about gandhiji
Abridged Autobiography
Abridged by: Bharatan Kumarappa
Rs. 15/-
Printed & Published by:
Navajivan Publishing House
Ahmedabad 380 014 (INDIA)
Phone: 079 – 27540635
E-mail: jitnavjivanlO@gmail.com
Website: www.navajivantrust.org
Abridged Autobiography
EDITOR'S NOTE
Gandhiji's Autobiography in English as originally published and his History of
Satyagraha in South Africa together run into almost 1000 printed pages. An attempt has been made here for the first time to condense the matter of these two books into the space of the present volume. The task has not been easy as
Gandhiji's style is itself condensed. Besides, everything he says has a purpose and is important, so that one has to think twice before cutting out anything he has written.
And yet the modern reader wants Gandhiji's Autobiography in a handy form. It is to meet his need and that of young people in schools and colleges that this volume has been prepared. It cannot of course take the place of the originals.
But it is hoped that it will at least stimulate the reader to undertake a study at leisure of the more detailed original accounts.
The originals were written by Gandhiji in Gujarati, but translated later by others into English. The English translations were, however, seen and approved by him. This abridgement is naturally of the English version.
It seeks to include all the important events in his life, to keep in mind the spiritual purpose for which he wrote these books, and to adhere strictly to
Gandhiji's own words. Only in a few places have his words been changed where the abridgement required it, and even then, it might be claimed, without in any way altering his meaning. In the work of abridging, My Early Life, edited by
Mahadev Desai, was found helpful.
Bombay
Bharatan Kumarappa
November 1951
www.mkgandhi.org
Page 2
Abridged Autobiography
INTRODUCTION
It is not my purpose to attempt a real autobiography. I simply want to tell the
story
Abridged by: Bharatan Kumarappa
Rs. 15/-
Printed & Published by:
Navajivan Publishing House
Ahmedabad 380 014 (INDIA)
Phone: 079 – 27540635
E-mail: jitnavjivanlO@gmail.com
Website: www.navajivantrust.org
Abridged Autobiography
EDITOR'S NOTE
Gandhiji's Autobiography in English as originally published and his History of
Satyagraha in South Africa together run into almost 1000 printed pages. An attempt has been made here for the first time to condense the matter of these two books into the space of the present volume. The task has not been easy as
Gandhiji's style is itself condensed. Besides, everything he says has a purpose and is important, so that one has to think twice before cutting out anything he has written.
And yet the modern reader wants Gandhiji's Autobiography in a handy form. It is to meet his need and that of young people in schools and colleges that this volume has been prepared. It cannot of course take the place of the originals.
But it is hoped that it will at least stimulate the reader to undertake a study at leisure of the more detailed original accounts.
The originals were written by Gandhiji in Gujarati, but translated later by others into English. The English translations were, however, seen and approved by him. This abridgement is naturally of the English version.
It seeks to include all the important events in his life, to keep in mind the spiritual purpose for which he wrote these books, and to adhere strictly to
Gandhiji's own words. Only in a few places have his words been changed where the abridgement required it, and even then, it might be claimed, without in any way altering his meaning. In the work of abridging, My Early Life, edited by
Mahadev Desai, was found helpful.
Bombay
Bharatan Kumarappa
November 1951
www.mkgandhi.org
Page 2
Abridged Autobiography
INTRODUCTION
It is not my purpose to attempt a real autobiography. I simply want to tell the
story