BREIF HISTORY of MAHATMA GANDHI

MAHATMA GANDHI

Birth And Upbringing

1. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, in later life called Mahatma Gandhi as also
Gandhiji, was born on 02 October 1869, at Porbandar. He was born in a middle class
family. His grandfather had risen to be the Dewan and was succeeded by his son
Karamchand, the father of Mohandas. Putlibai, Mohandas's mother, was a saintly
character, gentle and devout, and left a deep impression on her son's mind.
Youth and Study in England

2. After matriculating from high school, Gandhi joined the Samaldas College in
Bhavnagar, where he found the studies difficult and the atmosphere uncongenial.
Meanwhile, his father had died in 1885. A friend of the family suggested that if the young
Gandhi hoped to take his father's place in the state service he had better become a
barrister which he could do in England in three years.

3. During the early period of his stay in England Gandhiji went through a phase
which he has described as aping the English gentleman. He got new clothes made,
purchased a silk hat costing nineteen shillings. Having passed his examinations, Gandhiji
was called to the Bar on 10 June 1891, and sailed for India two days later. Gandhijis life
career can particularly be divided into three stages. The first stage started when after
completing his studies he came to India where he settled himself as a lawyer but could
not get a roaring business with the result that he had to accept a business engagement
with a muslim firm for South Africa. Upto this time he was known only to a few persons
as a lawyer. Second period is from 1921 to1947 and his third period is from 15 August,
1947 to 30 January, 1948.

On the Threshold of Manhood

4. After completing his studies when he reached Bombay he learnt to his profound
sorrow that his mother had died. The news had been deliberately kept back from him to
spare him the shock in a distant land.


5. Having failed to establish himself as a lawyer in Bombay, Gandhiji returned to
Rajkot where he started again. But he did not make much headway and was unhappy and
out of tune with the atmosphere of petty intrigue that was rampant in the small state of
Kathiawar. In this predicament came an offer from Dada Abdulla & Co. to proceed to
South Africa on their behalf to instruct their counsel in a lawsuit. It was a godsend
opportunity. Gandhiji sailed for South Africa in April 1893. There he was shocked to see
the ill treatment being meted out to Indians and the contempt of the white men towards
the coloured race to the extent they were not even allowed to travel in the 1st class
compartment of the trains. They were considered as coolies and Gandhiji himself was
called a coolie barrister. The incident of Gandhiji being thrown off the train at the behest
of a white man, although he had a legitimate ticket, had a profound effect on Gandhiji
and he organized the people to fight against this racial discrimination peacefully. He
achieved some success.

Emergence of Mahatma

6. He left South Africa in the middle of 1896 and came to India. The three years stay
in South Africa persuaded Gandhiji that he could not now desert a cause he had so
warmly espoused. He, therefore, took six months leave to visit India. He tried to educate
and convince the Indian public about the conditions of Indians in Africa. However, in the
meanwhile he received urgent message to come back to Natal by the Indian settlers. He
left for Africa in the middle of December 1902. He found that the conditions in South
Africa had become deplorable and the government was so harsh that in Transvaal no
person could enter the colony without a permit and Indian settlers were usually not issued
such permits. In 1906 the Transvaal government proposed ordinance requiring all Indians
to register themselves and carry a certificate with them all time. Gandhiji explained the
consequences of such an ordinance to the people and got their full support to agitate
against this, in a new type of passive resistence which Gandhiji termed as Satyagraha.
The state become independent and the ordinance became an act and Indians were asked
to register, Gandhiji successfully advised the people not to register and only 500 out of
13,000 registered. The authorities holding Gandhiji responsible for the resistance arrested
him and put him in jail for approximately 3 months. A compromise was worked out.
However, the government did not keep up their part of the promise. This resulted in
Gandhiji resuming his struggle which was joined by the masses including women.
Gandhiji could arouse the sympathies of the British public and also the secretary of State
for India. His struggle bore fruits and the Indians in South Africa were made to live an
honourable and respectful life.
Great Soul in Beggar's Garb

7. In 1914 Gandhiji returned to India with honours and decided to guide Indian
political life. Gandhiji settled down on the bank of the river Sabarmati, on the outskirts of
Ahmedabad, where he founded an ashram in May 1915. He called it the Satyagraha
Ashram. The inmates, about twenty-five men and women, took the vows of truth, ahimsa,
non-stealing, non-possession and control of the palate and dedicated themselves to the
service of the people.

8. His first satyagraha in India was in Champaran, in Bihar, where he went in 1917
at the request of poor peasants to inquire into the grievances of the much-exploited
peasants of that district, who were compelled by British indigo planters to grow indigo on
15 percent of their land and part with the whole crop for rent.

9. In 1918 Gandhiji tried to improve the working conditions of workers in the textile
mills of Ahmedabad. His confidence in British sense of justice was rudely shaken due to
passing of Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh tragedy and he became a non-co-operator.
He lost his faith in British impartiality and entered Indian politics with full vigour and
force. He was determined to win freedom for India through his weapon of non-violence
and passive resistance. He also realised that Hindu-Muslim unity was most essential for
India’s freedom and decided to struggle for it as well.

Mahatma and the Masses

10. From 1919 till his death in 1948, he occupied the centre stage and was the hero of
the great historical drama which culminated in the independence of his country. He
changed the entire character of Indian political scene.

11. In March 1930 Gandhiji started his famous Dandi March and was arrested for
the same and finally released in 1931. In the same year Gandhi-Irwin Pact was
concluded. In 1931 he went to London to attend a conference as the sole representative of
the Indian National Congress. In January 1932 Gandhiji was again arrested. It was at this
stage that by observing fast unto death he foiled government attempts to separate
Harijans from Caste Hindus. In 1942 Gandhiji started his famous ‘Quit India’ movement
which awakened the mind of the Britishers and made them realize that India was not
going to bear any injustice now. Gandhiji was, however, much shocked to learn that
Hindus and Muslims were fighting with each other on political issues. He could easily
see that a great sacrifice was required to harmonise and promote mutual goodwill and
relations between the two communities. He decided to go on fast until people of
both communities decide not to resort to communal hatred as a political weapon.

12. It is unfortunate that the father of the nation who sacrificed and guided the nation
so ably could not reap the fruits of Independence. On 30th January, 1948 when he was
going to address a prayer meeting the sage who preached non-violence was shot dead by
Nathu Ram Godse.

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