Mahatma Gandhi and Indian Independence

26 January 1930 was declared as 'Purna Swaraj' (Complete Independence) Day by the Indian National Congress under Jawaharlal Nehru's presidency. When India became a republic on 26 January 1950, this date was chosen to honor the memory of that independence declaration. The Dandi March (1930), Non-Cooperation (1920-22), and Quit India (1942) were different movements.

Lord Mountbatten served as the last Viceroy of India from March 1947 to August 1947, when India gained independence. After independence, he became the first Governor-General of the Dominion of India until June 1948. Lord Cornwallis (earlier), Lord Hastings (earlier), and Lord Birkenhead (1920s) were all colonial officials but not the last Viceroy.

All four options are correct. These are National Bravery Awards for children presented annually on Republic Day (January 26) by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) and the Government of India. The Bharat Award, Bapu Gaidhani Award, Sanjay Chopra Award, and Geeta Chopra Award recognize children who perform exceptional acts of courage and bravery. The awards were instituted in memory of brave children.

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly, tasked with writing the Indian Constitution. He is rightly called the 'Father of the Indian Constitution' for his pivotal role. His full name was Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar - not Bhimrao Rajaji, Rama, or Raji Ambedkar (those are incorrect variations).

The Government of India Act (1935) was the governing document until independence and served as the basis for India's constitutional framework. The Constitution of India, adopted on November 26, 1949 and effective January 26, 1950, replaced this Act. Pitts India Act, Indian Councils Act, and Council of India Act were earlier legislative measures that were superseded much earlier.

Gandhiji lived in South Africa from 1893 to 1914, which spans 21 years. This period was crucial in developing his philosophy of Satyagraha and his methods of nonviolent resistance that he later applied in India's independence movement.

Mahatma Gandhi had four sons: Harilal (born 1888), Manilal (1892), Ramdas (1897), and Devdas (1900). All were born to Kasturba Gandhi during their marriage.

'Mahatma' is a Sanskrit title meaning 'Great Soul' (maha = great, atma = soul). It was first used for Gandhi by the poet Rabindranath Tagore in 1915, recognizing his spiritual and moral leadership.

Gandhiji first went to South Africa in 1893 at age 24 to plead a legal case for Dada Abdulla & Co., an Indian Muslim merchant firm in Durban, on a one-year contract. The case was against a rival merchant firm.

During the 1906 Zulu (Bambatha) Rebellion in Natal, Gandhiji organized an Indian ambulance corps to nurse the wounded Zulu rebels. This experience of serving injured Africans reinforced his commitment to nonviolent service and cross-cultural solidarity.

On returning from South Africa in 1915, Gandhiji established the Satyagraha Ashram at Kochrab near Ahmedabad in May 1915. It later moved to Sabarmati in 1917. Kochrab was the first location of his now-famous ashram.

Gandhiji's father was Karamchand Gandhi (1822-1885), who served as the diwan (prime minister) of Porbandar state. He was commonly called Kaba Gandhi. The name follows traditional Gujarati naming patterns.

John Ruskin's 'Unto This Last' (1860) profoundly influenced Gandhi during his South African train journey. The book's critique of industrial capitalism and advocacy for social justice inspired Gandhi's economic philosophy and the concept of sarvodaya (welfare for all).

Gandhiji called the Bhagavad Gita his 'spiritual mother' and 'dictionary of daily conduct.' He first read it in England with Sir Edwin Arnold's translation, and it became his constant guide for ethical decision-making throughout his life.

Gandhiji's autobiography is titled 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth' (Satya Na Prayogo Athava Atymacharita). It was originally written in Gujarati and documents his spiritual journey and experiments with nonviolence and truth. The title emphasizes his experimental approach to life and truth.

Gandhiji's wife was Kasturba Gandhi (1869-1944), born Kasturba Kapadia. They married in 1883 when Gandhi was 13 and she was 14 (child marriage was common then). She was a strong supporter of his work and participated in freedom movements, even serving time in prison.

Gandhi promoted the spinning wheel (charkha) as a symbol of self-reliance and economic independence from British colonial rule. The charkha became central to his Swadeshi movement, encouraging Indians to spin their own cloth and boycott British textiles, which helped undermine the colonial economy.

Gandhi's mother was Putalibai, a deeply religious woman who significantly influenced his spiritual development. Kasturbai was his wife, not his mother.

Gandhi studied law in London, where he was called to the Bar in 1891. After completing his legal education, he briefly practiced in Bombay before moving to South Africa.