Throughout history there have been many leaders who have fought for their countries independence and freedom. The superior nations began to notice that the colonies that they have controlled started to ask and fight for their rights. In this paper I will discuss Mohandas k. Gandhi from the period of the 1900's to the late 1930's.
Mohandas K. Gandhi was born in a town named Porbandar in the state of Gujarat on October 2, 1869. His father ruled as the prime minister to the local ruler. His father later died before Gandhi had finished his schooling. Gandhi later decided to venture toward England to further his education in law school. .
Mohandas Gandhi went to London to study law in the 1890's. He then went to South Africa to practice law, while there he developed a non-violent movement to help his fellow Indians. Gandhi called this non-violent movement "satyagraha", meaning truth force. Methods of Satyagraha included prayers, fasts, penance, strikes, defying certain civil laws, spreading literacy, and removal of social inequalities. He wanted to "improve the lives of the poor and the oppressed" (Brower, 85). Whenever a movement turned violent Gandhi would fast. He encouraged his followers to do the same, in order to realize the wrong they have done. Mohandas Gandhi guided the people of India to self-rule through his plan of non-cooperation and civil disobedience. Even though he was jailed many times, he always reached out to the people and moved them to act.
Gandhi studied and practiced Henry David Thoreau's theory of civil disobedience, (Brower, 85). Gandhi would rather be imprisoned than obey unjust laws. He organized a mass campaign against the salt taxes in India. He encouraged Indians to use salt from the sea, in order to go against the British laws. Gandhi along with other demonstrators were arrested. He called off satyagraha because he felt that the people were not learning the lesson of peace.