Mohandas Gandhi, Whom most people know as Mahatma, meaning “Great
Soul,” is one of the most prevalent images in the minds of those who think about great leaders, in the movement for human rights and non-violence. However, not much is known about his life as a child and his achievements in the early twentieth century. All the staging grounds in Gandhi’s stance towards non violence, human rights, and peace took place in the years leading up to the twentieth century and the first decade after. Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India on October 2, 1869. His family, which consisted of two brothers and one sister lived a rather good life. Gandhi’s’ father,
Karamanchand Gandhi, was a government official for the
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Gandhi’s refusal to leave the first class compartment because of his ethnicity is a example of his character. To Gandhi race was not a means to separate people. He felt that prejudice, on the grounds of skin color was totally wrong. He writes; ‘The hardship to which I was subjected was superficial, only a symptom of the deep disease of color prejudice. I should try, if possible, to root out the disease and suffer hardships in the process.”(Morris 380) Squire 3
Gandhi would many times put himself in mortal danger in order to prove a point.
When he said he should try and root out the disease and suffer hardships in the process, he knew that in order to get changes it would take allot of hardship and pain. Gandhi began to learn the discriminatory laws in the Transvaal. Indians could not own property except in specific areas, could not vote, and had to pay annual tax, they also had a 9:00
p.m. curfew. In 1894, with permission from India, Gandhi formed the Indian Natal
Congress with himself as secretary. Anyone was allowed to join if they paid a fee. The goal of the program was to establish harmony between Europeans and Indians. Gandhi returned home in 1869 for a short visit and to pick up his family. He was known by a few Indians, his exploits in South Africa reached some in the Indian communities. Gandhi wasted no
Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Kathiawar, India, which in that time was part of British Empire. Gandhi was unfortunately killed by a fanatic in 1948. His father and mother were Karamchand Gandhi, a chief minister and Putlibai Gandhi, a deeply religious woman who fasted regularly. Gandhi studied law and advocated for the civil rights of Indians. Gandhi became a leader of India’s Independence movement.
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.
When Mahatma Gandhi first picked up those raw grains of salt, he couldn’t have imagined the effect his actions would have on the future. Throughout his life as a passive resistor, he created for himself a difficult path by resisting the temptation to fight back. In his Doctrine of the Sword I, he speaks about the need for suffering in passive resistance. To Gandhi, if you did not suffer for your cause than you weren’t resisting; you are merely laying down obediently at the feet of evildoers.
There’s no doubt about it, that Gandhi was a great mean, out spoken and very influential but he wasn’t always that way. As I was reading I learned that while Gandhi was away at school studying law, his mother who he dearly loved and called a saint had passed yet his family did not tell him of her condition because they knew he would be
Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, politician, social activist and writer who would lead the independence movement of India to free the country of British rule (“Mahatma Gandhi,” 2017). He would prove that a single person could change the course of history and take on the entire British Empire. Gandhi’s principles of nonviolence and civil disobedience are attributed to his success in gaining independence for India. The act of passive resistance allowed Gandhi to generate more support for his movement for independence while making it difficult for the British to find reasons to arrest them. He argued that although violence could be more effective than peaceful
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.
Mahatma Gandhi, or “the great-souled one” as called by many of his followers was a leading figure in the fight for India’s independence, but he also was an advocate for world peace, showing his devotion with many “hunger strikes” (History.com staff, 2010). One of his greatest quotes, “No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive” shows the biggest fault of cultural inequality. This displays to me that people cannot work together while refusing to accept others.
Mohandas Gandhi brought positive change to India without using violence. He once said, “There are two ways of countering injustice.
Gandhi stood up for what he believed in multiple times in his life. After his
Aroused by the massacre of Amritsar in 1919, Gandhi devoted his life to gaining India’s independence from Great Britain. As the dominant figure used his persuasive philosophy of non-violent confrontation, he inspired political activists with many persuasions throughout the world (Andrews 23). Not only was Mahatma Gandhi a great peacemaker, but also his work to achieve freedom and equality for all people was greatly acknowledged. Gandhi’s unconventional style of leadership gained him the love of a country and eventually enabled him to lead the independence movement in India.
Mahatma Gandhi enacted change by striving to end racial injustice. He did this to show that anyone of any race or religion should have equal rights. According to “Satyagraha: Gandhi’s Legacy”, it states, “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” (Studysync Editors). Gandhi himself had been faced with discrimination. However, instead of ignoring the situation, Gandhi took a stand and did what was right to ensure equality among all people. The Studysync Editors stay, “As had been the case in the southern United States, Indians and other non-white people were forced to ride at the back of trains, use separate facilities, and were treated as second-class citizens. Gandhi believed that this was wrong”. With his opinions in mind, Gandhi decided to get his beliefs out by starting non-violent protest. As the leader he was, he lead many protests that included: unfair taxes and oppressive discrimination, as well as alleviating poverty, helping in the women’s liberation movement, and ending caste discrimination. Studysync Editors wrote, “Gandhi's work inspired large-scale global change. Resistance to British involvement in South Africa and in India helped to inspire a movement of decolonization all over the world. Several political and spiritual leaders were inspired by Gandhi's work…”. Gandhi’s influence to the civilization was a huge turning point for those of the non-white race. By his assiduous act and hope of impact, Gandhi didn’t just catch the eye of the discriminated but also the attention of others. Mahatma Gandhi is remembered today as one of the most
Mahatma Gandhi was an inspirational and peaceful activist for Indian rights. Gandhi developed a peaceful and harmful way to fight for basic human rights “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.” (Gandhi’s Legacy). Gandhi encouraged many people to use more peaceful manners such as riots and fasting. Gandhi used his motivational skills to inspire people to stand up for their rights “He encouraged others to defend their rights in this manner, and to work together to end racial injustice in South Africa.” (Gandhi’s Legacy). Gandhi’s motivational skills and political skills were most important when it came to encouraging others to help fight back. These skills paid off and he was able to gather
They should have thrown themselves into the sea from cliffs”(Harijan 1) This shows that Gandhi was yet another merciless anti-humane public figure. Furthermore, he also believed that non-violence would solve the mass-murder of over 8 million people during the course of the Holocaust according to
Gandhi urged the Indian people to create their own clothing. In March of 1930, Gandhi and 78 followers marched to the sea to collect salt. When he and his followers reached the sea, "He walked onto the beach and picked up a lump of salt in defiance of the Salt Acts," (Rau 84). This was of the most important, and most memorable, act by Gandhi. On August 15, 1947, India finally became free from the British rule. After India became free, Muslims and Hindus fought, so India was divided in two. Gandhi decided to fast to get the two groups to settle their differences. Nathuram Godse was a Hindu Extremist and killed Gandhi on January 30, 1948. One of Gandhi's most famous quotations is, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," (Gandhi). This shows that to make a change, people can't tell others what to do, but they should do it themselves. Gandhi did not just say to make a change, he made the change himself. For doing things Gandhi thought were right, he was imprisoned 4 times throughout his life. "Gandhi had been a light to the people of India and to the world. [...] He proved that truth and love are the strongest forces for change," (Rau 101). Gandhi inspired many people in the world and he did all of this to create a better life for others.
After making improvements in South Africa, Gandhi returned to India to try and make changes there but british officials made it challenging. Gandhi didn’t believe in using violence to fight for his rights or to fight for his country. In