Wellington denahan norris biography of mahatma gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi, born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on October 2, , in Porbandar, India, was a pivotal leader in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule. He became renowned for his philosophy of non-violent resistance, which he termed "Satyagraha," advocating for social justice and civil rights while promoting peace and harmony.

Gandhi's early experiences in South Africa shaped his understanding of discrimination, leading him to confront color prejudice and fight for the rights of Indian immigrants. His commitment to civil disobedience and non-cooperation galvanized millions of Indians, making him a symbol of resistance and hope for oppressed peoples globally. Throughout his life, Gandhi emphasized values such as simplicity, self-reliance, and communal harmony.

He famously rejected British goods, encouraged the production of homespun cloth, and led significant movements like the Salt March in , which protested unjust salt laws. His dietary choices, including vegetarianism and fasting, reflected his spiritual beliefs and commitment to non-violence, further cementing his role as a moral leader.

Despite his efforts to unite diverse religious communities in India, his assassination in by a Hindu extremist highlighted the deep divisions within the country. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, served as a chief minister, while his mother, Putlibai, was a deeply religious woman who instilled values of spirituality and non-violence in him.

Initially, Gandhi was a timid and somewhat unremarkable student, struggling with confidence and societal expectations. Despite aspirations to become a doctor, family pressures guided him towards the legal profession, leading him to England in to study law. Gandhi's time in London was marked by his struggle to adapt to Western culture, alongside a growing commitment to vegetarianism and a deeper exploration of various religious philosophies.

This period was transformative for Gandhi, as he began to embrace values aligned with Jainism and Hinduism, including non-violence and simplicity. Returning to India in after his studies, he faced challenges as a lawyer, including a humiliating experience in court that accelerated his journey toward civil rights advocacy. This foundational stage in Gandhi's life ignited his passion for justice, which would later define his leadership in India's non-violent independence movement against British rule.

Till , it was the moderate phase of the struggle for the Indians in South Africa. During this time, Gandhi concentrated on petitioning and sending memorials to the legislatures, the colonial secretary in London, and the British parliament. The failure of moderate methods led to the second phase of the struggle, civil disobedience or the Satyagraha.

He started two settlements- the Phoenix settlement in Durban and the Tolstoy farm in Johanessburg for helping the needy and initiate a communal living tradition. His first notable resistance was against the law passed by the government, making it compulsory for Indians to take out certifications of registrations that held their fingerprints and was compulsory to carry it on the person at all times.

Gandhi formed a Passive Resistance Association against this. Gandhi and his followers were jailed. Later the government agreed to withdraw the law if Indians voluntarily registered. They were tricked into the registrations and they protested again by publicly burning their certificates. Gandhi and others were jailed and sentenced to hard physical labour.

Gokhale and Gandhi met at Durban and established a good relationship. The movement against the law invalidating marriages not conducted according to Christian rites brought out many Indian women onto the movement. Gandhi launched a final mass movement of over men, women, and children. They were jailed and forced into miserable conditions and hard labour.

This caused the whole Indian community in South Africa to rise on strike. In India, Gokhale worked to make the public aware of the situation in South Africa which led the then Viceroy Hardinge to call for an inquiry into the atrocities. Mahatma Gandhi became the undisputed leader of the National Movement. His principles of nonviolence and Satyagraha were employed against the British government.

Gandhi made the nationalist movement a mass movement. He then established an ashram in Ahmedabad to settle his phoenix family. He first took up the cause of indentured labour in India thus continuing his fight in South Africa to abolish it. Gandhiji joined the Indian National Congress and was introduced to Indian issues and politics and Gokhale became his political Guru.

Germany had inflicted a crushing defeat on both the British and French troops in France. The British army required reinforcements urgently and they looked to India for participation. Viceroy Chelmsford had invited various Indian leaders to attend a war conference. Gandhi was also invited and he went to Delhi to attend the conference. He undertook a recruitment campaign in Kaira district, Gujarat.

He again believed that support from Indians will make the British government look at their plight sympathetically after the war. Champaran Satyagraha, Kheda Satyagraha, and Ahmedabad Mill Strike were the early movements of Gandhi before he was elevated into the role of a national mass leader. Champaran Satyagraha of was the first civil disobedience movement organized by Gandhiji.

Rajkumar Shukla asked Gandhi to look into the problems of the Indigo planters. Gandhi organized passive resistance or civil disobedience against the tinkatiya system. Finally, the authorities relented and permitted Gandhi to make inquiries among the peasants. After 5 days, the leaders agreed to stop killing. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.

Gandhi said his great aim in life was to have a vision of God. He sought to worship God and promote religious understanding. He sought inspiration from many different religions: Jainism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and incorporated them into his own philosophy. On several occasions, he used religious practices and fasting as part of his political approach.

Gandhi felt that personal example could influence public opinion. Supplication, worship, prayer are no superstition; they are acts more real than the acts of eating, drinking, sitting or walking. It is no exaggeration to say that they alone are real, all else is unreal. Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. Last updated 1 Feb Interesting and unusual facts about Mahatma Gandhi.

Hindus — Famous Hindus from the era of the Mahabharata to modern day India. Indians of the Independence Movement. He stood out in his time in history. Non violence as he practised it was part of his spiritual learning usedvas a political tool. I just dipped into this ti find out about the salt march. Gandhi was a lawyer who did not make a good impression as a lawyer.

His success and influence was mediocre in law religion and politics. He rose to prominence by chance.

Wellington denahan norris biography of mahatma gandhi

He was neither a good lawyer or a leader circumstances conspired at a time in history for him to stand out as an astute leader both in South Africa and in India. The British were unable to control the tidal wave of independence in all the countries they ruled at that time. The iconic Indian activist, known for his principle of nonviolent resistance, had humble beginnings and left an outsized legacy.

As part of his nonviolent non-cooperation campaign for home rule, Gandhi stressed the importance of economic independence for India. He particularly advocated the manufacture of khaddar, or homespun cloth, in order to replace imported textiles from Britain. Invested with all the authority of the Indian National Congress INC or Congress Party , Gandhi turned the independence movement into a massive organization, leading boycotts of British manufacturers and institutions representing British influence in India, including legislatures and schools.

After sporadic violence broke out, Gandhi announced the end of the resistance movement, to the dismay of his followers. British authorities arrested Gandhi in March and tried him for sedition; he was sentenced to six years in prison but was released in after undergoing an operation for appendicitis. In , after British authorities made some concessions, Gandhi again called off the resistance movement and agreed to represent the Congress Party at the Round Table Conference in London.

In , Gandhi announced his retirement from politics in, as well as his resignation from the Congress Party, in order to concentrate his efforts on working within rural communities. Drawn back into the political fray by the outbreak of World War II , Gandhi again took control of the INC, demanding a British withdrawal from India in return for Indian cooperation with the war effort.