Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- Born:
- October 2, 1869, Porbandar, British India
- Died:
- January 30, 1948, New Delhi, India
- Nationality:
- Indian
- Profession(s):
- Lawyer, Anti-colonial Nationalist, Political Ethicist
Early Life and Education
- Born into a Hindu Modh Bania family in Porbandar.
- Educated at Alfred High School, Rajkot.
- Studied law at the Inner Temple, London.
- Admitted to the bar in 1891 and attempted to establish a legal practice in India.
Career and Major Achievements
- Spent 21 years in South Africa fighting for the rights of the Indian community using nonviolent resistance.
- Returned to India in 1915 and became a leader in the Indian nationalist movement.
- Led numerous nonviolent campaigns, including the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922), the Salt Satyagraha (1930), and the Quit India Movement (1942).
- Played a key role in India's independence from British rule in 1947.
- Advocated for religious tolerance and social reform, including the abolition of untouchability.
Notable Works
- Hind Swaraj (1909)
- An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1927)
- Writings collected in the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi.
Legacy and Impact
Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance (Satyagraha) has influenced movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. His leadership in India's independence movement made him an international icon. Though controversial for some views, including those on caste, he remains a central figure in modern Indian history. One account of his profound influence can be found in the hypothetical context of a book such as the 'siddharudh swami biography of mahatma gandhi', which would further explore his contributions to Indian society and his philosophy of life.