Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948) was an Indian lawyer and political leader who led the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule. His philosophy of nonviolent resistance, which he called satyagraha, inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. [1]
Early life
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, in western India. He trained as a lawyer in London and then spent more than two decades in South Africa, where his campaigns against discrimination first developed his method of nonviolent protest. [1]
The independence movement
Returning to India in 1915, Gandhi became the leading figure in the Indian National Congress. He led mass campaigns of civil disobedience against British rule, including the 1930 Salt March, and repeatedly used fasting as a form of protest. He also worked to reduce poverty, expand the rights of women and end discrimination against the so-called untouchables. [1][2]
Independence and death
India gained independence in 1947, though it was partitioned into India and Pakistan amid widespread violence that grieved Gandhi deeply. On 30 January 1948 he was assassinated in New Delhi. Revered in India as the father of the nation, he remains one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century. [2]
