Gandhiji and his ideologies were quite successful among the common masses. He planned to win leadership of those organizations, which fitted his grand purpose, the achievement of Swaraj. Gandhiji made very valuable contribution, firstly, to frame the secular agenda within the parameters of the Indian cultural tradition, and subscribed to the dictum of Sarva dharma sambhava i.e. equal respect for all religions. Secondly, he gave an indigenous content to the concept of nationhood, arguing that it was the common heritage of a highly pluralistic, multicultural civilisation, which provided the necessary clue to hold the Indian people together, as against the Western concept of 'nations' being... [continues]
Read full essay
Article I. Cite This Essay
Role of Mahatma Gandhi in Freedom Struggle
One of the greatest men in the history of India is unarguably Mahatma Gandhi. The way he gave shape and character to India's freedom struggle is worthy of a standing ovation. He sacrificed his own life for the sake of his country. The respect that he earned for himself despite leading a simple lifestyle is much appreciable. Mahatma Gandhi played a pivotal role in the freedom struggle of India. His non violent ways and peaceful methods were the foundation for gaining independence from the British. Read about Mahatma Gandhi's role in freedom struggle of India.
Mahatma Gandhi was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on 2nd October at Porbandar located in Gujarat. He went off to South Africa after marriage and worked as barrister there for twenty years. In South Africa, he had his first brush with apartheid. Once while he was traveling in a train, he was thrown out of the first class compartment despite having a ticket. This made him swear that he would do his best to erase apartheid from the face of his world. He went back to India only to find that his own country was being ruled by the British and his fellow citizens were being treated harshly by the British.
Like other great men in history, Gandhi took his time to grow and develop his techniques to ensure that his actions made an impact. His faith in different religions was commendable. His listened to the teachings of Christianity with the same belief and faith he read the Hindu scriptures with. He was brutally honest and truthful and this helped him throughout his life. Some of the major movements and freedom struggles led by him are discussed below.
Non Co-operation Movement
One of the first series of non violent protests nationwide was the non cooperation movement started by Mahatma Gandhi. This movement officially started the Gandhian era in India. In this freedom struggle, the non cooperation movement was basically aimed at making the Indians aware of... [continues]
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Mohandas K. Gandhi, known to the world as The Mahatma, or the "Great Soul", brought a great gift to the modern world. That gift was the light of Non-Violence, of Service to the Community and of Social Justice. His life served as an example and this light became a torch which illuminated our world and which saved us from our own inhumanity to each other.…
- 1013 Words
- 4 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Mahatma Gandhi was a leader of India’s independence movements; he persevered to advocate for Indians rights at home…
- 381 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Gandhi was a an example of a socialist in which added on to his status of a world leader. One of the main contributions he made socially were the making of non violence organizations. Non-violence was expressed deeply and was the priority in putting his cause forward(Appadorai). His movements were focused on the principles of satyagraha. Satyagraha is an important part of many of his protests but there is more two it than that. Gandhi followed the views of coming together to meet a consensus. He believed that in sitting down, without the use of violence, they will be able to agree on something that will satisfy the wants of both parties(Gandhi). Mahatma Gandhi was prosperous in his movements to gain his countries freedom. You can say this considering the fact that he got India's Independence. After many struggles India had finally gained the rights they deserved. This important day in history was August 15, 1947. Gandhi impacted and influenced people and the world in the present as much as he did in the years after…
- 1080 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Gandhi lead one of the greatest mass movements in the World’s history. As a leader, Gandhi utilised religious principles in order to inspire people to fight colonial oppression in India. Mohandas demanded to study law in Great Britain; however, his caste (social rank) did not allow him to travel abroad, so when he refused to comply he was expelled from the caste of merchants. Despite the fact that Gandhi was expelled from the caste, he still kept continuing with his first step to becoming a lawyer to help gain independence to India. However, after gaining his degree Gandhi was unable to have a job because the British Empire had no interest in Indian lawyers considering the level of racism before Gandhi’s life-changing actions.…
- 700 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
He declared, "Nonviolence is the greatest force to the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man. He became the international symbol of a free India. He lived a spiritual ascetic life of prayer, fasting and mediation. Refusing earthly possessions, he wore the loincloth and shawl of the lowest Indian and subsisted on vegetables, fruit and juice. Indians revered him as a saint and began to call him Mahatma (great soul). Gandhi's advocacy of nonviolence, known as ahimsa was the expression of a way of life implicit in the Hindu…
- 471 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian hero who inspired a country to revolve and free themselves of oppression. He is the type of person who no one else could ever become, but if there was someone who I would like to model myself after, it is him. He changed the course of history with his new ideas, and he freed what would become billions of people. Without Gandhi, I would not be alive today. I want to inspire at least some small amount of people to change their way of thinking and free themselves of an abominable situation. He was truly a tremendous person and he is definitely a person one should aspire to be.…
- 792 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Gandhi maintained certain practices that were considered essential Satyagraha practices, which he believed would bring nonviolence to the world. He named this power Satyagraha which means “reality force or holding onto truth.” Gandhi had said, “ The Truth is far more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction.” In the clear view of violence, Gandhi had come the realization that nonviolence was greater to violence itself. Gandhi believed in eleven practices that would help maintain the world in the aspect of having nonviolence throughout it. For Gandhi, ahimsa (nonviolence) was a fundamental part of his teachings, and he believed nonviolence gave a pronounced moral power to its followers. Gandhi became a guiding force behind a strong nationalist movement that encouraged independence from Great Britain, but without using force or any acts of violence. One of Gandhi’s practices was to fast, and he did this because he believed it would put an end to conflict and neglect that him and his people were enduring. During his campaigns he would fast in the hopes of making a statement and to put an end to the mistreatment of his people. Gandhi would simply stop eating until someone gave in at the point of the issue. Gandhi believe with his fasting it would encourage his followers to put more pressure on the British, and the outcome will show his triumph of him and his followers. Another practice that Gandhi introduced was the use of the spinning wheel in his village in India. He believed that spinning his own clothes would bring him self-sufficiency and prepare for forthcoming self-government. Gandhi and his people would own their own cotton and begin to weave it themselves so the British cloth would become not needed in their lives. Gandhi also believed in no harm to humans, but also no harm in animals. As a child Gandhi did eat meat, but later on in his life he preformed one of his practices of vegetarianism. Gandhi knew that…
- 1634 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
Throughout time, many people all around the world have made an impact on history. From Plato to modern-day world leaders, each individual has made their own unique impact on society and even other famous people. One specific example is Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was one of the many figures who did not use violence in order to reach their goal. He was one of most inspiring individuals in the 19th century, and he even influenced other great figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of the non-violent protests against British rule.…
- 333 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Mohandas Gandhi, also know, also know as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in Porbandar, India on October 2, 1869. He is remembered throught the whole world because of his great accomplishments, and methods which made him an international character. His approach on making India, and the world, a better place, were peace reigned, was that of a saint. “Mahatma Gandhi was the spokesman for the conscience of mankind”(Fischer 8).…
- 528 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Gandhi began his movement after he returned from South Africa, and tried to persuade the British government to let go India. Over there, he witnessed plenty discrimination, especially since the apartheid (segregation) laws were still in force. This experience led him to notice the inhumane inequality around the world, especially in his home country, India. Once returning to India, he declared his Civil Disobedience Movement, which only protests that were nonviolent and peaceful. For example, shortly after the massacre, he began the Salt March , where he and thousands of others made salt illegally from mud and seawater (International Center of Nonviolent Conflict). He was liked nationwide not only because of his nonviolent campaigns, but also because he included the “untouchables”, which were the Dalits (International Center of Nonviolent Conflict). Although the a large amount of the population were outcasts and lower-class people, he quickly became controversial amongst politicians in India (International Center of Nonviolent Conflict). Being inclusive, Gandhi continued his movement. Even though he wasn’t well liked by politicians, he had the support of millions. Around World War II, the struggle for freedom was at its peak (Britannica School). After a scandal with a British politician in 1942, Gandhi announced a new movement, the Quit India movement, to finally make India its own self-governing nation. During this movement,they protested, which unfortunately turned into riots sometimes, boycotts, and fasting, and them getting arrested (Newberry). It wasn’t until 1947 that the colony truly became a free nation and was divided into India and Pakistan, a year before the activist was assassinated (Britannica School). For many years, Gandhi and millions others worked hard to finally liberate India, and thanks to his peaceful movements, not only did he achieve his goal, but he also…
- 980 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was able to raise awareness of the injustice of apartheid; segregation, racism, and oppression of Indian people in both India and South Africa. Through nonviolent protests and a political movement he led, named the Indian National Congress, Gandhi was able to inspire and encourage his followers to stand against injustice. Gandhi was a charismatic and devout man. He studied law, languages, and the philosophical study of religions, including Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and more (Redirecting). Gandhi’s nonviolent, passive movement was named, “Satyagraha,” loosely translated as “moral domination” (Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti in India).…
- 695 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
There have been many individuals throughout history that have left an indelible impact on their people and the world, but few could rival the difference that Mohandas Gandhi made. Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in the British Common Wealth of India. He spent his youth witnessing the injustices that the English purveyed on the Indian people; something that eventually helped him to decide to become a barrister. Shortly after passing the bar, Gandhi was offered a case in South Africa that would require him to live in that country for about 1 year and he readily accepted. Once arriving in South Africa, he almost immediately experienced the prejudice that Indians living there had been enduring. The turning point for him came when he purchased a first class train ticket but was asked to move to the 3rd class coach, simply because he was Indian. When he quietly refused, he was physically thrown from the train. It was at that point that he decided to stay in South Africa to fight discrimination and what had been planned as a 1 year stay turned into 20 years. During that time he created, taught and practiced the concept of satyagraha, a non-violent way of protesting against injustices. (Rosenberg, n.d.) Gandhi believed that freedom could not be taken but must be given willingly and that this concept helped both the oppressor and the oppressed recognize the humanity in each other. The idea of satyagraha would be used by many great civil rights leaders as a way to advance their causes. Because of this, it remains Gahndhi’s greatest contribution to political change.…
- 1163 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Although Mahatama Gandhi was not the originator of the principle of non-violence, he was the first to apply it in the political field on a huge scale.The concept of nonviolence (ahimsa) and nonresistance has a long history in Indian religious thought and has had many revivals in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Jewish and Christian contexts. Gandhi explains his philosophy and way of life in his autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth. He was quoted as saying:…
- 598 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Gandhi used civil disobedience, the act of defying laws peacefully, as a way for him to spread his idea of an independent India across the globe. The British imposed salt tax law on colonial India, which heavily taxed salt and prohibited Indians from making their own salt. Gandhi recognized the unfairness of the tax, as Indian workers rely heavily on salt to keep them healthy, while the British had less need for the salt. (Doc. A) Because of this unfairness, Gandhi held The Salt March, in an act of civil disobedience he led thousands of his followers to the sea to make their own salt. Gandhi’s vision of nonviolence was strictly followed by the participants.…
- 548 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Martin Luther King also recognized that Gandhi’s nonviolence campaign was still ongoing in land of India. The spirit of Gandhi was very much alive in India. Gandhi’s influence felt in almost every aspect of life and public policy. Based on Gandhi’s teaching, people of India was running nonviolence campaign to resolve their problems; homeless, food shortage, unemployment, and problem of segregation. Although their efforts were starting to pay off on some areas, it wasn’t enough to overturn one specific issue: the…
- 459 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays