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Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 54
3.1 Introduction
In this chapter an attempt is made to analyse the Early life and
Influence of Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhiji's entire life was devotcd to social, moral and rcligious
activitics both in India and abroad. He took up all problems of l i k with great
commitment and tried to solvc them with the purest possible means. Hc was
an apostlc of non-violence and peace. Gandhiji's life and actions were
continually part of expcrirnentation with truth. There was nevcr any
dichotomy between what he said and what he acted upon. Flc did not want to
project himself or hisideas as a school of thought or ideology. Gandhiji was
a moral man. And morcovcr, he was a man of action whose cntire social
actions were based on morality and it is the basic cause of the success of his
lifc. The success of morality was his life. Thc place of morality in his life
has been caused by various influences. I Iis family influenced him very much,
especially his mother played an important role in his moral lifc. She madc a
strong impression upon young Mohandas with her picty .
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was horn on Pd October 1869, in
Porbandar, Gujarat in Wcstern India. He bclonged to the Bania sub cask
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 55
(subdivision of Vaisya) and to the Vaishnava scct of Hindu religion. 'I'heir
name signified grocer but for generations, ihc leading members of the lamily
had flourished in politics, serving as high officials. Gandh iji 's lat hcr
Karamchand became prime (chief) minister in Kathiawar district. Mohandas
was the youngest child of his faihcr's fourth wife, Putlibai.'
As a boy, Gandhiji admired the "practicability of his father" but he
!wed hismother Putlibai and was greatly influenced by her 'saintliness' and
her "deeply religious7' nature, which later helped him to posscss an
unqucnchablc faith in God and made his life a lcsson for all ages to comc.
As a child, Gandhiji's family affectionately called him Mohandas. IIe was
timid and dilfidcnt. And moreover, he was not a brilliant student and his
record in school was on the whole mediocre. But all the samc, he was highly
truthful. 'l'ruth and non-violcnce for which Mohandas stood w~c , inherited to
a considkrablc degrec from his father. ITe never spoke a lic either to his
teacher or 10 his schoolmates. When he was at the high school, an intercsting
incident occurred. An educational inspector paid a visit to that school :md
askcd the students to spell five words. Onc of the words asked by the inspector
was 'kettle'. Gandhiji had mis-spelt it. The teacher tried to prompt him with
Early Life and Influence of aha at ma Gandhi 56
the point of his boot hut young Gandhiji would not be prompted. IIc was
quite opposed to lcarning thc art of copying. The result.was that all the
students exccpt Gandhiji spelt all the fivc words correctly. nut that did not
in any way diminish his reverence for his teacher. During his high school
years he camc in contact with some boys of different faiths. Muslims, Parsees,
Christians, and Jews became his fellow-brothers. Meat eating was taboo in
his f~mily tradition. Sceing somc Englishmen eating meat and beef; Gandhiji
questioned himself aS to why meal cating was prohibited in Hindu families
only and not in lhose belonging to other faiths? He strongly criticized his
family tradition and thus under the influence of some of his Mohammedan
liicnds, decided to cxperimcnt upon it himself. This expcrimenl did not last
long, because he virtually ate little and it was very hard to eat. But later he
lelt that this was unethical and immoral and should not be allowcd to continue.
During his school days, hc did not show any exemplary activity. According
to Ashc Geoffrey: "In almost ninetcen years of education and wcdlock, he
had shown no outward signs of any distinctive ideas, outstanding virtues, or
special talents".?
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was married at the age of thirteen,
just when he was studying at the high school. Howcver, his studies conlinucd.
Mollan's bride, Kasturhai, was the daughter of Gokuldas Makanji, a merchant
ol Porbandar and friend of the Gandhi family. The marriage lastcd sixty-two
years. At the age of 18 he matriculated from Allahabad and hc went lo college
a1 1311avanagar for one ycar and in 1887, proceeded to England for studies in
Law. His outstanding achievement in England was thc consequcnce of his
vegctarianism. He tricd to convince thc world with regard to thc benel'its of
vegetarianism which was vcry uncommon in England. The vow ol'
vegetarianism became a continual source of embarrassment lo him and
morcover it bccarne a mission for him and the starting point of a uniquc
discipline of body and mind, which transformed his life. He was admitted as
a studcnt at the lnner 'I'emple on November 6, 1888 and matriculated at
London University in June 1890. lie learned French and Latin, Physics and
common and Roman law. Hc was called to the bar on June 10, 1891 and
enrolled in thc high court on June 1 1, and sailcd for India on June 12. At thc
time of lcaving he remarked, "During my nearly lhrec years slay in
England, I have left many things undone, and have done many things which
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 58
perhaps I might better havc left undonc, yet 1 carry one grcat consolation
with me that I shall go back without having taken meat or wine, and that 1
knew from personal experience that there arc so many vegetarians in
E~~gland" .~ In 1891, Gandhiji returned to India and after a hricf stay in
India, lelt for South Ahica in 1893 to advocate the cases against the Mcmen
firm, the lirm of the Indian businessmen in South Mica. Gandhiji's activities
in South Africa can be regardcd as unparalleled and unequalled in thc history
of the world. The twenty one years he spent in South Africa offered him
valuable insights in familiarizing himselr with the inhuman and highly
deplorable situations that existed outsidc as well as helping him dcvelop
appropriate concepts and techniques of nonviolcnt defence. I Ic resisted non- C
violently any oppression and exhorted the Indians to take part in public
activilies. For ~andhi j i South Africa was the place wherc he first h e tricd
his method of Non-violence, and after twenty years of relentless strugglc
against thc whites he finally won. And moreover, Gandhiji adoptcd the method
of non-violencc agains~ thc whites because he believcd that this was the
method of self-realization. South Africa, for Gandhiji, was like a laboratory
where he cvolved the ncw weapon of non-violent resistance.
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 59
In 1914, Gandhiji returned to India after successfully leading the
Indians in South Africa. Soon alter his return from South M i c a , Gandhiji
would not take part in any political activity in India for a year bccause he
thought he might first gct acquainted with the national issues. I-le abstained
from active politics till 191 9 and aftcr that he became active in India's national
movcment and the problem of India's Cr~cdom.~ Gandhiji's criteria wcrc not
the usual criteria of politics. He had certain principles ol'his own. And hc
was always working according to it. Gandhiji did not make any compromise
with regard to his principles. His standards of succcss were moral and
religious. He was a moral man by all means with regard to his entire public
act ion. Gandhiji with his principle olnon-cooperation, raised India's prestige
very high and with the hclp of this powerful weapon hc won India's frccdom.
Right horn 19 19 to 19 1 4, Gandhiji waged a relentless war against thc British
government. During this period, he was lodged in jails scvcral times. Whcn
he started his non-cooperative movemcnt for the attainment ol India's
lrecdom, he was sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment in 1922. in
1930, he marched b r Dandi to breaksalt restrictions imposed by the ltnglish.
Many Indians followed him and he brokc the restrictions on salt.' 'l'he succ:ss,
Early Life and Influence af Mahatma Gandhi
which he achicved, wa$ the sign of non-violcnt revolution in his public action.
'I'he social structure is based on the principle of non-violence. 1l thc social
grovps were not based on the principle of non-violcnce, they would have
destroyed one anothr. The very survival of human society proves the
necessity of non-violence to cxist a pcaceful world order. The practice of
non-violencc by the society will lead io greater degree 01 pcace among the
individuals and the various social groups in thc society and among nat i~ns
with different social systems. Gandhiji realized that the socicty should he
based on non-violence. It implics that thc society, which is not based on
non-violence, will not be stable. For Gandhiji, non-violence is the wcapon
of thc brave, not of ihc coward. Ile successfully demonstrated the ellicacy
of this method in South Africa and in sevcral occasions in lndia also. For
Gandhiji, non-violence was a moral weapon. And moreover, it was the basic
structure ol his entire public action. Hence he was a man oP morality and
non-violencc by all means. Gandhiji's moral thinking have becn influenced
by various sources such as; the inlluence coming from ihc lndian sourccs,
thc influencc coming from the Wcstern sources and thc influence of various . religions.
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 61
3.2 Indian Influence
Whilc discussing the various Indian factors, which influenced
Gandhiji's thoughts, his family was the first and foremost influence ol' his
early 1 ife. In the family, he was influenccd very much by his parents. Gandhi-ji
inherited much from his father, Kaba Gandhi. Hc learnt a lot from "his rich
experience of practical affairsf16 this helped him in solving many intricate
problcms oP social and political life on a practical basis. These influences
from his father helped him a lot to he a practical idealist. I Icnce he said, "I
am not a visionary. 1 claim to be a practical idealist".' Thus i'athcr's life and
ideas cast a considerable influence in Gandhiji's works and ideas. Gandhiji's
mother, lktl ibai, a lady of most devout t ernperamcnt, influenccd his religious
thoughts. She was deeply religious and never took meals without saying and
olfcring daily prayers. This way of lile influenced Gandhiji to practicc scl f-
restraint in his life. And moreover, thc basic tenets of Hinduism, Jainism and
Buddhism were Iirst infused into the mind oTGandhiji by his mother. Gandhiji /
lcarnzd the ' alpha7 olreligion from his mother which formed the loundation
of his religious ideas. l'he image of woman hc imbibed horn his mother was
that of love and sacrifice. About his rnolhcr, Gandhiji said, "my mother had
Early Life and Influence of Vahatma Gandhi 62
strong common ~ e n s e " . ~ His family nurse Kambha also influenced Gandhiji.
In his childhood day$ hc was used to be afraid of ghosts and spirits. That is
why Rambha suggested him lo repeat the namc of Kama. 'lhe repetition of
'Ramanama' helped him as a remedy for the fear of ghosts and evil spirits.
And moreover, the recitation of 'Ramanama', proved to him lo he an armour
in moments 01 crisis throughout his lifc. Gandhiji said: "I think it is duc to
the seed sown by that good woman Kambha, that today 'Ramanama' is an
infallible remedy for
Kasturba, the wile of Gandhiji has played an important role in his
pcrsonal 'life. IIcr tirelcss service, immeasurable restraint, infinite paticncc
and boundless lovc she won the hcart and mindof Gandhiji and broughl out
the highest potentials latent in his pcrsonality . Gandhiji lovcd his wife very
much. She became an indivisible part of his being. In the words of Gandhiji,
"Kasturba has hcen my mother, friend, nurse, cook, bottle washer and all
these things we have Lome to a reasonable understanding that 1 should havc
all thc honours and shc should have all the drudgcry"1° Thc book on 'Shravana
Pitribhakti Natak' intlucnced Gandhi to a great extent. IIe had said: "'l'his
book and the picture .lcit an indelible impression on my mind. '1Iere is an
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi
example for you to copy', I said to myself. lhe agonized lament o f thc
parents over Shravana's death is still fresh in my memory".ll 'lhe other strong
effect on Gandhiji's life was that of T-Tarishchandra's story. It captivated him
much. He had said, '.'Harishchimdra captured my heartn1? ITc further slid,
"Why should not all be truthful likc Harishchandra was the question I asked
mysell day and night. '1'0 follow truth and to go through all thc ordeals
Harishchandra went through was the one ideal i t inspircd in me"."
Harishchandra's story impressed Gandhiji' s thoughts and rcligion. Gandhiji 's
rcligion of truth had its source in that play like Harishchandra, Gandhiji also
suffcred h r preaching and practicing truthfulness. I Iis entire lifc was bascd
on truth and its application. The whole of his life may be summcd up as a
quest for truth or an experiment in truth. Gandhiji loved his country much
and thc major part of his lifc was spent for the sake of his country's upliftment.
Tle expressed his deep sanse of commitment to his nation without any
hesitation. He had said: "I am wedded to lndia because 1 owe my all to her.
I believe absolutely that she has a mission for all the world.' She is not io
copy Europe blindly. My life is dedicated to service of India through the
religion of non-violence". lJ Gandhiji had a great vision about his nation. For
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 64
him non-violcnce was his religion. He practiced non-violence as a way of
liPe in his enlirc public action. Gandhiji was also influenced by the teaching
of Jainism in his carly lile. Jainism preaches the wcll-known cxtreme view
of non-violence, which irnprcssed Gandhiji very much. Buddhism also
influenced him a lot. Gandhiji was a true disciple oP Buddha, adoptcd and
practiced the samc codc of morality for achieving 'rnokvha' or salvation.
And moreovcr, many religious books also influenced Gandhiji's thoughts
and idcas. Bhagavadgita ranked the first among them. Gandhiji said: "Thc
vers-s in the second chaptcr made a deep impression on my mind, and thcy
st ill ring in my ears. Thc book struck one as one of the priceless worth. The
impression has evc,r since bccn growing on me with the result that I regard it
today as the book par excellcnce fcr thc knowledgc of Truth. It has affirdcd
onc invaluable help in my moments of gloomfl.lS And moreover he had said:
"The Gita became an inlallible guide of conduct. I t became my dictionary of
daily reference"'" This statement clearly reveals the influence of Gita in
Gandhiji's life. It was a guide for him. He had found out solution in his life
in troubles. TTe had said: "When doubt haunts mc and when I see not onc ray
of light on the horizon, I turn to thc Bhagavadgita, and find a verse to comfort
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi
I
me" 17 . Hence, Gita was a comforter in his personal life. IIc used it as a
problem solver and guidc, and rnoreovcr he practiccd Gita in his pcrscnal
life. Gandhiji was also greatly influenced by the life and tcaching oP Swami
Vivekananda. Vivckananda's conception of 'Daridranarayan', the poor, as
God was adopted and practiced by Gandhiji himself. For Gandhiji servicc of +
the poor is the service of God. Service to the poor was the most important
thing for Gandhiji. Raychandbhai, a saintly Indian mcrchant and a
distinguished reformer of Bombay, cxcrcised a profound influence on
Gandhiji. Gandhiji said: "No one elsc has ever made on me the impression
that Kaychandbhai did" '! He also moulded Gandhiji's thoughts and ideas.
Gokhalc was the first Indian political leader who introduced thc
principles o l religion' in to public life and tried to spiritualize it. Gandhiji
was much influenced by him and acccpted Gokhale as his political 'Guru'.
Gandhiji had said: "My conception of a Guru is perhaps not of the ordinary.
Nothing but perfection will satisfy me. I am in search of one who though in
the flesh, is incorruptible and unmoved by passion, free horn thc pairs oT
opposites, who is Truth and Ahimsa incarnate and will therefore fear none
and bc feared by none"lO. The other great Indians who stimulated the young
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 66
mind of Gandhiji were Sir Pherozeshah and hkmanya Tilak. Gandhiji had
said: "Sir Pherozeshah had seemed to me like the Himalaya, the 1,okmanya
like the ocean. nut Gnkhalc was as thc Ganges.. O i ~ e could havc a refrcshing
bath in the holy river. 'lhc Himalaya was unsalable, and onc could not
easily launch forth on the sea. nut the Ganges invited one to its bosom""'.
Thus Gandhiji was influenccd by the grcat personalities ol India. His opinion
about the distinguished pcrsonalities ollndia clearly revcaled the opcn attitude
of Gandhiji. He acccpted and respected thc great personalities of India and
was willing to absorb thc good qualities from them.
3.3 Western Influence
The Western thinkcrs like 'l'olstoy, Ruskin, Thoreau, Soaates, Carlyle
and Emcrson also influenccd Gandhiji. Count Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) the
liussian writer and thinker influenced Ciandhi very much. Tolstoy by his
book '?'he Kingdom of God is within you' overwhelmed him very much.
Gandhiji said that it left an abiding impression on him. About the effccl of
the book on his lifc he wrote: "It was 40 ycars back, when I was passing
through a severe crisis o l scepticism and doubt that I came across his bot)k,
'The Kingdom of God is within you' and was deeply impressed by it. I vyas
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 67
at that timc a believcr in violence. Its reading curcd me of my skepticism and
made me a firm believer in Ahirnsa"". Ahimsa was thc fundamental principle
of Gandhiji 's entire lifc. It was for him not only a principle but for a way of
l ik . Rev. Joseph J. Doke, ihc first biographer of Gandhiji is of thc opinion
that thc miscellaneous writings of 'l'olstoy especially on ctliical, religious
and allicd problcms were traced out, read and digested by Gandhiji. Ilokc
calls him "a disciple of 'l'olstoy"". Tolstoy7s simplicity of life and purity of
purpose influenced Gandhiji very much. 'l'olstoy accepted love to be the law
of Life. The principle oP non-violencc is based on love for the eniirc mankind.
Both Tolstoy and Gandhiji adopted the instrument of love to solve all problcms
in their lives. And moreover, they- believed that non-violence could cure all
sociai maladies, rcmove political ills, and establish peace on carth and
goodwill among mankind.
Another Wcstem thinker who il~flu~nccd Gandhiji was Sohn Ruskin
(1819 - 1900). Hc was an author, social reformer, and art critic, in the last
half of the nineteenth century2". His book Unto This Lust was one of the
most decisivc influences of Gandhiji's lifc. In Gandhiji's own words, "'l'hc
book was impossible to lay aside, once 1 had begun it, i t gripped mc. I could
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 68
not get any sleep that nightvz4. The reading of this book had deep impact on
Gandhiji. And moreover, it translorrns his lire. Gandhiji wrotc: "Thc ;,nc
that brought about an instantaneous and practical transformation in my liPe
was 'Unto This Last'. 1 translated it later into Gujarati, entitling it 'Sarvodaya'
('lhc welfare of all). I belicve that 1 discovered some of my deepest convictions
rcllectcd in this grea&nok of Ruskin, and that is why it so capturcd me and
made mc transform my life"? Gandhiji changed his life in accordance with
the ideals of 'Unto This I ast ' and drcw from it thrce principles.
1. "That the good of the individual is contained in thc good o P all;
2. That a lawyer's work has thc same valuc as the barbcr's in as
much as all have the same right of earning thcir livelihood from
their work;
3.' That thc life of labour, i.e., the life of the tiller of the soil, and thc
handicraftsman is thc life worth living"2h.
Under the influence of Ruskin's 'Unto 'lhis Last' he equally believed
that differential wages should not be paid for intellectual work in prefcrcnce
Lo manual work since in~ellectual labour should not be treatcd as superior to
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 69
manual labour. After rcading 'Unto This Last' Gandhi was convinced of the u
need that one must earn his hrcad by thc sweat of his brow or by performing
brcad labour.
Henry David 'lborcau (181 7 -1862), the American writer, poet and
philosopher also impressed Gandhiji very much. Gandhiji rcad ' T h o r e a ~ ' ~
Civil Disobedience with grcat interest while hc was in jail as a result of
satyagraha campaign in South Africa. The rcading of thc essay 'Civil
Disobedicnce' greatly iniluenccd Gandhiji's movements. He had said: "'lhcrc
is no doubt that Thoreau's idea greatly influenced my movcment in Indiaz7.
Thus Thoreauvian influence on Gandhiji was so deep and powerful in many
respcsts. 'l'hhe ancient'philosopher Socrates (470 - 399 B.C.) has exercised
an incalculable influence on Gandhiji as a satyagrahi, and moreover a sccker
after truth. Both of them were spiritualists and idealists. rl'hotnas Carl ylc
(1795 - 1881) an cssayis: and historian of cminence influenced Gandhiji
very much. During his stay in I mdon as a student Gandhi-ji rcad Carlyle's
monumental work on I Icroes, Hero-worship, and the Heroic in History. Whilc
in jail he read Carlyle's French Kevolz4tion and that book confirmed the
glory ol' non-violencc in his mind.
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 70
Gandhiji waq also influenccd by Ralph Waldo Emcrson (I803 - 1882).
1 Ic waq an American and a radical transcendentalist. Gandhiji had read about
Emcrson during his second term of imprisonment in South Africa. Alicr
reading Emerson's essays, he wrotc to his son on March 25,1909 which was
"Emerson, Ruskin and Mazzins all conlirrn the view that education docs not
mean a knowledgc of letters but it means character buildingZR. For Gandhiji,
education is a means ,of character formation. Character determines whciher
a pcrson is litcrate or illiterate. Education is a tool for character formation.
3.4 Religious Influence
Gandhiji was also influenced by various religions of the world such
as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism and Buddhism.
In Ilinduism, Gandhiji oftcn called himself a Sanatan Hindu, a
Vedantist. He Pinds solace, a Kamadhenu in the Gita. Gita is the sacrcd book
of Hinduism. The vcrscs in the second chapter of Gita made a deep impression
on Gandhiji's inind. He had said: "The book struck me as one of pricclcss
worth. The impression has ever sincc been growing on me with the result
that I rcgard it today as the book par excellence for the knowledge o1''Fruth.
It has afforded me invaluable help in my moments of gloom"24. And moreover,
Early life and Lnfluence of Mahatma Gandhi 71
hc reveals: "The teachings ofthe Gita becamc an infallible guide 01 conduct.
It bccame my dictionary of daily rePercn~e"~O. 'lhis statement clearly revcalcd
the decp influence of Gita in Gandhiji 's life. Every moment of Gandhi ji 's
life is a conscious cffort to live the mcssage of thc Gita; No other book
inll~cnced him so deeply as the study of the nhagavad Gita. Gandhiji was
also greatly influenckd by thc life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda.
Vivekananda's conccpt of Daridranar~~yun influenced him very much. The
conccpt of poor as God, was adoptcd, elaborated and practiced by Gandhiji
himsdf. He had said; "llaridranarayan is one of the millions of names by
which humanity knows Ciod who is unnameable and unfathomable by human
understanding, and it mcans God of he poor, God appearing in the hearts of
the poor"''. Gandhiji loved the poor vcry much and moreover, service lo thc
poor was the most important thing for Gandhiji. He dedicated thc major
portions o l his life to thc service of the poor and his belief was that thc
service oP thc poor is thc service of God.
As for Islam, Gandhiji declared that in his vicw, 'the point of
brothcrhood is manifested in other religions as clearly as in Islam'. According
to Gandhiji, the chief contribution of Islam has been the brothcrhood o l
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 72
man. Hoth Muhammad and Gandhiji were men of action. The reading of the
Koran has convinccd Gandhiji that the basis of Islam is not.violencc. I Ie had
said: "The very word Islam means peacc which is non-violence. 'Ihe sword
is no emblem of Islam"'?. 1 Tcnce Gandhiji was grcatly influenccd by the
concept of non-violencc in Islam. Islam stands for peacc. Gandhiji was also
inllucnced by Christianity very much. During his student days in London,
he read thc Bible. In Bible, the New l'estamcnt influenccd Gandhiji much
especially thc S e r m o ~ on the Mount. About it Gandhiji had said: "The Ncw
'l'estament produced a dil-fcrcrent impression especially the sermon on the mount
which went straight to my heart. I compared it with thc Gita"32. O n many
occasions, Gandhiji fou~td consolation and dcrked inspiration and strc~lgth
from the Bible. For Gandhiji, Jesus Christ represcnted the purcst form 01
passive resistance or soul force; and Jesus was the king of satyagrahis.
Gandhiji said: "Christ died on thc cross with a crown of thorns on his hcad
M
defying thc might of a whole empire. h d if I raise resistance of a non-
violent character, I simply and humbly follow in the footsteps ol' thc grcat
Gandhiji often appraised Jesus as a great teacher, and as a saviour
of humanity. Gandhiji dedicated his whole life towards the service of
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 73
humanity which he owcd much to Christian influence. Jainism also cast a
dccp impression on thc ethico-religious life of Gandhiji. Both Jainism and
Buddhism preached thc virtue of Ahimsa (non-violence) in India long ago.
Buddhism emphasized the non-killing oi' animal 1 ife and non-injury to mcn.
Jair~ism proceeds a step further and prescribes non-killing of animal lile,
cven ol' thc smallest insect. Gandhiji acccpted this cthics ol nun-violencc of'
both Jainism and Buddhism to every sphere of his life. Jaina philosophy
accepts and advocates non-violence (Ahimsa) as the highest label ollili: and
as thc means of attaining l iberation (Moksha). For Gandhij i non-violcocc
(Ahimsa) was thc highest idcal of lifc and as thc means of attaining sclf-
realization (moksha). Gandhiji was also influenced by many Parsi peoplc of
his time. Dadabhai Naoroji influenced Gandhiji very much. During his stay
in lrmdon as a student Ciandhiji was much impressed by the speech md
personality of Naoroji. l'he lectures delivered by Naoroji were ol immc~~se
benefit to him. Gandhiji wrote: 'whenever an address by him was announced,
I would attend it, listen to him from a corner oP thc hall and go away alter
having feasted my eyes and ears"35.
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 74
3.5 Conclusion
Gandhiji was oP course, very much influenced by thi: Indian, wcsLern
and religious sourccs. Fq'or Gandhiji, home life was the first and Porcmost
influcnce in his early life. I Iis parents inllucnced him much. They wcrc
cultured and as per prevailing Indian standards, werc well to do. And
morcover, the notable thing is that all the mcmbers of his lamily inllucnced
him at various levels. Even thc housemaid inllucnced him much. Gandhiji's
father and mother, both of them played an important rolc in his carly lire,
espcciall y the mothcr, Putlibhai madc a spiritual foundation in his life. Thus
the mother had played an important role in their children's spiritual life. 1 icr
daily Iifc must be very careful as the speech and deed of mothcr grea1.1~
influence the child re^. They have a tendency to imitate their parents evcry
movement. I l e n e family is said to bc the great school and mothcr, the bcst
teachcr. Gandhiji absorbed thc goodncss of all religions with regard to his
idea of communal harmony and it helped him to be a man o f morality and a
firm belicver in God. 'l'hc concept of 'l'ruth and non-violencc he imbiOcd
from the rcl igions Ruddhism, Jainism, Hinduism and Christianity. Gandhiji
is kiiown Lo the world as a brave man, a man of simple and austere living,
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 75
and a seekcr after truth cannot be the product a£ one or two circumstances.
But he was rather a man of varied influences. His personality was a resul! of
various sources of influences in his life. Gandhiji himself said: "1 havc learnt
from the New Teslamcnt as also from other sourccs"". According to I'rot'.
D.M. Dutta, "A variety of experiences gradually shaped Gandhij i ' s ideasm3?
and moreover, S.M.17iwari, a scholar of (;andhian thought remarks; "llis
(Gandhiji's) teaching drew its inspiration from the sages of almost all lands
and agesM3" These statements clcarly revealed the fact that Fandhiji was
influenced by many sourccs and which helped him to mould his personaiity
and ideals in a proper way.
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 76
REFERENCES
M . K. Gand hi; An Autobiography The Story of my Ekperiments with Truth
(Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmeda bad, 1969, p. 3, 5.
Geoffrey Ashe, Gandhi: A Studyin Revolution, William Heinemann Ltd. London,
Ibid., p. 46.
D.K.Dutta, Social, oral and Religious Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Intellectual
Book Corner, 23, Daryaganj, Pratap Gats, New Delhi, p. 18.
Ibid., p. 20
M.K.Gandhi, An Autobiography, op. cit., p. 2.
R. K.Prabhu and U.R.Rao, The Mind of Mahatma Gand hi, Oxford University Press,
Mzdras, 1946, p. 48.
* M.K.Gandhi, An Autobiography, op. cit., p. 3.
W.K.Gandhi, My Religion, Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1958, p. 6.
'* D.G.Tendulkar; Mahatma, Vol. 11, Publication Division Government of
India, New Delhi, p. 298.
M.K.Gandhi, An Autobiography, op. cit., p. 4.
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 77
l2 Ibid., p 4
l3 Ib id . p.4.
l4 M.K.Gandhi, India of my Dreams, Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad,
l5 M.K.Gandhi, My Religion, Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1958, r3.9.
l6 Ibid., p. 16.
17 R.K.Prabhu and U.R.Rao, The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi, Navajivan Publishing
House, Ahmedabad, 1969, p. 94.
l8 M.K.Gandhi, An Autobiography, op, cit., p. 113.
lg N.B.Sen, Wit and Wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi, New Book Society of India,
New Delhi, 1960, p.115.
20 M.K.Gandhi, An Autobiography, op. cit., p. 133.
21 M.i<.Gandhi, An Autobiography, op. cit., p. 102.
22 Young India Sept. 20, 1928, p. 319.
23 1.3.~oke, An Indian Patriot in South Africa, Sarvaseva Sangh Prakashan,
Varanasi, 1959,p, 4.
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 78
24 Jaladhar Pal, The Moral Philosophy of Gandhi; Gyan Publishing House, New
Delhi, p. 25.
25 M.K.Gandhi, An Autobiography, op. cit., p. 224.
27 Ibid., p, 224.
2E R.R.Diwakar, Gandhi's Life, Thought and Philosophy, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
Bombay, 1963, p. 47,48.
29 The collected works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. IX, Publications Division,
government of India, 1963, p. 208.
j0 M.K.Gandhi, My Religion, op. cit., p. 9.
31 Ibid., p.16.
32 U.S.Mohan Rao, The message of Mahatma Gandhi, Publication Division, Ministry
of Information and Broadcasting, Government of, India, New Del hi, 1968, p. 46.
33 N.B.Sen, Wit and Wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi, New Book Society of India, New
Delhi, 1960, p. 134.
34 M . K. Ga nd h i; An Autobiography The Story of my Experiments with Truth
(Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, 1969, p. 49.
Early Life and Influence of Mahatma Gandhi 79
35 The Collected works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. XVIII, Publications Division,
Government of India, Delhi, p. 408.
3b M.K.Gandhi, An Autobiography, op. cit., p. 58.
37 M.K.Gandhi, In Search of the Supreme, Vol. 11, Navajivan Publishing Hoi~se,
Ahmedabad, 1961, p. 223.
38 D.M.Dutta, The Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, The University of Wisconsin
Press, Madison, 1953, p. 3.