Natasha Alcazar

Ms.Lightner
January 29, 2015
7th ELA 1st
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was a great and good inspirational leader. One of Gandhis main goals was
to liberate and make India a free country form Britian. Gandhi inspired us with the acts he did,
and it even affected us after his death.
Mahatma Karamchand Gandhi, who was mainly known as Mahatma which means Great
Soul, was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat, in North West India. While Gandhi
was growing up, he was fortunate to be receiving an education. According to history.com, it
states that Gandhi was fortunate to receive a comprehensive education, but proved a mediocre
student. Gandhis parents were very strict on education and religion, according to history.com, it
states his father was the chief minister of Probandar, and his mothers religious devotion meant
that his upbringing was infused with the Jain Pacifist teachings. At the age of 13, Gandhi got
married to Kasturba Makhanji, a girl who was also 13. This was a very known custom in India
and was arranged from their respective parents.
Entering Samaldas college, at the University of Bombay, Kasturba his wife gave birth to his
first of four sons in 1888. While still unhappy in college, he was offered the opportunity to
further his studies. According to history.com, its states he was offered the opportunity of
furthering his studies overseas, at the University college London, aged 18. The only reason he
kept going to college and furthering his studies, was because he was following his parents
wishes to take the bar. While following the Hindu principles he found vegetarianism as well as
well as alcohol and sexual abstinence restricted in London. At first that was what he thought, but
according to history.com it states once he had found kindred spirits he flourished, and pursued
the philosophical study of religions, including Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and others.
After learning about all the religions that made him think of everybody else in a different way.
According to mkgadhi.org it states the small Indian community in South Africa.. Many Indians
were not given citizenship rights. According to mkgandhi.org it states they were hated and
radically discriminated in all matters by the dominant white community.
Gandhi spent his next 20 years in South Africa fighting against the injustice of racial
segregation. Already experiencing racial bias because in one occasion he was thrown form a first
class train carriage with a valid ticket. According to history.com, it states he founded a political
movement, known as the Natal Indian Congress, and developed his theoretical belief in nonviolence civil protest into a tangible political stance. Gandhi returned to India in 1916, already

practiced his way of non-violent civic disobedience, according to history.com it states raising
awareness of oppressive practices in Bihar, in 1918, which saw the local populace oppressed by
their largely British masters. Gandhi encouraged villagers to improve their own circumstances,
which meant by leading peaceful strikes and protests. As he encouraged people, his fame spread
and became known as Mahatma. As Gandhis fame spread so did his political influence
increased. Gandhi was already leading the Indian National Congress. He got arrested on March
10,1922 because he led a boycott of British goods and institutions and his encouragement of
mass civil disobedience.
Gandhi got released from prison on February 1924 but he returned four years later, in 1928.
Gandhi led a 250-mile march to the sea to collect his own salt in 1930. That happened when the
British put a tax on salt. When WWII was going on, Gandhis main goal for his country was
independence from Britain. He was arrested again when he began the Quit India movement.
Before his release his wife died in prison. According to castle.eui.edu it states the greatest
accomplishment of Gandhi was his life long fight for his countrys independence finally became
reality on August 15, 1947. According to bio.com it states after independence, he tried to stop
the Hindu- Muslim conflict in Bengal, a policy which led to his assassination in Delhi by
Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic.
After the death of Gandhi, his death affected lots of people mostly because of the legacy he
left behind; like his commitment to non-violence inspired people. According to bio.com it states
even after his death, Gandhis commitment to non-violence and his belief of simple living have
been a beacon of hope for oppressed and marginalized people throughout the world. Mahatma
Gandhi was known as a great and good leader because of the way he spoke to the people and
how he used non-violence in his protests. According to mkgandhi.org it states Gandhi spoke in
low tone and was a hesitant public speaker. Yet people of all classes were drawn to him and
instinctively felt him to be a leader of deeply spiritual and moral perceptions. He successfully led
non-violent struggles against racial discrimination. Mahatma Gandhi once said this famous
quote- non-violence is a weapon of the strong.

Bibliography
Mohandas Gandhi. Castle.eiu.edu. web.30 January
2015.http://castle.eiu.edu/~wow/gndihero.html
Mahatma Gandhi. Bio.com. web. 30 January
2015.http://www.biography.com/people/mahatma-gandhi-9305898
Mahatma Gandhi. History.com. web.30 January
2015http://www.history.com/topics/mahatma-gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi. Mkgandhi.org. web. 30 January 2015
http://mkgandhi.org/linktoautobio.htm