essay on freedom struggle of mahatma gandhi

Essay on Mahatma Gandhi – Contributions and Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi

500+ words essay on mahatma gandhi.

Essay on Mahatma Gandhi – Mahatma Gandhi was a great patriotic Indian, if not the greatest. He was a man of an unbelievably great personality. He certainly does not need anyone like me praising him. Furthermore, his efforts for Indian independence are unparalleled. Most noteworthy, there would have been a significant delay in independence without him. Consequently, the British because of his pressure left India in 1947. In this essay on Mahatma Gandhi, we will see his contribution and legacy.

Contributions of Mahatma Gandhi

First of all, Mahatma Gandhi was a notable public figure. His role in social and political reform was instrumental. Above all, he rid the society of these social evils. Hence, many oppressed people felt great relief because of his efforts. Gandhi became a famous international figure because of these efforts. Furthermore, he became the topic of discussion in many international media outlets.

Mahatma Gandhi made significant contributions to environmental sustainability. Most noteworthy, he said that each person should consume according to his needs. The main question that he raised was “How much should a person consume?”. Gandhi certainly put forward this question.

Furthermore, this model of sustainability by Gandhi holds huge relevance in current India. This is because currently, India has a very high population . There has been the promotion of renewable energy and small-scale irrigation systems. This was due to Gandhiji’s campaigns against excessive industrial development.

Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence is probably his most important contribution. This philosophy of non-violence is known as Ahimsa. Most noteworthy, Gandhiji’s aim was to seek independence without violence. He decided to quit the Non-cooperation movement after the Chauri-Chaura incident . This was due to the violence at the Chauri Chaura incident. Consequently, many became upset at this decision. However, Gandhi was relentless in his philosophy of Ahimsa.

Secularism is yet another contribution of Gandhi. His belief was that no religion should have a monopoly on the truth. Mahatma Gandhi certainly encouraged friendship between different religions.

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Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi has influenced many international leaders around the world. His struggle certainly became an inspiration for leaders. Such leaders are Martin Luther King Jr., James Beve, and James Lawson. Furthermore, Gandhi influenced Nelson Mandela for his freedom struggle. Also, Lanza del Vasto came to India to live with Gandhi.

The awards given to Mahatma Gandhi are too many to discuss. Probably only a few nations remain which have not awarded Mahatma Gandhi.

In conclusion, Mahatma Gandhi was one of the greatest political icons ever. Most noteworthy, Indians revere by describing him as the “father of the nation”. His name will certainly remain immortal for all generations.

Essay Topics on Famous Leaders

• Mahatma Gandhi
• APJ Abdul Kalam
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Swami Vivekananda
• Mother Teresa
• Rabindranath Tagore
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• Subhash Chandra Bose
• Abraham Lincoln
• Martin Luther King

FAQs on Mahatma Gandhi

Q.1 Why Mahatma Gandhi decided to stop Non-cooperation movement?

A.1 Mahatma Gandhi decided to stop the Non-cooperation movement. This was due to the infamous Chauri-Chaura incident. There was significant violence at this incident. Furthermore, Gandhiji was strictly against any kind of violence.

Q.2 Name any two leaders influenced by Mahatma Gandhi?

A.2 Two leaders influenced by Mahatma Gandhi are Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela.

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Important Essay on Mahatma Gandhi for Students in English

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, often called the 'Father of the Nation' , was a leader who fought for India's freedom from British rule. He believed in non-violence. Every year on October 2nd, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti to honor his efforts in freeing India.

English Essay on Mahatma Gandhi

Rabindranath Tagore was the first to call Gandhiji 'Mahatma,' which means 'Great Soul' in Sanskrit. His wise ideas and beliefs led people to respect and call him 'Mahatma Gandhi.' His dedication to the country and efforts to turn his ideas into reality make Indians around the world very proud of him .

According to Mahatma Gandhi’s biography, he was born on October 2, 1869 , in Porbandar, a coastal town in the present-day Indian state of Gujarat. He grew up in a Hindu family and ate basic vegetarian meals. His dad, Karamchand Uttamchand Gandhi, was an important leader in Porbandar State. In South Africa, he was the first to lead a peaceful protest movement, setting him apart from other demonstrators. Mahatma Gandhi also introduced the idea of Satyagraha, a nonviolent approach to opposing unfairness. He devoted 20 years of his life to battling discrimination in South Africa.

His idea of 'Ahimsa,' which means not hurting anyone, was widely admired and followed by many influential people worldwide. He became an indomitable figure who couldn't be defeated in any situation. Mahatma Gandhi initiated the 'Khadi Movement' to encourage the use of fabrics like khadi or jute. This movement was a crucial part of the larger 'Non-co-operation Movement,' which advocated for Indian goods and discouraged foreign ones. Gandhi strongly supported agriculture and encouraged people to engage in farming. He inspired Indians to embrace manual labor and emphasized self-reliance, urging them to provide for their needs and lead simple lives. He began weaving cotton clothes using the Charkha to reduce dependence on foreign goods and promote Swadeshi products among Indians.

During the fight for India's freedom, Gandhiji faced imprisonment several times along with his followers, but his main goal was always the freedom of his motherland. Even when he was in prison, he never chose the path of violence.

Mahatma Gandhi made significant contributions to various social issues. His efforts against 'untouchability' while he was in Yerwada Jail, where he went on a hunger strike against this ancient social evil, greatly helped uplift the oppressed community in modern times. He also emphasized the importance of education, cleanliness, health, and equality in society.

These qualities defined him as a person with a great soul and justified his transformation from Gandhi to Mahatma. He led many freedom movements, including the "Quit India Movement," which was highly successful. His death was a huge loss to the forces of peace and democracy, leaving a significant void in the nation's life.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a prominent Indian nationalist leader, significantly influenced Mahatma Gandhi's political ideology and leadership approach. Gandhi considered him his political teacher.

Mahatma Gandhi played a crucial role in India's fight for freedom from British rule. His life was dedicated to serving his country and its people, and he became an international symbol of Indian leadership. Even today, he continues to inspire and motivate young people worldwide with his values and principles.

Gandhi Ji was known for his strong sense of discipline. He emphasized the importance of self-discipline in achieving significant goals, a principle he applied in promoting his philosophy of Ahimsa (non-violence). Through his own life, he demonstrated that rigorous discipline can lead to the realization of any objective, provided we remain committed and dedicated. These qualities established him as a revered and respected leader whose influence extends far beyond his lifetime. His ideals continue to resonate not only in India but also around the world.

FAQs on Mahatma Gandhi Essay

1. What were the different movements that Gandhi started in order to bring Independence to India?

In order to bring freedom, Gandhi started the Satyagraha movement in 1919, the non-cooperation movement in 1921, and Civil Disobedience movement in 1930 and Quit India movement in 1942.

2. Who killed Mahatma Gandhi?

A young man named Nathuram Godse killed Mahatma Gandhi when he was going to attend an evening prayer meeting.

3. Why is Gandhi known as the ‘Father of the Nation’?

Mahatma Gandhi is known as the ‘Father of the Nation’ because he laid the true foundation of independent India with his noble ideals and supreme sacrifice.

4. How do we commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution for our Nation?

His birthday on 2 nd October is celebrated as a National Holiday across the nation in order to commemorate his great contributions and sacrifices for the country’s independence.

5. What are the things we should learn from Mahatma Gandhi? 

There are various things one can learn from Gandhiji. The principles that he followed and preached his entire generation and for generations to come are commendable. He believed in ‘Ahimsa’ and taught people how any war in the world can be won through non-violence. To simply state one can learn the following principles from Gandhiji - 

Nonviolence, 

Respect for elders,

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Gandhi's Role in Indian Freedom Struggle: A Critical Understanding

Gandhi had an unflinching and unshakable faith in the theory of non-violence. He played a pivotal role in the India's struggle for freedom which was the world's largest democratic movement. Indian nationalism achieved its highest peak under Gandhi's leadership. No doubt it was he, who organized the movement on mass basis and tried his best to unite both Hindus and Muslims, uplift the economic and social status of the untouchables. Gandhi evolved and developed a powerful non-violent method, giving it the name Satyagraha. Though in contemporary period there are various criticisms on him but we must observe him from that particular period of freedom struggle.

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Indian freedom struggle involves the political movements that were widely popularized against the oppressing outlook of the British dominion, both by employing non-violent and violent measures. Broadly speaking, the history of the freedom struggle can be divided into two distinctive phases, i.e., Pre-Gandhian period (1885-1919) and Post-Gandhian period (1919-1947). In the latter phase, Gandhi led millions into active politics and movement for independence mass-centric. However, he was clear that the springs of their activity did not lie with him but with themselves. He was able to grasp the basic dialectic of leader-masses relationship. Through his leadership, Indian National Congress became an effective organization for politics and mass struggle, to mobilize and unite an atomized and dispersed people, to evolve correct strategy and tactics which would correspond to the specific historical situation of exploitation and oppression. Political Background of India before the Arrival of...

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A standout amongst the most prominently examined and yet many-a-period dubious figure of Indian politics is Mahatma Gandhi. There is not really any zone in the pre or post-independence period that he had left untramplled for Indian improvement and independence. He is such a socio-political figure who is scarcely incomprehensible for somebody to overlook or disregard. He has impacted each part of human awareness and there is not really any discipline that he has left uncommented. Maybe a couple would debate the idea that Mahatma Gandhi was one of the twentieth century's transformative political and spiritual leaders. Among his numerous prominent commitments, Gandhi is appropriately credited with pioneering Satyagraha, protection from oppression however mass common rebellion and vocalizing an otherworldly message that helped the Indian National Congress procure independence from the British in August 1947. In Gandhi's glorified state, there would be no representative government, no constitution, no army or police constrain; there would be no industrialization, no machines and absolutely no modern cities.

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The impact of Non-violence in the nationalist movement of India is beyond criticism. Gandhi wanted to inspire the nation, not for a blood-shedding struggle but rather in a theosophical way i.e. Ahimsa. The arrival of Non-violence waved the women's souls to plunge into nationalist movements such as

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Almost seven decades after Mahatma Gandhi passed away and India became independent from the British rule on 15 th August 1947, Gandhi's ideologies are put in practice across the world. "Even if India forgets the world will remember him", Ramachandra Guha, the historian remarks. As a social reformer and political thinker, he won over the enmity of Muslim and Hindu bigots. Ramachandra Guha repeats the narrative of Richard Atten Borough's "1982 biopic Gandhi". On the one hundred and fiftieth centenary Gandhi followed the principles of self-rule (Swaraj), religious tolerance, rule of law and civil disobedience (Satyagraha). The biographical volumes written by Ramachandra Guha visualize him as a liberal icon. As a student of law in London, Gandhi believed in right to equality. Studying India's political past, Gandhi was against social discrimination. As a lawyer in South Africa returning to India at the beginning of the first world war, Gandhi worked against the evils of the caste system.

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Mahatma Gandhi

By: History.com Editors

Updated: June 6, 2019 | Original: July 30, 2010

Revered the world over for his nonviolent philosophy of passive resistance, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was known to his many followers as Mahatma, or “the great-souled one.” He began his activism as an Indian immigrant in South Africa in the early 1900s, and in the years following World War I became the leading figure in India’s struggle to gain independence from Great Britain. Known for his ascetic lifestyle–he often dressed only in a loincloth and shawl–and devout Hindu faith, Gandhi was imprisoned several times during his pursuit of non-cooperation, and undertook a number of hunger strikes to protest the oppression of India’s poorest classes, among other injustices. After Partition in 1947, he continued to work toward peace between Hindus and Muslims. Gandhi was shot to death in Delhi in January 1948 by a Hindu fundamentalist.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar, in the present-day Indian state of Gujarat. His father was the dewan (chief minister) of Porbandar; his deeply religious mother was a devoted practitioner of Vaishnavism (worship of the Hindu god Vishnu), influenced by Jainism, an ascetic religion governed by tenets of self-discipline and nonviolence. At the age of 19, Mohandas left home to study law in London at the Inner Temple, one of the city’s four law colleges. Upon returning to India in mid-1891, he set up a law practice in Bombay, but met with little success. He soon accepted a position with an Indian firm that sent him to its office in South Africa. Along with his wife, Kasturbai, and their children, Gandhi remained in South Africa for nearly 20 years.

Did you know? In the famous Salt March of April-May 1930, thousands of Indians followed Gandhi from Ahmadabad to the Arabian Sea. The march resulted in the arrest of nearly 60,000 people, including Gandhi himself.

Gandhi was appalled by the discrimination he experienced as an Indian immigrant in South Africa. When a European magistrate in Durban asked him to take off his turban, he refused and left the courtroom. On a train voyage to Pretoria, he was thrown out of a first-class railway compartment and beaten up by a white stagecoach driver after refusing to give up his seat for a European passenger. That train journey served as a turning point for Gandhi, and he soon began developing and teaching the concept of satyagraha (“truth and firmness”), or passive resistance, as a way of non-cooperation with authorities.

The Birth of Passive Resistance

In 1906, after the Transvaal government passed an ordinance regarding the registration of its Indian population, Gandhi led a campaign of civil disobedience that would last for the next eight years. During its final phase in 1913, hundreds of Indians living in South Africa, including women, went to jail, and thousands of striking Indian miners were imprisoned, flogged and even shot. Finally, under pressure from the British and Indian governments, the government of South Africa accepted a compromise negotiated by Gandhi and General Jan Christian Smuts, which included important concessions such as the recognition of Indian marriages and the abolition of the existing poll tax for Indians.

In July 1914, Gandhi left South Africa to return to India. He supported the British war effort in World War I but remained critical of colonial authorities for measures he felt were unjust. In 1919, Gandhi launched an organized campaign of passive resistance in response to Parliament’s passage of the Rowlatt Acts, which gave colonial authorities emergency powers to suppress subversive activities. He backed off after violence broke out–including the massacre by British-led soldiers of some 400 Indians attending a meeting at Amritsar–but only temporarily, and by 1920 he was the most visible figure in the movement for Indian independence.

Leader of a Movement

As part of his nonviolent non-cooperation campaign for home rule, Gandhi stressed the importance of economic independence for India. He particularly advocated the manufacture of khaddar, or homespun cloth, in order to replace imported textiles from Britain. Gandhi’s eloquence and embrace of an ascetic lifestyle based on prayer, fasting and meditation earned him the reverence of his followers, who called him Mahatma (Sanskrit for “the great-souled one”). Invested with all the authority of the Indian National Congress (INC or Congress Party), Gandhi turned the independence movement into a massive organization, leading boycotts of British manufacturers and institutions representing British influence in India, including legislatures and schools.

After sporadic violence broke out, Gandhi announced the end of the resistance movement, to the dismay of his followers. British authorities arrested Gandhi in March 1922 and tried him for sedition; he was sentenced to six years in prison but was released in 1924 after undergoing an operation for appendicitis. He refrained from active participation in politics for the next several years, but in 1930 launched a new civil disobedience campaign against the colonial government’s tax on salt, which greatly affected Indian’s poorest citizens.

A Divided Movement

In 1931, after British authorities made some concessions, Gandhi again called off the resistance movement and agreed to represent the Congress Party at the Round Table Conference in London. Meanwhile, some of his party colleagues–particularly Mohammed Ali Jinnah, a leading voice for India’s Muslim minority–grew frustrated with Gandhi’s methods, and what they saw as a lack of concrete gains. Arrested upon his return by a newly aggressive colonial government, Gandhi began a series of hunger strikes in protest of the treatment of India’s so-called “untouchables” (the poorer classes), whom he renamed Harijans, or “children of God.” The fasting caused an uproar among his followers and resulted in swift reforms by the Hindu community and the government.

In 1934, Gandhi announced his retirement from politics in, as well as his resignation from the Congress Party, in order to concentrate his efforts on working within rural communities. Drawn back into the political fray by the outbreak of World War II , Gandhi again took control of the INC, demanding a British withdrawal from India in return for Indian cooperation with the war effort. Instead, British forces imprisoned the entire Congress leadership, bringing Anglo-Indian relations to a new low point.

Partition and Death of Gandhi

After the Labor Party took power in Britain in 1947, negotiations over Indian home rule began between the British, the Congress Party and the Muslim League (now led by Jinnah). Later that year, Britain granted India its independence but split the country into two dominions: India and Pakistan. Gandhi strongly opposed Partition, but he agreed to it in hopes that after independence Hindus and Muslims could achieve peace internally. Amid the massive riots that followed Partition, Gandhi urged Hindus and Muslims to live peacefully together, and undertook a hunger strike until riots in Calcutta ceased.

In January 1948, Gandhi carried out yet another fast, this time to bring about peace in the city of Delhi. On January 30, 12 days after that fast ended, Gandhi was on his way to an evening prayer meeting in Delhi when he was shot to death by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic enraged by Mahatma’s efforts to negotiate with Jinnah and other Muslims. The next day, roughly 1 million people followed the procession as Gandhi’s body was carried in state through the streets of the city and cremated on the banks of the holy Jumna River.

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How Gandhi shaped our Independence: 7 major freedom movements initiated by Mahatma Gandhi

Seven major freedom movements started by mahatma gandhi..

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Mahatma Gandhi was the leader who guided India towards Independence. India was under the British rule for over 250 years. Gandhi returned to India from South Africa in 1915 at the request of Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

Gandhi's contribution to the Indian freedom movement cannot be measured in words. He, along with other freedom fighters, compelled the British to leave India. His policies and agendas were non-violent and his words were the source of inspiration for millions.

1. World War I

2. champaran.

The Champaran agitation in Bihar was Gandhi's first active involvement into Indian freedom politics. The Champaran farmers were being forced to grow Indigo and were being tortured if they protested.

When Kheda, a village in Gujarat, was badly hit by floods, the local farmers appealed to the rulers to waive off the taxes. Here, Gandhi started a signature campaign where peasants pledged non-payment of taxes.

4. Khilafat Movement

Gandhi's influence on the Muslim population was remarkable. This was evident in his involvement in the Khilafat Movement. After the first World War, the Muslims feared for the safety of their Caliph or religious leader and a worldwide protest was being organised to fight against the collapsing status of the Caliph.

5. Non-cooperation Movement

Gandhi had realised that the British had been able to be in India only because of the co-operation they received from the Indians. Keeping this in mind, he called for a non-cooperation movement.

6. Salt March

Also known as the Dandi Movement, Gandhi's Salt March is considered to be a pivotal incident in the history of freedom struggle. At the Calcutta Congress of 1928, Gandhi declared that the British must grant India dominion status or the country will erupt into a revolution for complete independence. The British did not pay heed to this.

7. Quit India Movement

During the Second World War, Gandhi was determined to strike the British Empire with a definitive blow that would secure their exit from India. This happened when the British started recruiting Indians for the war.

Gandhi protested strongly and said that the Indians cannot be involved in a war that is in favour of democratic purposes when India itself is not a free country. This argument exposed the two-faced image of the colonisers and within half a decade, they were out of this country.

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Essay on Mahatma Gandhi

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Mahatma Gandhi, also known as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was a prominent leader in India’s struggle for independence from British rule. Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat, Gandhi played a pivotal role in shaping India’s history and inspiring movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

Gandhi advocated for nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience as powerful tools to challenge injustice and oppression. He promoted the principles of truth, nonviolence, and peaceful coexistence. Through his leadership, he mobilized millions of Indians in the fight for independence, employing methods such as boycotts, protests, and fasting.

Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha, or truth force, emphasized the power of love, compassion, and moral courage in bringing about social and political change. His commitment to social equality, religious harmony, and the upliftment of the marginalized sections of society continues to inspire generations.

Gandhi’s influence extended beyond India’s struggle for independence. He became an iconic figure and a source of inspiration for civil rights movements and leaders worldwide. His principles of nonviolence, justice, and equality remain relevant in today’s world, where peaceful resistance and social justice continue to be essential aspirations.

In conclusion, Mahatma Gandhi’s life and teachings have left an indelible impact on India and the world. His unwavering commitment to nonviolence, truth, and social justice continues to inspire people to strive for a better, more equitable world. Gandhi’s legacy serves as a reminder that even in the face of adversity, change can be achieved through peaceful means and the power of moral conviction.

Mahatma Gandhi, born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat, was a renowned leader and a key figure in India’s struggle for independence from British rule. Fondly known as the “Father of the Nation,” Gandhi left an indelible mark on the world with his philosophy of nonviolence and principles of truth, justice, and equality.

Gandhi’s journey as a leader began in South Africa, where he fought against racial discrimination faced by the Indian community. It was during this time that he developed his concept of Satyagraha, a nonviolent method of resistance that emphasized the power of truth and moral courage. Gandhi firmly believed in nonviolence as a means to achieve social and political change, and he employed it effectively throughout his life.

In India, Gandhi played a pivotal role in leading the Indian National Congress and mobilizing the masses in the fight against British colonial rule. He led numerous campaigns, including the famous Salt March in 1930, where he and his followers marched to the Arabian Sea to produce salt in defiance of the British monopoly. His emphasis on nonviolent resistance, civil disobedience, and peaceful protests inspired millions of Indians to join the struggle for independence.

Beyond India’s fight for freedom, Gandhi’s influence transcended borders. His philosophy of nonviolence inspired movements and leaders around the world, including Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Aung San Suu Kyi. Gandhi’s teachings emphasized the power of love, compassion, and moral courage in bringing about lasting change. He believed in the unity of all humanity and the importance of harmonious coexistence.

Gandhi’s principles of truth, nonviolence, and social justice remain relevant in today’s world. His emphasis on simplicity, self-reliance, and communal harmony serve as guiding principles for addressing contemporary challenges such as inequality, conflict, and environmental degradation.

In conclusion, Mahatma Gandhi’s life and teachings continue to resonate with people across the globe. His philosophy of nonviolence, his unwavering commitment to truth and justice, and his emphasis on the upliftment of the marginalized are a testament to his visionary leadership. Gandhi’s legacy is a reminder that change can be achieved through peaceful means and the power of moral conviction. His ideals inspire us to strive for a more just, compassionate, and equitable world.

Title: Mahatma Gandhi – The Father of Indian Independence and Champion of Nonviolence

Introduction :

Mahatma Gandhi, born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat, was a visionary leader and a prominent figure in India’s struggle for independence from British rule. Fondly referred to as the “Father of the Nation,” Gandhi left an indelible mark on the world with his philosophy of nonviolence and principles of truth, justice, and equality. This essay delves into the life, teachings, and impact of Mahatma Gandhi, highlighting his role as a transformative leader and his enduring legacy as a symbol of peace, nonviolence, and social change.

Early Life and Formative Years

Mahatma Gandhi was born into a middle-class family and received his education in law in London. However, it was during his years in South Africa, where he practiced law, that he encountered racial discrimination and injustice faced by the Indian community. These experiences deeply influenced Gandhi’s outlook and ignited his commitment to fight against oppression and injustice.

Philosophy of Nonviolence and Satyagraha

Gandhi developed a unique philosophy of nonviolence, which he termed Satyagraha or truth force. He believed that nonviolence was not a sign of weakness but a powerful force capable of bringing about profound social and political change. Gandhi advocated for peaceful resistance to injustice, using methods such as civil disobedience, fasting, and peaceful protests to challenge oppressive systems. He firmly believed that by embracing nonviolence, individuals and societies could achieve lasting transformation and justice.

Leadership in the Indian Independence Movement

Gandhi emerged as a prominent leader in the Indian National Congress and spearheaded the struggle for independence from British rule. He emphasized the importance of Swaraj, or self-rule, and called for the empowerment of the Indian masses. Gandhi organized numerous campaigns and movements, including the famous Salt March in 1930, where he and his followers walked 240 miles to the Arabian Sea to protest the British monopoly on salt production. Through his leadership, Gandhi mobilized millions of Indians, cutting across lines of caste, religion, and socio-economic backgrounds, in the fight for freedom.

Principles of Truth and Simplicity

Gandhi’s teachings were rooted in the principles of truth and simplicity. He emphasized the importance of leading an honest and authentic life and believed that truth could conquer any adversity. Gandhi practiced what he preached, adopting a simple lifestyle, wearing homespun cloth (khadi) to promote self-sufficiency, and advocating for economic self-reliance.

Legacy and Impact

Mahatma Gandhi’s impact extended far beyond India’s struggle for independence. His philosophy of nonviolence inspired civil rights movements and leaders around the world, including Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Aung San Suu Kyi. Gandhi’s commitment to truth, justice, and equality continues to inspire individuals and communities in their pursuit of social change. His principles of nonviolence and peaceful resistance remain relevant in addressing contemporary challenges, such as conflict resolution, human rights, and environmental sustainability.

Conclusion :

Mahatma Gandhi’s life and teachings continue to inspire generations. His philosophy of nonviolence, his unwavering commitment to truth and justice, and his emphasis on equality and social change make him a transformative figure in the history of India and the world. Gandhi’s legacy serves as a reminder that change can be achieved through peaceful means and the power of moral conviction. His ideals inspire us to strive for a more just, compassionate, and equitable world, and his influence continues to shape the path towards peace and social transformation.

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Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of the Nation

Last updated on October 2, 2022 by ClearIAS Team

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi was a lawyer, nationalist, and anti-colonial activist. He led a non-violent mass movement against the British rule of India which ultimately resulted in Indian independence .

Mahatma Gandhi is revered in India as the Father of the Nation.

Table of Contents

The early life of Mahatma Gandhi: Birth and Family

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 nd October 1869, in Porbandar in the princely state of Kathiawar in Gujarat.

His father was Karamchand Uttamchand Gandhi who served as a dewan of Porbandar state. His mother was Putlibai who came from Junagadh. Mohandas was the youngest of four children. He had two brothers and a sister.

At age of 13, Mohandas was married to 14-year-old Kastubai Makhanji Kapadia as was the custom at that time.

His father passed away in 1885, and the same year he and his wife lost their first child. The Gandhi couple later had four sons over the years.

Education of Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi Ji received his primary education in Rajkot where his father had relocated as dewan to the ruler Thakur Sahib. He went to Alfred high school in Rajkot at the age of 11.

In 1887, at the age of 18, Gandhi Ji graduated from a high school in Ahmedabad. He later enrolled at a college in Bhavnagar but dropped out later. He had also joined and eventually dropped out of a college in Bombay.

He then went to London in 1888 to pursue law at the university college. After completing his studies, he was invited to be enrolled at Inner temple to become a barrister.

He returned to India in 1891 at the age of 22 after his mother passed away.

He failed to establish a successful law career both in Rajkot and Bombay.

In 1893, he moved to Durban, South Africa, on a one-year contract to sort out the legal problems of Abdullah, a Gujarati merchant.

South Africa during the 1800s

The British had colonized and settled in the Natal and Cape provinces of South Africa during the 1840s and 50s. Transvaal and Orange Free State were independent Boer (British and Dutch settlers) ruled states. Boer means farmer settler in Dutch and Afrikaans. The governance of colonial regions (Natal and Cape) was controlled by the minority white population which enforced segregation between government-defined races in all spheres.

This created three societies- whites (British and Dutch or Boer ancestry), Blacks and Coloureds (mixed race) which included ethnic Asians (Indians, Malayans, Filipinos, and Chinese).

Indian immigration to South Africa began in the 1860s, when whites recruited indentured Indian labour (Girmityas), especially from south India, to work on sugar plantations. Later many Indian merchants, mostly meman Muslims also migrated. By the 1890s, the children of the ex-indentured labourers had settled down in South Africa making up the third group.

Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa

1893 : Mohandas Gandhi witnessed extreme apartheid or racial discrimination against Asians in South Africa. His journey from Durban to Pretoria witnessed the famous incident when he was thrown out of a first-class compartment by a white man at Pietermaritzburg station. Upon arriving at Johanessburg, he was refused rooms in the hotels.

These experiences motivated him to stay in South Africa for a longer period to organize the Indian workers to enable them to fight for their rights. He started teaching English to the Asian population there and tried to organize them to protest against the oppression.

1894: After the culmination of his Abdullah case in 1894, he stayed on there and planned to assist Indians in opposing a bill to deny them the right to vote. He founded the Natal Indian Congress and moulded the Indian community into a unified political force.

1899-1902: The Boer War

The Boer War extended Britain’s control from Natal and Cape Province to include Transvaal and Orange Free State.

During this time, Gandhi volunteered to form a group of stretcher-bearers as the Natal Indian ambulance corps. It consisted of indentured labourers and was funded by the Indian community and helped treatment and evacuation of wounded British soldiers.

Gandhi Ji thought that helping the British war efforts would win over the British imperial government and earn sympathy for the plight of Indians there. He was also awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal for serving the British empire.

Till 1906, it was the moderate phase of the struggle for the Indians in South Africa. During this time, Gandhi concentrated on petitioning and sending memorials to the legislatures, the colonial secretary in London, and the British parliament.

1906: The Civil Disobedience in South Africa

The failure of moderate methods led to the second phase of the struggle, civil disobedience or the Satyagraha.

He started two settlements- the Phoenix settlement in Durban and the Tolstoy farm in Johanessburg for helping the needy and initiate a communal living tradition.

His first notable resistance was against the law passed by the government, making it compulsory for Indians to take out certifications of registrations that held their fingerprints and was compulsory to carry it on the person at all times. Gandhi formed a Passive Resistance Association against this.

Gandhi and his followers were jailed. Later the government agreed to withdraw the law if Indians voluntarily registered. They were tricked into the registrations and they protested again by publicly burning their certificates.

1908: The existing campaign expanded to protest against the new law to restrict migrations of Indians between provinces. Gandhi and others were jailed and sentenced to hard physical labour.

1910: Gandhi Ji set up the Tolstoy farm in Johannesburg to ready the satyagrahis to the harsh conditions of the prison hence helping to keep the resistance moving forward.

1911: Gopal Krishna Gokhale visited South Africa as a state guest on the occasion of the coronation of King George V. Gokhale and Gandhi met at Durban and established a good relationship.

1913: The satyagraha continued against varied oppressive laws brought by the government. The movement against the law invalidating marriages not conducted according to Christian rites brought out many Indian women onto the movement.

Gandhi launched a final mass movement of over 2000 men, women, and children. They were jailed and forced into miserable conditions and hard labour. This caused the whole Indian community in South Africa to rise on strike.

In India, Gokhale worked to make the public aware of the situation in South Africa which led the then Viceroy Hardinge to call for an inquiry into the atrocities.

A series of negotiations took place between Gandhiji, Viceroy Hardinge, CR Andrews (Christian missionary and Indian Independence activist), and General Smuts of South Africa. This led to the government conceding to most of the Indians’ demands.

Gandhiji’s return to India: 1915

1915: On the request of Gokhale, conveyed by CF Andrews (Deenbandhu), Gandhi Ji returned to India to help with the Indian struggle for independence .

The last phase of the Indian National movement is known as the Gandhian era.

Mahatma Gandhi became the undisputed leader of the National Movement. His principles of nonviolence and Satyagraha were employed against the British government. Gandhi made the nationalist movement a mass movement.

On returning to India in 1915, Gandhi toured the country for one year on Gokhale’s insistence. He then established an ashram in Ahmedabad to settle his phoenix family.

He first took up the cause of indentured labour in India thus continuing his fight in South Africa to abolish it.

Gandhiji joined the Indian National Congress and was introduced to Indian issues and politics and Gokhale became his political Guru.

1917: At this point, World war I was going on, and Britain and France were in a difficult position. Germany had inflicted a crushing defeat on both the British and French troops in France.

Russia’s war effort had broken down and the revolution was threatening its government.

America had entered the war but no American troops had yet reached the war front.

The British army required reinforcements urgently and they looked to India for participation. Viceroy Chelmsford had invited various Indian leaders to attend a war conference. Gandhi was also invited and he went to Delhi to attend the conference.

After attending the viceroy’s war conference Gandhiji agreed to support the recruitment of Indians in the British war effort. He undertook a recruitment campaign in Kaira district, Gujarat.

He again believed that support from Indians will make the British government look at their plight sympathetically after the war.

Early movements by Gandhiji

Champaran Satyagraha, Kheda Satyagraha, and Ahmedabad Mill Strike were the early movements of Gandhi before he was elevated into the role of a national mass leader.

1917: Champaran Satyagraha

Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was the first civil disobedience movement organized by Gandhiji. Rajkumar Shukla asked Gandhi to look into the problems of the Indigo planters.

The European planters had been forcing passengers to grow Indigo on a 3/20 of the total land called the tinkatiya system.

Gandhi organized passive resistance or civil disobedience against the tinkatiya system. Finally, the authorities relented and permitted Gandhi to make inquiries among the peasants. The government appointed a committee to look into the matter and nominated Gandhi as a member.

Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha, and other eminent lawyers became inspired by Gandhi and volunteered to fight for the Indigo farmers in court for free.

Gandhi was able to convince the authorities to abolish the system and the peasants were compensated for the illegal dues extracted from them.

1918: Kheda satyagraha

The Kheda Satyagraha was the first noncooperation movement organized by Gandhi.

Because of the drought in 1918 crops failed in the Kheda district of Gujarat. According to the revenue code if the yield was less than one-fourth of the normal produced the farmers for entitled to remission. Gujarat sabha sent a petition requesting revenue assessment for the year 1919 but the authorities refused to grant permission.

Gandhi supported the peasants’ cause and asked them to withhold revenue. During the Satyagraha, many young nationalists such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Indulal Yagnik became Gandhi’s followers.

Sardar Patel led a group of eminent people who went around villages and gave them political advisors and instructions.

The government finally agreed to form an agreement with the farmers and hence the taxes were suspended for the years 1919 and 1920 and all confiscated properties were returned.

1918: Ahmedabad mill strike

This was Gandhi’s first hunger strike. He intervened in a dispute between Mill owners of Ahmedabad and the workers over the issue of discontinuation of the plague bonus.

The workers were demanding a rise of 50% in their wages while the employees were willing to concede only a 20% bonus.

The striking workers turned to Anusuiya Sarabai in quest of justice and she contacted Gandhi for help. He asked the workers to go on a strike and to remain non-violent and undertook a fast unto death to strengthen the workers’ resolve.

The mill owners finally agreed to submit the issue to a tribunal and the strike was withdrawn in the end the workers receive a 35% increase in their wages.

Gandhiji’s active involvement in the Indian National Movement

Gandhi’s active involvement in the Indian Freedom Struggle was marked by many mass movements like the Khilafat Movement, Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, and Quit India Movement.

1919: Khilafat movement

During World War I Gandhi sought cooperation from the Muslims in his fight against the British by supporting the Ottoman Empire that had been defeated in the world war.

The British passed the Rowlatt act to block the movement. Gandhi called for a nationwide Satyagraha against the act.

It was Rowlatt Satyagraha that elevated Gandhi into a national leader. Rowlatt Satyagraha was against the unjust Rowlatt Act passed by the British.

On April 13th, 1919 the Jallianwala Bagh incident took place. Seeing the violence spread Mahatma Gandhi called off the civil disobedience movement on the 18th of April.

1920: Non-Cooperation Movement

Gandhi convinced the congress leaders to start a Non-Cooperation Movement in support of Khilafat as well as Swaraj. At the congress session of Nagpur in 1920, the non-cooperation program was adopted.

1922 : Chauri chaura incident took place, which caused Gandhi to withdraw from the non-cooperation movement.

After the non-cooperation movement ended, Gandhi withdrew from the political platform and focused on his social reform work.

1930:  The Salt March and The Civil Disobedience Movement

Gandhi declared that he would lead a march to break the salt law as the law gave the state the Monopoly on the manufacturer and the sale of salt.

Gandhi along with his followers marched from his ashram in Sabarmati to the coastal town of Dandi in Gujarat where they broke the government law by gathering natural salt and boiling seawater to produce salt.

This also marked the beginning of the civil disobedience movement.

1931 : The Gandhi Irwin pact

Gandhi accepted the truce offered by Irwin and called off the civil disobedience movement and agreed to attend the second round table conference in London as the representative of the Indian National Congress.

But when he returned from London he relaunched the civil disobedience movement but by 1934 it had lost its momentum.

1932 : Poona pact

This was a pact reached between B.R Ambedkar and Gandhi concerning the communal awards but in the end, strived to achieve a common goal for the upliftment of the marginalized communities of the Indian society.

1934 : Gandhi resigned from the Congress party membership as he did not agree with the party’s position on varied issues.

Gandhi returned to active politics in 1936 with the Lucknow session of Congress where Jawaharlal Nehru was the president.

1938 : Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose’s principles clashed during the Tripuri session which led to the Tripuri crisis in the Indian National Congress.

1942: Quit India movement

The outbreak of World war II and the last and crucial phase of national struggle in India came together.

The failure of the Cripps mission in 1942 gave rise to the Quit India movement.

Gandhi was arrested and held at Aga Khan Palace in Pune. During this time his wife Kasturba died after 18 months of imprisonment and in 1944 Gandhi suffered a severe malaria attack.

He was released before the end of the war on 6th May 1944. World war II was nearing an end and the British gave clear indications that power would be transferred to Indians hence Gandhi called off the struggle and all the political prisoners were released including the leaders of Congress.

Partition and independence

Gandhiji opposed the partition of India along religious lines.

While he and Congress demanded the British quit India the Muslim league demanded to divide and quit India.

All of Gandhi’s efforts to help Congress and the Muslim league reach an agreement to corporate and attain independence failed.

Gandhiji did not celebrate the independence and end of British rule but appealed for peace among his countrymen. He was never in agreement for the country to be partitioned.

His demeanour played a key role in pacifying the people and avoiding a Hindu-Muslim riot during the partition of the rest of India.

Death of Mahatma Gandhi

30th January 1948

Gandhiji was on his way to address a prayer meeting in the Birla House in New Delhi when Nathuram Godse fired three bullets into his chest from close range killing him instantly.

Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy

Throughout his life, in his principles practices, and beliefs, he always held on to non-violence and simple living. He influenced many great leaders and the nation respectfully addresses him as the father of the nation or Bapu.

He worked for the upliftment of untouchables and called them Harijan meaning the children of God.

Rabindranath Tagore is said to have accorded the title of Mahatma to Gandhi.

It was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose who first addressed him as the Father of the Nation.

Gandhian Philosophy inspired millions of people across the world.

Many great world leaders like Nelson Mandela followed Gandhiji’s teachings and way of life. Hence, his impact on the global stage is still very profound.

Literary works of Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhiji was a prolific writer and he has written many articles throughout his life. He edited several newspapers including Harijan in Gujarati, Indian opinion in South Africa, and Young India in English.

He also wrote several books including his autobiography “The Story Of My Experiments with Truth”.

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Reader Interactions

January 31, 2022 at 6:36 pm

Gandhi the greatest freedom fighter? It is an irony that Gandhi was a British stooge, he partitioned India and was responsible for death of millions of Hindus and Sikhs during partition. How he and Nehru got Bose eliminated is another story. He slept with many women by his own confession. He never went to kala Pani and enjoyed luxury of British even in jails in India.

January 31, 2022 at 7:14 pm

How is he ‘Father of nation’ ?? He is not even close to be a father of post-1947 India(It would be Bose anyday).And he is the one who did all kinds of absurd fantasies(mentioned in his own autobiography).His role in independence was MINIMAL ! His non-violence theory was hypocritic and foolish(teaching oppressed instead of oppressor!) And as AMBEDKAR rightly said ‘sometimes good cometh out of evil'(on jan 30th 1948)

March 26, 2024 at 11:47 am

So true …

Bro I literally agree with all of this…

May 20, 2022 at 1:37 pm

It is Bose who first gave the title of “Father of the Nation” to Gandhi.

Please try to look at things with an open mind.

May 26, 2022 at 11:15 am

Ck is wrong I think Mahatma Gandhi Is a TRUE LEADER.

November 26, 2023 at 8:36 pm

Gandhi the greatest freedom fighter

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Indian Independence Day 2021: Major Movements of Mahatma Gandhi that helped in Indian Freedom Struggle

Mahatma gandhi was born on 2 october, 1869 in porbandar, gujarat, india. he had played an important role in india's freedom struggle. let us have a look at major movements of gandhi ji that helped in achieving freedom from the british raj..

The contribution of Mahatma Gandhi to the Indian freedom movement can't be measured in words. He with other freedom fighters enforced the Britishers to leave India. His action, words are the source of inspiration for millions, and his struggle movement, policies were non-violent.

He was known for his non-violence protest and was a leading figure of freedom movements whether in India or South Africa. With his efforts finally, India got freedom from colonial rule.

He always gave importance to human rights. No doubt, Mahatma Gandhi is a true inspiration not only for the past generation but also for the generations to come with his ideology of non-violence, truth, tolerance, and social welfare.

On Independence Day let us have a look at some major nationalist movements that played a crucial role in the freedom struggle.

• In 1906-07, Mahatma Gandhi started a Satyagraha in South Africa against the compulsory registration and passes for Indians.
• In 1910, he announced Satyagraha against emigration and restriction in Natal (South Africa).

Independence Day 2021: History, Significance, Celebration, and Facts

• His socio-cultural background especially the impact of the Vaishnav Movement.
• Bhagvat Gita impact.
• Impact of Bible.
• John Ruskin’s text ‘Unto the Last’.
• Impact of Emerson Thoreau
• Impact of Leo Tolstoy

Why is Gandhi Jayanti celebrated on 2nd October?

Apart from that Mahatma Gandhi was a Man of Action and his personal experiences also led an impact on personality.

On 9 January 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned back to India from South Africa at the age of approx 46. After that, he travelled to different parts of India to understand the situation of India. In 1916, he founded the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) to preach the idea.

• Champaran Satyagraha (1917): In the Champaran district of Bihar the condition of Indigo cultivators became miserable under the Tinkathiya system. Under this system, the cultivators were forced to cultivate Indigo on the best 3/20 th part of their land and were forced to sell them at a cheaper price. The situation for the farmers became worse due to harsh weather conditions and the levy of heavy taxes. Then, Rajkumar Shukla met Mahatma Gandhi at Lucknow and invited him.
• Kheda Satyagraha (1917 -1918): A no-tax campaign was started by Mohan Lal Pandey in 1917 who demanded the remission of taxes due to poor harvest or crop failure in Kheda village, Gujarat. Mahatma Gandhi was invited and he joined the movement on 22 March, 1918. There, he started Satyagraha. The movement was also joined by Vallabhbhai Patel and Indulal Yagnik. Finally, the demands were fulfilled by the British government and it was successful.
• Khilafat Movement (1919): Khilafat movement was started by the Ali brothers to show the protest against unjust done with Turkey after the First World War. Under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, the movement was launched against the British government to restore the collapsing status of the Caliph in Turkey. All India Conference was held in Delhi where Mahatma Gandhi was elected as a president. He also returned the medals received from the British Empire in South Africa. The success of the Khilafat movement made him the national leader.
• Non-Cooperation Movement (1920): Non-Cooperation movement was launched in 1920 by Mahatma Gandhi due to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. Mahatma Gandhi thought that this will continue and Britishers will enjoy their control over Indians. With the help of Congress, Gandhi ji convinced people for starting the non-cooperation movement in a peaceful way which is the key factor to attain independence. He framed the concept of Swaraj and it became a crucial element in the Indian freedom struggle. The movement gained momentum and people started boycotting the products and establishments of the British government like schools, colleges, government offices. But due to the Chauri Chaura incident, Mahatma Gandhi ended the movement because in this incident 23 police officials were killed.
• Civil-Disobedience Movement (1930): Mahatma Gandhi in March 1930 addressed the nation in a newspaper, Young India, and expressed his willingness to suspend the movement if his eleven demands get accepted by the government. But the government at that time was of Lord Irwin and he did not respond back to him. As a result, Mahatma Gandhi initiated the movement with full vigour.

20 Interesting and Unknown Facts about Mahatma Gandhi

He started the movement with Dandi March from 12 March to 6 April, 1930. Mahatma Gandhi along with his followers marched from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi in Navsari District, Ahmedabad on the sea coast and broke the salt law by making salt on 6 April, 1930.

Under this movement student, left college and government servants resigned from the office. Boycott foreign clothes, communal burning of foreign clothes, non-payment of government taxes, women stage Dharna at the government liquor shop, etc.

• Quit India Movement (1942): Mahatma Gandhi launches the Quit India movement on 8 August, 1942 during Second World War to drive British rule out of India. In the movement, Mahatma Gandhi delivered a 'Do or Die' speech. As a result, the entire members of the Indian National Congress were arrested by the British officials and imprisoned without trial. But the protest continued across the nation. By the end of World War II, the British government cleared that they will hand over the powers to India. Mahatma Gandhi called off the movement which results in the release of thousands of prisoners.

Therefore, these are the major movements led by Mahatma Gandhi and helped India in attaining freedom from British rule or colonial rule.

Mahatma Gandhi: Biography, Movements, Facts, History & Family

Journey of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India

Get here current GK and GK quiz questions in English and Hindi for India , World, Sports and Competitive exam preparation. Download the Jagran Josh Current Affairs App .

• Gandhi-Irwin pact was focused on... + Gandhi-Irwin pact was signed in 1931. It focuses on the release of all the political prisoners and the cancellation of the oppressive laws.
• When was Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi? + The Non-Cooperation movement was launched in 1920 by Mahatma Gandhi.
• When Mahatma Gandhi returned back to India? + In January 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned back to India from South Africa. After that, he travelled in different parts of India to understand the situation of India.
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Essay on Mahatma Gandhi [100, 150, 200, 300, 500 Words]

Essay on Mahatma Gandhi in English: In this article, you are going to read short and long essays on Mahatma Gandhi in English (100, 150, 200-250, 300, and 500 words). This article will be also helpful for you If you are looking for a speech on Mahatma Gandhi or Paragraph on Mahatma Gandhi in English. We’ve written this article for students of all classes (nursery to class 12). So, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Short Essay on Mahatma Gandhi 100 Words

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the greatest leaders of our country. He was born in Porbandar, India, on October 2, 1869. His father Karamchand Gandhi was the Dewan and his mother Putlibai was a pious lady. Gandhiji went to England to become a barrister. In 1893 he went to South Africa and worked for the rights of our people.

He returned to India in 1915 and joined the freedom struggle. He started many political movements like Non-cooperation movement, Salt Satyagraha, Quit India Movement to fight against the British. Gandhiji worked for the ending of the caste system and the establishment of Hindu-Muslim unity. He was killed by Nathuram Godse On January 30, 1948.

Mahatma Gandhi Essay in English 150 Words

Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader. His full name was Mohandas and Gandhi. He was born on October 2, 1869 at Porbandar. His father was a Diwan. He was an average student. He went to England and returned as a barrister.

In South Africa, Gandhiji saw the bad condition of the Indians. There he raised his voice against it and organised a movement.

In India, he started the non-cooperation and Satyagraha movements to fight against the British Government. He went to jail many times. He wanted Hindu-Muslim unity. In 1947, he got freedom for us.

Gandhiji was a great social reformer. He worked for Dalits and lower-class people. He lived a very simple life. He wanted peace. He believed in Ahimsa.

On January 30, 1948, he was shot dead. We call him ‘Bapu’ out of love and respect. He is the Father of the Nation.

Also Read: 10 Lines on Mahatma Gandhi

Essay on Mahatma Gandhi 200-250 Words

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, freedom activist, and politician. Gandhiji was born on October 2, 1869 at Porbandar, Gujarat. His father Karamchand Gandhi was the Chief Minister (diwan) of Porbandar state. His mother Putlibai was a religious woman.

He went to England to study law at the age of 18 years. After his return to India, he started a practice as a lawyer in the Bombay High Court. He went to South Africa and started practicing law. There he protested against the injustice and harsh treatment of the white people towards the native Africans and Indians.

He returned to India in 1915 and started to take interest in politics. Mahatma Gandhi used the ideals of truth and non-violence as weapons to fight against British colonial rule. He worked for the upliftment of Harijans. He fought against untouchability and worked for Hindu-Muslim unity.

Through his freedom movements like Non-cooperation movement, Khilafat movement, and civil disobedience movement he fought for freedom against the British imperialists. 1942, he launched the Quit India movement to end the British rule. At last, India got freedom in 1947 at his initiative.

People affectionately call him ‘Bapu’ and the ‘Father of the Nation’. He was shot dead in 1948 by the Hindu fanatic Nathuram Godse.  Gandhiji’s life is a true inspiration for all of us.

Mahatma Gandhi Essay in English 300 Words

Mahatma Gandhi was born at Porbandar in Gujarat on 2nd October, 1869. His father was the Diwan of the State. His name was Karam Chand Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi’s full name was Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi. His mother’s name was Putali Bai. Mahatma Gandhi went to school first at Porbandar then at Rajkot. Even as a child, Mahatma never told a lie. He passed his Matric examination at the age of 18.

Mohan Das was married to Kasturba at the age of thirteen. Mahatma Gandhi was sent to England to study law and became a Barrister. He lived a very simple life even in England. After getting his law degree, he returned to India.

Mr. Gandhi started his law practice. He went to South Africa in the course of a law suit. He saw the condition of the Indians living there. They were treated very badly by the white men. They were not allowed to travel in 1st class on the trains, also not allowed to enter certain localities, clubs, and so on. Once when Gandhiji was travelling in the 1st class compartment of the train, he was beaten and thrown out of the train. Then Mahatma decided to unite all Indians and started the Non-violence and Satyagrah Movement. In no time, the Movement picked up.

Mahatma Gandhi returned to India and joined Indian National Congress. He started the Non-violence, Non-cooperation Movements here also. He travelled all over India, especially the rural India to see the conditions of the poor.

Mahatma Gandhi started Satyagrah Movement to oppose the Rowlatt Act and there was the shoot-out at Jalian-Wala-Bagh. The Act was drawn after many people were killed. He then started the Salt Satyagraha and Quit India Movements. And finally, Gandhiji won freedom for us. India became free on 15th August, 1947. He is called as “Father of the Nation”. Unfortunately, Gandhiji was shot on 30 January 1948 by a Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse.

Also Read: Gandhi Jayanti Speech 10 Lines

Mahatma Gandhi Essay in English 500 Words

Introduction:.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi was a politician, social activist, writer, and leader of the Indian national movement. He is a figure known all over the world. His name is a household word in India, rather, in all the world round. His creed of non-violence has placed him on the same par with Buddha, Sri Chaitanya, and Jesus Christ.

Family & Education:

Mahatma Gandhi was born in the small town of Porbandar in the Kathiwad state on October 2, 1869. His father Karamchand Gandhi was the prime minister of Rajkot State and his mother Putlibai was a pious lady. Her influence shaped the future life of Mahatma Gandhi.

He was sent to school at a very early age, but he was not a very bright student. After his Matriculation Examination, he went to England to study law and returned home as a barrister. He began to practice law in Bombay but he was not very successful.

Life in South Africa:

In 1893 Gandhiji went to South Africa in connection with a case. He found his own countrymen treated with contempt by the whites. Gandhiji started satyagraha against this color hated. It was a non-violent protest, yet hundreds were beaten up and thousands were sent to jail. But Gandhiji did not buzz an inch from his faith in truth and non-violence and at last, he succeeded in his mission. He was awarded the title of Mahatma.

Fight for India’s Independence:

In 1915 Gandhiji came back to India after twenty long years in South Africa. He joined the Indian National congress and championed the cause of India’s freedom movement. He asked people to unite for the cause of freedom. He used the weapons of truth and non-violence to fight against the mighty British.

The horrible massacre at Jalianwalabag in Punjab touched him and he resolved to face the brute force of the British Government with moral force. In 1920 he launched the Non-cooperation movement to oppose British rule in India.

He led the famous Dandi March on 12th March 1930. This march was meant to break the salt law. And as a result of this, the British rule in India had already started shaking and he had to go to London for a Round Table Conference in 1931. But this Conference proved abortive and the country was about to give a death blow to the foreign rule.

In 1942 Gandhiji launched his final bout for freedom. He started the ‘Quit India’ movement. At last, the British Government had to quit India in 1947, and India was declared a free country on August 15, 1947.

Social Works:

Mahatma Gandhi was a social activist who fought against the evils of society. He found the Satyagraha Ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Gujarat. He preached against untouchability and worked for Hindu-Muslim unity. He fought tirelessly for the rights of Harijans.

Conclusion:

Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation was a generous, god-loving, and peace-loving person. But unfortunately, he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on 30th January 1948 at the age of 78. To commemorate Gandhiji’s birth anniversary Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated every year on October 2. Gandhiji’s teachings and ideologies will continue to enlighten and encourage us in the future.

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Role of Mahatma Gandhi in Freedom Struggle

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Role of Mahatma Gandhi in Freedom Struggle: The role of Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom struggle helped to shape Independence in India. The movements of Satyagraha and non-violent movements which were led by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule, played a very important role. He demanded a greater voice for Indians and also moved forward his satyagraha movement to start other important movements like Champaran, Bihar and later spread out throughout the country. Mahatma Gandhi jas led different movements for women’s empowerment, reduction of poverty, and untouchability, and for Swaraj.

In this article, we will learn about the role of Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom struggle, Champaran Satyagraha, Kheda Satyagraha, Ahmedabad mill strike, Non- cooperation movement, and civil disobedience movement in detail.

Table of Content

Role of Mahatma Gandhi in the Freedom Struggle

Activities taken up by mahatma gandhi in the freedom struggle, champaran satyagraha (1917), kheda satyagraha (1918), ahmedabad mill strike, the satyagraha movement (1917-1918), khilafat movement (1919-1924), the non-cooperation movement (1920), civil disobedience movement (1930), the quit india movement.

Mahatma Gandhi and Freedom Struggle

The role of Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom struggle helped shape India’s independence. In his early days, Gandhi led three Satyagraha movements: the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917, the Kheda Satyagraha in 1918, and the Ahmedabad Mill Strike in 1918. All of Mahatma Gandhi’s movements and dates are listed below.

Many of us are aware of Mahatma Gandhi’s movements. Let us investigate most of them:

In the Champaran stage regarding Bihar, the regimen of Indigo cultivators became hopeless underneath the Tinkathiya framework. Under its framework, the cultivators had according to improve Indigo over the superior 3/twentieth part concerning their creed then had in imitation of selling them at a much less expensive cost. The conditions because the ranchers turned outdoors after keep extra regrettable because concerning beastly weather patterns yet the obligation of cumbersome assessments. Then, Rajkumar Shukla met Mahatma Gandhi in Lucknow then welcomed him. At Champaran, Mahatma Gandhi took on the methodology of the common noncompliance development or dispatched afield indicates or strikes in opposition to the landowners. Therefore, the supremacy of the common employ upon a Champaran agronomic advisory group on who Gandhi Ji used to be likewise one of the individuals. Some of the requests about the cultivators have been stated yet the Satyagraha used to be effective.

Read More: Champaran Satyagraha (1917)

Gujarat had faced droughts that resulted in crop failure in the early 20th century. Mohan Lal Pandey came to lead the no-tax campaign in the year 1917 and demanded remission from taxes paid by poor peasants even during bad harvests. The Campaign came to be joined by Gandhiji and ignited for him to start Satyagraha. Some of the great leaders like Indulal Yagnik and also Vallabbhai Patel had joined the Kheda Satyagraha.

In 1918, Hunger strikes and satyagraha were used by Gandhiji against the industrial owners and the region came to experience heavy monsoons which led to crop failure and also a plague. During the famines and plague, bonuses came to be provided to the workers, and stopped after the epidemic. This has resulted in the workers turning against them and demanding dearness allowances of 50 %. Gandhi organized a hunger strike for the same and during the Ahmedabad Mill strike, owners came to be granted a 35% wage hike.

One of his extensive accomplishments over the yr. 1918 was the Champaran and Kheda disturbances which are moreover referred to as an improvement against British religious managers. The ranchers yet decrease type had in imitation of boost yet boost Indigo or had been too after control according to to promote to them at fixed costs. At long last, these ranchers promised according to Mahatma Gandhi delivered regarding cool dissent. Wherein Gandhiji received the fight. Kheda, between the yr 1918 was hit with the aid of floods and ranchers needed help besides charge. Involving non-participation namely his primary instrument Gandhiji was concerned with railing against the ranchers for the non-existence of assessments.

Read More: The Idea of Satyagraha

Khilafat development was once begun through the Ali siblings in imitation of the show the disagreement against unfair completed together with Turkey afterward the stellar World War. Gandhiji among the year 1919 raised toward Muslims, that found the area regarding Congress used to be entirely delicate and then temperamental. Khilafat Movement is in relation to the standard grudge in opposition to the scenario along Caliph by using Muslims. Under the path of Mahatma Gandhi, the improvement was once dispatched far away in opposition to the British regime after re-establishing the error reputation of the Caliph in Turkey. All India Conference has departed from Delhi the place Mahatma Gandhi was once selected as a president. He ekes lower back the equipment received beyond the British Empire between South Africa. The consequence of the Khilafat development taken him the people chief. At length last, Mahatma Gandhi had an All India Muslim Conference and grew to become between the imperative unaccompanied for the occasion. This development upheld Muslims normally then the consequence of its development committed him to the commons chump then labored including main areas of power because of him between the Congress party. Khilafat improvement imploded significantly within 1922 yet via their excursion, Gandhiji battled against communalism, on the other hand, the gap between Hindus and Muslims broadened.

Read More: Khilafat Movement

The Non-Cooperation improvement used be dispatched afield into 1920 via Mahatma Gandhi in mild over the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. Mahatma Gandhi believed it would be on the increase yet the Britishers would participate in their arrangement above the Indians. With the help of Congress, Gandhi Ji persuaded people in imitation of starting the non-collaboration development in a quiet manner, which is the fundamental thing to reaching freedom. He outlined the concept of Swaraj yet that turned into an essential thing in the Indian possibility battle. The improvement is beautiful on velocity or humans commenced boycotting the objects then foundations over the British government, similar according to schools, universities, then rule workplaces. Be up to expectation as much that may, because, on the Chauri Chaura occurrence, Mahatma Gandhi completed the development. In that episode, 23 policemen and authorities were killed.

Read More: Non-Cooperation Movement

The advance on the Gandhi-drove trends used to be the Non-Cooperation Movement, tolerant from September 1920 till February 1922. Gandhi, at some point in this development, was a favorite so the British were just fantastic in maintaining on including control in light of the fact that the Indians have been helpful. In the match that the occupants of a state quit helping oversee the British, the depressed Britishers would be compelled to surrender. The improvement obtained notoriety, or quickly significant many people had been boycotting British-run then accommodating foundations. This implied that people observed employment elsewhere eliminated their children besides schools, then stayed away from government workplaces. The renowned Mahatma Gandhi became nicely known.

Mahatma Gandhi in March 1930 tended to the united states of America in a paper, Young India, or communicated his ability to droop improvement regarding the aloof hazard to that amount his eleven requests were referred to by means of the masses authority. In someone’s case, the mass’s dominion around since was about Lord Irwin, yet she did not answer again in accordance with him. Accordingly, Mahatma Gandhi commenced the development along with the whole power. He commenced the improvement with the Dandi March, out of March 12 in accordance with April 6, 1930. Mahatma Gandhi, alongside his devotees, walked beside Sabarmati Ashram according to Dandi among Navsari District, Ahmedabad on the sea coast, and violated the powder dictation by making salt on April 6, 1930.

Under its development, understudies left college or rule workers left their workplaces. Blacklist concerning unfamiliar garments; common ingesting on rummy garments; non-installment of regimen charges; ladies organizing Dharna at the commons dominion booze shop; or and on. In 1930, Lord Irwin’s Government required a Round Table Conference in London, then the Indian National Conference would not partake in it. Along these lines, after securing so Congress takes piece within gatherings, he marked a settlement with Mahatma Gandhi in 1931. It was once recognized as the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. It centers around the appearance of each and every political detainee or the wiping out of extreme regulations.

Read More: What were the impacts of the Civil Disobedience Movement?

Mahatma Gandhi dispatched far away from the Quit India improvement on August 8, 1942, throughout the Second World War in conformity with pressure British government oversea regarding India. In the development, Mahatma Gandhi received a “Sink then swim” discourse. Therefore, the entire appointment on the Indian National Congress was once captured by way of British authorities or detained except for preliminary. However, the dissent went over the united states over. Toward the finish of World War II, the British rule terminated they would surrender the powers in imitation of India. Mahatma Gandhi canceled the development, which added to respecting the appearance of hundreds of detainees.

Thusly, these are the widespread traits pushed with the aid of Mahatma Gandhi who assisted India by engaging in the distinction between the British administration and frontier rule.

Read More : Quit India Movement

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Why did Mahatma Gandhi Think that English Education had Enslaved Indians? What were the ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi? What was the role of Mahatma Gandhi in the Champaran Movement? Constructive Programmes of Mahatma Gandhi  Why did Mahatma Gandhi Want to Teach Children Handicrafts? Relevance of Gandhian Principles in the 21st Century Significance of Quit India Movement Champaran Satyagraha Kheda Satyagraha Khilafat Movement Non-Cooperation Movement Dandi March Civil-Disobedience Movement Gandhi Irwin Pact Quit India Movement

Gandhi vehemently objected, claiming that because India is not a free nation, Indians cannot fight for democracy. The colonizers were driven out of this country within a half-decade after this argument exposed their deception. This was the role of Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom struggle.

FAQs on Role of Mahatma Gandhi in the Freedom Struggle

1. what was the role of mahatma gandhi in the freedom struggle.

Mahatma Gandhi has led satyagrahas and mass movements and led to different movements like Champaran Satyagraha in 1917, Kheda Satyagraha in 1918, Ahmedabad Mill Strike in 1918 and so forth.

2. What marked the emergence of Gandhi in the Indian freedom struggle?

Gandhiji emerged as a prominent Indian Freedom fighter in the year 1917 after he started the Satyagraha movement.

3. Which was the first satyagraha by Mahatma Gandhi?

The first satyagraha of Gandhiji was the Champaran satyagraha in the year 1917, which was to fight against the exploitative system where the peasants had to pay heavy taxes in Champaran.

4. What are the 3 satyagraha movements?

The 3 satyagraha movement includes Ahmedabad Mill Strike Kheda Satyagraha Champaran Satyagraha

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Mahatma Gandhi Movements: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat. He earned a degree in law from England in 1891. Before entering Indian politics in 1915, he was in South Africa from 1893 to 1914. In the course of his struggle in South Africa, he developed his political philosophy based on non-violence and Satyagraha to give a new direction to the mass movement.

The emergence of Mahatma Gandhi in Indian politics marked the beginning of a new phase in the Indian national movement, the phase of mass movements. This made Gandhi become the most important figure in the history of the Indian freedom struggle.

Arrival of Gandhi in India

Gandhi returned to India in January 1915. His efforts were well known in South Africa, not just among the educated but also among the common people.

• Gandhiji spent a year travelling around British India, getting to know the land and its people on the advice of Gopal Krishna Gokhale . In February 1916, he made his first major public appearance at the inauguration of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) .
• Gandhiji’s speech at Banaras revealed that Indian nationalism was an elite phenomenon, and he wished tomake Indian nationalism more properly representative of the Indian people as a whole.

Champaran Satyagraha (1917)

Champaran Satyagraha was the first attempt at mobilising the Indian masses by Gandhi on an invitation by Rajkumar Shukla in the context of indigo peasants of Champaran. This Gandhian Movement was the First Civil Disobedience in India.

• It was mainly due to the tinkathia system of indigo farmers , where peasants were forced to grow indigo on 3/20 part of their total land. 
• Gandhi intervened in the matter but was asked to leave the place by authorities. However, Gandhi refused to leave, thus disobeying the order. Eventually, Gandhi was able to convince the government about the illness of the tinkathia system and look into the matter. 
• The government appointed a committee to go into the matter and nominated Gandhi as a member. As a result, the tinkathia system was abolished, and in a compromise settlement, only 25 % of the money taken by peasants was compensated.
• Participants: Rajendra Prasad, Narhari Parekh, and J.B. Kripalani 

Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)

Following the Champaran Satyagraha, the next step in mobilising the masses was the workers of Ahmedabad's urban centre. Ahmedabad Mill Strike was the result of the disagreement between the textile workers and the mill owners arose in March 1918 regarding the end of the plague bonus. 

• Mill owners paid bonuses of 75% of their salary to retain the workers during the outbreak of the plague in 1917. But, after the end of the plague, workers were demanding an increase of 50 % in wages while mill owners were advocating discontinuance of the bonus. As a result, a deadlock was created. 
• Gandhi intervened at the request of Anusuya Sarabhai and undertook a fast unto death. As a result, owners agreed to the 35% wage hike.
• This was the first movement where fasting , a means of self-suffering to create moral pressure, was used by Gandhi as a political weapon in India.

Kheda Satyagraha (1918)

Due to the failure of the monsoon, the peasants of the Kheda district were in distress. In 1918, they mobilised themselves, demanding revenue relief from the government due to the crop failure and rise in prices. Kheda Satyagraha was the First Non-Cooperation by Gandhi in the Indian National Movement.

• According to the government's famine code, cultivators were entitled to total remission if crop yield fell below 25% of the average. But the authorities rejected it. As a result, peasants turned to Gandhi.
• Gandhi intervened on behalf of the poor peasants, advising them to withhold payment and 'fight unto death against such a spirit of vindictiveness and tyranny.'
• The government ordered it to be restrained in the collection of revenues (collected only from those ryots who could afford to pay) and not to confiscate lands. Gandhi decided to withdraw from the struggle.
• Participants: Sardar Vallabhbhai Pate l , Narahari Parikh, and Indulal Yagnik.

Satyagraha Against the Rowlatt Act (1919)

In 1917, a sedition committee was formed under Justice Sidney Rowlatt to curb revolutionary activities and investigate the ‘seditious conspiracy’. It recommended the Rowlatt Act (Anarchic and Revolutionary Offenses Act of 1919) ought to limit the liberty of the people passed by the Imperial Legislative Council. Gandhi launched the Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act . 

• The Rowlatt Act allowed political and revolutionary activists to be tried without judicial proceedings or even imprisoned without trial for two years. It also suspended the right to habeas corpus and the right to appeal. 
• Gandhiji called it the “Black Act '' and launched the satyagraha against the Act. It involved fasting, praying, disobeying laws, and risking arrest and imprisonment. The satyagraha brought Gandhi to the centre of the Indian national movement. 
• Gandhi also organised Satyagraha Sabha, his own organisation, to carry out the movement. However, due to the violence in some parts of India, Gandhi had to call off the Satyagraha. 
• Gandhi's ability to connect with the masses was demonstrated during this Satyagraha. Gandhian ideology and methods for the freedom struggle (Non-violence and Satyagraha) were introduced to the Indian masses. 

Non-Cooperation Movement (1921-22)

The horrific massacre at Jallianwala Bagh took place in the backdrop of protests against the Rowlatt Act. As a result, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920.

• In September 1920, the Congress held a special session in Calcutta and resolved to accept Gandhi's proposal of non-cooperation with the British government until Khilafat and Punjab grievances were addressed and self-government was established.
• This Gandhian movement was merged with the Khilafat movement, which demanded that the Turkish Sultan or Khalifa retain control over the Muslim sacred places in the erstwhile Ottoman empire. 
• Methods: Non-cooperation movement included the boycott of schools, colleges, courts, government offices, legislatures, and foreign goods and the return of government-conferred titles and awards.
• Withdrawal: Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the non-cooperation movement following the Chauri Chaura violent incident on 5 February 1922 , in which 23 police officers were killed. After the withdrawal, he focussed on the constructive programme of social reforms. 

Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34)

After the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Civil Disobedience Movement (also known as Salt Satyagraha ) is regarded as the second major mass movement and a significant advancement in broadening the social reach of India's freedom struggle. 

• Gandhi declared at the Calcutta Congress in 1928 that the British must grant India dominion status, or the country would erupt in a revolution for complete independence. The British paid no attention to this. As a result, INC in its Lahore session (1929) demanded ‘Punra Swaraj’ , and decided to celebrate 26th January as ‘ Independence Day’ . It also declared that a civil disobedience movement would be started under the leadership of Gandhi.
• Gandhi announced the 'Dandi March' against the unjust tax on salt as part of the movement. On April 6 1930 , he violated the salt regulations, thereby launching the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• Induced by Gandhi's extraordinary endeavours at Dandi, defiance of the salt laws spread throughout the country. However, it was halted for a period after the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. 
• When the movement was resumed after the failure of the Second Round Table conference, it began to dwindle towards the end of 1932. It was officially withdrawn in May 1934 .

Quit India Movement (1942)

The Quit India Movement (August Kranti Movement) was the ‘third great wave’ of India’s struggle for freedom, launched on August 8, 1942 , under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. This Gandhian Movement was more of a rejection of British rule than a traditional Satyagraha, and it influenced the unprecedented and tumultuous events that occurred in Indian history over the next five years.

• It was the result of Indian disillusionment with British rule, with the immediate causes being the failure of the Cripps mission and the hardships caused by World War II . 
• On August 8, 1942, the All India Congress Committee met at Gowalia Tank in Bombay and passed the famous Quit India Resolution. On the same day, Gandhi issued his 'Do or Die' call. It demanded an end to British rule in India with immediate effect, the formation of a provisional government after the war and the declaration of free India .
• As a result, major leaders of the Indian National Congress were arrested and imprisoned without trial by British officials. However, the protests continued across the country with huge mass participation. 
• Although it did not immediately achieve its goals, it contributed to the weakening of British rule and paved the way for the independence of India . 

PYQs on Gandhian Movements 

Q)  Many voices had strengthened and enriched the nationalist movement during the Gandhian phase. Elaborate (UPSC Mains 2019)

Q)  Throw light on the significance of the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi in the present times. (UPSC Mains 2018)

Q)  With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements: (UPSC Prelims 2019)

• Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of ‘indentured labour’.
• In Lord Chelmsford’s ‘War Conference’, Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War.
• Consequent upon the breaking of the Salt Law by the Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the colonial rulers.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 1 and 3 only

c) 2 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b)

Q)  Which one of the following is a very significant aspect of the Champaran Satyagraha? (UPSC Prelims 2018)

a) Active all-India participation of lawyers, students and women in the National Movement.

b) Active involvement of Dalit and Tribal communities of India in the National Movement.

c) Joining of peasant unrest to India’s National Movement.

d) Drastic decrease in the cultivation of plantation crops and commercial crops

Answer: (c)

Question 5: Quit India Movement was launched in response to (UPSC Prelims 2013)

a) Cabinet Mission Plan

b) Cripps Proposals

c) Simon Commission Report

d) Wavell Plan

FAQs on Gandhian Movements

What are the 7 major movements of gandhiji.

The seven major movements of Mahatma Gandhi included the Champaran Movement, the Ahmedabad Mill Strike, the Kheda Movement, the Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act, the Non-cooperation Movement, the Civil Disobedience Movement, and the Quit India Movement.

What was Gandhi's first movement in India?

The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was Gandhi's first Satyagraha movement in India and is regarded as a historically significant revolt in the Indian Independence Movement. During the British colonial period, a farmer's uprising occurred in the Champaran district of Bihar, India.

What are some of the challenges that Gandhian movements faced?

Gandhian movements faced challenges such as resistance from colonial authorities, lack of widespread support, internal divisions, and the difficulty of maintaining nonviolent discipline among participants. Additionally, economic and social realities often clashed with the idealistic principles of Gandhi's philosophy, making it challenging to achieve lasting change.

What was the impact of the Gandhian movements on the Indian independence struggle?

The Gandhian movements had a profound impact on the Indian independence struggle. Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance (Satyagraha) and civil disobedience mobilised millions of Indians, uniting them in a peaceful but determined quest for freedom. His leadership inspired the Quit India Movement and other campaigns that eventually led to India gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947, marking a historic achievement in the nation's history.

Where and when did Mahatma Gandhi make his first public appearance in India upon coming back from South Africa?

On February 4, 1916, in BHU, Gandhiji made his first public appearance since his return from South Africa. He spoke to the crowd in BHU, which was primarily made up of impressionable youngsters, princes, well-dressed individuals, etc.

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Contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in freedom movement

• October 2, 2022
• Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
• Category: DPN Topics

Subject :History

Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated all over the country on October 2.

• Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2 October, 1869 at Porbandar, Gujarat.
• Mahatma Gandhi was a  renowned freedom activist  who had played an important role in India’s struggle for Independence against the British rule of India.
• His ideology of truth and non-violence influenced  many and was also  adopted by Martin Luther and Nelson Mandela for their struggle movement.

Early Life:

• At the age of 19, Mohandas left home to study law in London at the Inner Temple, one of the city’s four law colleges. Upon returning to India in mid-1891, he set up a law practice in Bombay, but met with little success. He soon accepted a position with an Indian firm that sent him to its office in South Africa. Along with his wife, Kasturbai, and their children, Gandhi remained in South Africa for nearly 20 years.
• Books that inspired Mahatma Gandhi : Unto this Last by John Ruskin and The Kingdom of God is within you’ by Leo Tolstoy.
• English artist John Ruskin’s book  Unto This Last  inspired Gandhi and he set up Phoenix Farm near Durban. Here, Gandhi would train his cadres on non-violent Satyagraha or peaceful restraint. Phoenix Farm is considered as the birthplace of Satyagraha. However, it was at the Tolstoy Farm , Gandhi’s second camp in South Africa, where Satyagraha was molded into a weapon of protest.

Associations by Gandhiji in South Africa:

• Natal Indian Congress
• Passive Resistance Association

Journals by Gandhiji in South Africa:

• Indian Opinion

Gandhiji in India:

• In 1915, after returning from South Africa, where he had perfected the art of non-violent resistance or satyagraha,  Mahatma Gandhi spent the next few years in fully understanding Indian conditions and  travelled widely across the length and breadth of this vast nation .
• Gandhi also met the Congress leadership and took everyone’s suggestions on board, before taking tentative steps towards launching himself into the Indian Independence struggle.
• While the Indian freedom movement can be thought of as one single struggle that lasted decades, in reality there were  phases of great activity and relatively lull periods as well.  And much of this calendar of protests and tactical retreat was decided by Gandhi himself, who apart from being the greatest advocate of peace and violence in modern times,  was also a brilliant organiser of mass movements.  He understood the people’s pulse like few others.
• Champaran Movement:  The Champaran Movement is regarded as the  first modern civil disobedience movement in India . It took place in the then Champaran district of northern Bihar. The  Indian labourers and farm-workers here tilled the land but all the profits went to the European landowners.  The labourers protested but it was Gandhi’s involvement in their struggle that culminated in the Champaran Agrarian Act, 1918, which helped farmers secure greater rights over their own land. The success of Champaran made many more Indians aware of Gandhi and his principles, and the Congress party found its greatest mass leader.
• Ahmedabad Mill Worker Satyagraha: In March 1918, under the leadership of Gandhi, there was a strike in the cotton mills. In this strike Gandhi used the weapon of Hunger strike.
• Kheda Satyagraha:  In Kheda, Gujarat, despite crop failures, the  farmers’ desperate pleas for tax remission fell on deaf ears.  Gandhi’s message to them was to withhold revenue and fight peacefully but bravely against such vindictiveness and tyranny. Another rising star of the freedom movement, SardarVallabhbhai Patel , also played a key role in this struggle of 1918. The local government eventually came out with a solution that was acceptable to both parties. The Champaran and Kheda campaigns were limited to specific areas, but they gave Gandhi the confidence to launch his major pan-Indian movements in future.
• Rowlatt Act Satyagraha : During World War I (1914–18), the British government of India enacted a series of repressive emergency powers that were intended to combat subversive activities. The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919 popularly known as Rowlatt Act (Black Act) which was passed on 10 th March, 1919, authorised the government to imprison or confine, without a trial, any person associated with seditious activities which led to nationwide unrest. Gandhiji called for a one-day general strike ( Rowlatt Satyagraha ) throughout the country.
• Non-Cooperation Movement : The Non-Cooperation movement (1920-22) was the  first mass movement launched by Gandhi, seeking self-government or swaraj  for all Indians. It followed from Gandhi’s deeply held ideals of satyagraha and civil disobedience, and he called upon Indians to boycott all institutions linked to the British including courts and colleges, give up titles and refuse to pay taxes. Audacious in scope, the Non-Cooperation movement may not have been a 100 per cent success, but it made millions of Indians understand the true meaning of a modern, organised political movement and its power.
• Dandi March : An unqualified masterstroke, the Dandi March brought Mahatma Gandhi’s  political genius and sense of timing to the fore . He started the historic march from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi in March 1930. While the basic reason was to protest against the unacceptably high salt tax levied by the British, it turned into something much bigger as thousands of people joined Gandhi on his 24-day march. The Dandi March became the talking point across the country and the whole nation was inspired. From that moment onwards,  non-violent resistance against the British became the natural course of action for a vast section of Indians for the remaining years of the Raj. 
• Quit India Movement:  By the beginning of the 1940s, the British knew that their days in India were numbered, but they used the excuse of World War 2 to delay any talk of India’s independence. In August 1942, the All-India Congress Committee passed the famous ‘Quit India’ resolution in Bombay, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, who also gave the  slogan of ‘Do or Die’ . The entire leadership of the Congress was arrested, but that didn’t stop thousands of protests against British rule in every corner of the country. There was no middle path now: the British had to quit India.

Journals of Gandhiji

• Mahatma Gandhi was offered editorship of Young India and Navjivan
• In February 1933 Gandhiji started  Harijan, Harijanbandhu, Harijansevak in English, Gujarati and Hindi,

Organisations by Mahatma Gandhi

• Harijan Sevak Sangh
• All India spinners association
• Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association
• All India Village Industries’ Association

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• NCERT Notes for UPSC
• NCERT Notes Rise Of Gandhi In Indian Freedom Struggle

Mahatma Gandhi's Early Movements - Champaran, Ahmedabad Mill Strike & Kheda Satyagraha (NCERT Notes)

With the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian Independence struggle, there have been led, many significant movements which are important to be read for IAS Exam . The famous satyagraha movement includes – Champaran Satyagraha, Ahmedabad Mill Strike and Kheda Satyagraha.

This article will provide you with NCERT notes that are useful for other competitive exams also like banking PO, SSC, state civil services exams and so on.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Early Movements (UPSC Notes):- Download PDF Here

To help ease the path of your IAS preparation, check out the Free NCERT Fundamentals Course– a comprehensive study program to help you cover the NCERTs effectively. Watch the video below to learn more:

The Rise of Gandhi in the Indian Freedom Struggle

M K Gandhi returned from South Africa (where he had lived for more than 20 years) to India in 1915. There he had led a peaceful agitation against the discrimination meted out to Indians and had emerged as a respected leader. It was in South Africa that he developed his brand of Satyagraha. In India, he first used this tool against the British government at Champaran in Bihar.

Note : Aspirants of UPSC 2023 should know the trick to remember the Satyagraha movements chronologically by using the acronym CAKE.  ‘C’ stands for Champaran (1917), ‘A’ stands for Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918) and ‘KE’ stands for Kheda Satyagraha (1918).

Champaran Satyagraha (1917)

• The first civil disobedience movement by Gandhi in the freedom struggle.
• Persuaded by Rajkumar Shukla, an indigo cultivator, Gandhi went to Champaran in Bihar to investigate the conditions of the farmers there.
• The farmers were suffering under heavy taxes and an exploitative system. They were forced to grow indigo by the British planters under the tinkathia system.
• Gandhi arrived in Champaran to investigate the matter but was not permitted by the British authorities to do so.
• He was asked to leave the place but he refused.
• He was able to gather support from the farmers and masses.
• When he appeared in court in response to a summons, almost 2000 locals accompanied him.
• The case against him was dropped and he was allowed to conduct the inquiry.
• After peaceful protests against the planters and landlords led by Gandhi, the government agreed to abolish the exploitative tinkathia system.
• The peasants also received a part of the money extracted from them as compensation.
• Champaran struggle is called the first experiment on Satyagraha by Gandhi and later Ahmedabad Mill Strike and Kheda Satyagraha occurred.
• It was during this time that Gandhi was given the names ‘Bapu’ and ‘Mahatma’ by the people.

Kheda Satyagraha (1918)

• 1918 was a year of failed crops in the Kheda district of Gujarat due to droughts.
• As per law, the farmers were entitled to remission if the produce was less than a quarter of the normal output.
• But the government refused any remission from paying land revenue.
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, under Gandhi’s guidance, led the farmers in protest against the collection of taxes in the wake of the famine.
• People from all castes and ethnicities of the district lend their support to the movement.
• The protest was peaceful and people showed remarkable courage even in the face of adversities like confiscation of personal property and arrest.
• Finally, the authorities gave in and gave some concessions to the farmers.

Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)

• Gandhi used Satyagraha and hunger strike for the first time during an industrial dispute between the owners and workers of a cotton mill in Ahmedabad.
• The owners wanted to withdraw the plague bonus to the workers while the workers were demanding a hike of 35% in their wages.
• During the peaceful strike led by Gandhi, he underwent a hunger strike.
• The Ahmedabad Mill strike was successful and the workers were granted the wage hike they wanted.

In all these movements, Gandhi was able to involve the masses including farmers, artisans and even the so-called lower castes. This was a change from the previous movements when the participation was limited to the upper and the middle classes.

UPSC Questions related to Mahatma Gandhi’s Early Movements

What happened in the ahmedabad mill strike, what was plague bonus in ahmedabad mill strike.

In 1917, Ahmedabad witnessed a plague epidemic due to destruction of agricultural crops because of heavy monsoon. Plague bonus was given to the mill workers by the mill owners to help dissuade them from feeling from the work.

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Role of Mahatma Gandhi in Indian freedom struggle

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Not only said but proved by the person who quoted this. He was one of the 20th century's best-known political and spiritual personalities. Because he was from a small town, he was aware of the hardships people were going through at the time. He developed his beliefs about human unity. He became the people's voice and aided in developing the country's independence. He was a person who made significant contributions to the nation's expansion and prosperity. He’s none other than Mahatma Gandhi.

"Let's learn a bit more about him & discuss this great personality's journey as a lawyer & a freedom fighter, along with his role in the Indian independence struggle." 

Who was Mahatma Gandhi?

Mahatma Gandhi (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) was born on 2nd October 1869 in the princely state of Porbandar, in modern-day Gujarat. He pursued Law as his profession and went to London at 18. After completing his graduation, he returned to India and made non-violent protests and movements for the growth and development of the country. Gandhi is considered one of the most important leaders of the nation. His father was a government official. 

Mahatma Gandhi and Law

Gandhi was a lawyer for almost 25 years before he became a disciple of nonviolent revolution. While leading the Indian independence movement, Gandhi worked as a journalist and edited  Young India, Navajivan  and the  Harijan.  In South Africa, Gandhi led a civil disobedience movement to combat racist laws on various occasions. However, “Gandhi eventually lost faith in the traditional legal system – courts, judges, lawyers, litigation – but he never lost faith in the law,” DiSalvo said in his study of Gandhi’s law career.

Wish to ace competitive exams? Then you must know the importance of current affairs in all exams. So, don't miss to check this course on Current Affairs.

• Before leading the Indian independence struggle, Gandhi used to live in South Africa to fight against injustice and class division. Within ten years, Gandhi propagated the philosophy of Satyagraha there and motivated the country towards a no-class or ethnic discrimination society. Gandhi arrived in Durban aboard SS Safari in 1893.
• Gandhi became the South African Indian community leader in no time. His involvement in the non-violent movement in South Africa had been a major driving force in the Indian freedom struggle; he is looked up to as a leader there. 
• From 1893 to 1914, Gandhi worked as an attorney and a public worker. Gandhi stated, "he was born in India but was made in South Africa."
• In 1901, Gandhiji returned to India from South Africa and started practising in Mufassil Courts. He won several cases in Mufassil Courts, and his confidence was uplifted.
• His friends and well-wishers advised him to settle in Bombay only and practice at the High Court. He got several cases to work on and won most of them.
• Continuing his path, he got even better. But his fate had something else in store for him as he was again called to South Africa to lead an agitation there.

Gandhi remained a bitter critic of Indian courts and lawyers in his writings and public speeches. He had a belief that the Indian justice system rewarded the wealthy and worsened the miseries of the poor. Still, he advised lawyers to place “truth and service” above the perks of the profession. He advised lawyers to write their petitions in simple language. Gandhi never let his profession stand in the way of his public service and kept aside from charging high fees from the clients, which he did earlier. He ensured that he never departed from honesty and stated that “a lawyer always must place before the judges, and to help them to arrive at, the truth, never to prove the guilty as innocent.”

Contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in Indian freedom struggle

Many of us are aware of the movements of Mahatma Gandhi. Let's take a look at it

World War I  - At a conference on war, Gandhi was called to Delhi by Lord Chelmsford, then-viceroy of India. Gandhi consented to unite the people to enlist in the military for World War I to win the faith of the empire. However, he promised in a letter to the Viceroy that he "personally will neither kill nor damage anybody, friend or foe."

Champaran - Gandhi's first direct involvement in Indian freedom politics was the Champaran agitation in Bihar. Farmers in Champaran were compelled to cultivate indigo and threatened with torture if they objected.

Farmers turned to Gandhi for assistance, and through a well-planned nonviolent protest, Gandhi persuaded the authorities to grant them concessions.

Kheda  - The local farmers in Gujarat's Kheda village requested the authorities to cancel the taxes when the area was severely affected by floods. Gandhi then launched a signature-gathering drive-in in which peasants vowed to forgo paying taxes.

A social boycott of the mamlatdars and talatdars (revenue officials) was also initiated by him. The government loosened the terms for paying revenue tax in 1918 until the famine was over.

Khilafat movement  - Gandhi had a tremendous impact on the Muslim population. His participation in the Khilafat Movement served as evidence of this. Following the First World War, Muslims feared for their Caliph's safety or religious leader's safety, and a global uprising was planned to combat the Caliph's deteriorating position. Gandhi later became a well-known representative of the All India Muslim Conference. He gave up the medals he had acquired from the Empire while serving in South Africa with the Indian Ambulance Corps. He became a national leader quickly thanks to his involvement in the Khilafat. 

Non-cooperation movement - Gandhi understood that the Indians' cooperation was the sole reason the British were allowed to remain in India. He urged a movement of non-cooperation in light of this.

His unwavering spirit and the support of Congress helped him persuade people that peaceful non-cooperation was essential for achieving independence. The non-cooperation movement began on the foreboding day of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. Swaraj, or self-governance, was Gandhi's stated objective and has since evolved into the guiding principle of the Indian freedom struggle.

Salt March - Gandhi's Salt March, also known as the Dandi Movement, is regarded as a crucial event in the history of the freedom struggle. Gandhi warned the British to grant India dominion status at the Calcutta Congress in 1928, or else the nation would erupt in a revolution for total independence. This was ignored by the British.

As a result, the Indian flag was raised in Lahore on December 31, 1929, and the following January 26 was designated as Indian Independence Day. In March 1930, Gandhi then launched a Satyagraha campaign to protest the salt charge. He marched 388 kilometres from Ahmedabad to Dandi in Gujarat to manufacture salt. One of the largest marches in Indian history was made possible by the thousands of people who joined him.

Quit India Movement - Gandhi was committed to dealing the British Empire a decisive blow that would ensure their expulsion from India during the Second World War . When the British began enlisting Indians in the war, this occurred.

Gandhi vehemently objected, claiming that since India is not a free nation, Indians cannot participate in a war in support of democracy. The colonizers were driven out of this nation within a half-decade after this argument revealed their duplicitous nature. This was Mahatma Gandhi's freedom struggle.

Interesting facts about Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi called for Non-violent resistance to British rule. 

He studied Law in London.

He lived in South Africa for 21 years.

He supported the British Empire in South Africa.

He led the Salt March in 1930 to demonstrate the power of Indian non-violence, and in 1942, he launched the Quit India Movement during the freedom struggle.

He was assassinated by a Hindu Nationalist. 

Gandhi Memorial Museum was founded in 1959. It is situated in the Tamil Nadu city of Madurai. It also goes by the name Gandhi Museum. It consists of the blood-stained clothing that Mahatma Gandhi wore when he was killed by Nathuram Godse .

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was not born with the title Mahatma. According to some authors, he was given the title to him by the Nobel Prize-winning Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore .

His birthday (2nd October) is commemorated worldwide as the International Day of Nonviolence.

“Gandhi in 1982” is an epic historical drama film based on Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi won the Academic Award for Best Motion Picture. 

The portrait of Mahatma Gandhi used on banknotes is not a caricature. It has been traced from an original picture that was clicked outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Why do we celebrate his birthday?

He was known as the "Father of the Nation" and led the revolt against British rule in India and many other national figures. Many civil rights movements throughout the world were influenced by his nonviolent approach. 2nd October is observed as a national holiday each year to honour his contributions to the country. The UN also observes the day as the International Day of Non-Violence.

Gandhi’s Portrait on Banknotes

Being the "father of the nation," Mahatma Gandhi was featured on the currency notes since it would be difficult to please everyone and keep them unified, with each region having its own notable liberation warrior and each religion having a sacred name.

 Conclusion

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi or the Great Soul, is one of the most instantly recognizable historical figures of the 20th century. Gandhi's birth anniversary and the beginning of a lifetime of adversity in the struggle for Indian freedom from British colonial authority fell on October 2. Everywhere across the world, but especially in India, people celebrate this occasion. Mahatma Gandhi had great importance globally.

A legal content writer who pursued BBA-LL.B.(H) from Amity University Chhattisgarh. She has a keen interest in corporate and IPR sectors. 

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Real story that inspired Heeramandi: The tawaif who helped Gandhi fight British Raj, was raped, abused, died in...

S anjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi has been trending on Netflix ever since its released earlier this month. The show, a fictionalised take on Lahore’s famous mohalla of courtesans (tawaifs), has been both praised and criticised. And while the story of Heeramandi, the show, is largely fictional, the real Heera Mandi very much exists. And so does the tale of one courtesan who dared rise against the British Empire, just like in the show.

How Heeramandi marries tawaifs’ performances with freedom struggle

Bhansali’s Heeramandi stars Aditi Rao Hydari as one of the six principal characters. Her Bibbojaan is a tawaif from Mallikajaan’s kotha but she secretly aids the revolutionaries working against the British during the Quit India movement. The show depicts how Bibbojaan monetarily helps the freedom fighters in their war against the British and the eventual price she pays for it.

The real story of the tawaif who fought the British

The real incident from which Heeramandi seemingly borrows this episode did not take place in Lahore, nor was it from anytime around the Quit India movement. This incident was from Benares in the 1920s, when the most famous courtesan of the region was Gauhar Jaan. During that time, Mahatma Gandhi, who had recently returned from South Africa, began the Swaraj fund to fight the Britsh Raj. He met Gauhar Jaan, who was a crorepati and considered one of the wealthiest Indians then. In 1920, Gandhi earned Gauhar Jaan to raise funds for the Swaraj Movement. Gauhar Jaan agreed for a fundraising performance but laid down a condition that Gandhi would have to attend.

The real Gauhar Jaan

In the end, Gandhi did not attend the performance himself but Maulana Shankat Ali as his representative. Gauhar Jaan ’s performance raised Rs 24,000 – a princely sum at that time. However, seeing that Gandhi himself did not come for the performance, Gauhar Jaan only handed over Rs 12,000 to the Maulana. “Mahatma couldn’t keep his word given to a mere tawaif while he speaks of honesty and sincerity. Since he has only kept half of his promise, I too shall be giving only half of the original amount I intended to donate,” she reportedly said, as quoted in the book My Name Is Gauhar Jaan by Vikram Sampath

Gauhar Jaan’s life and times

Gauhar Jaan is widely regarded as India’s first crorepati singer, who had her own personal train. However, her rise to the top was not a glorious one. Daughter of a courtesan, she grew up in a kotha and was sexually abused as a pre-teen. Reports suggest that she was raped at 13. However, Gauhar Jaan was able to put that trauma behind her and become arguably the first singing superstar of India. She died in 1930 at the age of 56.

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