MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI
1869 - 1948

According to Historian William L. Shirer, Gandhi spent a total of six and a half years of his life in prison: 2,089 days in India, and 249 days in South Africa. Yet, he is recognized as the father of his country. What's the story?

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi lived from 1869 until 1948. Gandhi means grocer in the Gujarati language. That's the language they speak in Gujarat, Gandhi's home state. His byname was Mahatma, which means Great Soul in Sanskrit (What in the world is Sanskrit?). They also called him bapu, which means Little Father. Gandhi managed to become 78 years old and was then assassinated.

His life was made into a movie - Gandhi, 1982.

History remembers him as great political and spiritual leader of India. He became famous for his nonviolent campaigns of civil disobedience.

EARLY YEARS
Gandhi grew up in the state of Gujarat in northwest India. He was brought up as a Hindu but developed a vast interest in religion. He spent the years 1888 until 1891 in England. He graduated in London as a barrister-at-law. His work brought him to Natal, South Africa, where he became a successful lawyer and fought racial prejudice against the Indian minority in the country.

BACK IN INDIA
When India was under British jurisdiction, Gandhi became famous for his nonviolent campaigns of civil disobedience. For these activities Gandhi was arrested innumerable times by the British authorities. When they arrested him on a Monday he, of course, wouldn't say a word, as Monday was his day of silence.

Back in India, his fight against injustice included the boycott of British manufactures and institutions. Mass arrests followed and people cheerfully went to prison.

Gandhi later concentrated on a national education program against poverty, promoting the trades of hand spinning and weaving.

Gandhi promoted a "Back to the roots" program for India.
He gave up Western ways, began wearing a loincloth and shawl,
and started spinning.

One of his most spectacular campaigns was his 200 mile march to extract salt from the sea. This was to show his protest against British tax on salt.

Gandhi led India in a nonviolent fight against British rule.

One of the saddest things for Gandhi to swallow was the constant trouble between Hindus and Muslims in India. When India was finally freed from British rule, the country was split at the same time into Pakistan and India. Gandhi skipped the "Freedom from the Brits" party. He couldn't attend, he was too sad.

GANDHI'S FAMILY
His parents were Karamchand and Putlibai Gandhi. He was married to his wife, Kasturba, when both were 13 years of age. Kasturba died February 22, 1944, at the age of seventy-four, while in detention at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune. Gandhi had four sons: Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas, and Devdas. Gandhi had three siblings. Two brothers, Laxmidas and Karsandas, and one sister, Raliatbehn.

GANDHI'S ASSASSINATION
On his way to his evening prayer in Delhi on January 30, 1948, he was shot down by Nathuram Godse, a young Hindu, who was angered by Gandhi's tolerant attitude towards Muslims. Thirty-nine year old Godse put three bullets into Gandhi's chest and Gandhi died on the spot. Godse and several accomplices got arrested and Godse himself was hanged November 15, 1949. More about Nathuram Godse here.

GANDHI'S CONTEMPORARIES
Among others, Gandhi's contemporaries were Theodore Roosevelt, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Winston Churchill, and Martin Luther King, Jr., who was inspired by Gandhi's satyagraha campaigns.

Satyagraha has been translated as holding to the truth or zeal for truth.

GANDHI'S WRITINGS
Gandhi was a prolific writer. The collected edition of his writings comprises almost 100 volumes. This is his autobiography: Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth

MAHATMA GANDHI TRIVIA
People remember the beginning of Gandhi's non-violent resistance in South Africa, which took place a hundred years ago. Read more... Here is the article on the matter provided by The Hindu, India's National Newspaper.

Here you can see a photo of a statue of Gandhi in New Delhi and follow a discussion about renaming the city after Gandhi.

Ghandhi's grandson, Arun Gandhi, and his wife, Sunanda, started the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in 1991.

Another one of Ghandi's grandsons, Rajmohan Gandhi, wrote another biography on Mahatma. The book is called Mohandas - A True Story of a Man, his People and an Empire, and it was published January 2007. More info provided by Penguin Books India.

You could qualify for the Gandhi Peace Award, as Eleanor Roosevelt did.

Mahatma Gandhi Timeline

Here the Swedes explain why Gandhi never received the Nobel Peace Prize (oops.)

GANDHI A MEMOIR (A Touchstone book)
By William L. Shirer. Simon and Schuster, New York, 255 pages. William actually met Gandhi live and in 3D. He also met Martin Luther King Jr and others. Thus, the book has a very lively touch to it. All thumbs up. More about William L. Shirer here.