Mahatma Gandhi Facts for Kids

While the Gandhi facts given above included some of the most interesting aspects of his life, it would be too much to expect kids to understand the intricacies involved in these facts. That being said, here are some simple facts about Mahatma Gandhi which will give the kids an insight of the life of Mahatma Gandhi.

• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2nd October, 1869, in Porbandar - a coastal city in the Indian state of Gujarat.
• Mohandas was married to Kasturbai Makhanji in May 1833, when he was only 13 years old while Kasturbai was only 14.
• At the age of 18, Gandhi went to London, England, where he studied law at the University College London and went on to become a barrister.
• His experiences in South Africa brought about a realization of social injustice prevailing in the society in him, and this turned out to be a catalyst for his social activism.
• When he returned to India, he saw the same discrimination in the country and this made him take part in the Movement for India's Independence. Eventually, he spearheaded the Movement and forced the British to leave India.
• Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu nationalist - Nathuram Godse on 30th January, 1948.
• All throughout his life, Mahatma Gandhi practiced non-violence and truth, and advocated the need to follow these principles.

Mahatma Gandhi Facts

Even though it was more of humanitarian involvement, the fact that Mahatma Gandhi - an ardent proponent of non-violence, participated in a war is bound to come as a surprise for many. Given below are some interesting facts about Gandhi which would introduce you to some of the lesser known aspects of his life.

• In the Zulu war of 1906, Mahatma Gandhi commanded the stretcher-bearer corps, which comprised of Indian volunteers formed to treat the British soldiers injured in this war.
• Mahatma Gandhi assumed the leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, and led a nationwide campaign in support of various social issues which prevailed during that period.
• In March 1930, Gandhi launched a satyagraha (non-violent movement) against the tax levied on salt. A key component of this movement was the Dandi March, wherein he walked for a distance of 241 miles from Ahmedabad to Dandi (Gujarat) to make salt himself.
• He worked as an editor for several English, Hindi and Gujarati newspapers in India as well as South Africa, including the Harijan, Indian Opinion (South Africa) and the Young India.
• Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography titled An Autobiography of My Experiments with Truth, which gives a detailed account of his life till 1920, was published in 1927. In 1999, HarperCollins publishers declared it one of the '100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century'.
• Such was the charisma of Mahatma Gandhi that the Time Magazine named him the Man of the Year in 1930.
• Mahatma Gandhi was chosen for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948, but he was assassinated before it was conferred to him. In response to this, the Nobel Committee decided not to award the Peace Prize for that year.
• In 1999, Gandhi was declared the runner-up for Time magazine's 'Person of the Century' title (which eventually went to Albert Einstein.)

Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi

The evolution of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi into the 'Mahatma ' of our times very much hinges on the principles that were the guiding light of his life. Till his last breath, Gandhiji unflinchingly adhered to these philosophies often referred by the collective term 'Gandhism'. Over the years the thoughts and the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi have inspired generations across the world and they have often been the bedrock of civil rights movements waged against oppressive regimes.

Truth

Truth or 'Satya' was the sovereign principle of Mahatma Gandhi's life. The Mahatma's life was an eternal conquest to discover truth and his journey to that end was marked by experiments on himself and learning from his own mistakes. Fittingly his autobiography was titled 'My Experiments with Truth.' Gandhi strictly maintained that the concept of truth is above and beyond of all other considerations and one must unfailingly embrace truth throughout one's life.

Satyagraha

Gandhiji pioneered the term Satyagraha which literally translates to 'an endeavor for truth.' In the context of Indian freedom movement, Satyagraha meant the resistance to the British oppression through mass civil obedience. The tenets of Truth or Satya and nonviolence were pivotal to the Satyagraha movement and Gandhi ensured that the millions of Indians seeking an end to British rule adhered to these basic principles steadfastly.

Nonviolence

The principle of nonviolence or Ahimsa has been integral to many Indian religions and Mahatma Gandhi espoused for total nonviolence in the Indian freedom struggle. He was determined to purge the Satyagraha movement of any violent elements and incidents of violence by Satyagrahis in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh led him to call off the civil disobedience movement. Gandhi's adoption of vegetarianism is often regarded a manifestation of his faith in the principles of nonviolence.

Khadi

Khadi, an unassuming piece of handspun and hand-woven cloth, embodies the simplicity synonymous with Mahatma Gandhi's persona. After renouncing the western attire of his advocacy days in South Africa, Gandhi embraced the practice of weaving his own clothes from thread he himself spun and encouraged others to follow suit. Mahatma used the adoption of Khadi as a subtle economic tool against the British industrial might and also as a means of generating rural employment in India.

Gandhiji's Quotes

Throughout his life, Mahatma Gandhi held certain principles dear to his heart and unfailingly adhered to them. The ebullient speaker that he was, the Mahatma's words were pearls of wisdom that inspired an entire nation to embrace his principles and tread the path showed by him. Following are some famous quotes by Mahatma Gandhi that captured the essence of Gandhi's values and beliefs:

• Permanent good can never be the outcome of untruth and violence.
• First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
• As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves.
• The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems.
• You must be the change you want to see in the world.
• Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.
• One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds.
• I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.
• Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.
• The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

Netaji and Gandhiji

Both Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi were infallibly dedicated to the cause of Indian freedom. They were loved by the masses and feared by the Raj. But between themselves, these two icons of India's freedom movement shared a rather frosty relationship and history is replete with instances of trenchant differences between them.

Although Subhash Chandra was a follower of Gandhi during the initial days, the later part of the 1930s witnessed a growing radicalization of his thoughts and Bose became increasingly frustrated with the lack of momentum in the independence movement. As Bose started to assert his bold stance in various party forums, it led to a polarization in the Congress party ranks.

Bose found himself frequently at loggerheads with Gandhi and their differences often came out in the public. All these bickering reached a climax when Subhash Chandra Bose became Congress President for a second term in 1939 defeating Gandhi-nominated candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Unable to hide his displeasure, Mahatma commented "Subhash' victory is my defeat." But this unhealthy environment within the party made Bose's task all the more difficult and soon he resigned from his post.

Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi also disagreed over their visions for the post-Independence Indian state. Bose was influenced by the success of the five-year plans in the Soviet Union and he advocated for a socialist nation with an industrialized economy. Gandhi was opposed to the very concept of industrialization.

In spite of all the differences in ideologies, both these great men admired and respected each other. In 1942 Gandhi called Subhash Bose the "Prince among the Patriots" for his great love for the country. Bose too admired Gandhi and in a radio broadcast from Rangoon in 1944, he called Mahatma Gandhi "The Father of Our Nation."

Bhagat Singh and Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh, two titans of the Indian freedom movement and inspirational leaders who laid down their lives while seeking emancipation for their countrymen. Committed as they were towards the goal of India's freedom from British rule, the means they adopted were as different as chalk and cheese. While one spearheaded a civil disobedience movement founded on the principles of nonviolence and Satyagraha, the other waged a revolutionary armed struggle laced with violence towards the British regime.

As a young lad, Bhagat Singh actively took part in the non-cooperation movement and was an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi. He earnestly believed that India would indeed gain freedom under Gandhi's leadership. But when Gandhi called off the movement following the Chauri Chaura riot in 1922, Bhagat Singh became disenchanted with Gandhism and gradually veered towards the tenets of armed revolutionary struggle. Prior to his arrest and subsequent execution, Bhagat Singh led many a valiant attacks against the British machinery.

The pre-eminence of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh in Indian freedom movement and their distinctly different approaches have spawned many controversies and even conspiracy theories. Most of these stem from Gandhi and the Indian National Congress' alleged failure to prevent Bhagat Singh's execution despite enjoying substantial clout with the British government. In fact a number of recent Bollywood movies like 'Shaheed Bhagat Singh' are replete with subtle insinuations that Gandhi indeed could have done more to save Bhagat Singh's life.

But Gandhi was an admirer of Bhagat Singh and publicly applauded his patriotism on many occasions. The Mahatma in fact wrote to the Viceroy pleading with him to commute the death sentence of Singh and his accomplices.

Life of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi was born as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on October 2, 1969 at Porbandar, located in the present day state of Gujarat. His father Karamchand Gandhi was the Diwan (Prime Minister) of Porbandar. Gandhi's mother Putlibai was a pious lady and under her tutelage Gandhi imbibed various principles of Hinduism at an early age.

In 1883, all of 13 and still in high school, Gandhi was married to Kasturbai as per the prevailing Hindu customs. For a person of such extraordinary visionary zeal and resilience, Mahatma Gandhi was by and large an average student in school and was of a shy disposition. After completing his college education, at his family's insistence Gandhi left for England on September 4, 1888 to study law at University College, London. During his tenure in London, Mohandas Gandhi strictly observed abstinence from meat and alcohol as per his mother's wishes.

Upon completion of his law degree in 1891, Gandhi returned to India and tried to set up a legal practice but could not achieve any success. In 1893, when an Indian firm in South Africa offered him the post of legal adviser Gandhi was only too happy to oblige and he set sail for South Africa. This decision alone changed the life of Gandhi, and with that, the destiny of an entire nation. As he descended in South Africa, Gandhi was left appalled at the rampant racial discrimination against Indians and blacks by the European whites.

Soon Gandhi found himself at the receiving end of such abuse and he vowed to take up the cudgels on behalf of the Indian community. He organized the expatriate Indians and protested against the injustices meted out by the African government. After years of disobedience and non-violent protests, the South African government finally conceded to Gandhi's demands and an agreement to this effect was signed in 1914. A battle was won, but Gandhi realized the war that was to be waged against the British awaits his arrival in India. He returned to India the next year.

After reaching India, Gandhi traveled across the length and breadth of the country to witness first hand the atrocities of the British regime. He soon founded the Satyagraha Ashram and successfully employed the principles of Satyagraha in uniting the peasants of Kheda and Champaran against the government. After this victory Gandhi was bestowed the title of Bapu and Mahatma and his fame spread far and wide.

In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi called for the non-cooperation movement against the British Government with the sole object of attaining Swaraj or independence for India. Even though the movement achieved roaring success all over the country, the incident of mob violence in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh forced Gandhi to call off the mass disobedience movement. Consequent to this, Mahatma Gandhi took a hiatus from active politics and instead indulged in social reforms.

The year 1930 saw Gandhi's return to the fore of Indian freedom movement and on March 12, 1930 he launched the historic Dandi March to protest against the tax on salt. The Dandi March soon metamorphosed into a huge civil disobedience movement. The Second World War broke out in 1939 and as the British might began to wane, Gandhi called for the Quit India movement on August 8, 1942. Post World War, the Labour Party came to power in England and the new government assured the Indian leadership of imminent independence.

The Cabinet Mission sent by the British government proposed for the bifurcation of India along communal lines which Gandhi vehemently protested. But eventually he had to relent and on the eve of independence thousands lost their lives in communal riots. Gandhi urged for communal harmony and worked tirelessly to promote unity among the Hindus and Muslims. But Mahatma's act of benevolence angered Hindu fundamentalists and on January 13, 1948 he was assassinated by Hindu fanatic Nathuram Godse