Mohandas Gandhi - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Early Life Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar, in the present-day Indian state of Gujarat. His father was the dewan (chief minister) of Porbandar; his deeply religious mother was a devoted practitioner of Vaishnavism (worship of the Hindu god Vishnu), influenced by Jainism, an ascetic religion governed by tenets of self-discipline and nonviolence. At the age of 19, Mohandas left home to study law in London at the Inner Temple, one of the city’s four law colleges. Upon returning to India in mid-1891, he set up a law practice in Bombay, but met with little success. He soon accepted a position with an Indian firm that sent him to its office in South Africa. Along with his wife, Kasturbai, and their children, Gandhi remained in South Africa for nearly 20 years. Did You Know? In the famous Salt March of April-May 1930, thousands of Indians followed Gandhi from Ahmadabad to the Arabian Sea.

The march resulted in the arrest of nearly 60,000 people, including Gandhi himself. Gandhi was appalled by the discrimination he experienced as an Indian immigrant in South Africa. When a European magistrate in Durban asked him to take off his turban, he refused and left the courtroom. On a train voyage to Pretoria, he was thrown out of a first-class railway compartment and beaten up by a white stagecoach driver after refusing to give up his seat for a European passenger. That train journey served as a turning point for Gandhi, and he soon began developing and teaching the concept of satyagraha (“truth and firmness”), or passive resistance, as a way of non-cooperation with authorities. The Birth of Passive Resistance In 1906, after the Transvaal government passed an ordinance regarding the registration of its Indian population, Gandhi led a campaign of civil disobedience that would last for the next eight years. During its final phase in 1913, hundreds of Indians living in South Africa, including women, went to jail, and thousands of striking Indian miners were imprisoned, flogged and even shot.

Finally, under pressure from the British and Indian governments, the government of South Africa accepted a compromise negotiated by Gandhi and General Jan Christian Smuts, which included important concessions such as the recognition of Indian marriages and the abolition of the existing poll tax for Indians. In July 1914, Gandhi left South Africa to return to India. He supported the British war effort in World War I but remained critical of colonial authorities for measures he felt were unjust. In 1919, Gandhi launched an organized campaign of passive resistance in response to Parliament’s passage of the Rowlatt Acts, which gave colonial authorities emergency powers to suppress subversive activities. He backed off after violence broke out–including the massacre by British-led soldiers of some 400 Indians attending a meeting at Amritsar–but only temporarily, and by 1920 he was the most visible figure in the movement for Indian independence. Leader of a Movement 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.

Gandhi’s eloquence and embrace of an ascetic lifestyle based on prayer, fasting and meditation earned him the reverence of his followers, who called him Mahatma (Sanskrit for “the great-souled one”). 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 1922 and tried him for sedition; he was sentenced to six years in prison but was released in 1924 after undergoing an operation for appendicitis. He refrained from active participation in politics for the next several years, but in 1930 launched a new civil disobedience campaign against the colonial government’s tax on salt, which greatly affected Indian’s poorest citizens. A Divided Movement In 1931, 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.

Meanwhile, some of his party colleagues–particularly Mohammed Ali Jinnah, a leading voice for India’s Muslim minority–grew frustrated with Gandhi’s methods, and what they saw as a lack of concrete gains. Arrested upon his return by a newly aggressive colonial government, Gandhi began a series of hunger strikes in protest of the treatment of India’s so-called “untouchables” (the poorer classes), whom he renamed Harijans, or “children of God.” The fasting caused an uproar among his followers and resulted in swift reforms by the Hindu community and the government. In 1934, 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. Instead, British forces imprisoned the entire Congress leadership, bringing Anglo-Indian relations to a new low point.

Partition and Death of Gandhi After the Labor Party took power in Britain in 1947, negotiations over Indian home rule began between the British, the Congress Party and the Muslim League (now led by Jinnah). Later that year, Britain granted India its independence but split the country into two dominions: India and Pakistan. Gandhi strongly opposed Partition, but he agreed to it in hopes that after independence Hindus and Muslims could achieve peace internally. Amid the massive riots that followed Partition, Gandhi urged Hindus and Muslims to live peacefully together, and undertook a hunger strike until riots in Calcutta ceased. In January 1948, Gandhi carried out yet another fast, this time to bring about peace in the city of Delhi. On January 30, 12 days after that fast ended, Gandhi was on his way to an evening prayer meeting in Delhi when he was shot to death by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic enraged by Mahatma’s efforts to negotiate with Jinnah and other Muslims. The next day, roughly 1 million people followed the procession as Gandhi’s body was carried in state through the streets of the city and cremated on the banks of the holy Jumna River.

Tags Mahatma Gandhi - Mahatma Gandhi Biography, Mahatma Gandhi Life History, Story of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi Cultural India : History of India : Modern History of India : Mahatma Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi was born as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on 2nd October 1869. He was the most popular as well as the most influential political and spiritual leaders of India. His contribution to the freedom struggle of India is priceless and the country owes its independence, partly, to this great man. The Satyagraha movement, which led to India's independence, was founded by Mahatma Gandhi only. In India, Gandhi is known as the 'Father of the Nation' and his birthday is celebrated as a national holiday. Read on to explore the life history, story and biography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi: Early Life Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in the Porbandar city of Gujarat, to Karamchand Gandhi, the diwan of Porbandar, and his wife, Putlibai.

Since his mother was a Hindu of the Pranami Vaishnava order, Gandhi learned the tenets of non-injury to living beings, vegetarianism, fasting, mutual tolerance, etc, at a very tender age. Mohandas was married at the age of 13 to Kasturba Makhanji and had four sons. He passed the matriculation exam at Samaldas College of Bhavanagar. In the year 1888, Gandhi went to University College of London to study as a barrister. He came back to India after being called to the bar of England and Wales by Inner Temple. In 1893, he accepted a yearlong contract from an Indian firm to a post in Natal, South Africa. There, he faced racial discrimination directed at blacks and Indians. Such incidents provoked him to work towards social activism. Participation in Indian Independence Movement Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a leader of the Congress Party, introduced Mahatma Gandhi to the Indian issues, Indian politics and the Indian people.

Gandhi participated in the following movements related to India's freedom struggle: Champaran and Kheda Satyagraha The Champaran Agitation and Kheda Satyagraha of 1918 was the first major success of Mahatma Gandhi in his struggle towards India's freedom. The reason for the agitation was the levy of an oppressive tax by the British, which they insisted on increasing further. He organized his supporters as well as volunteers to protest against this atrocity and also began leading the clean up of villages, building of schools and hospitals as well as encouraging the village leadership to condemn the numerous social evils affecting the society. Mahatma Gandhi was successful in signing an agreement with the British, wherein the poor farmers were granted more compensation and control over farming. Non-cooperation Movement and Swaraj Non-cooperation Movement of Mahatma Gandhi was one of his prime fights against the British. The massacre at the Jallianwala Bagh of Punjab was what instigated him to take this step. After the gruesome incident, he focused himself entirely on obtaining complete autonomy for the country as well as the control of all Indian government institutions. Soon, this movement turned into Swaraj (complete individual, spiritual and political independence).

His association with the Indian National Congress (INC) was further strengthened in December 1921, when he was made the executive authority of the party. Under Mahatma Gandhi, INC was restructured, accepting the goal of Swaraj, having open membership, forming a hierarchy of committees, and so on. He urged Indian citizens to boycott imported goods, British educational institutions, law courts, government employment, and the like. Non-cooperation became very popular and started spreading through the length and breadth of India. However, the violent clash in Chauri Chaura town of Uttar Pradesh, in February 1922, led to a sudden end of this movement. Gandhi was arrested on 10th March 1922 and was tried for sedition. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment, but served for only two years in prison. Problems in the Indian National Congress Indian National Congress began to fall apart without the inspiring leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. The party split up into two groups, one led by Chitta Ranjan Das and Motilal Nehru and the other led by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Even the basis of the non-violence campaign, the cooperation amongst Hindus and Muslims, began to break down. Salt Satyagraha and Dandi March During the period of 1920s, Mahatma Gandhi concentrated on resolving the wedge between the Swaraj Party and the Indian National Congress. Around 1928, Gandhi again started focusing on Indian freedom struggle. In 1927, British had appointed Sir John Simon as the head of a new constitutional reform commission. There was not even a single Indian in the commission. Agitated by this, Gandhi passed a resolution at the Calcutta Congress in December 1928, calling on the British government to grant India dominion status. In case of non-compliance with this demand, the British were to face a new campaign of non-violence, having its goal as complete independence for the country. The resolution was rejected by the British. The flag of India was unfurled in Lahore by the members of the INC on 31st December 1929. January 26, 1930 was celebrated as the Independence Day of India.

Soon, British government levied a tax on salt and Salt Satyagraha was launched in March 1930, as an opposition to this move. Mahatma Gandhi started the Dandi March with his followers in March, going from Ahmedabad to Dandi on foot, to make salt himself. The campaign became so successful that British ended up arresting over 60,000 people who participated in the March. Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed in March 1931, where the British Government set all political prisoners free as an exchange for the suspension of the civil disobedience movement. Quit India Movement As the World War II progressed, Mahatma Gandhi intensified his protests for the complete independence of the Indian subcontinent. He drafted a resolution calling for the British to Quit India. The 'Quit India Movement' or the 'Bharat Chhodo Andolan' was the most aggressive revolt of the INC, with the aim of gaining complete exit of the British from India. Gandhi was arrested on 9th August 1942 and held for two years in the Aga Khan Palace in Pune. There, he lost his secretary, Mahadev Desai and his wife, Kasturba.

The Quit India Movement came to an end by the end of 1943, when the British gave hints that complete power would be transferred to the people of India. Freedom and Partition of India The independence cum partition proposal offered by the British Cabinet Mission in 1946 was accepted by the Congress, inspite of being advised otherwise by Mahatma Gandhi. Sardar Patel convinced Gandhi that it was the only way to avoid civil war and he reluctantly gave his consent. After India's independence, Gandhi focused on peace and unity of Hindus and Muslims. He launched his last fast-unto-death in Delhi, asking for all communal violence to be stopped and the payment of Rs. 55 crores, as per the Partition Council agreement, to be made to Pakistan. Ultimately, all the political leaders conceded to his wishes and he broke his fast by sipping orange juice. Assassination The inspiring life of Mahatma Gandhi came to an end on 30th January 1948, when he was shot by Nathuram Godse. Nathuram was a Hindu radical, who held Gandhi responsible for weakening India by ensuring the partition payment to Pakistan.

Godse and his co-conspirator, Narayan Apte, were later tried and convicted. They were executed on 15th November 1949. Gandhi's Principles Mahatma followed as well as preached the following principles throughout his life: Truth BBC - iWonder - Gandhi: Reckless teenager to father of India Gandhi: Reckless teenager to father of India 1869 Presented byProf David HardimanHistorian Great Soul Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is known as Mahatma meaning ‘Great Soul’. He was an astute political campaigner who fought for Indian independence from British rule and for the rights of the Indian poor. His example of non-violent protest is still revered throughout the world today. Find out how this man of peace and representative of India's poor came from a privileged background and spent his teenage years as a rebel. 1869 Born to an elite family You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Mishal Husain visits Gandhi's birthplace. Clip from Gandhi, The Making of the Mahatma (BBC Two, 2009).

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is born in north-west India in the princely state of Porbandar on 2 October 1869. His family comes from an elite background. His father works for the government as the chief minister of Porbandar. His mother is a deeply pious woman who spends a lot of her time at temple and on frequent fasts. She instils in him a strong Hindu ethic, with an emphasis on vegetarianism, religious tolerance, a simple lifestyle, and non-violence. Teenage rebel You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Mishal Husain describes how Gandhi was a rebellious teenager. Clip from Gandhi, The Making of the Mahatma (BBC Two, 2009). Gandhi’s father moves the family to the nearby city of Rajkot. Crucially schooling here is better and Gandhi is taught English. At the age of 13 Gandhi marries Kasturba, a local girl who is 14. Gandhi is a rebellious teenager – drinking, eating meat and womanising. Yet he is interested in self-improvement and is repentant after each act of vice.

When his father is on his death bed, Gandhi leaves to have sex with his wife and misses the moment of his death. When his wife becomes pregnant and the child dies shortly after birth, he sees this as divine retribution. I felt deeply ashamed and miserable. I ran to my father's room. I saw that if animal passion had not blinded me, he would have died in my arms. Gandhi speaks about his regret at missing his father's death 1888 Wins a victory for Indian civil rights in South Africa You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Mishal Husain describes Gandhi's fight for Indian civil rights. Clip from Gandhi, The Making of the Mahatma (BBC Two 2009) In 1913 Gandhi organises a strike against a £3 tax on people of Indian descent. For the first time he is leading working-class Indians – agricultural labourers and miners. Building on his years of protest, Gandhi decides to lead a march of 2,221 people from Natal into the Transvaal in his final act of public disobedience. Gandhi is arrested and sentenced to nine months imprisonment.

But the strike spreads and the British are forced to drop the tax and release Gandhi. News of his victory is reported in England and Gandhi starts to become an international figure. 1915 Getty Gandhi at a rally, 1921. With his popularity rising Gandhi becomes the main voice of the Indian National Congress and campaigns for political independence from Britain. Gandhi transforms the Indian National Congress from an elite group to a party of mass appeal. He wants a free India based on religious tolerance and acceptance of all faiths. Gandhi's calls for non-violent protests are embraced by Indians of all classes and religions. He encourages non co-operation with British rule, which includes a boycott of British goods. In response the British arrest Gandhi for sedition and he is imprisoned for two years. I wear the national dress because it is the most natural and the most becoming for an Indian. Gandhi responds to an article in a newspaper accusing him of hypocrisy 1930 Salt March for freedom You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Mishal Husain visits the beach where Gandhi reached the end of his Salt March. Clip from Gandhi, The Rise to Fame (BBC Two, 2009).

Unable to ignore Gandhi’s work, the British plan a conference in London to discuss India’s future. They exclude all Indians from the talks. Gandhi is furious and starts campaigning against Britain’s Salt Laws which outlaw Indians from collecting or selling salt and force them to pay for heavily taxed British salt. He leads thousands on a 'March to the Sea' where the protesters boil up salt water to make illegal salt – a symbolic act of defiance against British rule. He is arrested and the campaign escalates, with thousands refusing to pay their taxes and rents. The British give in and Gandhi travels to London to join the conference. With this I'm shaking the foundations of the British Empire. Gandhi holds up a handful of salt to the gathered crowd 1931 A missed chance to define India’s future You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Listen to Gandhi's spiritual message to the world recorded on his visit to England in 1931. Gandhi travels to London for the Round Table Conference as the sole representative of the Indian National Congress. He presents a powerful image wearing his traditional Indian clothes. But the conference is a failure for Gandhi.

The British are not ready to grant India independence and Muslim, Sikh and other delegates do not ally themselves to him as they don’t believe he speaks for all Indians. However Gandhi is granted an audience with King George V and visits mill workers in Lancashire. These public appearances gain him great publicity and some sympathy for the Indian nationalist cause in Britain. The death of a great soul You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Mishal Husain finds out about the significance of Gandhi's death. Clip from Gandhi, The Road to Freedom (BBC Two, 2009). Partition creates more violence. Gandhi returns to Delhi to help protect Muslims who have opted to stay in India and begins a fast for Muslim rights. On his way to a prayer meeting at Birla House he is attacked by a Hindu extremist. He is shot three times in the chest. In some hard-line Hindu strongholds there are celebrations at his death, but for most Indians it is a national tragedy. A crowd of nearly one million people line the route of Gandhi's funeral procession to the banks of the Yamuna River. Across the world people unite to mourn the death of a global figure of peace, who never saw his dream of a united India become a reality.

India: Maps, History, Geography, Government, Culture, Facts, Guide & Travel/Holidays/Cities Severe Heat Wave Kills More Than Two Thousand Geography One-third the area of the United States, the Republic of India occupies most of the subcontinent of India in southern Asia. It borders on China in the northeast. Other neighbors are Pakistan on the west, Nepal and Bhutan on the north, and Burma and Bangladesh on the east. The country can be divided into three distinct geographic regions: the Himalayan region in the north, which contains some of the highest mountains in the world, the Gangetic Plain, and the plateau region in the south and central part. Its three great river systems—the Ganges, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra—have extensive deltas and all rise in the Himalayas. Government Federal republic. History One of the earliest civilizations, the Indus Valley civilization flourished on the Indian subcontinent from c. 2600 B.C. to c. 2000 B.C. It is generally accepted that the Aryans entered India c. 1500 B.C. from the northwest, finding a land that was already home to an advanced civilization.

They introduced Sanskrit and the Vedic religion, a forerunner of Hinduism. Buddhism was founded in the 6th century B.C. and was spread throughout northern India, most notably by one of the great ancient kings of the Mauryan dynasty, Asoka (c. 269–232 B.C. ), who also unified most of the Indian subcontinent for the first time. In 1526, Muslim invaders founded the great Mogul Empire, centered on Delhi, which lasted, at least in name, until 1857. Akbar the Great (1542–1605) strengthened and consolidated this empire. The long reign of his great-grandson, Aurangzeb (1618–1707), represents both the greatest extent of the Mogul Empire and the beginning of its decay. SparkNotes: Mohandas Gandhi: Timeline Mohandas Gandhi Important People, Terms, and Events Gandhi's Youth October 2, 1869: ·Birth of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi 1883: ·Gandhi and Kasturbai are married.

1885: ·Death of Karamchand Gandhi, Gandhi's father September 4, 1888: ·Gandhi leaves for England to study law. June 10, 1891: ·Gandhi passes the bar exam in England. 1891-1893: ·Gandhi fails as a lawyer in India. April 1893: ·Gandhi accepts commission to spend a year in South Africa advising on a lawsuit. Spring 1894: ·Gandhi elects to stay on South Africa, and founds the Natal Indian Congress. Spring 1896: ·Gandhi returns to India to collect his wife and children. December 1896: ·Gandhi returns to South Africa with his family. October 1899: ·Outbreak of Boer War (1899-1901) in South Africa. Gandhi organizes an ambulance corps for the British. 1901: ·Gandhi returns to India to attend the Indian National Congress. G.K. Gokhale introduces him to nationalist leaders.

1901-1906: ·Gandhi struggles toward Brahmacharya, or celibacy, finally ending his sexual activity in 1906. 1904: ·Nationalists found the magazine the Indian Opinion, and soon print it on Gandhi's farm, the "Phoenix Settlement." July 31, 1907: ·The Boer Republic Transvaal, now under the control of the British, attempts to register all Indians as members; Gandhi and others refuse to register. Their resistance efforts mark the first use of nonviolent non-cooperation by the Indian minority in South Africa, soon calledsatyagraha, or "soul-force." January 11, 1908: ·Gandhi is arrested and sentenced to two months in prison. October 10, 1908: ·Gandhi is arrested again, spends a month in jail. 1909: ·Gandhi travels to London, pushing for rights of South African Indians. The Transvaal registration law is repealed.

November 13, 1913: ·Indians in Natal and Transvaal, under Gandhi's leadership, march peacefully in protest of a racist poll tax and marriage laws. The marches continue through the winter. June 30, 1914: ·Gandhi and Smuts, the Prime Minister of the Transvaal, reach an agreement, ending the protests. July 18, 1914: ·Gandhi sails to England. August 1914: ·Gandhi arrives in England, just at the outbreak of World War I (1914-1918). January 9, 1915: ·Gandhi returns home to India, and receives a hero's welcome. May 25, 1915: ·Gandhi and his followers found Satyagraha ashram, the religiously-oriented communal farm where Gandhi, his family, and his followers will live. April 6, 1919: ·Nationalists hold a hartal, or day of fasting and prayer, in protest of the Rowlatt Act, which drastically curtails civil liberties in India.

April 13, 1919: ·Amritsar Massacre; Under General Dyer, British troops slaughter Indian protesters. August 1, 1920: ·Gandhi calls for a period of non-cooperation across India. March 10, 1922: ·Gandhi is arrested for sedition. March 1922-January 1924: ·Gandhi remains in prison. 1924-1928: ·Gandhi avoids politics, focusing his writings on the improvement of India. 1925: ·Despite his long absence from politics, Gandhi becomes President of the Indian National Congress. February-August 1928: ·Residents in the district of Bardoli protest high rents using methods of non-cooperation inspired by Gandhi. January 26, 1930: ·Gandhi publishes the Declaration of Independence of India. March 2, 1931: ·Gandhi warns the Viceroy of his intention to break the Salt Laws. March 12-April 6, 1931: ·Gandhi leads his Salt March to the sea.

May 5, 1931: ·Gandhi is arrested for violating the Salt Laws; non-cooperation movements break out across India. January 1931: ·British government yields to protests, releases all prisoners, invites a Congress representative to Britain for a Round Table Conference (the Congress asks Gandhi to be this representative). Autumn 1931: ·Gandhi participates in the Round Table Conference in Britain. December 28, 1931: ·Gandhi returns to India. January 4, 1932: ·Gandhi is arrested for sedition, and held without a trial. September 20-25, 1932: ·Gandhi fasts in prison to protest the treatment of untouchables. 1934-38: ·Gandhi avoids politics, travels in rural India. 1935: ·Government of India Act passes British Parliament and is implemented in India; it is the first movement toward independence. September 1939: · World War II begins, lasting until 1945.

March 22, 1942: ·Sir Stafford Cripps arrives in India, presenting to the Indian National Congress a proposal for Dominion status (autonomy within the British Commonwealth) after the War. August 8, 1942: ·The Indian National Congress rejects the Cripps proposal, and declares it will grant its support for the British war effort only in return for independence. August 1942: ·Congress leaders are arrested; Gandhi is imprisoned in the Aga Khan's palace. February 10 to March 2, 1943: ·Gandhi fasts while imprisoned, to protest British rule. February 22, 1944: ·Death of Kasturbai May 6, 1944: ·Gandhi is released from the Aga Khan's palace. Summer 1944: ·Gandhi visits Muhammed Ali Jinnah in Bombay, but is unable to work out an agreement that will keep India whole. May 16, 1946: ·British Cabinet Mission publishes proposal for an Indian state, without partition; Jinnah and the Muslim League reject the proposal.

March 1947: ·Lord Mountbatten arrives in India and hammers out agreement for independence and partition. August 15, 1947: ·Indian independence becomes official, as does the partition into two countries, India and Pakistan. August-December 1948: ·India dissolves into chaos and killings, as Hindus and Muslims flee for the borders of India and Pakistan. January 30, 1948: ·Gandhi is assassinated by Nathuram Vinayuk Godse, a Hindu nationalist. More Help Mahatma Gandhi : Tributes C. Rajagopalachari Heir to a great tradition Bharatmata is writhing in anguish and pain over the loss. No man loved Bharatmata and Indians more than Mahatma Gandhi. Let the tragedy that was enacted in Delhi give the people of India the tune, reason, rhyme and melody for the history of their future. I pray that the history of India might be written with the rhythm and tune of the grief that Bharatmata had felt when Mahatma Gandhi fell. No one could die a more glorious death than Mahatma Gandhi.

He was going to the seat of his prayer to speak to his Rama. He did not die in the bed calling for hot water, doctors or nurses. He did not die after mumbling incoherent words in the sick bed. He died standing, not even sitting down, Rama was too eager to take him even before he could reach the seat of his prayer. When Socrates died for his views and Christ for his faith, they believed that they would not get another example like that. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru This man of God trod the Earth Great men and eminent men have monuments in bronze and marble set up for them, but this man of divine fire managed in his life-time to become enmeshed in millions and millions of hearts so that all of us became somewhat of the stuff that he was made of, though to an infinitely lesser degree. He spread out over India not in places only, or in select places, or in assemblies, but in every hamlet and hurt of the lowly and those who suffer. He lives in the hearts of millions of and he will live for immortal ages. ...He has gone, an all over India there is a feeling of having been left desolate and forlorn.

All of sense that feeling, and I do not know when we shall be able to get rid of it, and yet together with that feeling there is also a feeling of proud thanksgiving that it has been given to us of this generation to be associated with this mighty person. In ages to come, centuries and many millenniums after us, people will think of this generation when this man of God trod the earth and will think of is who, however small, could also follow his path and probably tread on that holy ground where his feet had been. Let us be worthy of him. Let us always be so. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel His supreme sacrifice will quicken our conscience For even though his mortal frame will turn into ashes tomorrow, at 4.00 pm, Gandhiji's imperishable teachings will abide with us. I even feel that Gandhiji's immortal spirit is still hovering over us and will continue to watch over the nation's destiny in future also. The mad youth who killed him was wrong if he thought thereby he was destroying his noble mission. Perhaps God wanted Gandhiji's mission to fulfill and prosper through his death.

I am sure Gandhiji's supreme sacrifice will wake up the conscience of our countrymen and evoke a higher response in the heart of every Indian. I hope and pray that it may be given to us to complete Gandhiji's mission. At this solemn moment, no one of us can afford to waver or lose his or her heart. Let us all stand united and bravely face the national disaster that has overtaken us. Let us all solemnly pledge ourselves afresh to Gandhiji's teachings and ideals. Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Carried burden of humanity on his frail shoulders Mahatma Gandhi has carried on his frail shoulders a great deal of burden of humanity and now it was for them to stand together and share it. If millions of Indians could divide that burden and carry it successfully, it would be nothing short of a miracle. Dr. S. P. Mukharjee Undying influence The light that illuminated our motherland and indeed the world amidst darkness and sorrow has suddenly gone out. The passing away of Mahatma Gandhi is the most stunning blow to that could fall on India.

That he who made India free and self-reliant, a friend of and enemy of none, loved and respected by millions, should fall at the hands of an assassin, one of his own community and countrymen, is a matter of deepest shame and tragedy. He is of those whose influence never dies and indeed shines more and more with the passage of time. The shot of the assessing not only vitally pierced through his mortal body but has grievously struck the very heart of Humanism and India, which could survive only if people resolutely decide to make the pursuit of such methods impossible. Mrs. Sarojini Naidu Gave his country its freedom and its flag Mahatma Gandhi, whose frail body was committed to the flames yesterday, is not dead. It was right that the cremation took place in the midst of the dead kings who were buried in Delhi, for he was the kingliest of all kings. It is right also that he who was the Apostle of Peace should have been taken to the cremation ground with all the honours of a great warrior. Far greater than all the warriors who led the armies to battle was this little man, the bravest, the most tried friend of all.

Delhi has become the centre and sanctuary of the great revolutionary who emancipated his enslave country from foreign bondage and gave it to its freedom and its flag. Dr. Rajendra Prasad The liberator of the Hindu Community Can we ever dream that Gandhiji was bringing harm to the Hindus or to their religion? Was it ever possible that this liberator of the Hindu community and emancipator of the low and downtrodden could even think of doing so? But men with narrow minds and limited vision who do not understand the core of Hindu Dharma thought it otherwise and the present calamity is a direct result of such an outlook. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan The lonely symbol of a vanishing past I am shocked beyond words at this fatal attack on Gandhiji. The incredible, the inconceivable, has happened. That this purest, most elevating, most inspiring man of our age should have suffered by a madman's anger shows that we have not improved since the days of Socrates, who had to drink hemlock, of Jesus, who was put on the cross. Mahatma Gandhi, the lonely symbol of vanishing past, is no more.

We have killed his body but the light in him, which is from the divine flame of Truth and Love, cannot be put out. When will the world be safe for saints? May the Dominions, may the whole world, learn that if we are not to slide into abyss of violence, cruelty and chaos, there is no other way than that for which Mahatma Gandhi has lived and died. Sri Aurobindo The light will burn on I would have preferred silence in the face of these circumstances that surround us. For, any words we can find fall flat on amid such happenings. This much, however, I will say, that the light which led us to freedom, though not yet to unity, still burns and will burn on, till it conquers. I believe firmly that a great and united future is the destiny of the nation and its people. The power that brought us through so much struggle and suffering to freedom will achieve also, through whatever strife or trouble, the aim which so poignantly occupied the thoughts of the fallen leader at the time of his tragic ending : as it brought us freedom, it will bring us unity.

A free and united India will be there, and the mother will gather around her sons and weld them into a single national strength in the life of a great and united people. Jayprakash Narayan We must follow the path shown by him It is not the time to speak as it is an occasion of mourning. Let us weep. Let the nation weep and wipe off from its soul the stain of the innocent blood of the greatest man the world has ever produced. We must follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi. He came to Delhi with a specific mission, either to do or die. He did a lot and in the end he laid down his life for what he wished to do. Let us now accomplish the sacred task that has been left undone by him. G. D. Birla Warrior, prophet and saint Seldom, I think, human history records of one individual was at once a warrior, a prophet and a saint and yet deeply humble and intensely human. It is this quality of all-embracing human warmth which stands out most prominent in his character.

Devdas Gandhi I had long ceased to look upon him as my father During the past few months that he was in Delhi it was the privilege of my three year old boy to be lovingly fondled by Bapu. I was a complete back number and once recently had told me that he missed Bapu more than me whenever he failed to turn up at Birla house. The little urchin now draws renewed tears from our eyes when he pouts his lips in imitation of the way his grandfather greeted him. And yet Gandhiji's interest in the narrow domestic circle was of the meagerest, and I had long ceased to look upon him as my father in any possessive sense. He was to me a saint as much as to any of you and I feel and see the void exactly as you do. I, therefore, view the disaster with the detachment of one living in the north pole and having ties neither of blood nor of race with the Great One of whose loss we are as yet but dimly aware. His Majesty the King Irreparable loss The Queen and I are deeply shocked by the death of Mr. Gandhi.

Will you please convey to the people of India our sincere sympathy in the irreparable loss which they, and indeed mankind, have suffered. UNITED KINGDOM Lord Mountbatten Life of love and truth Gandhiji's death is truly a loss to mankind which sorely needs the living light of those ideals of love and tolerance for which he strove and died. In her hour of deep sorrow India is proud to have given to the world a man of his imperishable renown and is confident that his example will be a source of inspiration and strength in the fulfilment of her destiny... India, indeed the world, will not see the like of him again, perhaps, for centuries. Our one consolation in this hour of unparalleled grief is that his life of truth, tolerance and love towards his fellows may inspire our troubled world to save itself by following his noble example. UNITED KINGDOM Countess Mountbatten An international tragedy The death of Mahatma Gandhi is not only a national disaster, but an international tragedy. My heart is so full that I am unable to find words. Gandhiji's death is world loss. He was a great leader.

The utmost we can do now is to try and carry on and live up to the principles which Gandhiji taught us. UNITED KINGDOM The representative of your independence and freedom. EUROPE France A Resolution of the Council of Republic of France May the memory of the Apostle of India inspire men of all races in their march towards liberty and justice and may the idea of mutual understanding prevail over violence and fatalism. EUROPE Germany Dr. Kurt Schumacher, GSD Leader Mr. Gandhi will on with us as an example of humanity... his influence will be stronger than ever before... EUROPE Italy His Holiness Pope Pius XII, Vatican City The great man was the spiritual leader of millions of Indians and had always struggled for peace. EUROPE USA Albert Einstein Everyone concerned in the better future of mankind must be deeply moved by the tragic death of Mahatma Gandhi. He died as the victim of his own principles, the principle of nonviolence. He died because in time of disorder and general irritation in his country, he refused armed protection for himself.

It was his unshakable belief that the use of force is an evil in itself, that therefore it must be avoided by those who are striving for supreme justice to his belief. With his belief in his heart and mind, he has led a great nation on to its liberation. He has demonstrated that a powerful human following can be assembled no only through the cunning game of the usual political manoeuvres and trickeries but through the cogent example of morally superior conduct of life. The admiration for Mahatma Gandhi in all countries of the world rests on recognition, mostly sub-conscious, recognition of the fact that in our time of utter moral decadence, he was the only statesman to stand for a higher level of human relationship in political sphere. This level we must, with all our forces, attempt to reach. We must learn the difficult lesson that an endurable future of humanity will be possible only if, also in international relations, decisions are based on law and justice and not on self-righteous power, as they have been upto now. USA President Truman Gandhi was great Indian nationalist, but at the same time he was a leader of international stature. His teachings and actions have left a deep impression on millions of people.

As a teacher and leader, his influence made itself felt not only in India, but everywhere in the world and his death brings great sorrow to all peace loving people. Another giant among men has fallen in the cause of brotherhood and peace. I know that the people of Asia will be inspired by his tragic death to strive with increased determination to achieve the goals of cooperation and mutual trust for which the Mahatma has now given his life. USA Eleanor Roosevelt There is no doubt Gandhi had great spiritual qualities and the one only hope, even though he is not with his people, is that his influence had much of value to give to the rest of the world and one hopes the very violence of his death will turn people away from violence. USA General Douglas Macarthur, C-in-C, Allied forces in Japan Nothing more revolting has occurred in history of modern world than the senseless assassination of this venerable man. That he should die by violence is one of those bitter anachronisms that seems to refute all logic.

In the evolution of civilization, if it is to survive, all men can not fail eventually to adopt his belief that the process of mass application of force to resolve contentious issues is fundamentally not only wrong but contains within itself the germs of self-destruction. Gandhiji, however, was one of those prophets who lived far ahead of the times. The only ray of light He was the only ray of light to help us through these darkest days. PAKISTAN A noble death I associate myself with the tributes that have been paid to this great man. He died in the discharge of the duty in which he believed. His tragic death, however much we may deplore it and however much we may condemn the murderer, was a noble death, for he died in the discharge of his duty. PAKISTAN Memorable efforts for Communal Harmony His removal from the stage of Indian politics at this juncture is an irreparable loss. His great effort for the restoration of communal harmony will be remembered with gratitude by all lovers of peace and goodwill. We earnestly hope that his efforts for communal harmony - which he had foremost in his heart just before his tragic death - will be crowned with success. “Then rose the star of Gandhi.

He showed that a doctrine of non-violence was possible.” Haile Selassie I. “Mahatma Gandhi will always be remembered as long as free men and those who love freedom and justice live.” “The name Mahatma Gandhi has become synonymous with right and justice; towards this end it has become an inspiration to millions of oppressed people and has kindled the light of liberty.” “Today, when world peace is threatened with atomic and nuclear weapons capable of annihilating the human race, Mahatma Gandhi's teachings of love and truth and of respect for others' rights have become even more meaningful than at any other time.” Ho Chi Minh “I and others may be revolutionaries but we are disciples of Mahatma Gandhi, directly or indirectly, nothing more nothing less.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Like most people, I had heard of Gandhi, but I had never studied him seriously. As I read I became deeply fascinated by his campaigns of nonviolent resistance.... The whole concept of Satyagraha was profoundly significant to me." “Gandhi was probably the first person in history to lift the love ethic of Jesus above mere interaction between individuals to a powerful and effective social force on a large scale.

The intellectual and moral satisfaction that I failed to gain from the utilitarianism of Bentham and Mill, the revolutionary methods of Marx and Lenin, the social contract theory of Hobbes, the 'back to nature' optimism of Rousseau, and the superman philosophy of Nietzsche, I found in the non-violent resistance philosophy of Gandhi.” “If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought, and acted, inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a world of peace and harmony. We may ignore him at our own risk.” “Gandhi resisted evil with as much vigor and power as the violent resister, but he resisted with love instead of hate. True pacifism is not unrealistic submission to evil power. It is rather a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love.” Pearl S. Buck “He was right, he knew he was right, we all knew he was right. The man who killed him knew he was right. However long the follies of the violent continue, they but prove that Gandhi was right. 'Resist to the very end', he said, 'but without violence'. Of violence the world is sick.

Oh, India, dare to be worthy of your Gandhi.” Rabindranath Tagore "Mahatma Gandhi came and stood at the door of India's destitute millions, clad as one of themselves, speaking to them in their own language...who else has so unreservedly accepted the vast masses of the Indian people as his flesh and blood...Truth awakened Truth.” Romain Rolland “Gandhi is not only for India a hero of national history, whose legendary memory will be enshrined in the millennial epoch. -Gandhi has renewed, for all the peoples of the West, the message of their Christ, forgotten or betrayed.” “For many, he was like a return of Christ.

For others, for independent thinkers, Gandhi was a new incarnation of Jean-Jaques Rosseau and of Tolstoy, denouncing the illusions and the crimes of civilization, and preaching to men the return to nature, to the simple life, to health.” “I have seen here, in Switzerland, the pious love that he [Gandhi] inspired in humble peasants of the country side and the mountains.” U Thant “Many of his principles have universal application and eternal validity, and I hope the passing years will show that his faith in the efficacy of nonviolent pressure as an agent for peaceful change is as justified today all over the world as it was in his time in India.” Werner Heisenberg “Gandhi's way of thinking can lead directly into the political structure of the future world, in which a nation might be much better protected by not possessing atomic weapons than by having them, or might pursue its own interests much more efficiently by participating in the interests of other nations than by ignoring them. It was the unique example given by Gandhi which demonstrated that the most sincere personal engagement combined with complete renunciation of violence can lead to great political success.

We are all indebted to him for this example.” Will Durant “Not since Buddha has India so revered any man. Not since St. Francis of Assissi has any life known to history been so marked by gentleness, disinterestedness, simplicity of soul and forgiveness of enemies. We have the astonishing phenomenon of a revolution led by a saint.” Lord Richard Attenborough “When asked what attribute he most admired in human nature, Mahatma Gandhi replied, simply and immediately, 'Courage'. 'Nonviolence', he said, 'is not to be used ever as the shield of the coward. It is the weapon of the brave.” HH The Dalai Lama “I have the greatest admiration and respect for Mahatma Gandhi. He was a great human being with a deep understanding of human nature. He made every effort to encourage the full development of the positive aspects of the human potential and to reduce or restrain the negative. His life has inspired me ever since I was a small boy. Ahimsa or nonviolence is the powerful idea that Mahatma Gandhi made familiar throughout the world. But nonviolence does not mean the mere absence of violence.

It is something more positive, more meaningful than that, for it depends wholly on the power of truth. The true expression of nonviolence is compassion. Some people seem to think that compassion is just a passive emotional response instead of a rational stimulus to action. To experience genuine compassion is to develop a feeling of closeness to others combined with a sense of responsibility for their welfare. This develops when we accept that other people are just like ourselves in wanting happiness and not wanting suffering. What is the relevance of nonviolence and compassion to the future of humanity? As Mahatma Gandhi showed by his own example, nonviolence can be implemented not only in politics but also in day-to-day life. That was his great achievement. He showed that nonviolence should be active in helping others. Nonviolence means that if you can help and serve others you should do so. If you cannot, you must at least restrain yourself from harming others. I believe that it is very important that we find positive ways in which children and adults can be educated in the path of compassion, kindness and nonviolence. If we can actively do this I believe we will be fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi's legacy to us.

It is my prayer that, as we enter this new century, nonviolence and dialogue will increasingly come to govern all human relations.” The Dalai Lama I have the greatest admiration for Mahatma Gandhi. He was a great human being with a deep understanding of human nature. His life has inspired me. Bernard Shaw Impressions of Gandhi? You might well ask for someone's impression of the Himalayas. Romain Rolland This is the man who has stirred three hundred million people to revolt, who has shaken the foundation of the British Empire, and who has introduced into human politics the strongest religious impetus of the 200 years. Louis Fischer Just an old man in a loin cloth in distant India. yet when he died, humanity wept. Khan Abdul Gafar Khan Gandhi was the only ray of light to help us through the darkest days. Ho Chi Minh I and others may be revolutionaries but we are disciples of Mahatma Gandhi. Pearl. S. Buck He was right, he knew he was right. We all knew that he was right. The man who killed him knew he was right.

Rabindranat Tagore Mahatma Gandhi came and stood at the door of India's destitute millions, clad as one of themselves. Earl Mountbatten Mahatma Gandhi will go down in history on a par with Buddha and Jesus Christ. Albert Einstein A leader of his people, unsupported by only outward authority; a politician whose success rests not upon craft nor mastery of technical devices, but simply on the convincing power of his personality; a victorious fighter who has always scorned the use of force; a man of wisdom and humility, armed with resolve and inflexible consistency, who has devoted all his strength to the uplifting of his people and the betterment of their lot; a man who has confronted the brutality of Europe with the dignity of the simple human being, and thus at all times risen superior. Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth. Swami Premananda True to its spiritual heritage, India has contributed in the personality of Mahatma Gandhi the greatest truth, the truth of God. No other nation in this century has contributed anything of such eternal value. But India has.

And this I must say; that for another thousand years the world must look towards the idealism of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was an avatar. I don't mean a mythological figure or a personality. Who is an avatar? one who manifests in his life to the utmost the attributes of God on earth; he is an avatar. Who has done this in this twentieth century of ours? Mahatma Gandhi. He is an avatar. India has contributed something to the United States: idealism, the truth by living example rather than theory, not in words, not not from the pulpit, but from among the people. Not in words but in action. India has contributed Mahatma Gandhi's life, his ideals. There is no other way for mankind to establish the kingdom of God on earth, no other way except the path which Mahatma Gandhi has revealed unto us." Gandhi Movie Review What parents need to know Positive messages India, a country of millions, managed to overthrow foreign rule through an unprecedented policy governed by nonviolent protest of unfair laws and domination. Positive role models By teaching nonviolent disobedience, Mohandas Gandhi led a continent to self-rule.

When the frustrated Indian citizenry lapsed into violence, Gandhi fasted until near death to persuade his fellow Indians that violence merely begat more violence. If they attained their freedom by violence, he told them, he wanted no part of it. He demonstrates integrity, humility, perseverance, and courage. Violence The film chronicles a period of conflict in South African and Indian history, between whites and darker-skinned people, British and Indians, and Hindus and Muslims. Gandhi is thrown off a train in South Africa because his skin is dark. He and other protesters are beaten by white authorities in South Africa and later by British soldiers and affiliated police in India. British soldiers are shown carrying out a graphic massacre, gunning down 1,500 unarmed, peacefully gathered Indian protesters, including women and children. A large, angry mob of Indians attacks government police officers, setting their station on fire and killing some when they come running out of the burning building. Hindus and Muslims beat each other in riots. Sex Review this title! What's the story?

Director Richard Attenborough 's extensive biopic GHANDI begins as the influential Indian spiritual and political leader ( Ben Kingsley ) takes a stand against the Pass Laws in South Africa and implements his methods of nonviolent protest for the first time. The film spans Gandhi's adult life, showing how his spiritual principles of equality, tolerance, and nonviolence inspired India to push for independence from British rule. The movie pulls no punches in showing the violence that came out of the partition of India into India and Pakistan. Is it any good? QUALITY Weighing in at more than three hours, this amazing biopic is a must-see for families with an interest in history or civil rights. Ben Kingsley is brilliant as Gandhi, and the cast includes such luminaries as Sir John Gielgud, Candice Bergen , Martin Sheen , Roshan Seth, Trevor Howard , and Edward Fox. Families can talk about... Families can talk about what motivated Gandhi and why people followed him. How was he a different kind of leader? What parallels to the American civil rights movement do you see? What can modern leaders learn from Gandhi? How does Gandhi demonstrate perseverance and courage ? What about integrity and humility ? Why are those important character strengths ?

Movie details Indira Gandhi - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Indira Gandhi: Early Life and Family Born on November 19, 1917, in Allahabad, India, Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was the sole child of Kamala and Jawaharlal Nehru . As a member of the Indian National Congress, Nehru had been influenced by party leader Mahatma Gandhi, and dedicated himself to India’s fight for independence. The struggle resulted in years of imprisonment for Jawaharlal and a lonely childhood for Indira, who attended a Swiss boarding school for a few years, and later studied history at Somerville College, Oxford. Her mother passed away in 1936 of tuberculosis. Did You Know? One of Indira Gandhi’s most unpopular policies during her time in office was government-enforced sterilization as a form of population control. In March 1942, despite the disapproval of her family, Indira married Feroze Gandhi, a Parsi lawyer (unrelated to Mahatma Gandhi), and the couple soon had two sons: Rajiv and Sanjay.

Indira Gandhi: Political Career and Accomplishments In 1947, Nehru became the newly independent nation’s first prime minister, and Gandhi agreed to go to New Delhi to serve as his hostess, welcoming diplomats and world leaders at home and traveling with her father throughout India and abroad. She was elected to the prominent 21-member working committee of the Congress Party in 1955 and, four years later, was named its president. Upon Nehru’s death in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the new prime minister, and Indira took on the role of Minister of Information and Broadcasting. But Shastri’s leadership was short-lived; just two years later he abruptly died and Indira was appointed by Congress Party leaders to be prime minister. Within a few years Gandhi gained enormous popularity for introducing successful programs that transformed India into a country self-sufficient in food grains—an achievement known as the Green Revolution. In 1971, she threw her support behind the Bengali movement to separate East from West Pakistan, providing refuge for the ten million Pakistani civilians who fled to India in order to escape the marauding Pakistan army and eventually offering troops and arms.

India’s decisive victory over Pakistan in December led to the creation of Bangladesh, for which Gandhi was posthumously awarded Bangladesh’s highest state honor 40 years later. Indira Gandhi: Autocratic Leadership Following the 1972 national elections, Gandhi was accused of misconduct by her political opponent and, in 1975, was convicted of electoral corruption by the High Court of Allahabad and prohibited from running in another election for six years. Instead of resigning as expected, she responded by declaring a state of emergency on June 25, whereby citizens’ civil liberties were suspended, the press was acutely censored and the majority of her opposition was detained without trial. Throughout what became referred to as the “Reign of Terror,” thousands of dissidents were imprisoned without due process. Anticipating that her former popularity would assure her reelection, Gandhi finally eased the emergency restrictions and called for the next general election in March 1977. Riled by their limited liberties, however, the people overwhelmingly voted in favor of the Janata Party and Morarji Desai assumed the role of prime minister. Within the next few years, democracy was restored, but the Janata Party had little success in resolving the nation’s severe poverty crisis.

In 1980, Gandhi campaigned under a new party—Congress (I)—and was elected into her fourth term as prime minister. Indira Gandhi: Assassination In 1984, the holy Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, was taken over by Sikh extremists seeking an autonomous state. In response, Gandhi sent Indian troops to regain the temple by force. In the barrage of gunfire that ensued, hundreds of Sikhs were killed, igniting an uprising within the Sikh community. On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated outside her home by two of her trusted bodyguards, seeking retribution for the events at the temple. Tags

Question: With the history of which country is Ghandi associated?
Answer: India