South Asia
Gandhi: A Saint Not Without Stains, A Critical review of David Arnold’s Gandhi.
Arnold, David. Gandhi: Profiles in Power. Harlow, England: Longman, 2001.
Gandhi, by David Arnold is a well-written book covering the different aspects of Gandhi’s life in a rather neutral and at the same time critical manner. The author gives the reader an understanding of the actions of Gandhi, his impact, and how the events of his time and upbringing influenced him. Arnold does this without putting Gandhi on a pedestal or presenting him as flawless. The book is more of a study of Gandhi’s life rather than the typical biography.
Arnold analyses and gives an overview of the most common titles given to Gandhi such as a
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Furthermore, Gandhi spent years in London as a student of law, where he further explored vegetarianism and began his “intellectual awakening, his moral maturation and the opening of his mind to spiritual questions” (34) and concerned himself with politics. Gandhi then went on to South Africa from 1893 to 1914 where many Indians were residing. Arnold recounts his various anti-racism strategies, and reveals how Gandhi acquired his title as the mahatma or “great soul”. South Africa is also where he began his non-violent methods of dealing with racial discrimination laws and Hind Swaraj, which is “Indian self rule”, against the British. He fought for the rights of Indians in Africa, especially against General Smuts’ plans “of stopping their immigration to South Africa”(60) using satyagraha, “truth force or struggle for truth”, campaigns. But these campaigns did not work to the full degree, as there was still “anti-Indian prejudice” (60).
From then on Gandhi spent the rest of his life in India (1915-48) bringing with him principles of satyagraha. Gandhi identified with the Indian villages and peasants, as they were less likely to be “tainted by luxury, self indulgence, and material possessions” (76). There he had influence and appealed to peasants during the political movements of 1917-22, who viewed him as a saint to rescue them from their misery. In 1917, Gandhi saw the economic exploitation and oppression in
Born in Porbandar, India, Gandhi studied law and organized boycotts against British institutions in peaceful forms of civil protest. He was killed in 1948.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 people throughout the world. Gandhi’s actions inspired future human rights movements around the
British rule was tough on many Indians. Gandhi, an Indian born lawyer, believed in freedom and peace for his people. He once experienced racism when he was kicked out of a train in Europe. He changed people’s point of view without breaking the law, which was tough for him. Gandhi made his nonviolent movement work through the use of determination, peaceful civil disobedience, and being a powerful leader.
Throughout modern history, Britain’s exponential growth inevitably affected the future of many nations in the contemporary world- in particular, the culturally intertwined state of India. Even in the initial stages of colonisation, India was forcefully occupied by the British East India Company; however, it was not until 1858 that a dictatorship was officially announced and the nation was forced to regard England as 'the true homeland'. Amidst societal unease and a growing discontent with the British rulers by the poor peasants, India's emancipation seemed inevitable in order for the nation to truly progress. In effect, a revolutionary leader spawned; Mohandas Gandhi. His great philosophical mind held innovative ideas which were instrumental in the achievement of Indian Independence- with his thoughtful ideologies and beliefs paving the way for oppressed Indians to ultimately unite against British imperialism. Consequently, this resulted in the monumental Satyagraha campaign that triumphed successfully against the British authorities.
Mahatma Gandhi, a highly influential man, was one of the world’s most well-known fighters for equal rights. Gandhi saw and experienced discrimination, for instance, “At the time Gandhi was there, South Africa was not a friendly place for non-whites. . . . Gandhi believed that this was wrong” (Satyagraha: Gandhi’s Legacy). Gandhi’s interest in human rights was born when he moved to South America and saw the way non-whites were treated. “Satyagraha: Gandhi’s Legacy” states, “Practices of Satyagraha included boycotts, protest marches, and fasts.” Gandhi stood up proud for what he believed in, and because of this he was able to fight for his beliefs. Gandhi did many generous, righteous actions in his lifetime, but the real impact happened after he died, including stimulating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela (“Satyagraha: Gandhi's Legacy”). Gandhi inspired others to speak up and change the world forever.
As I talked about earlier in this paper Gandhi was immersed in his culture and in his family traditions. They played a huge part in the journey of his life and in even planning significant parts of his journey like his marriage, career path and moral development. His life experiences also played a big role in how he developed his moral reasoning such as when he encountered prejudice on the train and as a result
Gandhi, a man who believes in defending all human rights no matter the cause. Furthermore, “Gandhi developed his philosophy of “Satyagraha,” or resistance through non-violent civil disobedience to defend his rights and the rights of all Indians and non-whites” (Satyagraha: Gandhi's Legacy). Satyagraha is consisting of boycotts, protests marches, and fasts. Conversely, many people use this philosophy for their own beliefs of inspiring. Another example is that South Africa was a place where non-whites were treated less (Satyagraha: Gandhi’s Legacy). Gandhi first discovered that these types of ways were wrong in the country and other parts of the world. One more example is that “Several political and spiritual leaders were inspired by Gandhi’s work, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela” (Satyagraha: Gandhi's Legacy). Gandhi prevails as a man
Gandhi is a biopic produced by Richard Attenborough whose lifelong dream was to make the story of the national independence leader’s life into a movie. The movie starts with Mohandas K. Gandhi, played by actor Ben Kingsley, rejecting all material possessions in pursuit of India’s independence. The storyline plays out to highlight important aspect of Gandhi’s life and ends with his assassination, where he utters the famous lines “Oh god.” Critics claim the movie is over exaggerated, however Attenborough does a fine job of bringing a visual of Gandhi’s life into Western eyes. In addition, what could be a bad thing ends up being a good thing for the layman who watches this movie. Attenborough oversimplifies Gandhi’s perspectives and ideas on social justice and religion, which leads to a very simple explanation of Gandhi’s philosophy.
Mohandas Gandhi is one of the most popular and influential figures in the world. His political work, religious beliefs, values and morals captivated millions internationally. His path to become such a respected person is shaped by his religion and experiments occurred throughout his life. His relationship to food becomes a powerful fixation that allows him to form a greater connection to God as Truth, while leading him to express controversial disagreements during certain health issues.
10. What did Gandhi mean that he was not talking about “passive” revolt? Note these events: “In the end, the British will walk out”; 100,000 Englishmen cannot control 350 million Indians if they refuse to cooperate … Note the terms used: The difference between passive aggression (very popular in many personality studies today) and passive non-cooperation--The gamble of inconsistency is most damaging to which?
Gandhi soon became involved in helping the untouchables, or the lowest and poorest Indian class. Gandhi founded newspapers to spread his ideas and to educate the public. In early 1930, the Indian National Congress declared that India would not be satisfied until India received complete independence from Britain.
Gandhi was born in 1869 in British-ruled India. He became a lawyer, moving to South Africa to practice for a year. While there, Gandhi witnessed the intense racial tensions occurring in the nation. His earliest encounter with discrimination was in Pretoria, when he was forcibly removed from a train after refusing to move to the back. This initial action of civil disobedience made Gandhi “think of his duty to stay back and fight for his rights.” In 1906, Gandhi and his supporters started a peaceful protest called Satyagraha, against the South African Transvaal Government’s restrictions on Indian rights, and they’re struggle eventually bore fruit in 1913. Gandhi also used Satyagraha in India in 1930, protesting the British Salt Acts, which prevented Indians from collecting or selling salt. He, along with thousands of Indians, marched 241 miles to the coastal city of Dandi, where Gandhi made salt out of sea water. Despite being beaten and arrested, Gandhi and his supporters achieved success by the lessening of the Salt Acts in 1931. Because of Gandhi’s civil disobedience movements, Indians achieved the rights that they deserved, both in South Africa and in
In South Africa, he involved himself in an attempt to end discrimination against the minority Indians residing there. During this course, he developed “satyagarha”, which translates into “soul force”, or an approach of non-violence resistance, against the British governments in South Africa. In the years following the World War I, Gandhi became a leading figure in India for his struggle to achieve independent from the mighty British rule. His willingness to tolerate the punishments and the prison confinement earned him the title of “ Mahatama”, a “great soul” in India in 1914. (Mohandas Gandhi, 2015)
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being". The book The Essential Gandhi expresses Gandhi’s views on issues like untouchability, religion, nationality, his movements like civil-disobedience are deeply shown in this book. Readers can learn about Gandhi’s childhood, his early married life, his realization and transition in South Africa, and his ways of approach towards attaining Independence in India. The book did a fantastic job in showing the Gandhi’s principles like non-violence with exemplary contexts.
Gandhi is considered by many around the world as the father of the Indian independence movement. Gandhi spent over 20 years in South Africa working to fight discrimination. It was in South Africa that he developed his concept of Satyagraha, a non-violent way of protesting against discrimination. The first time Gandhi used Satyagraha was in South Africa beginning in 1907 when he organized opposition to the Black Act. In 1907, the Black Act was passed, requiring all Indians to keep registration documents on them at all times.
Once Gandhi’s mission in South Africa was complete, he returned to India and became involved in the home ruling movement. He was concerned with excessive land tax and discrimination, so he organized protests by peasants, farmers, and urban laborers to help them stand tall and fight for what they deserved (Gold 57).