Mahata Gandhi

Who was Mahatma Gandhi?

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most famous freedom fighters in the history of mankind. He led India in its struggle for freedom against the British rule. And he taught Indians to fight for their rights through a unique way of non-violence. India and the rest of the world remember him fondly as Gandhiji or Mahatma Gandhi (Mahatma means “great-souled”).

Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2nd, 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat. His parents named him Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. When Mohandas was a teenager, he stole money from his father’s purse. Later, he regretted it and confessed his mistake.  Gandhiji had expected his father to rough him up for his misdeed. Instead, his father stayed calm and just accepted his apology. This incident was Gandhiji’s first brush with Truth and humility.

Gandhi Ashram in Sabarmathi, Gujarat, India
Gandhi Ashram in Sabarmathi, Gujarat, India, Image Credit: Flickr user k_krishnan via Creative Commons

Gandhiji studied law in London. After his studies, he accepted a job in South Africa. After he moved there, he noticed that the white-skinned people mistreated the dark skinned people. During a train journey he was once thrown out – a white passenger asked him to get off the train even when he had a first-class ticket. An unfair act like this is called racial discrimination. Gandhiji decided not to tolerate the racial discrimination at the hands of white people. For as long as he stayed in South Africa, he encouraged people to fight against the injustice.

Statue of Mahatma Gandhi - Gandhi Square, Johannesburg, South Africa
Tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi – looking over the Gandhi Square, Johannesburg, South Africa, Image Credit: Flickr user south-african-tourism via Creative Commons

Gandhiji returned to India after almost twenty years. He became involved in India’s freedom struggle against British rulers. He always preached and followed non-violent methods of protests like fasts and marches. His most famous march was ‘Dandi March‘. It was a protest against the tax Britishers had put on a fundamental thing like ‘salt’ to make it expensive.

Another interesting protest initiated by him was ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’. The Indians protested in large numbers against the British. When the police arrested them, they peacefully surrendered. After a few days, the jails ran out of space. The police had to stop making arrests. The protest was a big hit.

Gandhiji was a big promoter of Cottage industries in India. British Government those days used to buy raw cotton at low prices from Indian farmers. They manufactured cotton clothes in their factories. Then they sold the manufactured clothes back to Indians at a high price. Gandhiji felt it was unfair. He wanted Cottage industries to make goods in India for Indians. He knew building local industries was the greatest way to empower Indians.

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Mahatma Gandhi later launched the ‘Quit India Movement’ against the British. Indians asked the British to leave the country. After several years of persuasion, finally, India received independence on 15th August 1947 from the British.

A 9 Feet Tall Statue of Gandhiji, unveiled in London's Parliament Square in 2015 to mark 100 years of his return to India from South Africa
A 9 Feet Tall Statue of Mahatma Gandhi, unveiled in London’s Parliament Square in 2015 to mark 100 years since his return to India from South Africa, Image Credit: Flickr user number10gov via Creative Commons

Gandhiji was unhappy that India got divided into India and Pakistan on its Independence. He wanted Hindus and Muslims to live together. On 30th January 1948, a man named Nathuram Godse shot Gandhiji. It is an irony that an act of violence killed the man who preached non-violence all his life.

Gandhiji is dearly known by all Indians as Bapu and also Father of the Nation.

Image Credit: Featured Image by dougbelshaw, from Flickr

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Comments

41 responses to “Who was Mahatma Gandhi?”

  1. Ruby Avatar
    Ruby

    Cool

  2. billy joe Avatar
    billy joe

    we need some information about mahatma gandhi for our project and this website is working

  3. Ruhina Avatar
    Ruhina

    Good info for kids in simple language

  4. michael Avatar
    michael

    cool

  5. Castrolina Avatar

    our class is doing a project and i chose Gandhi awesome right thanks for the info

  6. Reece Avatar
    Reece

    Good for kids learning about Gandhi

  7. Toby Avatar
    Toby

    ONE WORD-AWESOME

  8. Charlie Avatar
    Charlie

    I really needed this for school work because in re we are learning about if one of the saints were are lost ancestor. And we had to write a interview so this really helped deffo tell my friends about this site

  9. melody Avatar
    melody

    We have to the national history day project and i chose Gandhi

  10. melody Avatar
    melody

    Your very correct, this was a good website for me to learn from!

  11. PUGANATOR007 Avatar
    PUGANATOR007

    Thanks for this article kinooze.com it helped me with my report

  12. PUGANATOR007 Avatar
    PUGANATOR007

    Mahatma Gandhi was a super man and I’m glad to write a review on him.

  13. max.s Avatar
    max.s

    i need this for a english project/lecture and this website helped me a lot in many ways and my role model is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi by the way that is gandhi’s real name because Mahatma in hindi actually means great soul so in english his real nickname great soul gandhi

  14. milly Avatar
    milly

    so true this stuff is amazing

  15. ayesha Avatar
    ayesha

    Good information

  16. caitlin Avatar
    caitlin

    i have a paper to write for social studies class, but this site gives most info that ive not seen. lots i have seen. still good site. i chose gandhi for the paper.

  17. castarion felder Avatar
    castarion felder

    this stuff helps me with my world culture because i am bout to have a bundle test

  18. Kirsty Jones Avatar
    Kirsty Jones

    This really helped with my work and shows how inspirational Gandhi was.

  19. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    This was very helpful

  20. Munchkin Avatar
    Munchkin

    Thanks:)

  21. Munchkin Avatar
    Munchkin

    It was really useful information that I used for my project.

  22. Sally Avatar
    Sally

    Really good!

  23. Isaac Ivan Avatar
    Isaac Ivan

    This piece of info is very helpful and is written in a very simple manner.

  24. devanshi Avatar
    devanshi

    good information,inspiring things mk gandhi has given us india to live v should go inhis path n make our life best.

  25. Evie Avatar
    Evie

    I love what Gandhi did and how he got the black and white people together.I am learning about him in school so this will give me some help.
    Lots of love,Evie

  26. Arusha Avatar
    Arusha

    In school we were doing the topic in history- Gandhiji leads the nation and we learnt about how we got freedom. Could you please write about Bhagat Singh and General Dyer and MORE about Mahatma Gandhii? I think Nathuram Godsey killed him on 30th January 1948. Curse him. But fortunately Gandhiji was old and could die in peace knowing that he’d helped many Indians and South Africans get their freedom!
    Jai Hind!

  27. tywy Avatar
    tywy

    we have to do a presentation

  28. Andres Avatar
    Andres

    It helped me a lot on my project and was my main source sooooooo….
    Yeah!!! Thanks!!

  29. Jiya Parmar Avatar
    Jiya Parmar

    This is a great wabsite

  30. olivia Avatar
    olivia

    Very good!!!
    Helped a lot thanks :)

  31. Katie Smith Avatar
    Katie Smith

    thank you kinooze.com for this upload we are doing a report in school and i choose Gandhi and im glad i choose this website because i thought it was a lot of help again thanks for this and pictures are great aswell

  32. nng Avatar
    nng

    i learned a lot about him this is an awesome website thanks

  33. laila Avatar
    laila

    I am dearly grateful for this website, if this website didn’t post Gandhi’s life, i wouldn’t be getting an ‘A’ on this assignment! of course i used my own words!

  34. Grape_Fruit Avatar
    Grape_Fruit

    I needed this for my project on 4/26/28 and i really thank you and appreciate you for your help.

  35. zen meteor Avatar
    zen meteor

    thanks, I’m doing a hero’s journey and this is good. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

  36. max Avatar
    max

    AWESOME! I have social every day and I love learning about him!

  37. max Avatar
    max

    AWESOME! I have social every day and I love learning about him!

  38. max Avatar
    max

    i think he is cool to

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