Gandhi & His Achievements
World History II Essay: Gandhi
“A 'No ' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes ' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.” (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) These immortal words were uttered by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or Gandhi as most know him today. Gandhi was an advocate of nonviolence, he was at the forefront of the Free India movement of the 1930’s and 40’s and played an integral part in India becoming an independent nation. This essay will focus on a few of Gandhi’s many achievements, it will look at how for the time period his philosophy of non-violent protest was considered a radical concept and how this philosophy of non-violence not only helped free India from British rule but also inspired protest and civil disobedience the world over. To begin this essay will take a brief look at the life of the man born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Born on the 2nd of October 1869 in Porbander India, at this time part of “British India” to Karamchand Gandhi who was the local Prime Minister and his mother Putlibai Gandhi who was a highly devout women involved in the Jain traditions. When Gandhi was 13 he was married to Kasturbai Makhanji, and in 1888 Gandhi moved to London England to study law. It was here that he became interested in religion, studying both Buddhist and Hindu literature. In 1891 Gandhi returned to India upon learning that his mother had died. After a brief time at home he again left, this time for South Africa in 1893 (Desai, 1940, pg. 66). It was here in South Africa that Gandhi began to see the injustices done towards the Indian peoples and where he first decided to lobby for social change. After this Gandhi became involved in the Zulu wars in 1906, training and leading stretcher bearers for British soldiers (Samson, 1995, pg. 2). Gandhi’s first major civil rights achievement came in 1918 when he led protests against landlords that had raised taxes in the midst of a famine. Following uprisings in 1922 Gandhi was
“A 'No ' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes ' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.” (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) These immortal words were uttered by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or Gandhi as most know him today. Gandhi was an advocate of nonviolence, he was at the forefront of the Free India movement of the 1930’s and 40’s and played an integral part in India becoming an independent nation. This essay will focus on a few of Gandhi’s many achievements, it will look at how for the time period his philosophy of non-violent protest was considered a radical concept and how this philosophy of non-violence not only helped free India from British rule but also inspired protest and civil disobedience the world over. To begin this essay will take a brief look at the life of the man born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Born on the 2nd of October 1869 in Porbander India, at this time part of “British India” to Karamchand Gandhi who was the local Prime Minister and his mother Putlibai Gandhi who was a highly devout women involved in the Jain traditions. When Gandhi was 13 he was married to Kasturbai Makhanji, and in 1888 Gandhi moved to London England to study law. It was here that he became interested in religion, studying both Buddhist and Hindu literature. In 1891 Gandhi returned to India upon learning that his mother had died. After a brief time at home he again left, this time for South Africa in 1893 (Desai, 1940, pg. 66). It was here in South Africa that Gandhi began to see the injustices done towards the Indian peoples and where he first decided to lobby for social change. After this Gandhi became involved in the Zulu wars in 1906, training and leading stretcher bearers for British soldiers (Samson, 1995, pg. 2). Gandhi’s first major civil rights achievement came in 1918 when he led protests against landlords that had raised taxes in the midst of a famine. Following uprisings in 1922 Gandhi was
References: Brief Overview of Jainism. (1997, February 10). University of Michigan. Retrieved February 19, 2011, from http://www.umich.edu/~umjains/overview.html Desai, M Easwaran, E. (1997). The way of love. Gandhi, the man: the story of his transformation (3rd ed., pp. 67, 72). Tomales, Calif.: Nilgiri Press. Gandhi, R. (2008). Engaging India. Gandhi: the man, his people, and the empire (p. 197). Berkeley: University of California Press. Simkin, J. (n.d.). The Russian Civil War. Spartacus Educational - Home Page. Retrieved February 19, 2011, from http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUScivilwar.htm White, M