Mahatma GandhiMohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer who became the primary leader of India's independence movement. Better known as Mahatma Gandhi, he not only led India to independence from British rule but also inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world in several other countries. Best remembered for his employment of nonviolent means of civil disobedience, he led Indians in the Dandi Salt March to protest against the British-imposed salt tax and launched the Quit India Movement, a mass protest demanding "an orderly British withdrawal" from India. Born into a religious family in British India, he was raised by parents who emphasized on religious tolerance, simplicity and strong moral values. As a young man he went to England to study law and later started working in South Africa. There he witnessed rampant acts of racism and discrimination which angered him greatly. He spent over two decades in South Africa over the period of which he developed a strong sense of social justice, and led several social campaigns. Upon his return to India he became active in the Indian Independence Movement, ultimately leading his motherland to independence from the British rule. He was also a social activist who campaigned for women’s rights, religious tolerance, and reduction of poverty.

Mohandas Gandhi was born, 1869, in Porbandar, India. Mohandas was from the social cast of tradesmen. His mother was illiterate, but her common sense and religious devotion had a lasting impact on Gandhi’s character. As a youngster, Mohandas was a good student, but the shy young boy displayed no signs of leadership. On the death of his father, Mohandas travelled to England to gain a degree in law. He became involved with the Vegetarian society and was once asked to translate the Hindu Bhagavad Gita. This epic of Hindu literature awakened in Gandhi a sense of pride in the Indian scriptures, of which the Gita was the pearl.

Around this time, he also studied the Bible and was struck by the teachings of Jesus Christ – especially the emphasis on humility and forgiveness. He remained committed to the Bible and Bhagavad Gita throughout his life, though he was critical of aspects of both religions.

He was both one of the most successful Leaders of the century, and, by his own standards, one of the least successful. He was charismatic, but he was also deliberate and analytical. Gandhi was very much a product of his times, yet one of his greatest sources of inspiration was the Bhagavad-Gita, written thousands of years ago. He was a politician, a writer, an intellectual and an orator. Without doubt he was a very complex man, but a man who believed in simple things.

Biodata

Childhood & Early Life

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 to a Hindu Modh Baniya family in Porbandar, then part of Kathiawar Agency, in British Indian Empire. His father Karamchand Uttamchand Gandhi worked as the diwan (chief minister) of Porbandar state. His mother Putlibai was Karamchand’s fourth wife. Mohandas had two elder half-sisters and three elder siblings.

His mother was an extremely religious lady who had a great influence on the young Mohandas. However as he grew up, he developed a rebellious streak and defied many of his family norms. He started drinking alcohol and eating meat which were activities strictly prohibited in his traditional Hindu family.

He was a mediocre student in school though he occasionally won prizes and scholarships. He passed the matriculation examination of the University of Bombay in 1887 and enrolled at the Samaldas College in Bhavnagar.

In 1888, he received the opportunity to study law at the Inner Temple in London. Thus he left the Samaldas College and sailed to England in August. There he studied law and jurisprudence with the intention of becoming a barrister.

While in England he was once again drawn towards his childhood values which he had renounced as a teenager. He became involved with the vegetarian movement and met members of the Theosophical Society who kindled his interest in religion.

He completed his studies successfully and was called to the bar in June 1891. He then returned to India.

Achievements

Rabindranath Tagore, a great Indian polymath, accorded the title of “Mahatma” (meaning “high-souled" or “venerable" in Sanskrit), to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

‘Time’ magazine named Gandhi the Man of the Year in 1930. Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times between 1937 and 1948 though he

was never awarded the prize. The Nobel Committee publicly declared its regret for the omission decades later.

Gandhi was a successful lawyer with a law office in South Africa. Gandhi led a 200 mile Salt March so that the people of India could make and gather their own

salt. His goal was for the people of India not to buy salt from the British. Gandhi went on a 21 day fast to protest against the war between the Muslims and the Hindus

and also to protest against Great Britain no allowing India to be free. The greatest accomplishment of Gandhi was his life-long fight for the independence of India.

His dream for his country's independence finally became reality on August 15, 1947.

Studies

A Student of Law in England

Karamchand Gandhi died in the year 1885, leaving little property for his family. In 1887, Mohandas completed his matriculation and left for England to study law. He lived in London, where he found the life strange and difficult to adjust to. Although he adopted English dress and took dancing and violin lessons, he was nevertheless quite unsuccessful in conforming to the British mode of life. His friends tried to compel him to eat meat but he abstained, adhering very rigidly to a vegetarian diet. He joined vegetarian clubs and very soon became a champion of vegetarianism. It was in fact in England where Gandhiji’s experiments in diet began.

A transformation in Gandhiji’s life and character now began to take place. His heart ached deeply for religion. He was inspired by meetings with Madame Blavatsky and Annie Besant. He read their books on Theosophy and read the Bible. He was impressed by the similarity of the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount and the Gita. He began reading the Gita only during his second year in London, and in it found the comfort and solace he sought.

Gandhiji studied French, Latin and science. He was called to the Bar in 1891, after which he at once sailed for India. On his return to his native land he began to study Indian Law. At Rajkot he established a moderately successful practice. While there, he was insulted by a political agent, a British officer who was prejudiced against Gandhiji’s brother. This insult changed the course of his life, inspiring him with the desire to learn something about the politics his of country.

Leadership characteristics

1. Faith in self-Mahatma Gandhi wasn’t a great orator, didn’t had a very attractive physique, lived a life of simplicity and avoided limelight as much as he could, but still he is regarded as one of the Greatest persons to have ever walked on earth. The reason is he always believed in himself. He believed that he has a great responsibility to free his country and he had complete faith in himself. He knew he’d a play a significant role in the freedom of India and so he did. His faith in himself triggered the faith of millions of Indians in him.

2. Learning from mistakes-Mahatma Gandhi wasn’t perfect from the beginning. When he was child, he lied he stole, and he fought and was too much after material things. Not all his actions were praised around the globe. Some of his actions were condemned in his own land. He made mistakes throughout his life but he never made the same mistake twice. He failed but he learned from it and achieved success.

3. Resistance & Persistence-It was very tough to lead the Independence movement of a huge country such as India and that too with non-violence and against the violent and cruel British army. Gandhi was beaten a lot of times, a lot of times he was left alone, bleeding and lying on the ground and sometimes it seemed that he won’t see the sun, next day but each day and each time he faced the opposition, he resisted, he persisted and he got through all the opposition.

4. Forgiveness-Mahatma Gandhi was thrown into jail, beaten on the roads; many people conspired about his death and tried to assassinate him. But he forgave them all. He always forgave the people that might have hurt him in any way.