6b. Who Was Gandhi?
Gandhi and his wife, Kasturba
"Gandhi and Kasturba, seated," 1930s
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) was the Indian nationalist leader whose nonviolent approach to conflict and violence influenced movements around the world. He is frequently referred to as ‘Mahatma’ – meaning great soul or great person. He led a movement of nonviolent noncooperation with British colonial rule that lasted many years and contributed to the withdrawal of British authorities (often referred to as the British Raj) from India.
Here is a summary of some key events in his life (don’t get too stressed by the number of dates: I don’t ask you to memorize many dates for the final exam, but they are important to provide a sense of historical time):
Mohandas K. Gandhi born in 1869 in Gujarat state in western India.
Arranged marriage at age 13 to Kasturbai Makhanji Kapadia; they had 4 sons and 13 grandchildren; Kasturba, as she was called, was also a leader in the independence movement.
Trained as a lawyer and went to South Africa, where he developed his theories about noncooperation and nonviolence; in 1906 he led a successful campaign of noncooperation towards the system of discrimination against Indians in that country.
Returned to India in 1915 and became leader of the movement for independence.
The movement of nonviolent non-cooperation with the British Raj in India began in 1920.
In 1930, Gandhi led the Dandi Salt March.
In 1947, Great Britain partitioned India into primarily Hindu India and predominantly Muslim Pakistan, both becoming independent after 250 years of colonial control, and more than two decades of Gandhian resistance.
January 13, 1948, at the age of 78, he began a fast with the purpose of stopping the bloodshed between Hindus and Muslims.
January 30, 1948, Gandhi was assassinated.
Image References
"Gandhi and Kasturba, seated," Wikimedia Commons, 1930s, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gandhi_and_Kasturba_seated.jpg.