Author Description
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Western India in 1869. He was educated in London and later travelled to South Africa, where he experienced racism and took up the rights of Indians, instituting his first campaign of passive resistance. In 1915 he returned to British-controlled India, bringing to a country in the throes of independence his commitment to non-violent change, and his belief always in the power of truth. Under Gandhi's lead, millions of protesters would engage in mass campaigns of civil disobedience, seeking change through ahimsa or non-violence. For Gandhi, the long path towards Indian independence would lead to imprisonment and hardship, yet he never once forgot the principles of truth and non-violence so dear to him. Written in the 1920s, Gandhi's autobiography tells of his struggles and his inspirations; a powerful and enduring statement of an extraordinary life.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
How does an individual reconcile personal moral development with the demands of political activism and the pursuit of national independence? Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a lawyer and political leader, documents his life from his childhood in Western India through his legal education in London and his formative years in South Africa. He utilizes his personal history as a framework to explain the evolution of his philosophy of Satyagraha, or truth-force, and the practical application of non-violent resistance against systemic injustice. The text serves as a reflective analysis of his own failures and successes in adhering to his principles of ahimsa.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Chronological account of Gandhi's life from 1869 through the early 1920s
- Detailed observations on the development of passive resistance in South Africa
- Philosophical reflections on diet, celibacy, and spiritual discipline
- Primary source documentation of early political campaigns in British-controlled India
Scope Limits
- The narrative concludes in the 1920s and does not cover the final decades of his life or the eventual partition of India
- The text focuses primarily on internal moral development rather than a comprehensive political history of the Indian National Congress
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and historians regard this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of personal ethics and political strategy in the twentieth century. Readers frequently note the candid nature of the prose, as Gandhi documents his personal shortcomings with the same rigor he applies to his public campaigns.
Page Count:
464
Publication Date:
1982-01-01
Publisher:
Navajivan Publishing House
ISBN-10:
0140066268
ISBN-13:
9780140066265
Philosophy
History
Autobiography
Biography
Memoir
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