Mahatma Gandhi
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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी; Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી:October 2 1869 - January 30 1948) was a famous spiritual leader and politician from India, the Father of the Nation. He is also known popularly as "Mahatma" Gandhi. "Mahatma" means "great soul" in the Indian language Sanskrit. Now he is the Martyr of the Nation since 1948.
During Gandhi's life, many countries were colonies of the United Kingdom. Many of these countries wanted independence from the United Kingdom.
Gandhi was one of the most important people involved in the movement for the independence of India. He was a non-violent activist, who led the independence movement through non-violent protest.
Life sketch
Gandhi was born October 2, 1869 in the state of Gujarat in India. Several members of his family worked for the government of the state. When Gandhi was older, he went to England for a few years to study law. After he became a lawyer, he went to the British colony of South Africa where he experienced apartheid, laws that said people with dark skin had fewer rights than people with light skin. He decided then to become a political activist, so he could help change these unfair laws. He created a powerful, non-violent movement.
When he returned to India, he helped cause India's independence from British rule, inspiring other colonial peoples to work for their own independence, break up the British Empire, and replace it with the Commonwealth.
People of many different religions and ethnic groups lived in British India. Many people thought that the country should break into separate countries so that different groups could have their own countries. In particular, many people thought that Hindus and Muslims should have separate countries. Gandhi was a Hindu, but he liked ideas from many religions including Islam, Judaism and Christianity, and he thought that people of all religions should have the same rights, and could live together peacefully in the same country. He said, "God has no religion."
In 1947, British India 'Empire' became independent, and broke into two different countries, India and Pakistan. Gandhi wanted independence, but didn't want the split into two different countries. Instead of celebrating on independence day, he was mourning the division of India.
Gandhi's principle of satyagraha, often translated as "way of truth" or "pursuit of truth", has inspired other democratic and anti-racist activists like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela. Gandhi often said that his values were simple, based upon traditional Hindu beliefs: truth (satya), and non-violence (ahimsa).
On January 30, 1948, Gandhi was killed by a extremist Hindu activist, Nathuram Godse, who was angry because he felt that Gandhi was too lenient towards Muslims.
