Western Imperialism Compare And Contrast Mao Zedong And Ghandi

Whereas Mao was influenced primarily by Western ideologies, Ghandi based the Indian revolution within a mix of Hindu and Western influences. First and foremost to Ghandi was the idea of Indian Nationalism and the strong sense of being exclusively Indian, a romantic notion also preached by Henry David Thoreau. When Thoreau speaks of an American government that he wishes was less controlling, he insists, “The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in his way.” Thoreau asserts that the government should not be the end to a means, but rather a means to an end. In other words, the government should work in the interest of the people and should be controlled by the people, rather than controlling the people. In India, Thoreau’s ideas apply to Britain’s efforts in attempting to convert India to capitalism. Britain injects Western clothing and clothing into India, but Ghandi sees this as a downfall and draws upon the romantic notion of Indian nationality, calling for the Indians to preserve their culture: “You
While Mao chiefly applied Western thought to a particularly Chinese plight, Ghandi mixed Hinduism and European influences from Thoreau to bind India together with Romanticism and duty. As both of their arguments displayed unquestionable evidence of Western influence – Mao applying Leninism and Ghandi drawing upon Thoreau’s romantic ideas of conscience-based, passive resistance – neither of their revolutions would have been the same without exposure to European thought. Thus, by introducing these Western ideologies into Asia, Imperialism allowed Mao and Ghandi to reject Imperialism based upon a combination of Western and Asian