Mahatma Gandhi - Life, Philosophy, and India's Freedom Struggle

The Ahmedabad Mill Strike in 1918 was the first instance where Mahatma Gandhi undertook a fast unto death to resolve a labor dispute.

In South Africa, on a journey by train from Durban to Pretoria, he was forcibly thrown out of a first-class compartment, even though he had a valid ticket. Gandhiji was hurt by the racial injustice and discrimination to which Indians had to submit in South Africa. He started his non-violent civil disobedience movement to protest against the discriminating treatment meted out to Indians. Thus, it was during this struggle that Mahatma Gandhi evolved the technique of satyagraha (non-violent resistance) based on truth and non-violence.

Both the movements dealt with the problems of the peasants in different places. Champaran is in Bihar where peasants were forced to cultivate indigo. Gandhiji did a satyagaraha in 1917 to secure justice for the peasants.

Due to constant famines, the crops had failed in the Kheda district of Gujarat. The British government had compelled the peasants to pay land revenue. The local peasants, therefore, started a no- tax movement in Kheda district in 1918 which was led by Gandhiji.

Kheda is a district in the state of Gujarat. Farmers here faced a terrible famine. After this British conducted a land survey and compelled the peasants to pay land revenue. They, therefore, started a no- tax movement in Kheda district in 1918. Gandhiji organised the peasants to offer satyagraha. The peasants refused to pay land revenue and ultimately the government was forced to arrive at a settlement with the peasants.

Gandhiji's first experiment in Satyagraha was accomplished in 1917 in Champaran in Bihar. The indigo cultivators of Champaran were greatly exploited by the European planters. They were bound by law to grow indigo and sell it to the British planters at prices fixed by them. Gandhiji did a Satyagraha to resist this exploitation and secured justice for the peasants.

Kheda is a district in the state of Gujarat. Farmers here faced a terrible famine. After this British conducted a land survey and compelled the peasants to pay land revenue. They, therefore, started a no-tax movement in Kheda district in 1918. Gandhiji organised the peasants to offer satyagraha. The peasants refused to pay land revenue and ultimately the government was forced to arrive at a settlement with the peasants.

Mahatma Gandhi said the above words.

Non-violence or Ahimsa means non-killing or avoiding injury but for Gandhiji, it meant avoiding injury to anything by thought, word or deed.

In the early days of Gandhi’s profession he wore western style suits. In Durban, in 1913, Gandhi first appeared in a lungi & kurta with his head shaved as a sign of mourning to protest against the shooting of Indian coal miners. But later during independence movement he adopted khadi loin cloth and dhoti to boycott foreign goods and prove the uniqueness between rich and poor Indians. 

The use of charkha and khadi were advocated by Gandhiji. He stressed the importance of small scale and cottage industries. In fact, due to his efforts, the face of the Indian National Movement turned from palaces to huts, from cities to villages where the real India resided.

The most familiar image of Mahatma Gandhi is of him seated, bare chested & in a short dhoti, near a spinning wheel. He made spinning on the Charkha & the daily use of Khadi as very powerful symbols. These were symbols of not only self-reliance but also of resistance to the use of British mill-made cloth.

In 1916, Mahatma Gandhi travelled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.

According to Gandhi Khadi, a white & coarse cloth was a sign of purity, simplicity & poverty. Wearing it also became a symbol of nationalism, a rejection of western mill-made cloth.

The Cripps Mission did not bring with it the promise of independence in the near future. The plan involved partitioning the country. The Congress was opposed to the principle of non-accession of the provinces. Gandhiji opposed the declaration and urged the Working Committee to reject it. It was not just one but multiple reasons for which Gandhiji said that the Cripps Proposal is a post dated cheque of a drawing bank.

• In 1917, Gandhi organised a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat.
  
• Affected by crop failure and a plague epidemic, the peasants of Kheda could not pay the revenue, and were demanding that revenue collection is relaxed.
  

Mahatma Gandhi had successfully fought against the racist regime in South Africa with a novel method of mass agitation, which he called satyagraha.

Gandhi was a great supporter of Ahimsa. He always thought that any battle could be won by non-violence. This could be done by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor.

In 1916, Gandhiji travelled to Champaran in Bihar and took up the cause of poor peasants against the oppression of indigo planters.

In Ahmedabad, he took up the cause of textile workers, who were demanding a raise in their wages.

Gandhi supported non-violence and encouraged love and tolerance. According to him without seeking vengeance or being aggressive, a Satyagrahi could win the battle through non-violence. Oppressors had to be persuaded to see the truth, instead of being forced to accept truth through the use of violence.

He called the Untouchables 'Harijan', or the children of God organised satyagraha to secure them entry into temples, and access to public wells, tanks, roads and schools. 

Term 'Harijan' was popularised by Mahatma Gandhi. He devoted himself to fight against the inhuman practice of untouchability. He started a crusade to root out this evil & referred to the oppressed class as 'Harijans' (sons of God). In his ashram, together with his followers, he performed all those tasks which were otherwise carried out by the Untouchables.

First mass movement of Mahatma Gandhi was at Champaran which is located in Bihar. Here poor peasants and indentured laborers were forced to grow indigo plantations instead of food crops which were required for their survival. This indigo was taken by British at very low prices leaving the farmers in extreme poverty. 

Mahatma Gandhi on the eve of launching Quit India Movement on 8^th August 1942 gave the call ‘Do or Die’. Gandhiji said we shall either free India or die in the attempt.

Mahatma Gandhi played leading roles in Quit India movement, Civil disobedience movement, and Non-Cooperation movement but was not associated with the Home Rule Movement. Prominent Indians like Joseph Baptista, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, G. S. Khaparde, Sir S. Subramania Iyer and the leader of the Theosophical Society, Annie Besant were associated with the Home Rule Movement.

The third and final phase of the Nationalist Movement [1919-1947] is known as the Gandhian era. During this period Mahatma Gandhi became the undisputed leader of the National Movement. His principles of nonviolence and Satyagraha were employed against the British Government.

The idea of satyagraha emphasised the power of truth & the need to search for truth.

• Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary politician who fought against the government which supported racism.
  
• Mahatma Gandhi during his stay of 20 years in South Africa fought against racism shown towards Indians staying in South Africa.
  
• This way both were similar in fighting against racism.
  

The immediate precipitating factor for India's independence was the Quit India Movement (1942) - a massive campaign of nonviolent protest during WWII. The movement convinced Britain that maintaining colonial control was impossible. The assassination (1948) and partition (1947) happened after independence was already decided. Gandhi's targeted destruction campaign doesn't describe Quit India accurately.

Gandhiji devoted himself to fight against the inhuman practice of untouchability. He started a crusade to root out this evil and referred to the oppressed as 'Harijans' (sons of God). In his ashram, together with his followers, he performed all those tasks which were otherwise carried out by the untouchables. 

Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porabandar in Gujarat state. His father was Karama Chanda Gandhi, mother was Puthalibai. He got his primary education from Porbandar and his law degree from England.

Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porabandar in Gujarat state. His father was Karam Chand Gandhi, mother was Puthalibai. He had his primary education in Porbandar.

Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porabandar in Gujarat state. His father was Karama Chanda Gandhi, mother was Puthalibai. He got his primary education from Porbandar and his law degree from England. In 1891 he returned to India and got involved the lawyer profession in Rajkot and Mumbai

Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porabandar in Gujarat state. His father was Karama Chanda Gandhi, mother was Puthalibai. The prominent books which influenced Gandhis life: Bhagavadgita John Ruskins Unto this Last, Leo Tolstoys The Kingdom of God is within you and Satya Harischandra's Drama.

Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porabandar in Gujarat state. His father was Karam Chand Gandhi, mother was Puthalibai.

Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porabandar in Gujarat state. His father was Karama Chanda Gandhi, mother was Puthalibai. He got his primary education from Porbandar and his law degree from England. In 1891, he returned to India and involved in his lawyer profession in Rajkot and Mumbai. Later on as per the invitation of Dada Abdullah Company he went to South Africa as legal adviser.

Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porabandar in Gujarat state. His father was Karama Chanda Gandhi, mother was Puthalibai.

Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porabandar in Gujarat state. His father was Karama Chanda Gandhi, mother was Puthalibai. He got his primary education from Porbandar and his law degree from England. In 1891, he returned to India and involved in his lawyer profession in Rajkot and Mumbai. Later on as per the invitation of Dada Abdullah Company he went to South Africa as legal adviser. While in South Africa, Gandhiji was shocked to see Indians as they were living in lower level. White government racial policy was condemned by him. When he returned to India, he setup an ashram near the Sabarmati river. Gandhiji's political guru was Gopal Krishna Gokhale who advised him to tour the entire India and see the sorrowful condition of the people.

Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porabandar in Gujarat state. His father was Karama Chanda Gandhi, mother was Puthalibai. He got his primary education from Porbandar and his law degree from England. In 1891, he returned to India and involved in his lawyer profession in Rajkot and Mumbai. Later on as per the invitation of Dada Abdullah Company he went to South Africa as legal adviser.

Gandhiji was born on 2nd October 1869 at Porabandar in Gujarat state. His father was Karama Chanda Gandhi, mother was Puthalibai. He got his primary education from Porbandar and his law degree from England. In 1891, he returned to India and involved in his lawyer profession in Rajkot and Mumbai. Later on as per the invitation of Dada Abdullah Company he went to South Africa as legal adviser. While in South Africa, Gandhiji was shocked to see Indians as they were living in lower level. White government racial policy was condemned by him.

Mahatma Gandhi gave the title 'Deen Bandhu' (Friend of the Poor) to C.F. Andrews, a Christian missionary and social reformer.

Harijan Sevak Sangh was a non-profit organisation founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1932 to eradicate untouchability in India. It was born out of the historic Poona Pact between Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar. Mahatma Gandhi objected to the provision of separate electorates for the Scheduled Castes granted in the Communal Award of 1932, which in his view separated them from the whole Hindu community. 

The Satyagraha Sabha was formed in Bombay in 1919 to organize opposition to the Rowlatt Act.

Satyagraha was a concept introduced in the early 20th century by Mahatma Gandhi to designate a determined but nonviolent resistance to evil. The Gandhian philosophy of satyagraha is a natural outcome of the supreme concept of truth. The satyagrahi must adhere to nonviolence. should be absolutely fearless and firm in his resolve.

The Bardoli Satyagraha was a peasants’ movement against the British government’s decision to raise land revenue. It was led by Vallabhbhai Patel, and its success gave rise to Patel becoming one of the main leaders of the independence movement. In this struggle, Vallabhbhai Patel got the title of “Sardar” by local farmers of Bardoli.

Gandhi returned his war medals and the Kaiser-I-Hind title in August 1920 to express his solidarity with the Khilafat movement and protest British policy.

Gandhiji popularised the word “Harijan”‘ meaning “the people of God”. He spent a year for their welfare in 1926. he preached that all human beings are equal and hence the Harijans too have a right for social life along with other caste groups. He went and stayed with them in their colonies, shared meals and performed all the tasks of cleaning along with them.

The Khudai Khidmatgars (“Servants of God”) was a movement led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. It was non violently mobilized to oppose the British in India’s Northwest Frontier Province. The main goal of the Khudai Khidmatgar was to win Indian independence and reform the social, religious, political, and economic life of the Pashtuns.

Kasturba Gandhi was an Indian political activist married to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Following the 'Quit India' movement, Kasturba joined her husband in detention at the Aga Khan's Palace in Poona. It is there that she died in 1944.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was the political guru of Mahatma Gandhi.  Gokhale was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and founder of the Servants of India Society. On his suggestion, Gandhi had embarked on a tour of the country to observe and understand the life and miseries of ordinary Indians after his return from South Africa.

Gandhi first propagated the philosophy of Satyagraha  and propelled the country towards a no class discrimination society. The campaigners went on peaceful marches and presented themselves for arrest in protest against unjust laws. This form of action later became one of the great political tools of the 20th century.

In April 1917, the Champaran Satyagraha in Motihari, Bihar laid the foundation for Gandhi in India. It was the first peasant movement to have garnered nationwide attention. It was a struggle of the cultivators who were forced by Europeans to grow indigo, a blue dye.

Mahatma Gandhi was never the President of the Indian National Congress; he served as the president only once in 1924 at the Belgaum session.

The Indian Opinion was a newspaper established by Mahatma Gandhi. He decided in 1903 to launch the newspaper in response to the growing need in South Africa to voice effectively the feelings of Indians against racial intolerance of the white regime. 

Gandhi emphasized that ahimsa is an active force of love and soul-power, not merely passive tolerance or cowardice. It requires standing up against injustice, not accepting it.

Gandhi believed that students should use their free time to engage with the community and help the underprivileged, which he termed social service.

Non-cooperation movement was an attempt organized by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 to induce the British government of India to grant self-government, or swaraj, to India. Gandhi gave a call for boycott of foreign goods, surrendering all titles and honorary offices and resign from nominated seats in local bodies, etc. It was suddenly adjourned due to the violent Chauri Chaura incident in 1922.

Madeline Slade was named Mira Behn by Gandhi. She was a British-born follower of Mohandas K. Gandhi who participated in the movement for India’s independence. She was active in spreading the spirit of nonviolence and was arrested multiple times, including during a period of civil disobedience in 1932–33.

Gandhi while in jail in 1932 had set up the All India Anti Untouchability League in September 1932 and had started the weekly Harijan in January 1933. He handed the responsibility for running it in the hands of two of his close associates, the industrialist, G.D. Birla, and the social worker, A.V. Thakkar. After the signing of Poona Pact, this organization was renamed the Harijan Sewak Sangh.

Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, often called the Frontier Gandhi, was a close associate and follower of Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence.

The Ramakrishna Mission was founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1897, whereas the other listed ashrams were associated with Gandhi's life and work.

This statement reflects Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence and his desire for Indian independence without wishing harm upon the British people.

Gandhi frequently argued that true non-violence is the virtue of the brave, and that cowardice is incompatible with the strength required for ahimsa.

In 1918 along with Kheda movement Gandhi also took part in another movement. It was known as Ahmadabad Satyagraha. Gandhiji led the mill-workers in Ahmadabad in a strike against the mill-owners who had refused to pay them higher wages. When the workers seemed to weaken, he provided support to them by undertaking a fast. Afraid of the consequences, the mill-owners agreed on the fourth day of the  fast to give a 35% increase in wages.

Khadi, white & coarse, was to him a sign of purity, of simplicity & poverty. Wearing it also became a symbol of nationalism, a rejection of western mill-made cloth.

He was more famous as Gandhiji's political Guru. He was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council in 1899. He became the President of the Indian National Congress at Banaras in 1905.

Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in January 1915.

It suggested that if the cause was true, if the struggle was against injustice, then physical force was not necessary to fight the oppresor. Without seking vengeance or being aggressive a satyagrahi could win the battle through non-violence. This could only be done by appealing to the conscience of the oppressor. 

In his famous book 'Hind Swaraj' (1909), Mahatma Gandhi declared that British rule was established in India with the cooperation of Indians, & had survived only because of this cooperation. If Indians refused to cooperate, British rule in India would collapse within a year, and Swaraj would come.

By 1921, Gandhiji had designed the Swaraj flag. It was again a tricolour (red, green & white) & had a spinning wheel in the centre, representing the Gandhian ideal of self-help. Carrying the flag, holding it aloft, during marches became a symbol of defiance.

The title ‘Sardar’ was conferred to Vallabhbhai Patel by Mahatma Gandhi. In 1928 there was a problem for the farmers of Bardoli. British were collecting unjust taxes from them. Vallabhbhai Patel came to rescue the people and conducted many no tax campaigns. 

As per the Poorna Swaraj  Resolution, the word Swaraj in the Congress Constitution would thenceforth mean Complete Independence or Purna Swaraj which was set forth as the goal of the National Movement. The resolution of Poorna Swaraj was adopted at the Lahore Session of  the Congress.

This was a great thought of Mahatma Gandhi that India could achieve its independence only when poor of India are free from suffering. Though India was blessed with rich heritage and treasures, the status of poor remained same throughout the ages and had never been better. Poor people constitute a majority of the Indian population. So he thought when poor are freed from their suffering independence can be achieved.

Gandhi did not hold any political status after the Independence had been achieved. After a long struggle for independence he finally rested without any position politically. Yet he was considered Father of the Nation.

On the day of India's independence, Gandhi was in Noakhali, Bengal, working to calm communal riots and restore peace.

Gandhi often spoke of the Gujarati hymn 'Vaishnava Jana To', which describes the qualities of a true devotee of God, as a source of immense spiritual strength.

Winston Churchill famously used the derogatory term 'half-naked fakir' to describe Gandhi during the 1930s when Gandhi was negotiating with the British government.

Gandhi famously stated that non-violence (Satyagraha) is the weapon of the strong, not the weak. He believed that if one has to choose between cowardice and violence, violence is preferable, but non-violence is the highest path.

Young India was a weekly paper or journal in English published by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi from 1919 to 1931. Its objective was to spread his unique ideology and thoughts regarding the use of nonviolence in organising movements and to urge readers to consider, organise and plan for India’s eventual independence from Britain.