of Indians in South Africa. Supporters convinced him to remain in Durban to continue fighting against the injustices levied against Indians in South Africa. He founded the Natal Indian Congress in 1894 with himself as secretary. Through this organization, he formed the Indian community of South Africa into a heterogeneous political force, inundating government and press alike with statements of Indian grievances and evidence of British discrimination in South Africa. Gandhi returned briefly to India in 1896 to bring his wife and children to live with him in South Africa. When he returned in January 1897, a white mob attacked and tried to lynch him. In an early indication of the personal values that would shape his later campaigns, he refused to press charges on any member of the mob, stating it was one of his principles not to seek redress for a personal wrong in a court of law. 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1896 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

At the onset of the South African War, Gandhi argued that Indians must support the war effort in order to legitimize their claims to full citizenship, organising a volunteer ambulance corps of 300 free Indians and 800 indentured laborers. At the conclusion of the war, however, the situation for the Indians did not improve, but continued to deteriorate. In 1906, the Transvaal government promulgated a new act compelling registration of the colony's Indian population. At a mass protest meeting held in Johannesburg that September, Gandhi adopted his platform of satyagraha (devotion to the truth), or non-violent protest, for the first time, calling on his fellow Indians to defy the new law and suffer the punishments for doing so rather than resist through violent means. This plan was adopted, leading to a seven-year struggle in which thousands of Indians were jailed (including Gandhi himself on many occasions), flogged, or even shot, for striking, refusing to register, or engaging in other forms of non-violent resistance. While the government was successful in repressing the Indian protesters, the public outcry stemming from the harsh methods employed by the South African government in the face of peaceful Indian protesters finally forced South African General Jan Christian Smuts to negotiate a compromise with Gandhi. Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one in 1880-81 and the second from October 11, 1899-1902 both between the British and the settlers of Dutch origin (called Boere, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South Africa that put an end to the two independent... 1906 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Flag of Transvaal The Transvaal was one of the provinces of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. ... Johannesburg skyline at night with the Crown Interchange in the foreground Johannesburg is the most populous city in South Africa and the second most populous city in Sub-Saharan Africa, behind Lagos. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... Jan Christiaan Smuts, (May 24, 1870 - September 11, 1950) was a prominent South African statesman and soldier. ...

During his years in South Africa, Gandhi drew inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita and the writings of Leo Tolstoy, who in the 1880s had undergone a profound conversion to a personal form of Christian anarchism. Gandhi translated Tolstoy's "Letter to a Hindu," [1] (http://sources.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_to_a_Hindu_-_Leo_Tolstoy) written in 1908 in response to aggressive Indian nationalists. The two corresponded until Tolstoy's death in 1910. The letter by Tolstoy applies Hindu philosophy from the Vedas and the sayings of Krishna to the growing Indian nationalism. Gandhi was also inspired by the American writer Henry David Thoreau's famous essay on “Civil Disobedience." Gandhi's years in South Africa as a socio-political activist were when the concepts and techniques of civil disobedience and non-violent resistance were developed. Upon the outbreak of World War I, Gandhi decided to return to India, bringing all that he had learned from his experiences in South Africa with him. Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... Leo Nikolayevitch Tolstoy (Russian: Лев Никола́евич Толсто́й) (September 9 (August 28, O.S.), 1828 - November 20 (November 7, O.S.), 1910) was a Russian novelist, reformer, and moral thinker, notable for his influence on Russian literature and politics. ... Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... Christian anarchism is the belief that there is only one source of authority to which Christians are ultimately answerable, the authority of God as embodied in Jesus. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Vedas are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... Lord Krishna Krishna (कृष्ण, Sanskrit for black), is, according to common Hindu tradition, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 - May 6, 1862; born David Henry Thoreau) was a noted American author and philosopher who is most famous for Walden, his essay on civil disobedience, and his call for the preservation of wilderness. ... Civil disobedience encompasses the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government or of an occupying power without resorting to physical violence. ... Missing image Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

Movement for Indian independence

As he had done in the South African War, Gandhi urged support of the British War effort in World War I and was active in recruiting Indians to serve in the military. He did speak out against specific incidents of British oppression and supported the peasantry of Bihar and Gujarat, but he did not entirely break with the British, remaining on the periphery of the Indian nationalist movement. This changed in February 1919, when the Rowlatt Bills, empowering the government to imprison those accused of sedition without trial, were passed. Gandhi called for a satyagraha that soon led to violent outbreaks across the country, most notably the massacre of 400 Indians by the British army in the town of Amritsar, and martial law. The violence led Gandhi to end the struggle, but he had succeeded in placing himself at the center of the Indian national movement. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Bihar (बिहार in Devanagri) is a state situated in the eastern part of India. ... Amritsar is a city in Punjab, India. ...

In April 1920, Gandhi was elected president of the All-India Home Rule League. He was invested with executive authority on behalf of the Indian National Congress in December 1921. Under Gandhi's leadership, the Congress was reorganized and given a new constitution, with the goal of swaraj (independence). Membership in the party was opened to anyone prepared to pay a token fee. A hierarchy of committees was set up to improve discipline and control over a hitherto amorphous and diffuse movement, transforming the party from an elite organization to one of mass national appeal. Gandhi expanded his non-violence platform to include the swadeshi policy – the boycott of foreign-made goods, especially British goods. Linked to this was his advocacy that khadi (homespun cloth) be worn by all Indians instead of British-made textiles. Gandhi exhorted Indian women, rich or poor, to spend time each day spinning khadi in support of the independence movement. This was a strategy to include women in the movement at a time when many thought that such activities were not 'respectable' for women. In addition to boycotting British products, Gandhi urged the people to boycott British educational institutions and law courts, to resign from government employment, to refuse to pay taxes, and to forsake British titles and honours. This new program enjoyed wide-spread appeal and success, empowering the Indian people as never before, yet just as the movement reached its apex, it ended abruptly as a result of a violent clash in the town of Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh, in February 1922. Fearing that the movement was about to take a turn towards violence, and convinced that this would be the undoing of all his work, Gandhi called off the campaign of mass civil disobedience. Now vulnerable, Gandhi was arrested on March 10, 1922, tried for sedition, and sentenced to six years. This was not the first time he had been jailed, but it was to be his longest term of imprisonment. Beginning on March 18, 1922, he only served about two years of the sentence, being released in February 1924 after an operation for appendicitis. April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... Election symbol of the Congress Election symbol of the Congress The Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party) is the largest subscription-based organisation in the world. ... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Swadeshi Movement in context with Indian Independance is the movement carried out in India by the freedom fighters during the British occupation of India. ... The honours system of the United Kingdom is a means of rewarding personal bravery, achievement or service to the country. ... Chauri Chaura is a town in Uttar Pradesh,India. ... Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश, Urdu: اتر پردیش) is the fifth largest and the most populous state in India. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in Leap years). ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... 1924 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Without Gandhi's forceful personality to keep his colleagues in check, the Indian National Congress began to splinter during his years in prison, splitting into two factions, one led by Chitta Ranjan Das and Motilal Nehru favoring party participation in the legislatures, and the other led by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, opposing this move. Furthermore, cooperation among Hindus and Muslims, which had been strong at the height of the nonviolence campaign, was breaking down. Gandhi attempted to bridge these differences through many means, including a three-week fast in the autumn of 1924, but with limited success. Chittaranjan Das, popularly called Deshbandhu was a leading Bengal based Indian freedom fighter in the first quarter of the 20th century. ... Motilal Nehru (May 6, 1861 - February 6, 1931) was an Indian nationalist political figure. ... Rajaji Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (December 1878 - December 25, 1972), known as or Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, writer, statesman and a Hindu spiritualist. ... Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (October 31, 1875–December 15, 1950), popularly referred to as Sardar, was an Indian statesman, an important leader of the Indian National Congress and the deputy Prime Minister in the first cabinet of Independent India. ...

Gandhi stayed out of the limelight for most of the 1920s, taking little interest in politics, but returned to the fore in 1928. The year before, the British government appointed a new constitutional reform commission under Sir John Simon numbering not a single Indian in its ranks. The result was a boycott of the commission by Indian political parties. Gandhi pushed through a resolution at the Calcutta Congress in December 1928 calling on the British government to grant India dominion status within a year or face a new campaign of non-violence with complete independence for the country as its goal. Making good on his word in March 1930, he launched a new satyagraha against the tax on salt, highlighted by the famous Dandi March from March 21 to April 6, 1930, marching 400 kilometres (248 miles) from Ahmedabad to Dandi to make his own salt. Thousands of Indians joined him on this march to the sea. This campaign was one of his most successful, resulting in the imprisonment of over 60,000 people. The government, represented by Lord Irwin, decided to negotiate with Gandhi. 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Scenes during Gandhis famous march, on foot to the sea coast at Dandi, on the eve of the Salt Satyagraha, 1930 The Salt Satyagraha, also known as the Salt March To Dandi, was an act of protest against the British salt tax in colonial India. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... Ahmedabad or Ahmadābād or Amdavad (as spoken in Gujarati language), is the largest city in Gujarat and the sixth largest city in India. ... Dandi is a small village in Gujarat, India. ...

The Gandhi-Irwin pact was signed in March 1931. In it, the British Government agreed to set all political prisoners free in return for the suspension of the civil disobedience movement. Furthermore, Gandhi was invited to attend the Round Table Conference in London as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress. The conference was a disappointment to Gandhi and the nationalists as it focused on Indian minorities rather than the transfer of power. Furthermore, Lord Irwin's successor, Lord Willingdon, embarked on a new campaign of repression against the nationalists. For alternative meanings, see March (disambiguation). ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Gandhi was again arrested, and the government attempted to destroy his influence by completely isolating him from his followers. This tactic was not successful. In 1932 the government decided to segregate the untouchables by placing them in separate electorates under the new constitution, prompted by the campaigning of the Dalit leader B. R. Ambedkar. In protest, Gandhi embarked on a six-day fast in September 1932, successfully forcing the government to adopt a more equitable arrangement via negotiations mediated by the Dalit cricketer turned political leader Palwankar Baloo. This began a new campaign by Gandhi to improve the lives of the untouchables, whom he named Harijans, the children of God. On May 8, 1933 Gandhi began a 21-day fast to protest British oppression in India. In the summer of 1934, three unsuccessful attempts were made on his life. 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... In South Asias caste system, a Dalit (formerly known as untouchable or achuta) is a person outside of the four castes, and considered below them. ... Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (April 14, 1891 or 1892 - December 6, 1956) was the most prominent Indian Untouchable leader of the 20th century. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket Portal. ... Palwanker Baloo (born 19 March, 1876, Dharwad, died 4 July 1955, Bombay) was an Indian cricketer. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

By 1934, Gandhi had become discouraged with his collegues in the Indian National Congress, believing that they only saw non-violence as an expediency rather than a way of life. Therefore, he resigned as party leader and left the party entirely. His chosen successor in Congress was Jawaharlal Nehru, who was to become Prime Minister. They disagreed openly over the path to an independent India, yet Gandhi trusted Nehru over his authoritarian rival Sardar Patel to build the institutions to guarantee the liberty of India's citizens. Gandhi devoted his efforts in these years to a new program to educate rural India. He continued his fight against untouchability, promoted handspinning and other cottage industries, and attempted to create a new system of education suited to the rural areas. He lived simply during these years at a village in central India called Sevagram. He staged another fast at the end of the decade in Bombay on March 3, 1939. Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू, Javāharlāl Nehrū) (November 14, 1889 – May 27, 1964), also called Pandit (Teacher) Nehru, was the leader of the socialist wing of the Indian National Congress during and after Indias struggle for independence from the British Empire. ... The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the government of India. ... Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (October 31, 1875–December 15, 1950), popularly referred to as Sardar, was an Indian statesman, an important leader of the Indian National Congress and the deputy Prime Minister in the first cabinet of Independent India. ... Sevagram is Hindi for village of servants and the name of a village in the state of Maharashtra, India which was the place of Mohandas Gandhis ashram. ... This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

World War II

World War II broke out in 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Gandhi was fully sympathetic with the victims of fascist aggression. After lengthy deliberations with colleagues in the Congress, he declared that India could not be party to a war ostensibly being fought for democratic freedom while that freedom was denied in India herself. He said he would support the British if they could show him how the war's aims would be implemented in India after the war. The British government's response was entirely negative. They began fomenting tension between Hindus and Muslims. As the war progressed, Gandhi increased his demands for independence, drafting a resolution calling for the British to Quit India. This sparked the largest movement for Indian independence to date, with mass arrests and violence on an unprecedented scale. Gandhi and his supporters made it clear they would not support the war effort unless India were granted immediate independence. He even hinted at an end for his otherwise unwavering support for non-violence, saying that the "ordered anarchy" around him was "worse than real anarchy". Following this, he was arrested in Bombay by British forces on August 9, 1942, and held for two years. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, refers to the right-wing authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... The Quit India Movement (Bharat chhodo) was a call for immediate independence of India from British rule. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1942 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Partition of India and assassination

Gandhi had great influence among the Hindu and Muslim communities of India. It is said that he ended riots through his mere presence. He was vehemently opposed to any plan that partitioned India into two separate countries. Nevertheless, partition was eventually adopted, creating, in 1947, a secular but Hindu-majority India, and an Islamic Pakistan. On the day of the power transfer, Gandhi did not celebrate independence with the rest of India, but was alone in Calcutta, mourning partition. This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... This article is on Calcutta/Kolkata, the city. ...

He was assassinated in Birla house, New Delhi, on January 30, 1948 by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu radical who held him responsible for weakening the new government by insisting upon a payment to Pakistan. Godse was later tried, convicted, and executed. New Delhi ( नई दिल्ली ) is the capital of India, and is part of the National capital territory of Delhi. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Nathuram Vinayak Godse (May 19, 1910 - November 15, 1949) was the assassin of Mohandas Gandhi, one of the principal figures in the movement for Indias independence from Britain. ...

It is indicative of Gandhi's long struggle and search for God that his dying words were said to have been an homage to the Hindu conception of God, Rama: "He Ram!" (Oh God!). This is seen as an inspiring signal of his spirituality as well as his idealism regarding the possibility of a unifying peace. While some are sceptical of this, evidence from a number of witnesses supports the claim that he made this utterance (see External links). This article is about a Hindu incarnation of God (i. ...

Principles

Gandhi's philosophy and his ideas of satya and ahimsa were influenced by the Bhagavad Gita and Hindu beliefs, the Jain religion and the pacifist Christian teachings of Leo Tolstoy. The concept of 'non-violence' (ahimsa) has a long history in Indian religious thought and has had many revivals in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain contexts. Gandhi explains his philosophy and way of life in his autobiography The Story of my Experiments with Truth. In applying these principles, Gandhi did not balk from taking them to their most logical extremes. In 1940, when invasion of the British Isles by the armed forces of Nazi Germany looked imminent, Gandhi offered the following advice to the British people: Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... The hand with a wheel on the palm symbolizes the Jain Vow of Ahinsa, meaning non-injury and nonviolence. ... Pacifism is opposition to the practice of war. ... The term Christian means belonging to Christ and is derived from the Greek noun Χριστός Khristós which means anointed one, which is itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach (Hebrew: משיח, also written Messiah), (and in Arabic it is pronounced Maseeh مسيح). ... Leo Nikolayevitch Tolstoy (Russian: Лев Никола́евич Толсто́й) (September 9 (August 28, O.S.), 1828 - November 20 (November 7, O.S.), 1910) was a Russian novelist, reformer, and moral thinker, notable for his influence on Russian literature and politics. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ...

Although he experimented with eating meat upon first leaving India, he later became a strict vegetarian. He wrote books on the subject while in London, having met vegetarian campaigner Henry Salt at gatherings of the Vegetarian Society. The idea of vegetarianism is deeply ingrained in Hindu and Jain traditions in India, and, in his native land of Gujarat, most Hindus were vegetarian. He experimented with various diets and concluded that a vegetarian diet should be enough to satisfy the minimum requirements of the body. He abstained from eating for long periods, using fasting as a political weapon. He refused to eat until his death or his demands were met. For animals adapted to eat primarily plants, sometimes referred to as vegetarian animals, see Herbivore. ... Henry Stephens Salt (September 20, 1851 - April 19, 1939) was an influential English writer and campaigner for social reform in the fields of prisons, schools, economic institutions and the treatment of animals – he was a noted anti-vivisectionist and pacifist. ... The Vegetarian Society is a British society founded 30 September 1847 and is believed to be the oldest society promoting vegetarianism in the world. ... Fasting is the act of willingly abstaining from all food and in some cases drink, or in other cases from certain types or groups of food (e. ...

Gandhi gave up sexual intercourse at the age of 36, becoming totally celibate while still married. This decision was deeply influenced by the Hindu idea of brahmacharya—spiritual and practical purity—largely associated with celibacy. Gandhi spent one day of each week in silence. He believed that abstaining from speaking brought him inner peace. This influence was drawn from the Hindu principles of mouna (silence) and shanti (peace). On such days he communicated with others by writing on paper. For three and a half years, from the age of 37, Gandhi refused to read newspapers, claiming that the tumultuous state of world affairs caused him more confusion than his own inner unrest. A pair of lions copulating in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. ... Celibacy may refer either to being unmarried or to sexual abstinence. ... Brahmacharya is a Sanskrit word. ...

Returning to India from South Africa, where he had enjoyed a successful legal practice, he gave up wearing Western-style clothing, which he associated with wealth and success. He dressed to be accepted by the poorest person in India. He advocated the use of homespun cloth (khadi). Gandhi and his followers adopted the practice of weaving their own clothes from thread they themselves spun, and encouraged others to do so. This was a threat to the British establishment. While Indian workers were often idle due to unemployment, they had always bought their clothing from English industrial manufacturers. If Indians made their own clothes, it would deal a harsh blow to British industry. The spinning wheel was later incorporated into the flag of the Indian National Congress. The Establishment is a generalized, mostly negative term used in Western societies to refer to the controlling (elite) structures of those societies. ... Unemployment rates in the United States. ... A spinning wheel is a device for making thread or yarn from fibrous material such as wool or cotton. ... Election symbol of the Congress Election symbol of the Congress The Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party) is the largest subscription-based organisation in the world. ...

The honorific title Mahatma

The word "Mahatma," while often mistaken for Gandhi's given name, is taken from the Sanskrit term of reverence "mahatman," meaning “great souled.” The title "Mahatma" was accorded Gandhi in 1915 by his admirer Rabindranath Tagore (the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature). It was given in response to Gandhi conferring the title of "Gurudev" (great teacher) upon Tagore. As stated in his autobiography, Gandhi never accepted the title because he found himself unworthy of it. The Sanskrit language (Skt. ... Rabindranath Tagore (or Rabindranath Thakur) (May 6, 1861 – August 7, 1941), also called Gurudev, was a Bengali poet, Brahmo philosopher and nationalist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913, becoming the first Asian to be awarded a Nobel. ... The Nobel Prize in literature is awarded annually to an author from any country who has produced the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency. The work in this case generally refers to an authors work as a whole, not to any individual work, though individual works are sometimes... Rabindranath Tagore (or Rabindranath Thakur) (May 6, 1861 – August 7, 1941), also called Gurudev, was a Bengali poet, Brahmo philosopher and nationalist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913, becoming the first Asian to be awarded a Nobel. ...

The wide acceptance of this title outside India may in part reflect the complexities of the relationship between India and Britain during Gandhi's lifetime. Such acceptance is consistent with the widespread perception of his deeply held religious beliefs and commitment to non-violence.

Artistic depictions

The best-known artistic depiction of his life is the film Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Ben Kingsley (who, interestingly, is himself half-Gujarati) in the title role. The Making of the Mahatma, directed by Shyam Benegal and starring Rajat Kapur, is a film about Gandhi's 21 years of life in South Africa. However, the film has since been criticised by post-colonial scholars who argue that it depicts Gandhi as single-handedly bringing India to Independence, and ignores other prominent figures (both elite and subaltern) in the anti-colonial struggle. Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of the entertainment industry. ... Gandhi is a 1982 film, an idealized dramatic depiction of the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. ... Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough (born August 29, 1923 in Cambridge, England) is an actor and director. ... Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Bhanji on December 31, 1943) is an English actor of Indian (Gujarati) and Russian-Jewish descent. ... Gujarati can mean two distinct things: The Gujarati language is a language spoken in India,and pakistan [1] mostly in and around the Gujarat state. ... Shyam Benegal is a prolific Indian director, born 14 December 1934 in Aliwal, Hyderabad, British India (now Andhra Pradesh, India). ...

In the United Kingdom, there are several prominent statues of Gandhi, most notably in Tavistock Gardens, London, near University College London, where he studied law. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... The Front Quad University College London, commonly known as UCL, is one of the colleges that make up the University of London. ...

In the United States, there are statues of Gandhi outside the Ferry Building in San Francisco, in Herman Park, Houston Garden Center in Houston, in Union Square Park in New York City, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, and near the Indian Embassy in the Dupont Circle neighbourhood of Washington, DC. The Ferry Building is a terminal for ferries that travel across the San Francisco Bay and a shopping center located on The Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. ... This article is about the city in California. ... Houston redirects here. ... Union Square is an important and historic intersection in New York City. ... City nickname: The Big Apple Location in the state of New York Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg Area - Land - Water 1,214. ... The Martin Luther King, Jr. ... Downtown Atlanta skyline Atlanta is the capital and largest city of Georgia, a state of the United States of America. ... Aerial photograph of Dupont Circle. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...

There are statues in honour of Gandhi in other cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon and San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. The government of India donated a statue to the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to signify their support for the future Canadian Museum for Human Rights. [2] (http://www.mbchamber.mb.ca/news/News%2004/mccattendsunveilingofgandhistatue.htm) The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Municipality of Amsterdam Alternate meanings: See Amsterdam Amsterdam listen is the capital of the Netherlands. ... Barcelona within Barcelonès Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, an autonomous region in northeastern Spain ( 41°23′ N 2°11′ E). ... Lisbon (in Portuguese, Lisboa) is the capital and largest city of Portugal. ... The City of San Fernando is one of the two cities which exist in the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. ... {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) City of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Location. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Glorious and free) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Area 647,797 km² (8th) - Land 553,556 km² - Water 64,241 km² (14. ...

Miscellaneous

Gandhi never received the Nobel Peace Prize, though he was nominated for it five times between 1937 and 1948. Decades later however, the Nobel Committee publicly declared its regret for the omission. When the Dalai Lama was awarded the Peace Prize in 1989, the chairman of the committee said that this was "in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi". The official Nobel e-museum has an article discussing the issue.[3] (http://www.nobel.se/peace/articles/gandhi/index.html) Nobel Peace Prize (where Nobel is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable) is one of five Nobel Prizes requested by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Tenzin Gyatso is the fourteenth and current Dalai Lama. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Throughout his lifetime, Gandhi's activities attracted a wide range of comment and opinion. For example, as a subject of the British Empire, Winston Churchill once stated "It is...nauseating to see Mr. Gandhi, a seditious Middle Temple lawyer, now posing as a fakir of a type well-known in the East, striding half-naked up the steps of the Viceregal Palace." Conversely, Albert Einstein said of Gandhi: "Generations to come, it may be, will scarcely believe that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood, walked upon this earth." Nobel Laureate and former Israel Premier Shimon Peres once commented that Mahatma Gandhi "belonged to the future not to the past." The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS (November 30, 1874 – January 24, 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. At various times an author, soldier, journalist, and politician, Churchill is generally regarded as... Sedition is a deprecated term of law to refer to non-overt conduct such as speech and organization that is deemed by the legal authority as tending toward insurrection against the established order. ... The Middle Temple is one of the four Inns of Court around the Royal Courts of Justice in London. ... A lawyer or attorney at law is a person licensed by the state to advise clients in legal matters and represent them in courts of law (and in other forms of dispute resolution). ... Portrait of Albert Einstein taken by Yousuf Karsh on February 11, 1948 Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879 – April 18, 1955) was a theoretical physicist who is widely regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century. ... Shimon Peres Shimon Peres (born August 21, 1923), an Israeli politician, is the head of the Israeli Labour Party and served as 8th Prime Minister of Israel from 1984-1986 and 1995-1996 and Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel from 2001-2002, and became Vice Premier in a coalition under...

Mahatma Gandhi's work is not forgotten by his descendants. His grandsons, Arun Gandhi and Rajmohan Gandhi, and his great grandson, Tushar Gandhi, are also socio-political activists, promoting non-violence around the world. Arun Manilal Gandhi (born April 14, 1934, Durban, South Africa) is the fifth grandson of Mahatma Gandhi through his second son Manilal. ... Rajmohan Gandhi is a biographer and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. ... Tushar Gandhi is a great-grandson of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Indian who helped India gain independence. ...

Mahatma Gandhi is not related to the Gandhi political family who adopted the Gandhi surname when Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter Indira married Feroze Gandhi, a Parsi gentleman. Jawaharlal Nehru The Nehru-Gandhi (नेहरू-गान्धी परिवार) family is a political dynasty in India, which has been dominant in the Indian National Congress for most of its history. ... Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू, Javāharlāl Nehrū) (November 14, 1889 – May 27, 1964), also called Pandit (Teacher) Nehru, was the leader of the socialist wing of the Indian National Congress during and after Indias struggle for independence from the British Empire. ... Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (इन्दिरा प्रियदर्शिनी गान्धी) (November 19, 1917 – October 31, 1984) was Prime Minister of India from January 19, 1966 to March 24, 1977, and from January 14, 1980 until her assassination in 1984. ... Feroze Gandhi (12 August 1912 - 8 September 1960) was an Indian politician and journalist. ... a person from Pars (the middle-Persian word for Fars), a region now within the geographical boundaries of Iran, and is roughly the original homeland of the Persian people. ...

Early life

Civil rights movement in South Africa

Movement for Indian independence

World War II

Partition of India and assassination

Principles

The honorific title Mahatma

Artistic depictions

Miscellaneous

See also

References

External links

Early life GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Civil rights movement in South Africa

Movement for Indian independence

World War II

Partition of India and assassination

Principles

The honorific title Mahatma

Artistic depictions

Miscellaneous

See also

References

External links

Early life