World War I was making the British busy. Many people question why Gandhi did not break apart from the British while they were vulnerable, but the answer is simple. Gandhi vowed to not take advantage of his opponents troubles. Instead of fighting the British, Gandhi influenced people. He used satyagraha to change inequities between Indians. For example, Gandhi persuaded landlords to stop forcing their tenant farmers to pay increased rent and mill owners to peacefully settle a strike. Gandhi's goal was not to make everybody do exactly as he does, but to understand why he does and learn the ideals. Gandhi also believed in the ideas of Swaraj and Dharma. In Simone Panter-Brick's book, Gandhi and Nationalism: The Path to Indian Independence, these terms are explained and explored. "Swaraj is formed of two Sanskrit words: swa (self) and raj (rule). Thus, it can be construed either as rule over the self — the spiritual assertion of every person — or as self-rule — participation in the political affairs of the nation as citizens fully conscious of their rights and duties. For Gandhi, it was both"(Panter-Brick,24). Swaraj is used to stress independence and can also replace the word independence. Panter-Brick talks about dharma as a person's duty, thus relating to Gandhi's duties to the empire. "Gandhi’s entry into politics sprang from the firm belief that a citizen has rights and duties, and that he, as an Indian, had a duty to perform. This Indian conception of one’s life task is best expressed in the word dharma or righteous performance of one’s duty in life" (54). This author talks about how Gandhi used his ideals to unify India from the inside and this created a stronger opposition to the British. Mahatma Gandhi was not always suc... ... middle of paper ... ...th Centuru." Bbc. Last modified February 17, 2011. Accessed March 10, 2014. http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/how-did-the-british-gain-control-of-india/13349.html. Naidu, Ch. M., Dr. "Jinnah's Opposition to Gandhi." Yabaluri. Accessed April 6, 2014. http://yabaluri.org/TRIVENI/CDWEB/jinnahsoppositiontogandhijul91.htm. North Gwinnett Middle School. "Indian Nationalism and Gandhi." Slide Share. Last modified February 2, 2011. Accessed January 16, 2014. http://www.slideshare.net/templep79/indian-nationalism-and-gandhi. Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Gandhi - Biography of Mahatma Gandhi." About.com. Last modified 2014. Accessed March 27, 2014. http://history1900s.about.com/od/people/a/gandhi.htm. Trueman, Chris. "India 1900-1947." History Learning Site. Last modified 2013. Accessed January 16, 2014. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/india_1900_to_1947.htm.
The mission of Gandhi’s life was to help the people of India free themselves from British rule. Many people have struggled for independence. They have fought bloody battles or used terrorism in an attempt to achieve their goals. Gandhi’s revolution was different. He succeeded as an independence leader with the use of nonviolent methods. The young Mohandas Gandhi did not seem as a boy that would become a great leader. He changed as he studied in Britain and practiced in South Africa. He fought for the rights of Indians in both South Africa and India. Gandhi believed that all people in the world are brothers and sisters. He didn’t hate the English. Actually, he saw a lot that was good about them. His nonviolent means of revolution was referred to as satyagraha, which is a combination of two Sanskrit words, satya, meaning truth and love, plus agraha, meaning firmness. Many people were influenced by satyagraha.
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
“ First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win” (Mahatma Gandhi). Gandhi was born in 1869 in Porbandar. Throughout his life Gandhi helped those in need. He was taught that everyone and everything is holy. He married at the custom age of 19 and went to London to study law. The thing that helped Gandhi promote nonviolence is that he worked his entire life saying that violence didn’t change the way people acted. He lived his life saying that an eye for an eye only made the whole world blind. Gandhi’s nonviolent movement worked because he had something to prove and everyone else in the world agreed with him.
Under British rule in India, the British were harshly oppressive and only interested in exploiting products from India for their own use, causing many Indians to become extremely poor. They became so oppressed they were on the verge of violent civil disobedience, when Gandhi appeared to negotiate with the British threw non-violent tactics such as sit-ins and hunger strikes. The people were supportive on Gandhi and were set to become violent if anything happened to him. Things were resolved without violence.
...s that included satyagraha, or hold to the truth. This prevented bloody revolts like those of Egypt.. For example, when the British placed a high tax on salt, Gandhi led 50,000 people on a 200 mile march to the sea to make their own salt. Gandhi was taken to prison many times. Gandhi was able to work with Jawaharalal Nehru, a young lawyer to receive reforms from the British. The British finally granted a constitution in 1935 which was a beginning step towards independence.
How was Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent fights necessary to India's independence? In the 1900's, the harsh treatment of the Indians by the British inspired them, as well as Mahatma Gandhi, to fight for the rights and independence from Britain. Gandhi was the great freedom fighter of India, the people believed Gandhi it was who stood up to the British Government and led India to have independence. Many other Well-known activists were influenced by Gandhi's understanding of nonviolence to carry out their goals.
Kumar, Ravindra. Mahatma Gandhi at the Close of Twentieth Century. New Delhi: Anmol Publications, 2004. Print.
Mahatma Gandhi, a nationalist and spiritual leader was perceptive and objectively so, perhaps most eminently when he instructed his zealots, “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win” (Mahatma). Gandhi has a remarkable sagacity at a young age and strengthened it throughout the succession of his life. Although the aforementioned quote merely previews the extent of his intellect, it effectively summarizes his political approach. After becoming a member of the Indian National Congress Gandhi had the potential to become a most influential leader for the Indian people, and he did. Gandhi committed his political title towards fighting against the unlawful oppression of British rule. His method of fighting, however, was a politically innovative, mental type of fight. As a firm believer in the value of Pacifism, Gandhi developed the theory of non-violent civil protest and vowed to prevent his followers from succumbing to the allure of bloodshed. The irenic nature of Gandhi’s leadership won him the admiration of many Indian people, and is now considered to have political genius prestigious enough to be studied today (Mahatma 2). In some instances, studying Gandhi’s political strategy demonstrates the benefits of an actively participating governed majority. In today’s society, many people tend to make uneducated political decisions and sometimes even refrain from making one completely. In a variety of circumstances, related to any category of politics, from the election of a new president to the enactment of new laws, a group of Americans remain unrepresented because of their refusal to exercise their right to vote. A topic such as gun control would be a fitting example of a subject that while put ...
There is a distinct difference between popular Indian nationalism, that is the nation believing in a state independent of Britain, and Indian nationalist movements, for example the Muslim League or the Hindu revivalist movement. These movements fought for independence but were far more religiously orientated and were fighting in their own interests. Although Indian nationalism initially found expression in the Mutiny of 1857, its deve...
First, I would like to talk about the nature of Swaraj or “self-rule”. Swaraj is presumably a term that Gandhi used when he referred to the Indian freedom struggle. Gandhi had a specific view on how India should be ruled, he felt that India should be in control of themselves. Hence, this is where the concept of “self-rule” comes into play. Swaraj is more
Gandhi is motivated by religious means; he believes that everyone is equal in God’s eyes. He gets involved in several movements for equality, and he stresses non-violence very strongly. The Indians are very mad because British rule continues to limit their rights. They are supposed to all get fingerprinted, and their marriage laws are invalid. Gandhi’s followers vow to fight their oppressors to the death, but he discourages them from violence.
...e ideals of that period that inspired both the music of Chatterjee and Tagore, and led millions of protestors to peacefully but persistently resist the entrenched and sometimes violent, British authority. The same ideals however, were forced by compromise to a weaker but more tolerant version of their ideal. In a country with two national anthems, in the name of secularism, a single identity and a single principle cannot motivate the populace. The fervor that fueled Swadeshi is not quite as visible in the modern India. Instead politics remains a conflict among various ideologies and minority groups, tribals, Muslims, Sikhs, Communists, Hindu nationalists, and linguistic separatists. These are the new nationalisms that are becoming visible in a country whose old nationalistic image has faded.
“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.
Despite numerous conflicts with the British and with the Muslims, India fought for its rights by doing what they felt was right. India under the British rule had some benefits as the new school system and outlawing sati but they did manage to trouble the Indians with taxation and other laws. Gandhi who was an outstanding, important figure in India’s way for independence who taught to fight with nonviolence.
Mahatma Gandhi was a man of faith and great conviction. He was born into an average Hindu family in India. Like most teenagers he had a rebellious stage when he smoked, spent time with girls and ate meat (forbidden to strict Hindus). The young Gandhi changed as a person while earning a living as a lawyer in South Africa. He came in contact with the apartheid and the future Mahatma began to emerge, one who championed the truth through non-violent resistance. It was between 1915 and his assassination in 1945 that he struggled for India's freedom.