viii Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Getty Keystone-France
e 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 f g 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 h introduction Mohandas Gandhi Generations to come it may well be will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth Albert Einstein with his wire-rimmed glasses homespun clothes and walking stick Gandhi is an unforgettable symbol of nonviolence freedom and peace for our world Gandhi was a great leader of the 20th century who worked tirelessly and courageously to help India achieve its hard-won indepen dence from England From childhood on Gandhi led an extraordinary life with many fascinating twists and turns He was a world traveler who lived in India England and South Africa Trav eling gave him wonderful opportunities to discover new lands and to observe how a wide variety of people did or did not get along His personal life had joys and sorrows Gandhi was Hindu and teenage marriages arranged by parents were traditional when he was young He was married at the age of 13 to a hometown girl named Kastur who was also his age As was customary Kastur’s name became Kasturbai once she was married and Kasturba when she was older and the matriarch of their family Early in their marriage the couple had a baby who died shortly after birth Later in life Gandhi and Kasturba raised four sons named Harilal Manilal Ramdas and Devdas Gandhi was often called Bapu which means Father In midlife Gandhi was called Mahatma which means ix
Great Soul However Gandhi was not comfortable being called Mahatma He preferred to be seen as a role model striving to make a positive difference in the world He hoped people would follow in his footsteps Gandhi was a high-energy person who related to a wide range of people Many individuals young and old were drawn to him Gan dhi had admirable qualities but he also admitted to having flaws and making mistakes In his autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth Gandhi wrote about his life and work as well as the hard times he experienced with the people closest to him He could be stern and stubborn as well as short tempered and contradictory He could also be lenient accepting lighthearted and loving He was fre quently away from home for work and Kasturba was often in charge of raising their children A strict vegetarian Gandhi was constantly searching for simple hearty meat-free foods He was very interested in health and hygiene and he even wrote a book titled Key to Health In his youth Gandhi dreamed of becoming a doctor but his father wanted him to become a lawyer The skills he learned as a lawyer were beneficial on his path to becoming a leader In a vibrant journey of self-transformation Gan dhi went from being a shy and tongue-tied young lawyer to standing before thousands of people and delivering powerful speeches Gandhi worked hard for Indian rights in both India and South Africa Although he sought to bring about harmony much of his life was enveloped in conflict and violence He was harassed humiliated beaten imprisoned and eventually assassinated He experienced war firsthand In South Africa he lived through the Second Boer War and the Zulu Rebellion In England and India he lived through World War I and World War II But Gandhi believed there was a better less violent way to live He helped bring about change through his speaking writ ing marches boycotts fasts and protests against injustice which often landed him in jail Gandhi spent a sum total of nearly six years in jail Gandhi saw goodness in people and accepted many different reli gions beyond his Hindu faith He believed in truth justice civil rights and freedom and he always sought to promote important ideals be kind to others seek truth respect differences practice nonviolence and know change is possible In India Gandhi is known as Father of the Nation and his inspiring message of nonviolence lives on x
1 EarLy yEars by thE sEa If we could change ourselves the tendencies in the world would also change As a man changes his own nature so does the attitude of the world change towards him M K Gandhi when Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2 1869 in the small coastal town of Por bandar India his world was already changing By his birth day the torrential rains and high winds brought on by the region’s monsoon season had passed and drier more com fortable winter days were on the way Porbandar was a seaport located in the large state of Guja rat in northwest India Situated on the shores of the Arabian Sea in the ear-shaped Kathiawar Peninsula Porbandar over looked an expansive blue ocean framed by long stretches of white sandy beaches It offered young Mohandas an exciting place to live during his early childhood Small fishing boats and large ships would come and go and townsfolk could fish or swim in the ocean or fly kites and walk along the beach As waves continually crashed against the shoreline the port was often highlighted by beautiful rainbows color ful sunsets or dramatic lightning storms As a boy Mohandas was surrounded by wildlife Cows horses goats cats and dogs roamed the streets of Porban dar and it was common to see oxen pulling passengers or cargo in two-wheeled or four-wheeled bullock carts A wide range of colorful birds such as pink flamingos great white 1
