Correspondence

between Tolstoy and Gandhi

WestminsterPalaceHotel 4,VictoriaStreet, LONDON,W.C. 10.11.1909. DearSir: Ibegtotendermythanksforyourregisteredletterinconnectionwiththeletteraddressedto aHindu,andwiththemattersthatIdealtwithinmylettertoyou. HavingheardaboutyourfailinghealthIrefrainedinordertosaveyouthetrouble,from sendinganacknowledgment,knowingthatawrittenexpressionofmythankswasa superfluousformality,butMr.AylmerMaude,whomIhavenowbeenabletomeetreassured methatyouwerekeepingverygoodhealthindeedandthatunfailinglyandregularlyattended toyourcorrespondenceeverymorning.Itwasverygladsomenewstome,anditencourages metowritetoyoufurtheraboutmatterswhichare,Iknow,ofthegreatestimportance accordingtoyourteaching. IbegtosendyouherewithacopyofabookwrittenbyafriendanEnglishman,whoisat presentinSouthAfrica,inconnectionwithmylife,insofarasithasabearingonthestruggle withwhichIamsoconnected,andtowhichmylifeisdedicated.AsIamveryanxiousto engageyouractiveinterestandsympathyIthoughtthatitwouldnotbeconsideredbyyouas outofthewayformetosendyouthebook. Inmyopinion,thisstruggleoftheIndiansintheTransvaalisthegreatestofmoderntimes, inasmuchasithasbeenidealisedbothastothegoalasalsothemethodsadoptedtoreachthe goal.Iamnotawareofastruggle,inwhichtheparticipatorsarenottoderiveanypersonal advantageattheendofit,andinwhich50%ofthepersonsaffectedhaveundergonegreat sufferingandtrialforthesakeofaprinciple.Ithasnotbeenpossibleformetoadvertisethe struggleasmuchasIshouldlike.Youcommand,possibly,thewidestpublictoday.Ifyouare satisfiedastothefactsyouwillfindsetforthinMr.Doke'sbook,andifyouconsiderthatthe conclusionsIhavearrivedatarejustifiedbythefacts,mayIaskyoutouseyourinfluencein anymanneryouthinkfittopopularisethemovement?Ifitsucceeds,itwillbenotonlya triumphofreligion,loveandtruthoverirreligion,hatredandfalsehood,butitishighlylilelyto serveasanexampletothemillionsinIndiaandtopeopleinotherpartsoftheworldwhomay bedowntrodden,andwillcertainlygoagreatwaytowardsbreakingupthepartyofviolence, atleastinIndia.Ifweholdouttotheend,asIthinkwewould,Ientertainnottheslightest doubtastotheultimatesuccess;andyourencouragementinthewaysuggestedbyyoucan onlystrengthenusinourresolve.

Thenegociations[sic]thatweregoingonforasettlementofthequestionhavepractically fallenthrough,andtogetherwithmycolleagueIreturntoSouthAfricathisweek,andinvite imprisonment.Imayaddthatmysonhashappilyjoinedmeinthisstruggle,andisnow undergoingimprisonmentwithhardlabourforsixmonths.Thisishisfourthimprisonmentin thecourseofthestruggle. Ifyouwouldbesogoodastoreplytothisletter,mayIaskyoutoaddressyourreplytomeat Johannesburg,S.A.Box6522. Hopingthatthiswillfindyouingoodhealth,Iremain Yourobedientservant, MKGandhi ***** ToGandhi, IHAVEjustreceivedyourveryinterestingletter,whichgavememuchpleasure.Godhelpour dearbrothersandcoworkersintheTransvaal!Amongus,too,thisfightbetweengentleness andbrutality,betweenhumilityandloveandprideandviolence,makesitselfevermore stronglyfelt,especiallyinasharpcollisionbetweenreligiousdutyandtheStatelaws, expressedbyrefusalstoperformmilitaryservice.Suchrefusalsoccurmoreandmoreoften. Iwrotethe'LettertoaHindu',andamverypleasedtohaveittranslated.TheMoscowpeople willletyouknowthetitleofthebookonKrishna.Asregards'rebirth'Iformypartshouldnot omitanything,forIthinkthatfaithinarebirthwillneverrestrainmankindasmuchasfaithin theimmortalityofthesoulandindivinetruthandlove.ButIleaveittoyoutoomititifyou wishto.Ishallbeverygladtoassistyouredition.Thetranslationanddiffusionofmywritings inIndiandialectscanonlybeapleasuretome. Thequestionofmonetarypaymentshould,Ithink,notariseinconnexionwithareligious undertaking. Igreetyoufraternally,andamgladtohavecomeintouchwithyou. LEOTOLSTOY. ***** ToCountLeoTolstoy,YasnayaPolyana,Russia. JOHANNESBURG,4thApril1910. DearSir, YouwillrecollectmyhavingcarriedoncorrespondencewithyouwhilstIwastemporarilyin London.Asahumblefollowerofyours,IsendyouherewithabookletwhichIhavewritten.Itis myowntranslationofaGujratiwriting.Curiouslyenough,theoriginalwritinghasbeen

confiscatedbytheGovernmentofIndia.I,therefore,hastenedtheabovepublicationofthe translation. Iammostanxiousnottoworryyou,but,ifyourhealthpermitsitandifyoucanfindthetime togothroughthebooklet,needlesstosayIshallvalueveryhighlyyourcriticismofthewriting. IamsendingalsoafewcopiesofyourlettertoaHindoo,whichyouauthorisedmetopublish. IthasbeentranslatedinoneoftheIndianlanguagesalso. Iam, Yourobedientservant,M.K.GANDHI. ***** ToMahatmaGandhi. YASNAYAPOLYANA.8thMay1910. Dearfriend, Ihavejustreceivedyourletterandyourbook,IndianHomeRule. IreadyourbookwithgreatinterestbecauseIthinkthequestionyoutreatinit:thepassive resistanceisaquestionofthegreatestimportance,notonlyforIndiabutforthewhole humanity. Icouldnotfindyourformerletters,butcameacrossyourbiographybyJ.Doss,whichtoo interestedmemuchandgavemethepossibilitytoknowandunderstandyourletter. IamnotquitewellatpresentandthereforeabstainfromwritingtoyouallwhatIhavetosay aboutyourbookandallyourwork,whichIappreciateverymuch,butIwilldoitassoon,asI willfeelbetter. Yourfriendandbrother LeoTolstoy ***** ToGandhi,Johannesburg,Transvaal,SouthAfrica. KOCHETY.7thSeptember1910. Ireceivedyourjournal,IndianOpinion,andwasgladtoseewhatitsaysofthosewho renounceallresistancebyforce,andIimmediatelyfeltawishtoletyouknowwhatthoughts itsperusalarousedinme. ThelongerIliveespeciallynowwhenIclearlyfeeltheapproachofdeaththemoreIfeel movedtoexpresswhatIfeelmorestronglythananythingelse,andwhatinmyopinionisof immenseimportance,namely,whatwecalltherenunciationofalloppositionbyforce,which reallysimplymeansthedoctrineofthelawofloveunpervertedbysophistries.Love,orin

otherwordsthestrivingofmen'ssoulstowardsunityandthesubmissivebehaviourtoone anotherthatresultstherefrom,representsthehighestandindeedtheonlylawoflife,asevery manknowsandfeelsinthedepthsofhisheart(andasweseemostclearlyinchildren),and knowsuntilhebecomesinvolvedinthelyingnetofworldlythoughts.Thislawwasannounced byallthephilosophiesIndianaswellasChinese,andJewish,GreekandRoman.Mostclearly,I think,wasitannouncedbyChrist,whosaidexplicitlythatonithangalltheLawandthe Prophets.Morethanthat,foreseeingthedistortionthathashindereditsrecognitionandmay alwayshinderit,hespeciallyindicatedthedangerofamisrepresentationthatpresentsitself tomenlivingbyworldlyinterestsnamely,thattheymayclaimarighttodefendtheirinterests byforceor,asheexpressedit,torepayblowbyblowandrecoverstolenpropertybyforce, etc.,etc.Heknew,asallreasonablemenmustdo,thatanyemploymentofforceis incompatiblewithloveasthehighestlawoflife,andthatassoonastheuseofforceappears permissibleeveninasinglecase,thelawitselfisimmediatelynegatived.Thewholeof Christiancivilization,outwardlysosplendid,hasgrownuponthisstrangeandflagrantpartly intentionalbutchieflyunconsciousmisunderstandingandcontradiction.Atbottom,however, thelawofloveis,andcanbe,nolongervalidifdefencebyforceissetupbesideit.Andifonce thelawofloveisnotvalid,thenthereremainsnolawexcepttherightofmight.Inthatstate Christendomhaslivedfor1,900years.Certainlymenhavealwaysletthemselvesbeguidedby forceasthemainprincipleoftheirsocialorder.ThedifferencebetweentheChristianandall othernationsisonlythis:thatinChristianitythelawoflovehadbeenmoreclearlyand definitelygiventhaninanyotherreligion,andthatitsadherentssolemnlyrecognizedit.Yet despitethistheydeemedtheuseofforcetobepermissible,andbasedtheirlivesonviolence sothatthelifeoftheChristiannationspresentsagreatercontradictionbetweenwhatthey believeandtheprincipleonwhichtheirlivesarebuilt:acontradictionbetweenlovewhich shouldprescribethelawofconduct,andtheemploymentofforce,recognizedundervarious formssuchasgovernments,courtsofjustice,andarmies,whichareacceptedasnecessaryand esteemed.Thiscontradictionincreasedwiththedevelopmentofthespirituallifeof Christianityandinrecentyearshasreachedtheutmosttension. Thequestionnowis,thatwemustchooseoneoftwothingseithertoadmitthatwerecognize noreligiousethicsatallbutletourconductoflifebedecidedbytherightofmight;orto demandthatallcompulsorylevyingoftaxesbediscontinued,andallourlegalandpolice institutions,andaboveall,militaryinstitutions,beabolished. Thisspring,atascriptureexaminationinaMoscowgirls'school,firsttheirreligiousteacher andthenanarchbishopwhowasalsopresent,questionedthegirlsontheten commandments,especiallyonthesixth.Afterthecommandmentshadbeencorrectlyrecited thearchbishopsometimesputaquestion,usually:'Isitalwaysandineverycaseforbiddenby thelawofGodtokill?'Andtheunfortunategirls,misledbytheirinstructor,hadtoanswerand didanswer:'Notalways,foritispermissibleinwarandatexecutions.'When,however,this customaryadditionalquestionwhetheritisalwaysasintokillwasputtooneofthese unfortunatecreatures(whatIamtellingyouisnotananecdote,butactuallyhappenedand wastoldmebyaneyewitness)thegirlcolouredupandanswereddecidedlyandwithemotion 'Always!'Anddespiteallthecustomarysophistriesofthearchbishop,sheheldsteadfastlyto itthattokillisunderallcircumstancesforbiddenevenintheOldTestament,andthatChrist hasnotonlyforbiddenustokill,butingeneraltodoanyharmtoourneighbour.The

archbishop,forallhismajestyandverbaldexterity,wassilenced,andvictoryremainedwiththe girl. Yes,wemaywriteinthepapersofourprogressinmasteryoftheair,ofcomplicated diplomaticrelation,ofvariousclubs,ofdiscoveries,ofallsortsofalliances,andofsocalled worksofart,andwecanpasslightlyoverwhatthatgirlsaid.Butwecannotcompletelysilence her,foreveryChristianfeelsthesame,howevervaguelyhemaydoso.Socialism,Communism, Anarchism'SalvationArmies,thegrowthofcrime,freedomfromtoil,theincreasinglyabsurd luxuryoftherichandincreasedmiseryofthepoor,thefearfullyrisingnumberofsuicidesare allindicationsofthatinnercontradictionwhichmustandwillberesolved.And,ofcourse, resolvedinsuchamannerthatthelawoflovewillberecognizedandallrelianceonforce abandoned.YourworkintheTransvaal,whichtousseemstobeattheendoftheearth,isyet inthecentreofourinterestandsuppliesthemostweightypracticalproof,inwhichtheworld cannowshare,andnotonlytheChristianbutallthepeoplesoftheworldcanparticipate. IthinkitwillpleaseyoutohearthathereinRussia,too,asimilarmovementisrapidly attractingattention,andrefusalsofmilitaryserviceincreaseyearbyyear.Howeversmallas yetiswithyouthenumberofthosewhorenounceallresistancebyforce,andwithusthe numberofmenwhorefuseanymilitaryserviceboththeoneandtheothercansay:Godis withus,andGodismightierthanman. IntheconfessionofChristianityevenaChristianitydeformedasisthattaughtamongusanda simultaneousbeliefinthenecessityofarmiesandpreparationstoslaughteronanever increasingscale,thereisanobviouscontradictionthatcriestoheaven,andthatsooneror later,butprobablyquitesoon,mustappearinthelightofdayinitscompletenakedness.That, however,willeitherannihilatetheChristianreligion,whichisindispensableforthe maintenanceoftheState,oritwillsweepawaythemilitaryandalltheuseofforceboundup withitwhichtheStateneedsnoless.Allgovernmentsareawareofthiscontradiction,your BritishasmuchasourRussian,andthereforeitsrecognitionwillbemoreenergetically opposedbythegovernmentsthananyotheractivityinimicaltotheState,asweinRussiahave experiencedandasisshownbythearticlesinyourmagazine.Thegovernmentsknowfrom whatdirectionthegreatestdangerthreatensthem,andareonguardwithwatchfuleyesnot merelytopreservetheirinterestsbutactuallytofightfortheirveryexistence. Yoursetc.,LEOTOLSTOY.