Personal Information
- Place of Birth: Porbandar, Gujarat, India (October 2, 1869)
- Place of Death: New Delhi, India (January 30, 1948)
- Nationality: India
- Era: Indian Independence Movement (1915–1947), British Colonial Period
Summary
Biography
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, born October 2, 1869, in Porbandar to a Vaishnava family, trained as a lawyer in London before facing racial discrimination in South Africa (1893–1914), where he developed satyagraha—non-violent resistance—leading campaigns against pass laws and indenture. Returning to India in 1915 under Gopal Krishna Gokhale's mentorship, he launched Champaran Satyagraha (1917) for indigo farmers, Kheda (1918) against taxes, and Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918), earning national stature.
Mass Movements and Leadership
Gandhi transformed Congress into a mass organization, launching Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–1922) boycotting British goods, schools, and titles alongside Khilafat support, suspended after Chauri Chaura violence. Civil Disobedience began with Dandi Salt March (1930), defying salt monopoly, leading to 60,000 arrests and global attention; Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) followed. Individual satyagraha (1940) protested war involvement; Quit India Movement (1942) demanded "Do or Die" immediate freedom, met with mass arrests amid WWII hardships.
Social Reforms and Partition
Gandhi championed untouchability removal (Harijan campaign), women's empowerment, village self-sufficiency via charkha (spinning wheel), and interfaith harmony, fasting against 1946–1947 communal riots despite opposing partition. Independence came August 15, 1947, with India-Pakistan division, which he lamented, undertaking fasts for peace.
Assassination and Principles
On January 30, 1948, Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse assassinated Gandhi at Birla House for perceived Muslim appeasement; his last words were "Hey Ram". Satyagraha emphasized moral means for ends, influencing global leaders like Martin Luther King Jr..
Legacy
Gandhi's non-violence secured independence without widespread violence, though critiqued for delaying tactics; his ideals shaped Constitution's Directive Principles. For Veergatha, he represents freedom fighters with moral leadership, complementing warriors like Shivaji.
Major Achievements of Mahatma Gandhi
- Developed satyagraha in South Africa, applied in Champaran (1917), Kheda (1918).
- Led Non-Cooperation (1920), mass boycotts uniting Hindus-Muslims.
- Organized Dandi Salt March (1930), sparking Civil Disobedience.
- Launched Quit India (1942), accelerating British withdrawal.
- Fought untouchability, promoted swadeshi and communal harmony.
- Inspired global non-violence movements post-independence.
