mahatma gandhi biography book name

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History Books » Historical Figures

The best books on gandhi, recommended by ramachandra guha.

Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World, 1914-1948 by Ramachandra Guha

Gandhi's peaceful resistance to British rule changed India and inspired freedom movements around the globe. But as well as being an inspiring leader, Gandhi was also a human being. Ramachandra Guha , author of a new two-part biography of Gandhi, introduces us to books that give a fuller picture of the man who came to be known as 'Mahatma' Gandhi.

Interview by Sophie Roell , Editor

My Days With Gandhi by Nirmal Kumar Bose

A Week with Gandhi by Louis Fischer

Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action by Dennis Dalton

Gandhi's Religion: A Homespun Shawl by J. T. F. Jordens

Harilal Gandhi: A Life by Chandulal Bhagubhai

1 My Days With Gandhi by Nirmal Kumar Bose

2 a week with gandhi by louis fischer, 3 mahatma gandhi: nonviolent power in action by dennis dalton, 4 gandhi's religion: a homespun shawl by j. t. f. jordens, 5 harilal gandhi: a life by chandulal bhagubhai.

W e’re talking about books to read about Gandhi, but it’s hard to do that without mentioning your own biography. There’s the volume that covers Gandhi’s years in South Africa, Gandhi Before India , and then there’s another 900+ page volume, Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World , covering the period from 1914 until his death in 1948. Especially for younger people who might not be as familiar with Gandhi, can you tell us why he’s so important and why we need to know about him?

But he was much more than merely a political leader. He was also a moral philosopher who gave the world a particular technique for combating injustice, namely nonviolent protest. He called this technique ‘satyagraha’, or ‘truth force’, and it has been followed and adopted in many countries across the world since his death, including in the United States.

Gandhi was also a very interesting thinker on matters of religion. He lived, and indeed died, for harmony between India’s two major religious communities, Hindus and Muslims. At a time when the world is riven with discord and disharmony between faith communities, I think Gandhi is relevant.

He lived a long life, almost 80 years, during which time he studied and worked in three countries, three continents—in the United Kingdom and South Africa as well as India. He wrote a great deal: his collected works run to 90 volumes. His autobiography was translated into more than 40 languages. An early political text he wrote, called Hind Swaraj, is still taught in universities around the world. So he was a thinker and writer as well as being an activist, which is not that common.

And he was also controversial. There were people who debated with him in India and outside it. There were people who took issue with his political views, his views on religion, his views on social reform.

He was a person who touched many aspects of social and political life in the 20th century. The issues he was grappling with are still alive with us today, not just in India, but across the world. That’s why he is so interesting and important. I wanted to write about him all my life.

I thought that was funny in your book: you write that you have been stalked by his shadow your whole life. Even when you were writing a social history of cricket, he came up—even though Gandhi hated cricket.

I’d say it was more that he was magisterially indifferent to cricket, which is in some ways worse than hating something. He was profoundly indifferent to films, cricket, even music. He was not someone who had a keenly developed aesthetic side.

As I say in the book, whatever I wrote about, he was there—somewhere in the background and sometimes in the foreground. Finally, I thought, ‘Let me settle my accounts with him.’ I was also fortunate that a very large tranche of archival papers connected with his life had recently opened up, which perhaps allowed me to give more nuance and detail than previous scholars had done.

I first heard about Gandhi when I was quite young and the film about him, directed by Richard Attenborough , came out. If you don’t know anything about Gandhi, is that a good place to start, in your view? 

I approve in a qualified sense. It’s a well-told story. Some of the acting is very good. Ben Kingsley in the title role, in particular, is absolutely stunning. It gives the contours of Gandhi’s political life and his struggle against the British quite accurately. It also talks about his family life and his problems with his wife.

But of course it’s a feature film, so it has to iron out all the complexities. For example, one of Gandhi’s greatest and most long-standing antagonists was a remarkable leader called B R Ambedkar, who came from an Untouchable background. He’s completely missing in the film, because if you bring him in, the story is too complicated to be told in a cute, Hollywood-y, good guy/bad guy kind of way.

“Attenborough’s Gandhi a good place to start because it’s a well-told story, the acting is good, and the cinematography is splendid—but it’s a very neat line”

Instead, the film brings in the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, as the stock villain, almost inevitably, because Jinnah divided India into two countries and based his politics on religion. It was narrow and divisive, and Gandhi, who thought Hindus and Muslims could live together, opposed it. So it’s understandable why Jinnah features, but Ambedkar was equally important in Gandhi’s life. The man with whom he battled as long and as spiritedly is missing.

So yes, Attenborough’s Gandhi a good place to start because it’s a well-told story, the acting is good, and the cinematography is splendid—but it’s a very neat line. The nuances, the shades and the ambiguities are missing.

Your biography of Gandhi obviously gives a much more comprehensive picture of him, but it’s also trying to give a balanced picture, I got the sense. You’re an admirer of Gandhi, but you’re also trying very hard to give the other side, is that right?

Very much so, because the job of a scholar, and a biographer in particular, is to suppress nothing. Whatever you find that is of interest or importance must be included, even if it makes you uncomfortable or makes your story less compelling or newsworthy.

Of course, I do largely admire Gandhi—I wouldn’t want to spend so many years of my life working on someone I was ambivalent about—but I can see that in his debates with the aforementioned Ambedkar he was not always right. He could be patronizing towards this younger, radical opponent of his.

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I can also see the ways in which he manipulated control over the Congress Party. He was a consummate politician, and did not want his main political vehicle to slip out of his grasp. He was a political manager, in that sense. He was also not a very good husband and an absolutely disastrous father. There’s a lot of moving correspondence between him and his first son, with whom he had a particularly problematic relationship. All my sympathies are with the son, and I think all the readers’ sympathies will be too.

When it came to his personal life, his political life, and his ideological views, there were times when I was profoundly out of sympathy with Gandhi and profoundly in sympathy with those who argued with him. All this also had to be part of the story.

Let’s go through the five books you’ve chosen. They’re not ranked in any particular order, but let’s start with the first one on your list, which is My Days with Gandhi, by his secretary and companion Nirmal Kumar Bose. This book deals with the last phase of his life. Could you tell me about it, and explain why it’s on your list of important books to read about Gandhi?

I put this book by Nirmal Kumar Bose on my list because I wanted a firsthand account of Gandhi. Bose was a considerable scholar. He wrote books, edited a scholarly journal and taught at universities. Although he’s not that well-known outside India, he was among the country’s most influential anthropologists, writing on caste and India’s tribal regions.

He was interested in Gandhi too. He joined the freedom movement in the 1930s, went to jail, and prepared an anthology of Gandhi’s writings. Then, in the winter of 1946–7, Gandhi was in the field in Bengal trying to bring about peace. This was a time when religious rioting was particularly savage in eastern Bengal and Gandhi needed an interpreter. Bose was a Bengali speaker and Gandhi knew of him and his writings. So Bose went with him.

This was a time which, at one level, saw Gandhi at his most heroic. Here is a 77-year-old man walking through the villages of eastern Bengal. Communication is awful; there’s malaria and dysentery and all kinds of other problems. He’s trying to bring Hindus and Muslims together, undertaking these heroic experiments to promote peace.

At the same time, he’s also experimenting with himself, because he’s obsessed with his own celibacy. He wants to test that his mind is absolutely pure by sleeping naked with a disciple of his, a young woman who also happened to be distantly related to him. And he was doing this in the open, because he never did anything behind curtains.

As an anthropologist and as a biographer, Nirmal Kumar Bose saw this as interesting, but as a disciple, he was deeply upset by it and he left Gandhi. He wrote some letters, which Gandhi replied to.

So there is this whole arc of Nirmal Kumar Bose’s connection with Gandhi. He’s with him during this period in Gandhi’s life where he is putting his life on the line, but also indulging in rather bizarre, peculiar and inexplicable experiments on himself. You can see this complicates the story far more than Attenborough’s film does.

Bose is puzzled and disappointed by Gandhi’s experiment but, in the end, still remains an admirer. I think the book is useful in that it provides a firsthand account of Gandhi by someone who is a scholar and a writer. Bose is not just a starry-eyed naïve disciple, but someone who is himself a thinker and has an analytical mind. He wants to probe deeply into his subject’s moods and anxieties.

It’s also a picture of Gandhi at a point in his life when he’s a bit isolated and disillusioned because the country is going in the direction of Partition, isn’t it?

Yes, that’s also very important. Gandhi struggled his whole life to keep a united India. From his time in South Africa onwards, he promoted Hindu-Muslim harmony. He was a Hindu himself, a deep believer and also deeply immersed in Hindu traditions. But in South Africa, his closest associates were Muslims.

In India, he tried to bring about a compact between these two large and sometimes disputatious communities. Ultimately, he failed—because Partition happened and Hindus and Muslims turned on each other. It was an effort of will, at his age, to compose himself, get himself back on track and then undertake this foot march through eastern Bengal.

All the trauma of his life, and particularly this sense of failure he has, is not unconnected to the experiment in celibacy. Gandhi thought that because he was not absolutely pure in his own mind, and had not completely tamed his own sexual urges, he was in some ways responsible for the fact that society was turning on itself. It was an article of faith, maybe even an egoistic delusion that Gandhi had, that social peace depended on his inner purity.

Let’s turn to the next book you’ve chosen, which is A Week with Gandhi by Louis Fischer. He was an American journalist who visited Gandhi at his ashram in 1942. Tell me more.

Louis Fischer wrote more than one book on Gandhi. He also wrote a biography of Gandhi called The Life of Mahatma Gandhi , which was published after Gandhi’s death. That book was the basis for Attenborough’s film. I didn’t want that book; I wanted something else by Fischer. This book is set in 1942, again, a time of great political turmoil and anxiety. The Second World War was on.

Let’s go back to give some context. In 1937 the national movement had been going on for a long time and several significant concessions were granted by the British. There was a partial devolution of powers to Indians and there were Congress governments in seven out of nine provinces. If the Second World War hadn’t happened, India would probably have become independent in the same way Canada or New Zealand or South Africa did. India would have slowly shed British rule and may have still owed some kind of symbolic allegiance to the Crown, in the way Australia or Canada do.

The war queered the pitch completely, however, because the British had their backs to the wall. This is a time—1939, 1940, 1941—when the Americans hadn’t yet entered the war, and the British were fighting alone. Even the Soviets didn’t enter until 1941. At that point, the British couldn’t care at all about Indian independence; all they wanted was to save their own skin and defeat Hitler.

Gandhi and the Congress were confronted with a terrible dilemma. On the one hand, for all his political differences with Imperial rule, Gandhi had enormous personal sympathy with the British people. He had many British friends; he had studied in London, and he loved London to distraction. When the Luftwaffe bombed London, he actually wept at the thought of Westminster Abbey coming under German bombs.

Gandhi was willing to abandon his doctrinal commitment to non-violence and to tell the British ‘Hitler is evil, he must be defeated, we will help you defeat him.’ ‘We’ here means the Congress party, India’s main political vehicle, led by Gandhi and Nehru. They said to the British, ‘We will work with you, but you must assure us that you will grant us independence once the war is over.’ This was, in my view, a very reasonable condition—because if the British were fighting for freedom, then surely that meant freedom for Indians, too?

This was rejected by the then prime minister, Winston Churchill, who was a diehard imperialist—and whose viceroy in India, Linlithgow, was as reactionary as Churchill was.

So here is Gandhi in India wondering, ‘What do I do? I want to help the British, but I want my people to be free.’ The Americans are sympathetic to his predicament. Fischer goes to India in 1942, at a time when Gandhi is telling the British, ‘If you don’t assure us freedom, I will launch another countrywide protest movement against your rule.’ This was to become the Quit India Movement of August 1942; Fischer visits just before that.

He goes to Gandhi’s ashram in central India. Unlike Nirmal Kumar Bose, Fischer is a journalist and a keen observer. He deals less in analysis and more in description. So there’s a very rich and informative account of the ashram, of Gandhi’s rural settlement, what the daily life was like, what the food was like. The food was awful. After a week of eating squash and boiled vegetables Fischer was waiting to go back to Bombay and have a good meal at the Taj Mahal Hotel.

Fischer describes Gandhi’s entourage, the men and women around him, his wife, his disciples and then he talks to Gandhi. It’s an unusually frank and open conversation. As Fischer says later on in the book, one of the joys of talking to Gandhi is that it’s not pre-scripted. When you talk to other politicians, he says, it’s like turning on a phonogram. You hears these stock metaphors, and a certain kind of rhetoric: it’s a practised, programmed and rehearsed speech. But when you talk to Gandhi, it’s a conversation. You’re opening up new lines of thought, and Gandhi himself is so open and transparent and reacting so spontaneously that he sometimes says things that he’s surprised at himself.

The book conveys the essential humanity of Gandhi and his down-to-earth character. He lived in this simple village community, with bad food and no modern conveniences at all.

I really like this book because it’s Gandhi from close up. I wanted Bose and Fischer on my list: one an Indian, the other American, one a scholar, the other a journalist, meeting Gandhi at different points in his life: 1942 for Fischer, 1946/47 for Bose. Both were critical periods in the life of Gandhi and in the history of the world. I wanted to juxtapose an Indian firsthand account of Gandhi’s life with a non-Indian, first-hand account of Gandhi’s life.

The other three books I’ve chosen are not first-hand accounts. They are more based on documentation and scholarship.

One last thing about Fischer which may be of interest to your readers with a more general interest in the history of 20th century politics: Fischer began as a Communist. He spent many years in Russia and married a Russian woman. He spoke fluent Russian, and like several American journalists of his time was rather credulous about the Russian Revolution. But then Stalin’s brutality opened his eyes and he came to Gandhi on the rebound, as it were.

Fischer was one of the contributors to the volume called The God That Failed , along with Arthur Koestler and other writers who were disenchanted by Communism.

So Fischer is a person with wide international experience. He’s lived in Russia, he’s travelled through Europe and then he discovers Gandhi in India. So from that point of view, I think his book is particularly useful.

One thing that comes up in this book quite a bit is Gandhi’s emphasis on spinning. He’s always trying to get people to do more spinning. Could you explain what that’s all about?

There are three major aspects to this. One is that spinning is a way of breaking down the boundaries between mental labour and manual labour and dissolving caste distinctions. In the Indian caste system, the upper caste Brahmins read books and are temple priests, and the Kshatriyas own land and give orders and fight wars. Then you have the Vaishyas, who are businessmen. It’s only the Shudras and the Untouchables, the fourth and fifth strata, who do manual labour. Manual labour is despised in the Indian caste system, and Gandhi wanted to say that everyone should work with their hands.

The second aspect is that Gandhi believed in economic self-reliance. A major factor in India’s underdevelopment was that its indigenous industries had been destroyed under British colonial rule. We were importing cloth from England, particularly Manchester. So this was a way of saying, ‘We will spin our own cloth and we’ll do it ourselves using decentralized methods. Each of us will spin something.’

The third aspect of it is that he is cultivating a spirit of solidarity among his fellow freedom fighters, and spinning is a way of doing that constructively and non-violently. How do fascists inculcate solidarity among the community? By marching up and down to show their enemies how menacing they can be. Consider spinning the Gandhian alternative to a fascist marchpast.

This is how you should read Gandhi’s interest in—you could even say obsession with—spinning. It was at once a program of social equality, of breaking down caste distinctions, of economic self-renewal and of nationalist unity: everyone will do the same thing.

But as a program for economic renewal—I mean, you’ve also written a very highly regarded book about India after Gandhi—don’t you think that Gandhi was sending the country in the wrong direction economically?

Well, it was rejected by his own closest disciple and anointed heir, Jawaharlal Nehru. When India became independent, Nehru launched the country firmly on the path to economic modernization, which included industrialization.

But it wasn’t wholly rejected because of another of Gandhi’s followers (who has a cameo role in my book), a remarkable woman called Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay. She was the one who persuaded Gandhi that women must join the Salt March too. And after Gandhi died, while Nehru took the state in the direction of planned economic industrial development, Kamaladevi helped revive India’s craft traditions. Some of our textile and handwoven crafts are owed to Gandhi’s emphasis on spinning and to Kamaladevi, his preeminent female disciple. She really was a quite remarkable person who deserves a good biography of her own.

Let’s go on to the third book on your list, which is by Dennis Dalton.

Dennis Dalton is a retired American professor who is now in his eighties. I’ve never met him, but I have admired his work for a very, very long time. He did a PhD in England in the 1960s and later on taught at Columbia. In the 1970s and 1980s he wrote a series of pioneering articles on Gandhi, which greatly impressed me when I read them. Those articles then became the basis of this book, Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action,  the third of the five that I’ve recommended.

I want to say a little bit about the hallmarks of Dalton’s work and why it’s particularly important. The first thing is that it is absolutely grounded in primary research. Unlike other Gandhi scholars, Dalton does not restrict himself to the collected works. There are 90 volumes of Gandhi’s own writings and it’s very easy to write a book—or indeed many books—just based on analyzing and re-analyzing what Gandhi said himself. Dalton, while he knows Gandhi’s collected writings very well, also looks at contemporary newspapers and what they were saying about Gandhi.

He also looks at what Gandhi’s political rivals and adversaries were writing. In his book, he has a very interesting account of the Indian revolutionaries who disparaged nonviolence and thought armed struggle would be more effective and quicker in getting the British out. They saw nonviolence as weak, womanly and so on—a kind of macho attack on Gandhi’s nonviolence. He talks about Ambedkar, the great low caste revolutionary who disagreed with Gandhi. The book also has two very good set pieces: a fine account of the Salt March and as well as of Gandhi’s great fast of September 1947, which brought peace to Calcutta.

“Whether Gandhi or Marx or Hobbes or Mill, any great political thinker is living his or her life day to day and adapting and changing his or her views”

The other interesting thing about Dalton’s work—and this is very, very important—is that he looks at the evolution of Gandhi’s thought. Because a life is lived day to day. Whether Gandhi or Marx or Hobbes or Mill, any great political thinker is living his or her life day to day and adapting and changing his or her views. Those who don’t look at the evolution of a life, who don’t have a historical or chronological or developmental understanding of a life, are forced to cherry-pick. They want consistencies that don’t exist.

Dalton shows the evolution of Gandhi’s views. For example, he shows that Gandhi had very conservative views about caste and race, but how over time he shed his prejudices and arrived at a more capacious, universalistic understanding of humanity. It’s a good corrective to those ideologues who want to make a certain case and selectively quote Gandhi from that earlier period in his life.

So I think as an account of the development of Gandhi’s political philosophy and as an analysis of Gandhi’s Indian critics—who had serious, profound and sometimes telling political disagreements with Gandhi—Dalton’s book is particularly valuable.

He’s also drawing attention to the effectiveness of nonviolent protest. To quote from the book, “nonviolent power in action defined his career: the creative ways that he used it excite the world today.” There’s the issue of the continuing relevance of Gandhi’s methods.

Yes, and to elaborate on that point, the last chapter of Dalton’s book, before the conclusion, is called “Mohandas, Malcolm, and Martin.” It talks about Gandhi’s legacy in twentieth-century America and what Malcolm X did not take from Gandhi and what Martin Luther King did take from Gandhi. There’s an analysis of the ways in which you can trace the influence of Gandhi’s legacy on Martin Luther King and race relations in America. The book came out in the early 1990s, so it was a little early to assess Gandhi’s impact on Eastern Europe, but he did also have an impact there. The leaders of Solidarity, particularly thinkers like Adam Michnik, the great Polish writer, acknowledged their debt to Gandhi.

Dalton is telling you how particularly Gandhi’s technique of shaming the oppressor through nonviolent civil disobedience can still be relevant.

Do you think that nonviolence worked particularly well against the British? Gandhi knew the British Empire very well, as is very clear from reading your book: he only returned to India when he was already 45 years old. So he knew a lot about the way the British thought and the way the British Empire worked. Do you think his knowledge of who he was fighting against to get India free helped him realize that that technique would work—when maybe it wouldn’t under all circumstances?

I think you’re right on the first count, that nonviolence could work against the British whereas it may not have worked against a more brutal oppressor. There’s a nice story—possibly apocryphal, but worth telling nonetheless—of Ho Chi Minh coming to India in the 1950s and telling a gathering in New Delhi that if Mahatma Gandhi had been fighting the French, he would have given up nonviolence within a week.

Likewise, against either the Dutch (who were really brutal in Indonesia) or Hitler, it would be absurd to try it. In my book I have an account of Gandhi advocating nonviolence for resisting Hitler and the great Jewish philosopher Martin Buber taking issue with him–and rightly so. So yes, the British were embarrassed in ways in which maybe a more insensitive or callous ruler might not have been.

It’s also the case that one powerful segment of British opinion, represented by the Labour party, was always for Indian independence. From about 1905–6, well before Gandhi returned to India, Keir Hardie committed the Labour party to independence. Then, as the Labour party grew in influence within Great Britain through the 1920s and 1930s, there was an influential constituency of politicians and intellectuals supporting the Indian freedom movement. There were writers like George Orwell , Kingsley Martin of the New Statesman , Fenner Brockway and Vera Brittain (the remarkable pacifist who was a friend of Gandhi’s) writing in the British press about the legitimacy of the Indian demand for independence. It’s not clear whether Ho Chi Minh had similar people lobbying for him in France. So it is true that nonviolence had a better chance against the British as compared to the Dutch in Indonesia or the French in Vietnam.

“There is a moral core to Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence. He is trying to shame the oppressor in preference to obliterating the oppressor out of existence.”

Having said all that, it wasn’t simply tactical. There is a moral core to Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence. He is trying to shame the oppressor in preference to obliterating the oppressor out of existence. Gandhi is saying, If I were to shoot the colonial official who is oppressing me, it means I am 100 per cent right and he is 100 per cent wrong. Otherwise how am I justified in taking his life?

Tying in with that, shall we talk about Gandhi’s religion next? This is a book called Gandhi’s Religion: A Homespun Shawl , written by a Belgian Jesuit, J T F Jordens. His point is that it’s impossible to understand Gandhi without his religion.

First, a small factual correction: the author, J T F Jordens, is more accurately described as a lapsed Belgian Jesuit. He started as a Jesuit, came to India, joined a church and then left the church. He got interested in Gandhi, became a scholar and ended up a professor in Australia.

This is partly accidental, but if you look at the three books by foreigners on my list, one is by an American who lived in Russia, which is Fischer. The second is by an American who studied in England, which is Dalton. The third is by a Belgian who ended up teaching in Australia. I wanted people with a non-parochial, non-xenophobic understanding of the world. They’re all very unusual people who provided very interesting perspectives on Gandhi and have written, in my view, three first-rate books.

Coming to Jordens and Gandhi’s Religion : Gandhi was a person of faith, but he had a highly idiosyncratic, individual, eccentric attitude to faith. He called himself a Sanatanist Hindu—which means a devout or orthodox Hindu—but didn’t go into temples. He did once enter a famous temple in south India, when they admitted Untouchables for the first time. Other than that, he was a Hindu who never entered temples. He was a Hindu, but he radically challenged some of the prejudices of the Hindu tradition, particularly the practice of untouchability. He was a Hindu whose closest friend was an English Christian priest, CF Andrews. He was a Hindu whose political program was that Hindus should not oppress Muslims and Muslims must have equal rights in an independent India.

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Gandhi’s views on religion are very distinct. You’re talking about a person who is growing up in the late 19th century, a time when there is a burst of rationalistic atheism, particularly following the publication of Darwin’s The Origin of Species . Hardy writes his poem God’s Funeral because intellectuals and scientists have turned their back on God.

But it’s also a time of aggressive proselytization, with Christian missionaries going to India, Muslim missionaries working in Africa and so on and so forth.

Now, too, we live in a time of intellectuals disparaging religion, with an arrogant atheism on one side and religious fundamentalism on the other. Gandhi gives us a way out of this false choice. Gandhi tells us that you can be religious, that there is a wonder and mystery to life which cold-blooded rationality and science can’t completely explain.

But, at the same time, there is no one true path to God. Gandhi says, Accept your fate. You’re born a Hindu, fine. Your parents, your grandparents were Hindus for many generations. But think about what you can learn from other faiths. Cultivate friendships with Christians and Muslims and Jews and Parsis. If you see your faith in the mirror of another, you may find out its imperfections. It’s a very interesting, heterodox approach to religion.

But religion was central to Gandhi’s life. I don’t talk about his in my biography, but when I was very young, in my early 20s, I went through a phase where I wanted to secularize Gandhi. I was brought up an atheist. My father and grandfather were scientists and I’d never went to temples. When I got interested in Gandhi, I thought, This religious business is all a distraction. What is really relevant about Gandhi, is equal rights for the low castes, equality for women, nonviolence, democracy and economic self-reliance. Let me try and have Gandhi without faith.

But ultimately I realized that was futile and wouldn’t give me a ready window into understanding Gandhi, because Gandhi was a person of faith. He’s someone to whom religion matters a great deal, but though he calls himself a Hindu he’s a rebel against orthodoxy. There’s a wonderful passage where a Christian disciple of his was thrown out by the church (Verrier Elvin, about whom I wrote a book many years ago). He writes to Gandhi saying that his bishop has excommunicated him. Gandhi writes back saying that it doesn’t matter, that his altar is the sky, and his pulpit the ground beneath him. You can still communicate with Jesus without being in a church. In this, Gandhi is influenced of course by Tolstoy and his writing, Tolstoy’s sense, as he puts it, that the kingdom of God is within you.

I think Jordens’s book is the most scrupulous, fair-minded and persuasive account of why faith is so central to Gandhi and what makes Gandhi’s faith so distinctive. That is why it is on my list.

And ultimately we should point out that Gandhi was killed by a Hindu for being too good to Muslims.

Absolutely.

And that focus of Gandhi’s on celibacy, does that come from religion?

Celibacy, or the struggle to conquer your sexual desires, is prevalent in several religious traditions: Catholicism, Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, and it’s totally absent in some other religious traditions: Islam, Protestant Christianity and Judaism. The idea that you must eschew sexual pleasures and that would bring you closer to God, is part of Buddhism and Catholicism and Hinduism, but it’s totally antithetical or alien to Islam, Judaism and the modern world.

Let me tell you a story. Some years ago an American scholar called Joseph Lelyveld wrote a book suggesting Gandhi was gay. Gandhi had a close Jewish friend called Hermann Kallenbach, with whom he lived in South Africa. Both were followers of Tolstoy and both wanted to be celibate. Lelyveld couldn’t understand two people living together wishing to be celibate so he concluded they were gay. His clinching piece of evidence was a letter that Gandhi wrote to Kallenbach when Gandhi was in London, temporarily separated from his friend and housemate. He wrote to Kallenbach saying, There is a bottle of Vaseline on my mantelpiece and it reminds me of you. The American scholar jumped to a very quick conclusion, but the bottle of Vaseline was actually there because both Gandhi and Kallenbach had taken a Tolstoyan vow not to wear shoes. They walked barefoot or in slippers and in London he was getting corns under his feet.

A modern man like Joseph Lelyveld, a 21st-century writer living in New York, attending the gay pride parades every year, can’t understand men wanting to be celibate voluntarily, rather than because it’s imposed on them. But this was not, as is the case in many countries around the world, an eight-year-old child being shipped off to a seminary and told to become a priest. Kallenbach was a successful architect, Gandhi was a successful lawyer. They were both inspired by Tolstoy, the successful novelist, to give up everything and live the simple life. I had a great deal of fun in my first volume, Gandhi Before India , writing a two-page footnote addressing Joseph Lelyveld’s misunderstanding.

But the point is that celibacy is there in Hinduism and also in Jainism, an allied religion to which Gandhi was pretty close, because as a native Gujarati he had many close Jain friends. Jain monks are absolutely committed to this kind of sexual abstinence. So it was a core part of his religious beliefs. It comes from his faith and it is something which modern men and women just can’t comprehend.

But despite Gandhi’s religious openmindedness, he wouldn’t let his son marry a Muslim.

That leads us nicely to your last book. Gandhi was a man who always put the political and the public before his private life. And, as you said earlier, the result is that he treated his family pretty badly. The last book on your list is a life of his son Harilal. It’s called Harilal Gandhi: A Life . Some quotes from his son that appear in the book: “No attention was paid to us” and  “You have spoken to us not in love, but always in anger.” It’s very sad, isn’t it? Tell me about his son and this book.

This was a book written in Gujarati by a scholar called Chandulal Bhagubhai Dalal and translated into English by one of the preeminent Indian Gandhian scholars of the day, Tridip Suhrud, who was, for many years, the curator of Gandhi’s own personal archive in Ahmedabad. Suhrud has provided a very detailed introduction and notes, so it’s a very good edition of this biography.

To, again, put things in context, Gandhi married very young. He was married in his teens and he had his first child, Harilal, in 1888 when he was not even 20. Shortly after his Harilal is born, Gandhi goes to London to get a law degree. So he’s absent for the first two years of his son’s life. Then he comes back and spends a year and a bit in India and then goes off again, to South Africa, to make a living and leaves his wife and children behind. Then, after some years, his wife and children join him in South Africa. But then Harilal, the eldest son, is sent back to India, to matriculate. So for many of the formative years of Harilal growing up, his father is absent.

Also, because Gandhi has his son so early, by the time Harilal comes to maturity and is thinking about his own career and his own future, Gandhi is himself only in his thirties. Gandhi is having his midlife crisis. He is abandoning his career as a prosperous lawyer to become a full-time social activist. At the same time, Harilal is having his adolescent crisis.

Now, I don’t want to bring the biographer into it, but if I was to look at myself, like many people, I also had a midlife crisis. When I was 36 or 37 I gave up a university job and became a freelance writer. I said to hell with institutions and tutorials—I just want to be on my own. When that happened, my son was four years old, because I’d had him in my early 30s. In Gandhi’s case, unfortunately, his own midlife crisis and change of career coincided with his son’s adolescent crisis. And this, partly, was responsible for the clash. Gandhi is telling his son, Go to jail. Follow me, become a social worker, give up everything for the community like I have done. And the son is saying, Hey, but when you were my age you went to London to become a lawyer. Why can’t I go to London and become a lawyer too?

And Gandhi is profoundly unsympathetic to his son’s hopes, his desires. It’s also the case that the son has a love marriage, which Gandhi doesn’t really approve of. The son is devoted to his wife but the wife dies leaving him bereft of his emotional anchor.

Gandhi turns increasingly angry, judgmental and frustrated at his son not doing what he wants him to do. And Harilal is broken by this. At one level he resents his father’s overbearing, authoritarian manner and at another level he craves his father’s attention. So Harilal goes to jail several times in South Africa and several times in India too because he wants his father to know that he’s as much of a patriot as anybody else.

The son tries several times to matriculate, but fails. His wife dies. Then he tries several times to become a businessman, but all his business ventures fail. Then he becomes an alcoholic, then he becomes a lapsed alcoholic, then he goes back to the bottle again. Then, because he’s so angry with his father, he converts to Islam merely to spite Gandhi. This leads to a very anguished letter by his mother, Kasturba Gandhi. She’s very rarely in the public domain but is so angry at her son’s spiteful act, that she writes in the press saying, Why are you doing this just to shame your father?

So it’s a very tragic and complicated relationship and of course it’s not unusual. Many driven, successful people are not very good husbands or fathers. Modern history is replete with such examples. But in Gandhi’s case, because we have this book by Dalal, we can read all their letters. We can see the exchanges between father and son, the pervasive lack of comprehension and the progressive anger and exasperation at Gandhi’s end and the anger and resentment at the son’s end. It all comes out very vividly in this account.

Again, it’s a factual account. It’s written by a scholar who wants to tell you the truth in an unadorned, factual, dispassionate way. But I think it’s very effective for not being overwritten or overblown or excessively hyperbolic or judgmental.

And Harilal doesn’t go to Gandhi’s funeral right? He was so estranged from his father that he didn’t go?

He wanted to go to the funeral, actually. There’s one version that the news came too late, and that he went to Delhi. But it’s a very sad story. We talked earlier about the Attenborough movie. There is also a very nice film based on this book called Gandhi, My Fathe r. It’s a feature film, made in English, by the Indian director Feroz Abbas Khan. It started as a play. So it was a play and then a film on this very complicated, tormented relationship between the father of the nation and his own son. I would urge readers to watch the film because it’s very good.

One last question: you didn’t include Gandhi’s autobiography on this list of books. Is that because you wanted them to be books about him rather than by him or was there a more fundamental reason?

Gandhi’s autobiography is indispensable, but it’s so well known. It’s available in hundreds of editions, and in dozens of languages. Every major publisher has published it and you can get it anywhere. I wanted readers of Five Books to get some fresher, more vivid, less-known perspectives on Gandhi.

But certainly, they should read the autobiography too. It’s now available in a new annotated edition by the scholar I mentioned, Tridip Suhrud. It’s a first rate edition brought out by Yale University Press.

And the autobiography is very readable, is that right?

Yes, Gandhi was a master of English and Gujarati prose. He transformed Gujarati writing. He wrote beautiful, economical, clear prose with no affectation and no pomposity. He was a marvellous writer.

In the course of my research for my first volume about Gandhi, one of my most pleasurable discoveries was an obscure book published in the 1960s that had compiled Gandhi’s school marksheets. Someone found out that when Gandhi  matriculated from school, he got 44% in English and more or less the same in Gujarati. So I always use this example when I speak at colleges in India: here is a master of Gujarati and English who got a mere 44% in his examinations.

The autobiography was written in Gujarati but then translated by Gandhi’s secretary Mahadev Desai, who was quite a remarkable man himself. But since the autobiography is so well known and so easily and widely available, I thought I should recommend some other books.

September 3, 2019

Five Books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. If you are the interviewee and would like to update your choice of books (or even just what you say about them) please email us at [email protected]

Ramachandra Guha

Ramachandra Guha is a historian based in Bengaluru. His books include a pioneering environmental history, The Unquiet Woods (University of California Press, 1989), and an award-winning social history of cricket, A Corner of a Foreign Field (Picador, 2002), which was chosen by The Guardian as one of the ten best books on cricket ever written. India after Gandhi (Macmillan/Ecco Press, 2007; revised edition, 2017) was chosen as a book of the year by the Economist , the Washington Post , and the Wall Street Journal , and as a book of the decade in the the Times of London and The Hindu .

Ramachandra Guha’s most recent book is a two volume biography of Mahatma Gandhi. The first volume, Gandhi Before India (Knopf, 2014), was chosen as a notable book of the year by the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle . The second volume, Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World (Knopf, 2018), was chosen as a notable book of the year by the New York Times and The Economist .

Ramachandra Guha’s awards include the Leopold-Hidy Prize of the American Society of Environmental History, the Daily Telegraph/Cricket Society prize, the Malcolm Adideshiah Award for excellence in social science research, the Ramnath Goenka Prize for excellence in journalism, the Sahitya Akademi Award, and the Fukuoka Prize for contributions to Asian studies.

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

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6 Best Books on Mahatma Gandhi Ever Written

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly referred to as Mahatma – a great soul, fought for the freedom of India by non-violence. Rabindranath Tagore gave him the title of Mahatma. Gandhiji has been the most distinct and unusual leader ever walked on the earth. He followed and spread the ideals of fasting (Satyagraha), Non-violence (Ahimsa) and simplicity among his followers. Mahatma Gandhi, the man who had made the whole country respond to his call, has been much talked and written about. Here is the list of books on Mahatma Gandhi which would provide you enough information from different sources and perspectives.

Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of the Nation Author: Subhadra Sen Gupta

In this book, the author Subhadra Sen Gupta, has caught the essence from the exceptional life and legacy of unparalleled leader. The book gives glimpses of the simple man who wove clothes, ate salt less vegetable, believes in truth and non-violence and walked 240 miles from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi to break the salt law . The book talks about Mahatma Gandhi’s passion for truth and peace. The world has changed a lot from the time of Gandhiji, but his life and ideals are still quite relevant to present generation. This is one of the best books on Mahatma Gandhi ever written describing his life and principles.

The Life of Mahatma Gandhi Author: Louis Fischer

In this minor biographic book, the author Louis Fischer talks about the epic journey of Mahatma Gandhi and how he led the people of whole nation for the freedom. In addition of being a genius historian, Louis Fischer was a close friend of Gandhiji. The book gives us a glimpse of the unique and shrewd strategies used by Gandhiji to bring the independence of India . Richard Attenborough adapted this book into the award-winning motion picture “Gandhi”.

Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and his Struggle with India Author: Joseph Lelyveld

Joseph Lelyveld has won Pulitzer prize in General Non-fiction. In this moving book, author talks about the struggles Mahatma Gandhi faced while fighting for the freedom of people in two different continents. Book gives the insight of both the achievements and failures faced by Gandhi. Author narrated the disappointments faced by Gandhiji following his fierce struggle to bring social change.

Mahatma Gandhi: His Life and Ideas Author: Charles F. Andrews and Arun Gandhi

This book tried to bring out the warm and personal biography of the great social and religious reformer, Mahatma Gandhi. Authors talk about the introduction of non-violence by Mahatma Gandhi to fight the oppressor. Though we take the ideals of non-violence very lightly, they were meant much more to Gandhiji. He didn’t deviate from his ideals even under harsh situations. Gandhiji promoted peace, equality among humans and showed love and compassion to all. If you’re interested to know about the beliefs of Gandhiji, then this is one of the best books on Mahatma Gandhi for you.

Gandhi: Prisoner of Hope Author:  Judith M. Brown

In this book, author has included the recently available information to write this definitive biography on Gandhiji. Author gives us a new and surprising view of Gandhiji’s life. In the book, she presents him as powerful man with his own weaknesses. Judith also delves deeply into Gandhiji’s career as a lawyer in South Africa from 1893 to 1914; and about his struggle against racism in South Africa. In the book, author talks about the inner conflicts faced by Gandhiji and his response to the socio-political conflicts.

Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth Author: M.K. Gandhi

When it comes to books on Mahatma Gandhi, nothing can beat his classic autobiography ‘The Story of My Experiments With Truth’. In this book Gandhiji recounts the incidents of his life which shaped his beliefs and developed his concept of non-violence resistant to the tyranny of colonial rule. The book covers the life of Mahatma Gandhi from his childhood to 1921.

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List of Famous Books Written By Mahatma Gandhi [10+ Books]

If are you looking for a List of Famous books written by Mahatma Gandhi , then you are in the correct place. In this post, we discussed the 10 plus + famous books of Gandhiji.

Let’s start with a brief intro to Mahatma Gandhiji. Mahatma Gandhi’s full name was  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , he was born on 2 October 1869, and he was an Indian Lawyer by profession. He operated nonviolent resistance to lead the victorious campaign for India’s independence from British rule and inspired campaigns for civil rights and liberty across the globe.

Gandhi Ji was born in a Hindu family in Gujarat India and did his law training from London. Gandhi’s birthday, 2 October, is celebrated in India as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and universal as the International Day of Nonviolence.

Now, we discuss The Famous Books written by Mahatma Gandhi in the below sections.

You can also read this: Top 5+ Books Written by Jawaharlal Nehru

Page Contents

List of Famous Books Written By Mahatma Gandhi

We made a huge brief review list of famous books written by Mahatma Gandhi below with their Amazon links if you want to read the full book.

Quick View List of Famous Books Written By Mahatma Gandhi

1. An Autobiography (The Story of My Experiments with Truth)

The autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi is a book that guides you through right and wrong. Most importantly, Gandhiji experienced all these in his lifetime.

The original version of this book was first published in Gujarati and later it was translated into English and other Indian languages.

This book is divided into five parts starting from his childhood and going till the year 1921. The autobiography of Gandhiji ends in 1920, right near the time Gandhiji became a universal figure.

This book is about British East India and our freedom struggle, but it is mainly about Gandhiji’s “experiments” in his campaign and it is extraordinary how he sticks to his beliefs.

2. Inspirational Thoughts

This is the second number on the list of famous books written by Mahatma Gandhi. “Inspirational Thoughts” The quotes and lessons you will get from this book of Gandhiji will always be in your mind and heart. Each quote is something deep, important, and meaningful that everyone needs to understand.

Gandhiji has given India not only freedom but, also some excellent guidance  which is recorded in this book.

It’s a must-read book for everyone If you want to learn some valuable things from the books of Gandhiji you have to understand this book and follow his way. you will be mesmerized and shocked at such simplicity of Gandhiji.

3. The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi

“Bhagavad Gita according to Gandhi ji” is a very influential and inspiring book, In this, he told us about the “Gita” and its full meaning throughout this book.

This book is for those who are searching for the translational version of the Bhagavad Gita. This book by Gandhiji explains the shlokas of Bhagavad Gita and makes it clear to understand.

I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a brief explanation of the Bhagavad Gita but also I suggest reading it gently with understanding so that you don’t lose any part or essential meaning.

4. Peace (The Words and Inspiration of Mahatma Gandhi)

The book describes his life very well how he began his journey, how his hopes became inspirational, how his words encouraged others to do good, and how others countered his beliefs on nonviolent actions , and how his words inspired others to fight for their freedom.

This short book provides a good summary of the great Mahatma Gandhi and his life and what he had to do to achieve peace in India. This book combines all photographs of Gandhi with quotations from his most inspirational speeches and writings to capture the actual reality of his timeless message of peace, equality, respect, and love

(Scroll down for more famous books written by Mahatma Gandhi)

5. The Essential Gandhi

“An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work & Ideas”  This might be the best biographical book you will ever read, by selecting all the writings of Gandhi, this combination becomes something special.

We admire Gandhiji not only because of his strong statements, his talent to inspire, his active resolve, his ideological perspectives, and his lucid mind but also because he was so humble in accepting his weaknesses or flaws .

This is an interesting book on Gandhi’s perspectives and life’s work, This book is for those who want a quick introduction to Gandhiji’s life and teaching, it is a good starting source to know about Gandhiji.

6. Gandhi on Non-Violence 

“Gandhi on Non-Violence” the book gives a detailed overview of Gandhi’s thoughts, including much in his own words. Several of the quotes are quite great.

The introduction by Merton is also very good and makes the book worth reading.

This book is in the 6th list of Famous Books written by Mahatma Gandhi.

I highly recommend it! It will unlock your mind, and if you are lucky it will help you view people and the world in usual from another perspective.

7. The Power of Nonviolent Resistance, Selected Writings

This is an excellent and good collection that delves deep into the complexity of Gandhi’s systematic thinking about nonviolent resistance and all its components.

The year 2019 regards the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth, Penguin Classics presents a compact but wide selection of text by Gandhi that speaks to non-violent .

Taking together excerpts, letters, and essays from some of his most celebrated texts including  Satyagraha in South Africa, Yeravda Mandir, and Hind Swaraj, this all is taken from Mahatma Gandhi’s written books.

This volume gives readers an insightful conclusion of Gandhi’s views on activism and non-violent civil disobedience.

Hope you like the list of famous books written by Mahatma Gandhi now.

8. Mohandas Gandhi: Essential Writings

These books written by Mahatma Gandhi and are created snippets from a wide publication of his work, and organizes these snippets into topics:

Autobiographical Writings, The Pursuit of Truth, The Search for God, The Practice of Nonviolence, The Urgent Need for Nuclear Disarmament, The Life of Steadfast Resistance, Epilogue, and The Discipline of Prayer and Fasting.

The book was published with the sincere hope that Gandhi’s writings might inspire more people to see the endless love for a reason, political power, and commitment to non-violence and spiritual liberation

9. Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule

Gandhi wrote this book in his mother tongue, Gujarati, during his journey from London to South Africa at the SS Kildonan Castle from November 13 to November 22, 1909.

In the book, Gandhi analyzes the problems and causes of humanity in the present day. The Gujarati version of this book was banned by the British and was later translated into English.

His views about the legal profession, doctors, railways, etc. are given in question-answer format. If you want to know about Gandhi’s approach to various subjects in 1908 then this book is worth reading.

10. The Words of Gandhi

In view of our present wars, Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy is equally applicable even today. He was a powerful thinker and you should take the time to read about him.

This bestselling volume includes an introduction by Attenborough and words by Time magazine Senior Foreign Correspondent Johanna McGarry that places Gandhi’s life and work in a historical context of the 20th century.

The book also included 20 striking historical photographs , specially chosen from the archives at the National Gandhi Museum in New Delhi, that capture the important personal, spiritual, and political aspects of Gandhi’s work.

11. What is Hinduism?

This is also on the list of famous books written by Mahatma Gandhi. “What is Hinduism” This book of Gandhiji is a collection of various articles written by Gandhiji in different newspapers about his belief and trust in religion or God.

The book is wonderfully written and the short article’s lessons make it easy to read and understand.

It’s a highly recommended book if you want to think deeper. This is an amalgam where theory meets intelligence.

12. Third Class in Indian Railways

This is a collection of 6 essays by Gandhi, in which Gandhi shares his views on different subjects, this view of Gandhiji is also relevant even today. He shares these experiences in a greatly simple manner so that anyone can understand and correlate to what he recorded.

The first essay is on poverty in India, especially when Gandhi travelled in trains across India. The second essay is about the value of Indian vernacular languages, the next three essays are about Swadeshi, non-violence, and cooperation.

These are the list of Famous Books Written by Mahatma Gandhi hope you like them.

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Mahatma Gandhi

By: History.com Editors

Updated: June 6, 2019 | Original: July 30, 2010

Revered the world over for his nonviolent philosophy of passive resistance, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was known to his many followers as Mahatma, or “the great-souled one.” He began his activism as an Indian immigrant in South Africa in the early 1900s, and in the years following World War I became the leading figure in India’s struggle to gain independence from Great Britain. Known for his ascetic lifestyle–he often dressed only in a loincloth and shawl–and devout Hindu faith, Gandhi was imprisoned several times during his pursuit of non-cooperation, and undertook a number of hunger strikes to protest the oppression of India’s poorest classes, among other injustices. After Partition in 1947, he continued to work toward peace between Hindus and Muslims. Gandhi was shot to death in Delhi in January 1948 by a Hindu fundamentalist.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar, in the present-day Indian state of Gujarat. His father was the dewan (chief minister) of Porbandar; his deeply religious mother was a devoted practitioner of Vaishnavism (worship of the Hindu god Vishnu), influenced by Jainism, an ascetic religion governed by tenets of self-discipline and nonviolence. At the age of 19, Mohandas left home to study law in London at the Inner Temple, one of the city’s four law colleges. Upon returning to India in mid-1891, he set up a law practice in Bombay, but met with little success. He soon accepted a position with an Indian firm that sent him to its office in South Africa. Along with his wife, Kasturbai, and their children, Gandhi remained in South Africa for nearly 20 years.

Did you know? In the famous Salt March of April-May 1930, thousands of Indians followed Gandhi from Ahmadabad to the Arabian Sea. The march resulted in the arrest of nearly 60,000 people, including Gandhi himself.

Gandhi was appalled by the discrimination he experienced as an Indian immigrant in South Africa. When a European magistrate in Durban asked him to take off his turban, he refused and left the courtroom. On a train voyage to Pretoria, he was thrown out of a first-class railway compartment and beaten up by a white stagecoach driver after refusing to give up his seat for a European passenger. That train journey served as a turning point for Gandhi, and he soon began developing and teaching the concept of satyagraha (“truth and firmness”), or passive resistance, as a way of non-cooperation with authorities.

The Birth of Passive Resistance

In 1906, after the Transvaal government passed an ordinance regarding the registration of its Indian population, Gandhi led a campaign of civil disobedience that would last for the next eight years. During its final phase in 1913, hundreds of Indians living in South Africa, including women, went to jail, and thousands of striking Indian miners were imprisoned, flogged and even shot. Finally, under pressure from the British and Indian governments, the government of South Africa accepted a compromise negotiated by Gandhi and General Jan Christian Smuts, which included important concessions such as the recognition of Indian marriages and the abolition of the existing poll tax for Indians.

In July 1914, Gandhi left South Africa to return to India. He supported the British war effort in World War I but remained critical of colonial authorities for measures he felt were unjust. In 1919, Gandhi launched an organized campaign of passive resistance in response to Parliament’s passage of the Rowlatt Acts, which gave colonial authorities emergency powers to suppress subversive activities. He backed off after violence broke out–including the massacre by British-led soldiers of some 400 Indians attending a meeting at Amritsar–but only temporarily, and by 1920 he was the most visible figure in the movement for Indian independence.

Leader of a Movement

As part of his nonviolent non-cooperation campaign for home rule, Gandhi stressed the importance of economic independence for India. He particularly advocated the manufacture of khaddar, or homespun cloth, in order to replace imported textiles from Britain. Gandhi’s eloquence and embrace of an ascetic lifestyle based on prayer, fasting and meditation earned him the reverence of his followers, who called him Mahatma (Sanskrit for “the great-souled one”). Invested with all the authority of the Indian National Congress (INC or Congress Party), Gandhi turned the independence movement into a massive organization, leading boycotts of British manufacturers and institutions representing British influence in India, including legislatures and schools.

After sporadic violence broke out, Gandhi announced the end of the resistance movement, to the dismay of his followers. British authorities arrested Gandhi in March 1922 and tried him for sedition; he was sentenced to six years in prison but was released in 1924 after undergoing an operation for appendicitis. He refrained from active participation in politics for the next several years, but in 1930 launched a new civil disobedience campaign against the colonial government’s tax on salt, which greatly affected Indian’s poorest citizens.

A Divided Movement

In 1931, after British authorities made some concessions, Gandhi again called off the resistance movement and agreed to represent the Congress Party at the Round Table Conference in London. Meanwhile, some of his party colleagues–particularly Mohammed Ali Jinnah, a leading voice for India’s Muslim minority–grew frustrated with Gandhi’s methods, and what they saw as a lack of concrete gains. Arrested upon his return by a newly aggressive colonial government, Gandhi began a series of hunger strikes in protest of the treatment of India’s so-called “untouchables” (the poorer classes), whom he renamed Harijans, or “children of God.” The fasting caused an uproar among his followers and resulted in swift reforms by the Hindu community and the government.

In 1934, Gandhi announced his retirement from politics in, as well as his resignation from the Congress Party, in order to concentrate his efforts on working within rural communities. Drawn back into the political fray by the outbreak of World War II , Gandhi again took control of the INC, demanding a British withdrawal from India in return for Indian cooperation with the war effort. Instead, British forces imprisoned the entire Congress leadership, bringing Anglo-Indian relations to a new low point.

Partition and Death of Gandhi

After the Labor Party took power in Britain in 1947, negotiations over Indian home rule began between the British, the Congress Party and the Muslim League (now led by Jinnah). Later that year, Britain granted India its independence but split the country into two dominions: India and Pakistan. Gandhi strongly opposed Partition, but he agreed to it in hopes that after independence Hindus and Muslims could achieve peace internally. Amid the massive riots that followed Partition, Gandhi urged Hindus and Muslims to live peacefully together, and undertook a hunger strike until riots in Calcutta ceased.

In January 1948, Gandhi carried out yet another fast, this time to bring about peace in the city of Delhi. On January 30, 12 days after that fast ended, Gandhi was on his way to an evening prayer meeting in Delhi when he was shot to death by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic enraged by Mahatma’s efforts to negotiate with Jinnah and other Muslims. The next day, roughly 1 million people followed the procession as Gandhi’s body was carried in state through the streets of the city and cremated on the banks of the holy Jumna River.

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Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi was the primary leader of India’s independence movement and also the architect of a form of non-violent civil disobedience that would influence the world. He was assassinated by Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse.

(1869-1948)

Who Was Mahatma Gandhi?

Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of India’s non-violent independence movement against British rule and in South Africa who advocated for the civil rights of Indians. Born in Porbandar, India, Gandhi studied law and organized boycotts against British institutions in peaceful forms of civil disobedience. He was killed by a fanatic in 1948.

Early Life and Education

Indian nationalist leader Gandhi (born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Kathiawar, India, which was then part of the British Empire.

Gandhi’s father, Karamchand Gandhi, served as a chief minister in Porbandar and other states in western India. His mother, Putlibai, was a deeply religious woman who fasted regularly.

Young Gandhi was a shy, unremarkable student who was so timid that he slept with the lights on even as a teenager. In the ensuing years, the teenager rebelled by smoking, eating meat and stealing change from household servants.

Although Gandhi was interested in becoming a doctor, his father hoped he would also become a government minister and steered him to enter the legal profession. In 1888, 18-year-old Gandhi sailed for London, England, to study law. The young Indian struggled with the transition to Western culture.

Upon returning to India in 1891, Gandhi learned that his mother had died just weeks earlier. He struggled to gain his footing as a lawyer. In his first courtroom case, a nervous Gandhi blanked when the time came to cross-examine a witness. He immediately fled the courtroom after reimbursing his client for his legal fees.

Gandhi’s Religion and Beliefs

Gandhi grew up worshiping the Hindu god Vishnu and following Jainism, a morally rigorous ancient Indian religion that espoused non-violence, fasting, meditation and vegetarianism.

During Gandhi’s first stay in London, from 1888 to 1891, he became more committed to a meatless diet, joining the executive committee of the London Vegetarian Society, and started to read a variety of sacred texts to learn more about world religions.

Living in South Africa, Gandhi continued to study world religions. “The religious spirit within me became a living force,” he wrote of his time there. He immersed himself in sacred Hindu spiritual texts and adopted a life of simplicity, austerity, fasting and celibacy that was free of material goods.

Gandhi in South Africa

After struggling to find work as a lawyer in India, Gandhi obtained a one-year contract to perform legal services in South Africa. In April 1893, he sailed for Durban in the South African state of Natal.

When Gandhi arrived in South Africa, he was quickly appalled by the discrimination and racial segregation faced by Indian immigrants at the hands of white British and Boer authorities. Upon his first appearance in a Durban courtroom, Gandhi was asked to remove his turban. He refused and left the court instead. The Natal Advertiser mocked him in print as “an unwelcome visitor.”

Nonviolent Civil Disobedience

A seminal moment occurred on June 7, 1893, during a train trip to Pretoria, South Africa, when a white man objected to Gandhi’s presence in the first-class railway compartment, although he had a ticket. Refusing to move to the back of the train, Gandhi was forcibly removed and thrown off the train at a station in Pietermaritzburg.

Gandhi’s act of civil disobedience awoke in him a determination to devote himself to fighting the “deep disease of color prejudice.” He vowed that night to “try, if possible, to root out the disease and suffer hardships in the process.”

From that night forward, the small, unassuming man would grow into a giant force for civil rights. Gandhi formed the Natal Indian Congress in 1894 to fight discrimination.

Gandhi prepared to return to India at the end of his year-long contract until he learned, at his farewell party, of a bill before the Natal Legislative Assembly that would deprive Indians of the right to vote. Fellow immigrants convinced Gandhi to stay and lead the fight against the legislation. Although Gandhi could not prevent the law’s passage, he drew international attention to the injustice.

After a brief trip to India in late 1896 and early 1897, Gandhi returned to South Africa with his wife and children. Gandhi ran a thriving legal practice, and at the outbreak of the Boer War, he raised an all-Indian ambulance corps of 1,100 volunteers to support the British cause, arguing that if Indians expected to have full rights of citizenship in the British Empire, they also needed to shoulder their responsibilities.

In 1906, Gandhi organized his first mass civil-disobedience campaign, which he called “Satyagraha” (“truth and firmness”), in reaction to the South African Transvaal government’s new restrictions on the rights of Indians, including the refusal to recognize Hindu marriages.

After years of protests, the government imprisoned hundreds of Indians in 1913, including Gandhi. Under pressure, the South African government accepted a compromise negotiated by Gandhi and General Jan Christian Smuts that included recognition of Hindu marriages and the abolition of a poll tax for Indians.

Return to India

In 1915 Gandhi founded an ashram in Ahmedabad, India, that was open to all castes. Wearing a simple loincloth and shawl, Gandhi lived an austere life devoted to prayer, fasting and meditation. He became known as “Mahatma,” which means “great soul.”

Opposition to British Rule in India

In 1919, with India still under the firm control of the British, Gandhi had a political reawakening when the newly enacted Rowlatt Act authorized British authorities to imprison people suspected of sedition without trial. In response, Gandhi called for a Satyagraha campaign of peaceful protests and strikes.

Violence broke out instead, which culminated on April 13, 1919, in the Massacre of Amritsar. Troops led by British Brigadier General Reginald Dyer fired machine guns into a crowd of unarmed demonstrators and killed nearly 400 people.

No longer able to pledge allegiance to the British government, Gandhi returned the medals he earned for his military service in South Africa and opposed Britain’s mandatory military draft of Indians to serve in World War I.

Gandhi became a leading figure in the Indian home-rule movement. Calling for mass boycotts, he urged government officials to stop working for the Crown, students to stop attending government schools, soldiers to leave their posts and citizens to stop paying taxes and purchasing British goods.

Rather than buy British-manufactured clothes, he began to use a portable spinning wheel to produce his own cloth. The spinning wheel soon became a symbol of Indian independence and self-reliance.

Gandhi assumed the leadership of the Indian National Congress and advocated a policy of non-violence and non-cooperation to achieve home rule.

After British authorities arrested Gandhi in 1922, he pleaded guilty to three counts of sedition. Although sentenced to a six-year imprisonment, Gandhi was released in February 1924 after appendicitis surgery.

He discovered upon his release that relations between India’s Hindus and Muslims devolved during his time in jail. When violence between the two religious groups flared again, Gandhi began a three-week fast in the autumn of 1924 to urge unity. He remained away from active politics during much of the latter 1920s.

Gandhi and the Salt March

Gandhi returned to active politics in 1930 to protest Britain’s Salt Acts, which not only prohibited Indians from collecting or selling salt—a dietary staple—but imposed a heavy tax that hit the country’s poorest particularly hard. Gandhi planned a new Satyagraha campaign, The Salt March , that entailed a 390-kilometer/240-mile march to the Arabian Sea, where he would collect salt in symbolic defiance of the government monopoly.

“My ambition is no less than to convert the British people through non-violence and thus make them see the wrong they have done to India,” he wrote days before the march to the British viceroy, Lord Irwin.

Wearing a homespun white shawl and sandals and carrying a walking stick, Gandhi set out from his religious retreat in Sabarmati on March 12, 1930, with a few dozen followers. By the time he arrived 24 days later in the coastal town of Dandi, the ranks of the marchers swelled, and Gandhi broke the law by making salt from evaporated seawater.

The Salt March sparked similar protests, and mass civil disobedience swept across India. Approximately 60,000 Indians were jailed for breaking the Salt Acts, including Gandhi, who was imprisoned in May 1930.

Still, the protests against the Salt Acts elevated Gandhi into a transcendent figure around the world. He was named Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” for 1930.

Gandhi was released from prison in January 1931, and two months later he made an agreement with Lord Irwin to end the Salt Satyagraha in exchange for concessions that included the release of thousands of political prisoners. The agreement, however, largely kept the Salt Acts intact. But it did give those who lived on the coasts the right to harvest salt from the sea.

Hoping that the agreement would be a stepping-stone to home rule, Gandhi attended the London Round Table Conference on Indian constitutional reform in August 1931 as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress. The conference, however, proved fruitless.

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Protesting "Untouchables" Segregation

Gandhi returned to India to find himself imprisoned once again in January 1932 during a crackdown by India’s new viceroy, Lord Willingdon. He embarked on a six-day fast to protest the British decision to segregate the “untouchables,” those on the lowest rung of India’s caste system, by allotting them separate electorates. The public outcry forced the British to amend the proposal.

After his eventual release, Gandhi left the Indian National Congress in 1934, and leadership passed to his protégé Jawaharlal Nehru . He again stepped away from politics to focus on education, poverty and the problems afflicting India’s rural areas.

India’s Independence from Great Britain

As Great Britain found itself engulfed in World War II in 1942, Gandhi launched the “Quit India” movement that called for the immediate British withdrawal from the country. In August 1942, the British arrested Gandhi, his wife and other leaders of the Indian National Congress and detained them in the Aga Khan Palace in present-day Pune.

“I have not become the King’s First Minister in order to preside at the liquidation of the British Empire,” Prime Minister Winston Churchill told Parliament in support of the crackdown.

With his health failing, Gandhi was released after a 19-month detainment in 1944.

After the Labour Party defeated Churchill’s Conservatives in the British general election of 1945, it began negotiations for Indian independence with the Indian National Congress and Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s Muslim League. Gandhi played an active role in the negotiations, but he could not prevail in his hope for a unified India. Instead, the final plan called for the partition of the subcontinent along religious lines into two independent states—predominantly Hindu India and predominantly Muslim Pakistan.

Violence between Hindus and Muslims flared even before independence took effect on August 15, 1947. Afterwards, the killings multiplied. Gandhi toured riot-torn areas in an appeal for peace and fasted in an attempt to end the bloodshed. Some Hindus, however, increasingly viewed Gandhi as a traitor for expressing sympathy toward Muslims.

Gandhi’s Wife and Kids

At the age of 13, Gandhi wed Kasturba Makanji, a merchant’s daughter, in an arranged marriage. She died in Gandhi’s arms in February 1944 at the age of 74.

In 1885, Gandhi endured the passing of his father and shortly after that the death of his young baby.

In 1888, Gandhi’s wife gave birth to the first of four surviving sons. A second son was born in India 1893. Kasturba gave birth to two more sons while living in South Africa, one in 1897 and one in 1900.

Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi

On January 30, 1948, 78-year-old Gandhi was shot and killed by Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse, who was upset at Gandhi’s tolerance of Muslims.

Weakened from repeated hunger strikes, Gandhi clung to his two grandnieces as they led him from his living quarters in New Delhi’s Birla House to a late-afternoon prayer meeting. Godse knelt before the Mahatma before pulling out a semiautomatic pistol and shooting him three times at point-blank range. The violent act took the life of a pacifist who spent his life preaching nonviolence.

Godse and a co-conspirator were executed by hanging in November 1949. Additional conspirators were sentenced to life in prison.

Even after Gandhi’s assassination, his commitment to nonviolence and his belief in simple living — making his own clothes, eating a vegetarian diet and using fasts for self-purification as well as a means of protest — have been a beacon of hope for oppressed and marginalized people throughout the world.

Satyagraha remains one of the most potent philosophies in freedom struggles throughout the world today. Gandhi’s actions inspired future human rights movements around the globe, including those of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in the United States and Nelson Mandela in South Africa.

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QUICK FACTS

• Name: Mahatma Gandhi
• Birth Year: 1869
• Birth date: October 2, 1869
• Birth City: Porbandar, Kathiawar
• Birth Country: India
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Mahatma Gandhi was the primary leader of India’s independence movement and also the architect of a form of non-violent civil disobedience that would influence the world. Until Gandhi was assassinated in 1948, his life and teachings inspired activists including Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
• Civil Rights
• Astrological Sign: Libra
• University College London
• Samaldas College at Bhavnagar, Gujarat
• Nacionalities
• Interesting Facts
• As a young man, Mahatma Gandhi was a poor student and was terrified of public speaking.
• Gandhi formed the Natal Indian Congress in 1894 to fight discrimination.
• Gandhi was assassinated by Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse, who was upset at Gandhi’s tolerance of Muslims.
• Gandhi's non-violent civil disobedience inspired future world leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
• Death Year: 1948
• Death date: January 30, 1948
• Death City: New Delhi
• Death Country: India

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Mahatma Gandhi Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figures/mahatma-gandhi
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: September 4, 2019
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
• An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
• Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.
• Religions are different roads converging to the same point. What does it matter that we take different roads, so long as we reach the same goal? In reality, there are as many religions as there are individuals.
• The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
• To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to woman.
• Truth alone will endure, all the rest will be swept away before the tide of time.
• A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.
• There are many things to do. Let each one of us choose our task and stick to it through thick and thin. Let us not think of the vastness. But let us pick up that portion which we can handle best.
• An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.
• For one man cannot do right in one department of life whilst he is occupied in doing wrong in any other department. Life is one indivisible whole.
• If we are to reach real peace in this world and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with children.

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• Mahatma Gandhi Biography and Political Career

Biography of Mahatma Gandhi (Father of Nation)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , more popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi . His birth place was in the small city of Porbandar in Gujarat (October 2, 1869 - January 30, 1948). Mahatma Gandhi's father's name was Karamchand Gandhi, and his mother's name was Putlibai Gandhi. He was a politician, social activist, Indian lawyer, and writer who became the prominent Leader of the nationwide surge movement against the British rule of India. He came to be known as the Father of The Nation. October 2, 2023, marks Gandhi Ji’s 154th birth anniversary , celebrated worldwide as International Day of Non-Violence, and Gandhi Jayanti in India.

Gandhi Ji was a living embodiment of non-violent protests (Satyagraha) to achieve independence from the British Empire's clutches and thereby achieve political and social progress. Gandhi Ji is considered ‘The Great Soul’ or ‘ The Mahatma ’ in the eyes of millions of his followers worldwide. His fame spread throughout the world during his lifetime and only increased after his demise. Mahatma Gandhi , thus, is the most renowned person on earth.

Education of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi's education was a major factor in his development into one of the finest persons in history. Although he attended a primary school in Porbandar and received awards and scholarships there, his approach to his education was ordinary. Gandhi joined Samaldas College in Bhavnagar after passing his matriculation exams at the University of Bombay in 1887.

Gandhiji's father insisted he become a lawyer even though he intended to be a docto. During those days, England was the centre of knowledge, and he had to leave Smaladas College to pursue his father's desire. He was adamant about travelling to England despite his mother's objections and his limited financial resources.

Finally, he left for England in September 1888, where he joined Inner Temple, one of the four London Law Schools. In 1890, he also took the matriculation exam at the University of London.

When he was in London, he took his studies seriously and joined a public speaking practice group. This helped him get over his nervousness so he could practise law. Gandhi had always been passionate about assisting impoverished and marginalised people.

Mahatma Gandhi During His Youth

Gandhi was the youngest child of his father's fourth wife. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the dewan Chief Minister of Porbandar, the then capital of a small municipality in western India (now Gujarat state) under the British constituency.

Gandhi's mother, Putlibai, was a pious religious woman.Mohandas grew up in Vaishnavism, a practice followed by the worship of the Hindu god Vishnu, along with a strong presence of Jainism, which has a strong sense of non-violence.Therefore, he took up the practice of Ahimsa (non-violence towards all living beings), fasting for self-purification, vegetarianism, and mutual tolerance between the sanctions of various castes and colours.

His adolescence was probably no stormier than most children of his age and class. Not until the age of 18 had Gandhi read a single newspaper. Neither as a budding barrister in India nor as a student in England nor had he shown much interest in politics. Indeed, he was overwhelmed by terrifying stage fright each time he stood up to read a speech at a social gathering or to defend a client in court.

In London, Gandhiji's vegetarianism missionary was a noteworthy occurrence. He became a member of the executive committee in joined the London Vegetarian Society. He also participated in several conferences and published papers in its journal. Gandhi met prominent Socialists, Fabians, and Theosophists like Edward Carpenter, George Bernard Shaw, and Annie Besant while dining at vegetarian restaurants in England.

Political Career of Mahatma Gandhi

When we talk about Mahatma Gandhi’s political career, in July 1894, when he was barely 25, he blossomed overnight into a proficient campaigner . He drafted several petitions to the British government and the Natal Legislature signed by hundreds of his compatriots. He could not prevent the passage of the bill but succeeded in drawing the attention of the public and the press in Natal, India, and England to the Natal Indian's problems.

He still was persuaded to settle down in Durban to practice law and thus organised the Indian community. The Natal Indian Congress was founded in 1894, and he became the unwearying secretary. He infused a solidarity spirit in the heterogeneous Indian community through that standard political organisation. He gave ample statements to the Government, Legislature, and media regarding Indian Grievances.

Finally, he got exposed to the discrimination based on his colour and race, which was pre-dominant against the Indian subjects of Queen Victoria in one of her colonies, South Africa.

Mahatma Gandhi spent almost 21 years in South Africa. But during that time, there was a lot of discrimination because of skin colour. Even on the train, he could not sit with white European people. But he refused to do so, got beaten up, and had to sit on the floor. So he decided to fight against these injustices, and finally succeeded after a lot of struggle.

It was proof of his success as a publicist that such vital newspapers as The Statesman, Englishman of Calcutta (now Kolkata) and The Times of London editorially commented on the Natal Indians' grievances.

In 1896, Gandhi returned to India to fetch his wife, Kasturba (or Kasturbai), their two oldest children, and amass support for the Indians overseas. He met the prominent leaders and persuaded them to address the public meetings in the centre of the country's principal cities.

Unfortunately for him, some of his activities reached Natal and provoked its European population. Joseph Chamberlain, the colonial secretary in the British Cabinet, urged Natal's government to bring the guilty men to proper jurisdiction, but Gandhi refused to prosecute his assailants. He said he believed the court of law would not be used to satisfy someone's vendetta.

Political Teacher of Mahatma Gandhi

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was one of the prominent political teachers and mentors of Mahatma Gandhi. Gokhale, a renowned Indian nationalist leader, played a significant role in shaping Gandhi's political ideology and approach to leadership. He emphasized the importance of nonviolence, constitutional methods, and constructive work in achieving social and political change. Gandhi referred to Gokhale as his political guru and credited him with influencing many of his principles and strategies in the Indian freedom struggle. Gokhale's teachings and guidance had a profound impact on Gandhi's development as a leader and advocate for India's independence.

Death of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi's death was a tragic event and brought clouds of sorrow to millions of people. On the 29th of January, a man named Nathuram Godse came to Delhi with an automatic pistol. About 5 pm in the afternoon of the next day, he went to the Gardens of Birla house, and suddenly, a man from the crowd came out and bowed before him.

Then Godse fired three bullets at his chest and stomach, who was Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was in such a posture that he to the ground. During his death, he uttered: “Ram! Ram!” Although someone could have called the doctor in this critical situation during that time, no one thought of that, and Gandhiji died within half an hour.

How Shaheed Day is Celebrated at Gandhiji’s Samadhi (Raj Ghat)?

As Gandhiji died on January 30, the government of India declared this day as ‘Shaheed Diwas’.

On this day, the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, and the Defence Minister every year gather at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at the Raj Ghat memorial in Delhi to pay tribute to Indian martyrs and Mahatma Gandhi, followed by a two-minute silence.

On this day, many schools host events where students perform plays and sing patriotic songs. Martyrs' Day is also observed on March 23 to honour the lives and sacrifices of Sukhdev Thapar, Shivaram Rajguru, and Bhagat Singh.

Gandhi believed it was his duty to defend India's rights. Mahatma Gandhi had a significant role in attaining India's independence from the British. He had an impact on many individuals and locations outside India. Gandhi also influenced Martin Luther King, and as a result, African-Americans now have equal rights. Peacefully winning India's independence, he altered the course of history worldwide.

FAQs on Mahatma Gandhi Biography and Political Career

1. What was people's reaction after Nathuram Godse killed Mahatma Gandhi?

When Nathuram Godse killed Mahatma Gandhi, people shouted to kill Nathuram. After killing Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse tried to kill himself but could not do so since the police seized his weapons and took him to jail. After that, Gandhiji's body was laid in the garden with a white cloth covered on his face. All the lights were turned off in honour of him. Then on the radio, honourable Prime minister Pandit Nehru Ji declared sadly that the Nation's Father was no more.

2. How vegetarianism impacted Mahatma Gandhi’s time in London?

During the three years he spent in England, he was in a great dilemma with personal and moral issues rather than academic ambitions.

The sudden transition from Porbandar's half-rural atmosphere to London's cosmopolitan life was not an easy task for him. And he struggled powerfully and painfully to adapt himself to Western food, dress, and etiquette, and he felt awkward.

His vegetarianism became a continual source of embarrassment and was like a curse to him; his friends warned him that it would disrupt his studies, health, and well-being. Fortunately, he came across a vegetarian restaurant and a book providing a well-defined defence of vegetarianism.

His missionary zeal for vegetarianism helped draw the pitifully shy youth out of his shell and gave him a new and robust personality. He also became a member of the London Vegetarian Society executive committee, contributing articles to its journal and attending conferences.

3. Who was the first person to write a biography of Mahatma Gandhi (Father of The Nation)?

Christian missionary Joseph Doke had written the first biography of Bapu. The best part is that Gandhiji had still not acquired the status of Mahatma when this biography was written.

4. Who was Gandhiji’s favorite writer?

Gandhiji’s favorite writer was Leo Tolstoy.

5. What is Mahatma Gandhi’s date of birth?

Mahatma Gandhi's date of birth is October 2, 1869. We celebrate every year on October 2nd as Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti.

6. Which are the famous Mahatma Gandhi books?

Mahatma Gandhi authored several influential books and writings that have left a lasting impact on the world. Some of his famous books include:

Autobiography

Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule

Satyagraha in South Africa

Young India

The Essential Gandhi

These books reflect Gandhi's deep commitment to nonviolence, truth, and social justice, making them essential reads for those interested in his life and principles.

Mahatma Gandhi Biography, January 30th Commemorates 76th Death Anniversary of Gandhi Ji

January 30th commemorates 76th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, revered father of the nation, assassinated by Nathuram Godse in 1948. Know all about Mahatma Gandhi Biography, Ideology and more.

Table of Contents

76th Mahatma Gandhi Death Anniversary

January 30th commemorates the 76th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the revered father of the nation, assassinated by Nathuram Godse in 1948. Known as “Bapu,” Gandhi’s pivotal role in India’s freedom movement showcased the power of non-violence. This day, also observed as Martyrs’ Day or Shaheed Diwas, pays homage not only to Gandhi but to all martyrs sacrificing for their country. On that fateful day in 1948, Godse fatally shot Gandhi as he headed to a prayer meeting.

Gandhi’s influence in promoting peace and non-violence during movements like the Salt Satyagraha and Quit India Movement remains significant. The day is marked by nationwide prayers, government officials, and citizens gathering at memorials to honor freedom fighters. Rituals include a two-minute silence to reflect on the sacrifices made by martyrs. Know More about Mahatma Gandhi’s Biography, Ideology, Major Movements, and Books in this Article.

Mahatma Gandhi Biography

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a renowned freedom activist and the most influential political leader of India. He played a Predominant role in India’s struggle for Independence through his ideology of non-violence. He was also known as Father of India, (Bapu) and Mahatma (Great Soul). Mahatma Gandhi also worked for India’s poor people and depressed classes. Martin Luther and Nelson Mandela were also influenced by his ideology of truth and non-violence.

Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2 nd October in Porbandar, Gujarat. This date is observed as International Day for non-violence and Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti is also celebrated on 2 nd October. His father’s name was Karamchand Gandhi who was the dewan of Porbandar and his mother’s name was Putlibai. He was married at an early age his wife’s name was Kastubai Makhanji Kapadia and has 4 sons Harilal, Devdas, Manilal, and Ramdas.

Mahatma Gandhi Education

He received his primary education in Rajkot where his father had relocated as dewan to the ruler Thakur Sahib. At the age of 11 years, he went to Alfred High School in Rajkot. Gandhiji at the age of 18, graduated from a high school in Ahmedabad. To study law he went to London University to become a barrister. He returned to India in 1891 at the age of 22 after his mother passed away.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Important Books

Here is a list of some important books written by Mahatma Gandhiji given below:

Mahatma Gandhi Slogans

He gave various slogans during his freedom struggle such as,

• Nonviolence is a weapon of strong
• Be the change that you want to see in the world
• In a gentle way, you can shake the world

Mahatma Gandhi Assassination

Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination was done by Nathuram Godse. At the age of 78, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, in the courtyard of Birla House, a large palace in the centre of New Delhi that is now known as Gandhi Smriti.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Contribution in South Africa

In 1893, Gandhiji travelled to South Africa due to his client case named Dada Abdullah where he witnessed apartheid (racial discrimination against blacks and Indians). After he witnessed such an issue he decided to stay in South Africa to bring the Indian workers together and enable them to fight for their rights.

Moderate Phase of Resistance (1894 -1906): He set up the Natal Indian Congress along with a newspaper named ‘Indian Opinion’ to unite different sections of Indians.

Passive Resistance Phase (1906-1914): In this phase, Gandhiji used the method of Civil Disobedience which he called Satyagraha. In this process, he also set up Tolstoy Farm for the family of satyagrahis. He with his followers was jailed for their resistance.

Eventually, through several phases of negotiations, an agreement was reached, by which the government agreed to accept the major demands of the Indians and promised to treat the issue of Immigration in a lenient manner.

Mahatma Gandhi in India 1915

On the solicitation of Gokhale, conveyed by CF Andrews (Deenbandhu), Gandhiji got back to India to assist with the Indian battle for freedom. The last period of Indian Public development is known as the Gandhian period.

Mahatma Gandhi became the most prominent leader of the Indian National Movement . He employed his principles of nonviolence and Satyagraha against the British. Gandhi made the nationalist movement in India a mass movement.

Mahatma Gandhi soon after his return from South Africa joined the INC (Congress) and was introduced to Indian issues and politics and Gopal Krishna Gokhale became his political Guru.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Early Movements

Gandhiji after returning from Africa in 1915 and joining the Indian National Congress , his political guru was Gopal Krishna Gokhale. In 1916 at Ahmedabad, he established Sabarmati Ashram so that his followers could practice truth and nonviolence.

1. Champaran Satyagraha 1917

Champaran Satyagraha  was the first civil disobedience movement organised by Mahatma Gandhi. Rajkumar Shukla asked Gandhiji to look into the problems of the indigo planters in Bihar. The European planter been forcing the farmers to grow Indigo on 3/20 of the total land called the Tinkatiya system against which Gandhiji launched passive resistance or civil disobedience.

Prominent leaders such as Rajendra Prasad, and Anugrah Narayan Sinha stepped forward with Gandhiji to fight for the indigo farmers. Gandhiji was able to convince the Britishers to abolish the system and the peasants were compensated for the illegal dues extracted from them.

2. Kheda Satyagraha 1918

Kheda Satyagraha was the first non-cooperation movement organised by Mahatma Gandhi. Due to the drought of Kheda, Gujarat in 1918, the people of Kheda were unable to pay high taxes levied by the British due to the failure of crops and the plague epidemic.

Peasants were supported by Gandhi who asked them to withhold revenue. During the Kheda Satyagraha , young leaders such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Indulal Yagnik became followers of Mahatma Gandhi. The government finally agreed to form an agreement with the peasants and hence the taxes were suspended for the years 1919 and 1920 and all confiscated properties were returned.

3. Ahmedabad Mill Strike, 1918

Ahmedabad Mill Strike : Gandhiji did his first hunger strike during this movement. He intervened in the dispute between Mill owners of Ahmedabad and the workers over the issue of discontinuation of the plague bonus. The demand for workers was a rise of 50% in their wages while the employees were willing to concede only a 20% bonus.

Workers under the leadership of Anusuiya Sarabai asked Mahatma Gandhiji for his support, who asked the workers to go on strike without being violent and Gandhiji went on fast until death. Mill owners at last agreed to submit the issue to the tribunal and with the hike of 35% wage the strike was withdrawn.

Mahatma Gandhi in Indian National Movement

1. khilafat movement 1919.

At the time of World War I , Gandhi sought cooperation from the Muslims in his fight against the British by supporting the Ottoman Empire which had been defeated in the world war. The British passed the Rowlatt Act to block the movement by the Indian nationalists. Mahatma Gandhi called for a nationwide Satyagraha against the act.

It was Rowlatt Satyagraha that gave Gandhiji the recognition of a national leader. Rowlett Satyagraha was against the unjust law passed by the British in the name of the Rowlatt Act. The  Jalliawala Bagh Massacre took place on April 13th, 1919 Gandhiji seeing the violence spread called off the Rowlatt Satyagraha on the 18th of April.

2. Non-Cooperation Movement 1920

Mahatma Gandhi advised the leaders of Congress to begin the Non-Cooperation Movement in support of the Khilafat Movement . At the Nagpur congress session in 1920, the non-cooperation program was adopted.

The incidence of Chauri Chaura took place in 1922, which became the reason why Mahatma Gandhi called off the non-cooperation movement. After the end of the non-cooperation movement, Gandhi focused on his social reform work and was not very active in the political sphere.

3. Salt March and Civil Disobedience Movement, 1930

Gandhi announced that he would lead a march to break the salt law as the law gave the state the Monopoly on the manufacturing and sale of salt.

Gandhi along with his 78 followers started his march from his ashram in Sabarmati to the coastal town of Dandi in Gujarat where they broke the salt law of the government by gathering natural salt and boiling seawater to produce salt which also marked the beginning of Civil Disobedience Movement .

4. Gandhi Irwin Pact 1931

Mahatma Gandhi accepted the truce offered by Irwin and called off the civil disobedience movement and accepted to attend the second-round table conference in London as the representative of INC. After returning from London, he relaunched the civil disobedience movement but by 1934 it had lost its momentum.

Read More: Gandhi Irwin Pact

5. Incidences after Civil Disobedience Movement

Communal Award , 1932: The Communal Award was created by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald on 16 August 1932. It was introduced following the Round Table Conference (1930–1922) and expanded the separate electorate to depressed Classes and other minorities. It is also known as the MacDonald Award. The main purpose of the communal award was to maintain a separate electorate for Muslims, Sikhs and Europeans.

Poona Pact , 1932 : It was the pact reached between B.R Ambedkar and Gandhiji concerning the communal awards provided for the depressed class but, in the end for the upliftment of the marginalized communities of the Indian society both came on the same understandings.

Mahatma Gandhi Resigned INC, 1934 : He did not agree with INC’s positions on various matters but he returned to active politics in the Lucknow Session of Congress (1936) which was presided over by Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Quit India Movement 1942 : The outbreak of World War II in 1939 and the last and crucial phase of the national struggle in India came together with the failure of the Cripps Mission in 1942 which gave the immediate reason for the launch of the Quit India movement.

At the Bombay Session of the All-India Congress Committee on 8 th August 1942, Gandhiji launched the Quit India movement. Gandhiji demanded British leave India with immediate effect. He called for a mass movement that was followed by non-violence. Most of the major leaders of Congress including Mahatma Gandhi were arrested.

Mahatma Gandhi Ideologies

Mahatma Gandhi developed a set of religious and social ideas initially during his period in South Africa from 1893 to 1914 and later during the freedom struggle movement in India. He developed these ideologies from various sources that inspired him including Bhagavad Geeta, Jainism, Buddhism, Bible and Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

These ideologies have been further developed by followers of Mahatma Gandhi most notably, in India by Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayan, outside of India by Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and others. Major Gandhian ideologies are as follows.

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Mahatma Gandhi FAQs

Where was mahatma gandhi born.

He was born in Porbandar in Gujarat on 2nd October 1869.

Which newspaper Gandhiji started in South Africa?

He started the newspaper ‘Indian Opinion’ in Johannesburg.

When did Gandhiji started civil disobedience in South Africa?

He started in in 1906 in Johannesburg which also gave birth to his ideology od ‘satyagraha’.

When did Gandhiji came to Indian first from South Africa?

He came to India in 1901 to attend the meeting of Indian National Congress, after which he went back to South Africa again

When did Gandhiji founded Harijan Sevak Sangh?

He founded it in 1932 and also started a journal named Harijan which means ‘People of God’

How did Mahatma Gandhi died on 30 January 1948?

On January 30, 1948, Nathuram Vinayak Godse assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in the compound of Birla House (now Gandhi Smriti), a large mansion in central New Delhi.

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Mahatma Gandhi : Biography, Movements, Education, Birth Date & History

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, rose to fame as a leading figure in India’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule. Through his writings, speeches, and historical accounts of his actions, Mahatma Gandhi inspired countless individuals to re-examine their lives and embrace the path of non-violence, justice, and social change.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or  Mahatma Gandhi  was a famous freedom activist and one of the powerful political leader who played a critical role in India’s struggle for Independence against Britishers. He was also considered as the father of the country. Mahatma Gandhi  ( Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) , he was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India , and died on January 30, 1948, in Delhi . he was an Indian lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer who became the leader of the nationalist movement against Britishers in India. Mahatma Gandhi is internationally respected for his philosophy of nonviolent protest (satyagraha) to gain political and social progress.

In this article, we have covered Mahatma Gandhi’s Biography. His early life, education, birth date, death date, political contributions, Famous Quotes, Ideologies, essay and many more.

Let’s get a closer look at Life of Mahatma Gandhi.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi – Biography, Education, Birth Date

Table of Content

• Early Life of Mahatma Gandhi

Education of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

• Impact Made by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa
• Return of Mahatma Gandhi to India

Early Movements by Mahatma Gandhi in India

Political campaigns of mahatma gandhi in india.

• Leadership Role of Mohandas Gandhi in Freedom Struggle
• Mahatma Gandhi: Death and Events in Aftermath

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Notable Works

Ideologies of mohandas karamchand gandhi, mahatma gandhi biography.

Mahatma Gandhi’s life and methods of struggle have had a profound and lasting impact on people to date. He was born on 2 October 1869, in Porbandar, a coastal town in Gujarat, India.

Full Name:  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Birth Date:  2 October, 1869 Place of Birth:  Porbandar, Gujarat Death Date:  30 January, 1948 Place of Death:  Delhi, India Cause of Death:  Shot by Gun or assassination Father name:  Karamchand Gandhi Mother name:  Putlibai Gandhi Nationality:  Indian Spouse:  Kasturba Gandhi Children:  Harilal Gandhi, Manilal Gandhi, Ramdas Gandhi and Devdas Gandhi Professions:  Lawyer, Politician, Activist, Writer

The following are the Notable works (Books) of Mahatma Gandhi:

He had been in South Africa for about 20 years, Mahatma Gandhi protested against unfairness and racial discrimination using the non-violent way of protests. His simplistic lifestyle admired, both in India and the outside world. He was also popularly known as Bapu (Father).

Mahatma Gandhi ( Early Life and Family)

A famous and revered figure in Indian history, Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in the coastal town of Porbandar in Gujarat, India. He was the youngest of four children born to Karamchand Gandhi, who served as the Diwan of Porbandar, and his wife Putlibai. Despite his illustrious future, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was shy and introverted during his formative years, which put him at a distance from his peers. Mahatma Gandhi had a deep influence of Shravna and Harishchandra.

His father was Dwan (Chif Minister of Probandar). Mahatma Gandhi was the son of his father’s fourth wife whose name was Putlbai. She belonged to an Vaishnava family.

In November 1887, the 18-year-old Gandhi  graduated from high school in Ahmedabad.  and In January 1888, he enrolled at Samaldas College in Bhavnagar State , The following is the Education of Mahatma Gandhi and his early Acedemia:

Gandhi’s Formative Years in Porbandar and Rajkot

Mahatma Gandhi received his early education in Porbandar and later in Rajkot, where his father worked as a Dewan. Although he did not demonstrate exceptional academic ability, his family and teachers recognized his natural curiosity and passion for learning. His Hindu mother, a religious woman of great spiritual power, played a pivotal role in instilling values such as truth, compassion, and self-restraint in the young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

Gandhi’s Further Education

In 1888, Gandhi embarked on a journey to London to study law in college at the University of London. Initially, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi faced difficulties in adjusting to the new environment, which affected her learning. However, he soon became more interested in religious and philosophical works of different cultures and beliefs. Gandhi’s extensive reading covered Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, focusing primarily on the Bhagavad Gita.

Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa

In 1893, Gandhiji embarked on a journey to South Africa, initially on account of the legal case of the plaintiff, Dada Abdullah. Little did he know that this migration would become a pivotal chapter in the history of his life and human rights.

When Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi arrived in South Africa, he faced the harsh reality of apartheid, a system of racial discrimination targeting blacks and Indians, and the injustices he witnessed stirred in him a deep sense of responsibility. Instead of returning to India, Mahatma Gandhi chose to stay in South Africa, determined to inspire and empower Indian communities to fight for their rights.

Moderate Phase (1894 – 1906)

Mahatma Gandhi formed the Natal Indian Congress during this phase, to unite various Indian groups in South Africa to disseminate information and promote unity among Indians.

Phase of Passive Resistance (1906 – 1914)

During this crucial phase, Gandhi introduced the concept of Satyagraha, which advocated non-violent resistance against injustice. He established Tolstoy Farm as a shelter for satyagrahi families. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and his followers faced imprisonment for their acts.

After an unwavering commitment and several negotiations, an agreement was finally reached. The government agreed to address the major grievances of Indian communities and promised a more compassionate approach to immigration.

Gandhi’s time in South Africa laid the foundation for his future endeavors in India. The lessons Mahatma Gandhi would learn and the principles established in the anti-apartheid struggle would become an integral part of his philosophy of nonviolent protest and social justice, shaping the course of history in South Africa and India.

Mahatma Gandhi in India

In 1915, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi returned to his native land, India, and became actively involved in the Indian nationalist movement. His most important role in India’s freedom struggle against British rule was an unwavering commitment to nonviolent resistance as a radical form of political protest.

Gandhi’s journey from his early life and education to his experiences in South Africa and his subsequent leadership of the Indian independence movement represents a remarkable transformation driven by his commitment to justice, truth, and non-violence.

After Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa in 1915, his early movements in India laid the foundation for his reforms in the country’s struggle for independence. Guided by his political mentor Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi embarked on a journey that would define India’s destiny.

Establishment of Sabarmati Ashram (1916)

In Ahmedabad, Mahatma Gandhi established the Sabarmati Ashram, where his followers could embrace the principles of truth and non-violence that he held in high esteem.

Champaran Satyagraha (1917)

The Champaran Satyagraha was the first blow to Gandhi’s civil disobedience . Rajkumar Shukla’s plea compelled Gandhi to investigate the plight of indigo farmers in Bihar. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi began passive resistance or civil disobedience in response to the fact that these peasants were subject to the tinkatia system which required them to grow indigo on a large portion of their land.

Prominent leaders like Rajendra Prasad and Anugraha Narayan Sinha joined him to advocate for the rights of indigo farmers. Eventually, through Gandhiji’s negotiations, the British put an end to this policy and the victimized peasants got compensation for paying illegal wages.

Kheda Satyagraha (1918)

The Kheda Satyagraha was Gandhi’s first non-cooperation movement . Kheda in Gujarat had suffered a severe drought in 1918, leaving them unable to pay exorbitant taxes imposed by the British due to crop failures and epidemic outbreaks Mahatma Gandhi rallied around these farmers afterwards and demanded that the proceeds be withheld.

The party saw young leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Indulal Yagnik as ardent followers of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Eventually, the government relented and adopted a policy of tax exemptions in 1919 and 1920 and the re-admission of confiscated properties.

Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the first to go on a hunger strike during the Ahmedabad Mill Strike. Intervened in a dispute between mill owners and workers in cutting epidemic wages. Workers demanded a 50% wage increase, while employers were only willing to accept a 20% wage increase. Activists led by Anusuiya Sarabai sought Gandhi’s help.

He urged them to beat them without resorting to violence and began a fast unto death. The mill owners eventually agreed to appeal, and the strike was settled with a 35% wage increase. These early movements exemplified Mahatma Gandhi’s commitment to nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience, laid the groundwork for later efforts in India’s freedom struggle, and highlighted the power of peaceful protest and the importance of solidarity needed in the face of injustice.

Gandhi’s political journey in India lasted decades, marked by a unique doctrine of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and took an active part in the Indian National Congress, a movement dedicated to Indian independence.

Non-Cooperation Movement

One of Gandhi’s major forays into Indian politics was the launch of the Non-Cooperation Movement in the 1920s . The group’s initial aim was to avoid British objects and institutions, including schools and civil servants. It became a larger movement and more involved in all sections of society.

Mahatma Gandhi’s cry for non-violent protest and civil disobedience resonated deeply with a society that was subject to British subjugation and yearned for self-government. The movement was a spectacular success. It forced the British government to make concessions, including the release of political prisoners and the repeal of the Rowlatt Act, a law that gave the British the right to imprison individuals without trial.

Nevertheless, the group witnessed a few riots, especially the Chauri Chaura incident . In the process, a group of protesters set fire to a police station, leaving 22 police officers tragically dead. In response to these riots, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi acted to end the Movement in 1922, as he felt that the riots went against his creed of non-violence but that the movement had already aroused a surge in nationalist interest in India, which paved the way for subsequent campaigns.

The Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March, and Civil Disobedience Movement

Later, Gandhi’s most important political endeavor materialized with the Salt Satyagraha of 1930, colloquially known as the Dandi March . The main goal of the campaign was to oppose the British salt tax, a symbol of British subjugation. Accompanied by a group of devoted followers, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi embarked on a 240-mile journey from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi. There, they ignored British law by extracting salt from seawater.

This seemingly simple act of salt-making was illegal under British rule, a direct affront to British sovereignty. The Salt Satyagraha proved a great success, capturing the hearts and minds of the Indian people. Its pitch meant wider dividends and forced the British administration to bend to some concessions. In addition, it inflamed the spirit of civil disobedience, inspiring movements such as boycotts of foreign clothing and mass refusal to pay taxes.

The Quit India Movement

In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi launched his final political crusade, the Quit India Movement . The aim of this important campaign was unequivocal – to force the British to leave India immediately, without a date. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi kind of advocated after non-violent protest and civil disobedience. The group attracted people from all walks of life, including a broad Indian population.

The Quit India Movement stands as one of the most important political movements in Indian history. It represented the culmination of India’s freedom struggle and laid the foundation for India’s eventual independence in 1947. However, the campaign was not without violence and witnessed extreme violence and brutal repression at the hands of the British authorities. Thousands were imprisoned and tragically lost their lives.

Mahatma Gandhi’s political career in India symbolized his singular philosophy of nonviolent protest and civil disobedience. These efforts were made to challenge British domination and take India to independence. Gandhi’s enduring legacy continues to inspire individuals around the world and inspire them to uphold justice and equality through peaceful means.

Mohandas Gandhi leadership Role

The history of Gandhi’s extraordinary leadership reveals that the Salt March of 1930 was one of his most famous campaigns. This dramatic event came as a peaceful protest precisely against the imposition of the British salt duty, an unfair tax that caused great hardship to the Indian people.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, accompanied by a group of devoted followers, embarked on a 240-mile trek from Sabarmati to Dandi. There, in open defiance of British rule, they laboriously produced their salt.

Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of work and non-violent protest left an indelible impression not only on the borders of India but also across the world. His influence resonated deeply and served as a source of inspiration for countless other leaders and professionals. Icons like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela used his ideas and methods to fight for civil rights and national independence.

However, amid this respect and universal acclaim, Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu nationalist for strongly opposing his policy of religious tolerance on 30 January 1948. Mahatma Gandhi’s death was a great loss and was deeply felt by India and the world, however, his legacy will last forever.

Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent protest fuels the spirit of individuals around the world who are making a concerted effort to initiate social change through peaceful means. His life and teachings are celebrated in India every year on Gandhi Jayanti, his birth anniversary, a national holiday honouring his enduring legacy.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Death

The world was plunged into sorrow on 30 January 1948, when Mahatma Gandhi, the revered father of the Indian nation, met his tragic end. His assassination sent shockwaves rippling across the globe, sparking an outpouring of grief and indignation throughout India.

Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist who vehemently opposed Gandhi’s principles of non-violence and his tireless efforts to foster unity between Hindus and Muslims, perpetrated this heinous act. As Gandhi embarked on his customary walk to the evening prayer meeting in New Delhi, Godse approached and, at point-blank range, fired three fatal shots.

News of Gandhi’s demise spread like wildfire, evoking profound sadness and disbelief among millions worldwide. In India, the government declared a National Day of Mourning, and the nation came to a standstill. Schools, businesses, and government offices shuttered their doors, and the streets filled with mourners paying their heartfelt tributes to their departed leader.

The reverberations of Mahatma Gandhi’s death transcended India’s borders, resonating globally. Leaders from various countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, extended condolences and honored Gandhi’s enduring legacy of non-violence and social justice.

Gandhi’s passing marked an epochal moment in Indian history, signifying the conclusion of an era. Yet, his legacy of non-violent resistance, along with his unwavering dedication to social justice and equality, continues to ignite the spirits of people around the world to this very day.

Mahatma Gandhi’s views on religion and society developed during his time in South Africa from 1893 to 1914. He refined these principles during India’s freedom struggle Gandhi drew inspiration from sources like the Bhagavad Gita, Jainism, Buddhism, the Bible, and teachings by Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

These ideas were elaborated by Gandhi’s followers, especially Vinoba Bhave and Jaiprakash Narayan in India. Outside the borders of India, individuals like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela also contributed to these ideas. Some of the major ideas of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi are:

Mahatma Gandhi Quotes

The Following are the quote of Mahatma Gandhi:

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

“See the good in people and help them.”

“An ounce of patience is worth more than a tonne of preaching.”

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

“A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.”

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

Mahatma Gandhi – FAQs

1. who was mahatma gandhi and his role in the indian independence movement.

Mahatma Gandhi was a famous leader for advocating non-violent protest during India’s freedom struggle.

2. Where was Mahatma Gandhi’s birthplace?

Mahatma Gandhi was born in Porbandar, a coastal town in Gujarat, India.

3. What were the basic principles and beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi?

Gandhi’s core principles include non-violence, truth and civil disobedience.

4. What was the Salt March and how did it contribute to India’s independence?

The Salt March, also known as the Dandi March, was a 240-mile march led by Gandhi in 1930 to protest against the British salt tax. It was a symbol of protest against British tyranny. The movement mobilized Indians and inspired many acts of civil disobedience, eventually leading to India’s independence in 1947.

5. What was the relationship of Mahatma Gandhi with other Indian independence leaders?

Gandhi worked with leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel in India’s freedom struggle.

6. Which newspaper did Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi start in South Africa?

Gandhiji founded the newspaper “Indian Opinion” in South Africa.

7. When did Gandhiji start civil disobedience in South Africa?

Gandhiji launched a campaign of civil disobedience in South Africa while advocating for Indian rights.

8. When did Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi first return to India from South Africa?

Gandhiji returned back to India from South Africa in 1915, and became actively involved in the Indian nationalist movement.

9. When did Mahatma Gandhi discover the Harijan Sevak Sangh?

Gandhiji founded the Harijan Sevak Sangh in 1932 to promote social equality and uplift the marginalised.

10. What is the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi today?

Gandhi’s legacy will live on in promoting peace, human rights and social justice around the world.

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Mahatma Gandhi: Remembering the life and work of the "Great Soul"

Posted: April 4, 2024 | Last updated: April 4, 2024

Born October 2, 1869, Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer who became the leader of the nationalist movement against the British rule of India. Employing a policy of nonviolent resistance, he successfully campaigned for the country's independence. In turn, he inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He lived to see India granted the right to govern itself. He also witnessed the partition of the country, an event that led indirectly to his assassination on January 30, 1948. 

Click through the gallery and relive the key moments that shaped the life and work of the man they called the Mahatma, or "Great Soul." 

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Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more commonly known as "Mahatma" (meaning "Great Soul") was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, in northwest India, on October 2, 1869. 

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Career in law

Gandhi trained in law at the Inner Temple in London, and was called to the bar at age 22 in June 1891. 

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Kasturba Gandhi (1869–1944)

The young lawyer was already a husband, having married Kasturbai Makhanji Kapadia (her first name was usually shortened to "Kasturba") in 1883 when he was just 13 years old. 

Return to India

Just a few weeks after being called to the bar in London, Gandhi returned to India after learning that his mother had died. He attempted to establish a law practice in Bombay (modern-day Mumbai) but ended up making a modest living drafting petitions for litigants in Rajkot. 

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South Africa

The need by a distant cousin for a qualified lawyer in Johannesburg led Gandhi to travel to South Africa in 1893, where he eventually opened his own law practice (pictured). He spent a total of 21 years in the country during which he developed his political views, ethics, and politics—and where he faced discrimination because of his skin color and heritage, like all people of color.  

During the Boer War (1899–1902), Gandhi volunteered to form a group of stretcher-bearers as the Natal Indian Ambulance Corps. He eventually raised 1,100 Indian volunteers to support British combat troops against the Boers. He's pictured here with colleagues (middle row, fifth from left) in 1900. 

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Tolstoy Farm

Further discrimination and bullying encouraged Gandhi to enter politics by forming the Natal Indian Congress and seeking voting rights for Indians. In 1910, Gandhi initiated and organized his first ashram, Tolstoy Farm (pictured), named after Russian writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy, whose 1894 book, 'The Kingdom of God Is Within You,' greatly influenced Gandhi's science of nonviolence. Gandhi is seen in the middle, second row fifth from the right. 

'Hind Swaraj' or 'Indian Home Rule'

In 1915 Gandhi returned to India and joined the Indian National Congress. By 1920 he was leading it. As a noted Indian nationalist, theorist, and community organizer, he galvanized the call for the independence of India. He'd said as much in his 1909 book 'Hind Swaraj,' which means "Indian Home Rule." The book was banned in 1910 by the British government in India as a seditious text.

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Champaran Satyagrahas

Gandhi's first major political achievement came in 1917 with the Champaran agitation in Bihar, which pitted local peasantry against their British landlords. Gandhi eventually won concessions from the authorities.  

Khilafat movement

The Khilafat movement was an agitation by Indian Muslims, allied with Indian nationalists, to pressure the British government to preserve the authority of the Ottoman Sultan as Caliph of Islam after the First World War. Gandhi sought political co-operation from Muslims in his fight against British imperialism by supporting the Ottoman Empire. This helped stop the increasing Hindu-Muslim violence that was spreading across the nation. However, by the end of 1922 the Khilafat movement had collapsed and deadly religious riots reappeared in numerous cities. 

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Identifying with India's poor

Gandhi is photographed upon his release from prison in Poona, walking with some of his followers in 1918. Gandhi had by now adopted the loin-cloth as a symbol of his identification with India's poor. The following year, British authorities passed the Rowlatt Act, which gave powers to the police to arrest any person without any reason whatsoever. Gandhi responded by appealing to Indians to start civil disobedience.  

Jallianwala Bagh massacre

On April 13, 1919, people (including women with children) gathered at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi and to protest the arrest and deportation of two nationalists. Troops of the British Indian Army opened fire on the crowd for 10 minutes, killing an estimated 1,000 people and injuring up to 1,500. Pictured is the park a few months after the massacre. 

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Non-cooperation movement

In the wake of the passing of the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Gandhi launched the non-cooperation movement on September 5, 1920, with the aim of self-governance and independence. 

Swadeshi movement

Gandhi also expanded his nonviolent non-co-operation platform to include the "swadeshi" policy—the boycott of foreign-made goods, especially those from Britain. He urged Indian men and women, rich or poor, to spend time each day spinning khadi (homespun cotton) in support of the independence movement. The image of Gandhi making kadhi, by using a spinning wheel called a chakra, came to symbolize the man and the movement. 

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From March 12 to April 6, 1930, Gandhi, together with 78 volunteers, marched 388 km (241 miles) from Ahmedabad to Dandi, Gujarat, in protest at the tax of salt imposed by the British earlier that year. His intention was to start making salt himself. 

Gandhi spoke to often huge crowds along the way. After arriving in Dandi, he was interned. A wave of beatings by police soon followed, resulting in 300 or so protesters seriously injured. Peaceful resistance had again turned ugly, but at no time did the marchers offer any resistance.

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Arrival in England for the Round Table Conference

Gandhi visited England in 1931 to begin negotiations with the British government to end the political impasse strangling  India. He's seen here arriving with personal secretary Mahadev Desai at Canning Town in London's East End.

Home from home

Gandhi eschewed the comforts of a hotel stay offered by the government and instead stayed at Kingsley Hall with Labour Party member and social reformer George Lansbury. Both are pictured meeting local children. 

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Meeting Charlie Chaplin

Gandhi took time out to meet Charlie Chaplin , though he professed to not having previously heard of the "Little Tramp." Associates assured him of the comedian's popularity and a meeting was arranged. 

Gandhi–Irwin Pact

The conference ended with a settlement being reached between Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin known as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. The British Government agreed to free all political prisoners, in return for the suspension of the civil disobedience movement. For his part, Conservative politician Winston Churchill remained critical of Gandhi, accusing him of playing on the ignorance of the Indian masses and even describing him as a dictator. 

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Stepping up to the challenge

In a now famous image, Gandhi is photographed on the steps of 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister's residence, while attending the conference in London.

Arrest of Gandhi

Gandhi was arrested and detained on numerous occasions throughout his lifetime. Invariably, thousands would gather in protest. This procession took place in Bombay when the Indian National Congress working committee organized a demonstration protesting the detention yet again of their leader. 

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Quit India movement

Launched at the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee by Gandhi in August 1942, the Quit India Movement demanded an end to British rule in India. After Gandhi's speech calling for an "orderly British withdrawal," almost the entire Congress leadership were imprisoned, and remained behind bars for the duration of the Second World War. Gandhi is pictured with Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964). 

Suppression of the movement

The Congress leadership was cut off from the rest of the world for over three years. Large protests took place across India; the British responded with mass detentions. Gandhi himself went on a 21-day fast and maintained his resolve to continuous resistance. Meanwhile his wife, Kasturba, had died, and Gandhi's health was declining.    

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Indian independence movement

Gandhi had always opposed the partition of the Indian subcontinent along religious lines. However, the Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah (the future founder of Pakistan), demanded "Divide and Quit India." The Direct Action Day of August 16, 1946, called for by Jinnah led to a mass cycle of violence against Hindus and retaliatory action against Muslims. The threat of civil war across the Indian subcontinent was palpable. Pictured is Gandhi with Muhammad Ali Jinnah. 

Independence is won!

Archibald Wavell, the Viceroy and Governor-General of British India, worked with Gandhi and Jinnah to find a common ground. Eventually the British reluctantly agreed to grant independence to the people of the Indian subcontinent, but also accepted Jinnah's proposal of partitioning the land into Pakistan and India. After Wavell retired, Lord Louis Mountbatten became Britain's last Viceroy of India and the first governor-general of independent India (1947–1948). He's pictured here with his wife, Edwina, and Gandhi in 1947. 

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Partition of India

The Partition of India of 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, India and Pakistan. The partition displaced between 10–12 million people along religious lines, and created an overwhelming refugee crisis. Large-scale violence ensued, with several hundred thousand people losing their lives. Pictured is a crowded refugee train on its way to Punjab, Pakistan. Many Hindi nationalists held Gandhi responsible for the frenzy of violence and sufferings during the subcontinent's partition, and pointed towards his perceived compliance towards Muslims.

Assassination

On January 30, 1948, Gandhi was with his grandnieces in the garden of Birla House (now Gandhi Smriti) on his way to address a prayer meeting. He was approached by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist, who shot the 78-year-old three times from close range, killing him almost instantly. Godse, along with several other conspirators, was executed the following year. 

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Gandhi's funeral in New Delhi was marked by millions, and his death mourned worldwide. He was cremated in accordance with Hindu tradition. Jawaharlal Nehru became his political heir, and the first Prime Minister of India. 

Gandhi Smriti

Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi, formerly known as Birla House, is a museum dedicated to Gandhi, and where he spent the last 144 days of his life. Within the grounds is a memorial, the "Martyr's Column," which marks the spot where he was killed. It's one of the city's most popular visitor attractions.

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