Mohandas Gandhi wasan Indian

nationalist.

He was alsoa nonviolent

activist.

Gandhi believed in satyagrahaor truth-force. He believed thatgoodness ultimately prevailed.

Gandhi believed that peoplewere fundamentally good. When people acted badly, it was out of ignorance.

Nonviolent action producedchange without increasinghatred.

Gandhi organized a boycottof British cloth. He encouragedIndians to stop buying foreigngoods.

It was better for Indians to maketheir own clothing than putmoney into the pockets of Imperialists.

If imperialism was not profitable,the imperialists would leaveIndia.

Gandhi also encouraged Indiansto engage in civil disobedience.

Civil disobedience is to deliberatelybreak an unjust law. It is anintentional noncooperation withinjustice.

Gandhi believed it was betterto be imprisoned than tocooperate with injustice.

Of course, it is difficult to governa colony where the colonialsubjects refuse to obey the laws.

During the Salt March, Gandhiand his followers marched to the sea.

They marched to the sea to make salt. It was against thelaw to make salt.

Thousands of Indians wereimprisoned.

Slowly, the British began to realize that it was time toleave India.

But before the British left India,they partitioned or divided thesubcontinent.

They created Pakistan for Indian Muslims and Indiafor a Hindu majority.

Indian Muslims believed thatthey would not be safe in aHindu-dominated society.

Terrible rioting ensued asmillions of Indians movedacross borders.

Jawaharlal Nehru became thefirst prime minister of anindependent India.

Nehru pursued a policy ofnonalignment or neutralityduring the Cold War.