Ahimsa is a concept that was practiced by political and ideological leader Mohandas Gandhi; a concept that he used to promote the use of non-violent tactics and passive resistance against colonial rule in India. Mohandas Gandhi used Ahimsa as the means to an end and therefore, ultimately rejected Machiavelli's advice on the qualities a prince must possess to retain his title. Machiavelli advises that the leaders have military experience and, “In peace time he must train himself more than in times of war. This can be done in two ways: one by action, the other by the mind” (Jacobus 40). Ghandi does not have military experience and Ahimsa, loosely translated, means abstinence from violence either by thought, word, or deed. Ahimsa requires a harmless mind, mouth, and hand (Maheshwari). The concept of Ahimsa and the actions of Mohandas Gandhi directly contradict the qualities and practices of a Machiavellian prince or leader.
In Machiavelli’s “The Qualities of the Prince”, Machiavelli states that, "A wise ruler, therefore, cannot and should not keep his word when such an observance of faith would be to his disadvantage" (Jacobus 48). If Mohandas Gandhi had followed the advice of Machiavelli, he would not be revered as the wise and great leader that he was. Mohandas Gandhi used his philosophy called Satyagraha to gain followers and to achieve his goal of freeing India from British colonial rule. Satyagraha is defined as a concept introduced in the early 20th century by Mohandas Gandhi to designate a determined but nonviolent resistance to evil (Encyclopædia Britannica). This requires that a person who decides to break a law considered unjust must accept the consequences of that decision. The use of Satyagraha had brought a lot of hard...
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Mohandas Gandhi and Mao Zedong were two great leaders who succeeded in many ways by their actions and decisions. Gandhi was an Indian leader and Mao a Chinese leader. However, their approach to success, peace, and ultimately, a revolution, was very different. Mao favored peace through violence, and Gandhi favored peace through non-cooperation and standing up for what is right. He also believed that these changes will be accomplished by “conscious suffering”, was the way he put it. However, despite their differences, these two leaders were similar too. They were both very charismatic leaders who successfully made it through their revolutions. Mao’s revolution led to change in class structure while Gandhi’s revolution involved India as a country, and he wanted people to realize that working together is a great way to gain independence. While Mao and Gandhi both believed that each of their countries have the need of independence, their views differed when it came to the use of violence, development towards the revolution, and their thoughts on a caste system.
The twin cardinal principles of Gandhi's thought are truth and nonviolence. It should be remembered that the English word "truth" is an imperfect translation of the Sanskrit, "satya", and "nonviolence", an even more imperfect translation of "ahimsa". Derived from "sat" - "that which exists" - "satya"contains a dimension of meaning not usually associated by English speakers with the word "truth". There are other variations, too, which we need not go into here. For Gandhi, truth is the relative truth of truthfulness in word and deed, and the absolute truth - the Ultimate Reality. This ultimate truth is God (as God is also Truth) and morality - the moral laws and code - its basis. Ahimsa, far from meaning mere peacefulness or the absence of overt violence, is understood by Gandhi to denote active love - the pole opposite of violence, or "himsa", in every sense. The ultimate station Gandhi assigns nonviolence stems from two main points. First, if according to the Divine Reality all life is one, then all violence committed towards another is violence towards oneself, towards the collective, whole self, and thus "self"-destructive and counter to the universal law of life, which is love. Second, Gandhi believed that ahimsa is the most powerful force in existence. Had himsabeen superior to ahimsa, humankind would long ago have succeeded in destroying itself. The human race certainly could not have progressed as far as it has, even if universal justice remains far off the horizon. From both viewpoints, nonviolence or love is regarded as the highest law of humankind.
Background: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was and still is one of the most influential people in India’s Independence history. His role as a leader and a pacifist eventually taught the Indian public about the importance of satyagraha.
Mohandas Gandhi’s existence in this world inevitably changed it forever. There is no denying this. A man that came from beginnings that would have made change unfathomable, not only stood above the standards of his society, but also joined many others in his quest for a more equal and peaceful system. Not only, did he make an impact in his situation, but he set the standard for generations to come on what the process looks without war and fighting to bring about a massive change in laws and treatment of people. His methods were not only effective for himself, but those that would model his behavior for future endeavors.
India gained independence from British rule in 1947. The Gandhian strategy is mainly comprised with: Satyagraha, Truth, Nonviolence, non-cooperation and peace and love. Satyagraha, a holistic approach toward life based on the ideals of truth and moral courage. Truth, the most powerful weapon. Gandhi believed "the truth is far more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction. Non-violence, was seen by Gandhi as "everlasting". Gandhi was influenced Jainism and Buddhism, both preached non-violence. Non-cooperation, aimed to resist British rule in India. Non-cooperation included the boycott of councils, courts and schools set up by British and of all foreign cloth. Peace and love, Gandhi stated " peace between countries must rest on the solid foundation of love between
Gandhi had worked out the basic strategy of nonviolent resistance, which he called satyagraha. It consisted of training a core of volunteers who helped to lead mass marches and mass violations of specific laws that resulted in intentional mass arrests. Three satyagraha campaigns made him famous in India even before he returned. While he was still in South Africa, Gandhi wrote about India in his pamphlet, "Hind Swaraj,” and targeted industrial civilization because he thought that was the real enemy.
Mahatma Gandhi a very wise and intelligent man According to Members Incorporated “his greatness lay in his capacity to communicate with peoples of all religions and nationalities, and to mobilise human beings in the service of a wider goal.” This shows that his use of intelligence to communicate with other varieties of people made him achieve his goal as a leader to educate the people who were agreeing for war. Also A&E television networks recognized that, “In 1906, Gandhi organized his first mass civil-disobedience campaign, which he called “Satyagraha”, in reaction to the Transvaal government’s new restrictions on the rights of Indians, including the refusal to recognize Hindu marriages.” This also shows why a leader should own intelligence, by making a whole campaign Gandhi had ensured that the government would find out and rebel and after this he used strikes of all sort to fight back which eventually worked with Gandhi’s intelligent plan. Gandhi was a very educated and intelligent leader who set a role model for everybody to use your brains and fight back for the squad. In other word, Gandhi was a highly intelligent war activist who emphasized that war is not the
In Chapter 21 of The Prince, Machiavelli states that the best way to boost a prince’s reputation is to put on displays of great ability such as conquests and demonstrations. A good example of such a prince is Ferdinand of Spain, whom Machiavelli regards as a new prince because he became one of the most famous kings in Christendom by his own strengths (Machiavelli, Ch. 21, p.88). He attacked Granada, used religion to unify his kingdom by driving the Moors out of Spain and also attacking Africa, Italy and France. Ferdinand was so successful because he kept his subjects amazed, and always planned his next move.
Mohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi (October 2, 1869 - January 30, 1948) was an Indian political leader. Since Before Gandhi was born India had been colonized by the British. During his childhood, he had witnessed the cruelty that the British had imposed on his people. However he could not do anything, then because as a member of the ruling class of India he was required to attend university in Britain where he was taught law. Once he had returned in 1914 Gandhi made it his goal to end British rule in India. There had been many attempts for self-rule in India before, however Gandhi had a...
The ideology of ahimsa(the rejection of any violence) in conjunction with satyagraha(non-violent resistance) will ideally lead to swaraj(complete independence and self rule), according to Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi and others—such as Martin Luther King Jr.—espoused the values of nonviolent resistance in the face of violent oppression. These sociopolitical equality and justice movements were thrust into the international spotlight, gaining more support for their respective movements. Civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance, as seen throughout history, appeal to masses of people who are oppressed and to those who wish to end the oppression and subjugation of others, and both are incredibly effective at achieving their end goals in the long run.
Mohandas K. Gandhi, a great Indian philosopher, wrote the essay “My Faith in Nonviolence”. His essay focuses on the use of nonviolence means on overthrowing the British rule of India. Gandhi’s main claim on this essay is that love is the higher law of life and that “every problem lends itself to solution” (p. 203) , if we followed that law.
Mahatma Gandhi believed in a system of non-violence, or ahimsa, that “could change and heal situations of conflict and human nature itself” (xxxi). He believed that there was a need for “radical transformations in human lives, relationships, and organizations… and the interconnectedness of these” (xxvi). Gandhi “recognized the need to create a social environment in which this sort of disciplined personal life and consequent transformed personal relationships could flourish,” (xxvii) which sparked the idea of ashram communities where people shared a vision of “authentic human life and the disciplines which enabled it” (xxvii). Furthermore, Gandhi pushed for the civil disobedience of “people unwilling to conform to the laws of the legislature”
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi- 2 October 1869 - 30 January 194 was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement. He is also known as Mahatma which means “The Great Soul”. He was committed to pacifism, that there should be no violence.(1) He had three concepts to follow in his life for independence of India: Satyagraha, Ahimsa and Swaraj.
Gandhi's teachings of non-violent resistance, known as satyagraha, has had a lasting effect and influence on the world today. He has been the role model for many famous, influential people such as American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. and former South African President Nelson Mandela. His continued influence can still be felt today in many non-violent peace organizations around the world bearing his name or teaching his philosophy.
“The strongest physical force bends before moral force when used in the defense of truth.” - Mahatma Gandhi (Bondurant). Mahatma Gandhi was the main leader in helping India become independent through the principles of non violence, self-rule, and the unity of Hindus and Muslims. His full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, but he was given the name Mahatma later on in his life. He wanted to see an united India without the rule of the British Empire. He accomplished this with passive resistance or resistance by non violence because he wanted to show that violence is not always the best answer.