Mahatma Gandhi-The Father of Nation- Childhood, Personal Life, Revolutionary Activities & Death- Wiki Bio

Updated October 10, 2022

Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most prominent freedom fighters in India, also known as the father of nation.

Gandhi referred to his overall strategy of nonviolent protest as Satyagraha. Martin Luther and Nelson Mandela were notable individuals who were influenced by Gandhiji’s Satyagraha in their pursuit of freedom, equality, and social justice.

The foundation of Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha was truth and non-violence. Now, read this post attentively through to the conclusion if you want to learn more about the highlights of Gandhiji’s personal life and Revolutionary Activities.

Childhood of Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2^nd, 1869, into a Gujarati Hindu Modh Bania family in Porbandar, also known as Sudamapuri.

His father, Karamchand Uttamchand Gandhi was the chief minister of Porbandar state from 1822–1885. His father proved to be a capable chief minister despite having only completed his elementary education.

Gandhi was very notorious in his childhood. Dogs’ ears twisting was one of his favourite past times. Gandhi’s early life was greatly influenced by the Indian classics, particularly the tales of Shravana and King Harishchandra.

He acknowledges in his autobiography that they had a profound impact on him. These legendary figures are responsible for Gandhi’s early self-identification with truth and love as the highest virtues.

Gandhi enrolled in his neighbourhood school in Rajkot at the age of nine. There, he studied history, the Gujarati language, geography, and the fundamentals of math.

He was a decent student who occasionally received awards, but he also was a shy and introverted kind of student. He had very little interest in playing games; his only friends were books and his studies.

Personal Life of Gandhi

The arranged marriage took place in May 1883 between the 13-year-old Mohandas and the 14-year-old Kasturbai Makhanji Kapadia.

Due to his marriage, Gandhi missed a year of school but was later permitted to make up the time by speeding up his studies.

Writing Many years later, Mohandas described his regret for his lustful desires for his young bride. He said: “Even at school I used to think of her, and the prospect of darkness and our following reunion was ever plaguing me.”

Gandhi’s father passed away in the latter part of 1885. Gandhi, who was 16 at the time, and his wife, who was 17, welcomed their first child, who only lived for a few days. Gandhi was devastated by the two deaths.

Four other boys were born to the Gandhi couple: Harilal in 1888, Manilal in 1892, Ramdas in 1897, and Devdas in 1900.

Education of Gandhi

Gandhi, being 18 years old, received his high school diploma in Ahmedabad in November 1887. He enrolled in Bhavnagar State’s Samaldas College in January 1888, which at the time was the only college in the area that offered degrees. But he left school and went back to Porbandar to be with his family.

Post Schooling, he joined Samaldas college in Bhavnagar in 1888 in Gujarat. Mavji Dave Joshi, a family friend, then pursued higher education, including law, in London.

Gandhiji, who was dissatisfied with the education quality at Samaldas College, became thrilled about the London plan and persuaded his mother and wife that he would not touch non-vegetarian food, alcohol, or women.

Mohandas flew to London in the year 1888 to study law. He joined the Inner Temple, one of the four London law colleges, 10 days after arriving and began studying and practicing law there.

He also joined a vegetarian society in London, where he met some of his vegetarian friends who introduced him to the Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad Gita later left an impression and had an impact on his life.

A civil rights activist in South Africa

Gandhiji was 23 years old when he flew to South Africa in April 1893 to work as a lawyer. He spent almost 21 years in South Africa, where he developed his political views, ethics, and politics.

Soon after landing in South Africa, he started facing discrimination due to his skin colour. He experienced racial discrimination for the very first time when travelling on a train.

He was travelling in the first AC apartment of the train, and some European passengers (white people) inside the train threatened and ordered Gandhi to leave the train or sit on the floor near the driver.

They started beating Gandhiji when he refused their order and threw him out of the train despite holding the first-class ticket.

In another incident, Gandhi was told to take off his turban by the magistrate of a Durban court, but he refused. Indians were prohibited from using South Africa’s sidewalks.

Gandhi was abruptly forced off the sidewalk and onto the roadway by a police officer. These incidents affected Gandhiji so much. He decided to protest against all these discriminations.

Further, he also observed that these incidents were common to Indian people. On May 22, 1894, Gandhiji founded the NIC and began his tireless efforts to advance Indians’ rights in South Africa. Gandhi rose quickly to prominence in South Africa’s Indian community.

Tamil was the original language used in the ancient Indian work of literature known as Tirukkural. This historic book had a profound impact on Gandhiji as well.

He adopted a nonviolent protest in 1906 after being influenced by the concept of Satyagraha, which is a devotion to the truth.

After living in South Africa for 21 years of his life, when he undoubtedly campaigned for civil rights and underwent a complete transformation, he returned to India in 1915.

Role of Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian Independence Movement

After returning back to India in 1915, he joined the Indian National Congress. Gandhi’s first significant accomplishment was leading the Champaran and Kheda agitations in Bihar and Gujarat in 1918.

In opposition to the British administration, he also spearheaded the non-cooperation, civil disobedience, Swaraj, and Quit-India movements.

Death of Mahatma Gandhi

The assassination of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi took place on January 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse. Godse belonged to the Hindu Mahasabha and advocated Hindu nationalism.

Gandhi was opposed to the philosophy of non-violence, and he was accused of favouring Pakistan.

Some Famous Slogans of Mahatma Gandhi

“Change yourself – you are in control.”

“If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide.”

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

“We may never be strong enough to be entirely nonviolent in thought, word and deed. But we must keep nonviolence as our goal and make strong progress towards it.”

“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.”

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

 “When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible.”

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