Mohandas Ghandi

Mohandas Ghandi

Satyagraha. Meaning "force or firmness of truth, Mohandas Gandhi worked and lived by this word. By peaceful, non-violent demonstrations he little by little took hold of the people of India's love and honor and freed them from British rule. This is his story:

On October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India, a region of Queen Victoria, Mohandas Gandhi was born to Kaba Gandhi and his wife. Although his father, Kaba, was the chief Minister for the Maharaja of Porbandar, he and his family lived in a small house and belonged to a Hindu caste of merchants called "banjas." As he grew, Mohandas became a small, shy and skinny boy, afraid of others' opinions. He never spoke out, but although he was never a clever child, others were surprised by his gentleness. At the age of thirteen, he was married to Kastaurbai, a pretty yet strongwilled girl of the same caste. He would now live with his wife, instead of his mother and father whom he had cared for for so long.

Before this, Mohandas had told lies, had smoked, and had eaten meat, which was strictly forbidden of Hindus. Now, suddenly, he felt guilty and that he had hurt himself and in some ways those who he cared for. So, in desperation, he told his father, and they cried together. One year later Kaba Gandhi died. Mohandas was sixteen.

At eighteen he traveled to England to study law and secretly to see for himself what made the English so powerful. He enrolled in a college of law but quit after one term. He felt that he didn't fit in, so he studied the " Standard Elocutionist" for use and knowledge of proper ettiquitte. After a while he quit this also because he saw

no use anymore. Quitting became a popular theme in his early life.

Sometimes he quit because he was bored with something and just grew out of it, or sometimes when he just couldn't accomplish anything.

For example, he took English dancing and violin lessons to become more distinguished, but he was very clumsy and quit after six lessons.

He did not quit every thing though. He worked at some things if he thought that it would in some way help him. He studied material on Common & Roman laws and had to pass major exams on it. Despite all of the quiting and studying, he became a lawyer. He was not a very distinguished or even good one at first, but later became respected by his friends and clients after his work on a case in South A...

... middle of paper ...

...he was killed though, all of that changed.

Everyone was sad, and the Hindu people were ashamed that it was one of them who had killed him. People began to worship Gandhi in the ways that he had hated. They knew that if he would have been able to speak a few words before he died he would have said to the people to "have mercy on the misguided Godse", but knowing this, they still hanged his

assassin. Gandhi once said: "I have no strength, save what God gives me. I have no authority over my country men, save the purely moral."

And he more than anyone knew how weak that authority could be.

Over time, Mohandas freed India from the British rule, earning rights and respect for his people and a lasting place in history. In my opinion, like everyone else's. he was a great man putting others ahead of himself, but above all else wanting, hoping, and dying for peace.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Franda, Marcus and Vonetta J. " Gandhi, Mahatama." The New Electronic Encyclopedia. 1991, Grolier Electronic Publishing.

Iyer, Raghavan. " Gandhi, Mohandas." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1989 ed.

Reynolds, Reginald. The True Story of Gandhi, Man of Peace. Chicago: Children's press, 1964.