He grew up in Porbandar, a small princely state in Western India. Born into a Hindu family Gandhi was greatly influenced by many aspects of the Hindu religion. Aside from being a strict vegetarian he was also a strong believer in the power of prayer and the spiritual enlightenment derived from the practice of fasting. Initially he performed fasts as a way to purify his body and exercise self-restraint but in his later years as a political figure he employed fasting as prominent means to influence the people of India and Pakistan. Following common Hindu tradition Gandhi had an arranged marriage at the age of 13. His wife Kasturbai Makanji had a profound effect on how Gandhi learned to distribute his beliefs of equality for women and the untouchables in an effective and unimposing manner.(Attenborough) In 1888 Gandhi moved to England to study English law. There he read the Old and New Testaments and the Bhagavad Gita or Celestial Song, the sacred Hindu book. From the Bible and Bhagavad Gita Gandhi formed much of his philosophy. While attending school in London he joined the London Vegetarian Society and began writing articles for the local vegetarian newspapers. Two days after officially becoming a lawyer Gandhi sailed for Bombay for his first trial which turned out to be an embarrassing failure. Soon after Gandhi's luck began to improve, a Muslim business firm in Porbandar offered him a job requiring his presence in South Africa. Gandhi jumped at the opportunity unaware of the racial discrimination he would find there. His London law degree and middle-class upbringing would not count for much as the only class distinction that existed in South Africa was determined by color of skin. .
In 1820 the British colonized South Africa and abolished slavery, giving the Africans limited civil rights. Gandhi's presence in South Africa exposed him to the harsh mistreatment of any and all dark skinned South African inhabitants.