Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian independence activist and leader who was the primary leader of India’s non-violent, non-cooperative independence movement against British colonial rule. He was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India, and assassinated on January 30, 1948. He is also known as the “Father of the Nation” in India.
Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence and civil disobedience, which he called satyagraha, helped India to gain independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He was also an advocate for Indian self-rule and the Swaraj movement, which sought to empower the Indian people through economic self-sufficiency and political self-rule.
Gandhi was a deeply spiritual person, and his religious and philosophical beliefs played a central role in his political activism. He advocated for the unity of all religions and believed that all people were equal. He was also a strong advocate for social justice, particularly for the rights of the poor and marginalized.
Gandhi’s legacy continues to inspire political and social activists around the world. His birthday, October 2nd is celebrated as the International Day of Nonviolence.
Mahatma Gandhi family
Mahatma Gandhi came from a Hindu family. He was the youngest of four sons born to Karamchand Gandhi and Putlibai Gandhi. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, was the chief minister (diwan) of the Indian state of Porbandar and later of Rajkot. His mother, Putlibai Gandhi, was a deeply religious woman and had a great influence on Gandhi’s life and beliefs.
Gandhi had four siblings, two older brothers, Laxmidas and Karsandas, and an older sister, Raliatbehn. He was married at the age of 13 to Kasturba Makhanji, who he had four children with Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas, and Devdas.
Gandhi’s family was part of the Bania caste, which is considered to be part of the merchant or trader class in India. He was brought up in a traditional Indian household and was raised in an environment where religious traditions and customs were deeply ingrained.
What did Mahatma Gandhi stand for?
Mahatma Gandhi stood for a variety of principles and ideals throughout his life, many of which were rooted in his religious and philosophical beliefs. Some of the most notable principles that he stood for include:
- Nonviolence: Gandhi is best known for his philosophy of nonviolence, which he called satyagraha. He believed that nonviolence was the most powerful and effective weapon in the struggle for freedom and justice. He advocated for peaceful resistance, civil disobedience, and non-cooperation as a means of achieving political goals.
- Self-rule: Gandhi was an advocate for Indian self-rule and the Swaraj movement, which sought to empower the Indian people through economic self-sufficiency and political self-rule. He believed that true independence could only be achieved when the Indian people were able to govern themselves.
- Equality: Gandhi believed that all people were equal and that discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, or gender was unacceptable. He advocated for the rights of the oppressed and marginalized, including the Dalits (formerly known as “untouchables”) and the poor.
- Religious harmony: Gandhi was a deeply spiritual person and believed that all religions were equal. He advocated for the unity of all religions and believed that religion should be used as a force for good in the world.
- Simplicity and self-reliance: Gandhi believed in living a simple and self-reliant lifestyle, and advocated for simplicity and self-reliance as a means of achieving economic and political freedom.
- civil rights and freedom: Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence and civil disobedience inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He was a role model for many civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela.
These are some of the most notable principles that Mahatma Gandhi stood for, but he touched many other aspects of society and politics, his legacy and teachings continue to be studied and celebrated around the world.
How did Gandhi change the world?
Mahatma Gandhi, through his philosophy of nonviolence and civil disobedience, played a crucial role in India’s independence from British colonial rule and inspired political movements for civil rights and freedom around the world. Some of the ways in which he changed the world include:
- India’s independence: Gandhi was the leader of India’s non-violent, non-cooperative independence movement against British colonial rule. He organized and led various campaigns and protests, including the non-cooperation movement of 1920-22 and the Salt March of 1930, which helped to weaken the British hold on India and ultimately led to the country’s independence in 1947.
- Nonviolence and civil disobedience: Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence and civil disobedience, which he called satyagraha, became a model for political activists around the world. His methods of peaceful resistance and non-cooperation were influential in the civil rights movement in the United States, the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, and other movements for freedom and justice.
- Religious harmony: Gandhi was an advocate for religious harmony and believed that all religions were equal. He worked to promote understanding and cooperation between different religious communities in India, and his message of religious unity continues to inspire people around the world.
- Social justice: Gandhi was an advocate for social justice, particularly for the rights of the poor and marginalized. He worked to improve the lives of the Dalits (formerly known as “untouchables”) and other oppressed groups in India, and his message of equality and empowerment continues to inspire people around the world.
- Simplicity and self-reliance: Gandhi believed in living a simple and self-reliant lifestyle, and advocated for simplicity and self-reliance as a means of achieving economic and political freedom. His message of simplicity, self-reliance and sustainability continues to inspire people around the world.
- Legacy: Beyond his political impact, Gandhi’s life and teachings have had a profound effect on people around the world, he continues to be celebrated and remembered as a symbol of freedom, nonviolence, and peace, his birthday, October 2nd is celebrated as the International Day of Nonviolence.
Mahatma Gandhi children
Mahatma Gandhi had four children with his wife Kasturba Makhanji whom he married at the age of 13.
His children were:
- Harilal Gandhi, the eldest, was born in 1888. He had a strained relationship with his father and struggled with alcoholism. He converted to Islam in the late 1920s and changed his name to Abdullah Gandhi.
- Manilal Gandhi, the second son, was born in 1892. He was active in the Indian independence movement and was imprisoned by the British several times. He was also an editor of his father’s newspaper, “Young India.”
- Ramdas Gandhi, the third son, was born in 1897. He was a professor and philosopher and wrote several books about his father’s life and teachings.
- Devdas Gandhi, the youngest, was born in 1900. He was a journalist and political activist and served as the private secretary to his father. He was also arrested and imprisoned by the British several times.
All of Gandhi’s children were involved in the Indian independence movement and were arrested and imprisoned by the British at different times. Despite their involvement in the movement, their relationship with their father was not always easy, they had their own struggles and choices, but they all had a deep respect for their father’s legacy and teachings.
Mahatma Gandhi death
Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, in New Delhi, India. He was shot three times at point-blank range by Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a Hindu nationalist who opposed Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence and his outreach to Muslims.
Gandhi was on his way to a prayer meeting at Birla House, where he was staying at the time when he was shot. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he died a few hours later. His death was met with widespread shock and grief, and it sparked widespread communal violence between Hindus and Muslims in India.
Gandhi’s funeral was held on January 31, 1948, and was attended by thousands of people from all walks of life. His body was carried on a simple bamboo stretcher, and he was given a state funeral. Millions of people around the world paid their respects to the leader, who had become a symbol of peace, nonviolence, and freedom.
Gandhi’s assassination was a great loss not just to India but to the world, his legacy and teachings continue to inspire political and social activists around the world.
Mahatma Gandhi facts
- Mahatma Gandhi, whose real name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India.
- He was a lawyer by profession and was trained in the United Kingdom.
- He was the leader of India’s non-violent, non-cooperative independence movement against British colonial rule.
- He was a deeply religious person and his religious and philosophical beliefs played a central role in his political activism.
- He advocated for the unity of all religions and believed that all people were equal.
- He was an advocate for Indian self-rule and the Swaraj movement, which sought to empower the Indian people through economic self-sufficiency and political self-rule.
- He was married at the age of 13 to Kasturba Makhanji, with whom he had four children: Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas, and Devdas
- He was arrested and imprisoned several times by the British for his political activities.
- He was assassinated on January 30, 1948 in New Delhi, India by Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a Hindu nationalist who opposed Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence and his outreach to Muslims.
- Gandhi’s birthday, October 2nd is celebrated as the International Day of Nonviolence.
- His legacy and teachings continue to inspire political and social activists around the world, he is also known as the “Father of the Nation” in India.