Background Information :Gandhi  was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Kathiawar, India, which was then part of the British Empire. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, served as a chief minister in Porbandar and other states in western India. Gandhi fought for the independence of the Indian  

 

Mahatma Gandhi was born in India in 1869. He was sent to Britain to be educated and become a lawyer when he qualified he went to South Africa where he saw racial discrimination of the whites against the blacks and he even received racial discrimination on a bus at this time. (biography.com) The white British and Boer people in court asked him to take off his turban.

 

He knew this treatment was wrong but instead of fighting or arguing he decided to use civil disobedience which ignored the rules he thought were unfair. He began the Natal Indian Congress in 1894 to fight this discrimination. He soon learned that Indians weren’t allowed to vote. He stayed to fight and help Indians in South Africa but even though he was unsuccessful at changing this law, he drew attention to this discrimination 

 

When he returned to India the country was to be split in two: on the west side a new country called Pakistan was where the Muslims were to live and the east was to be India, the Hindu section. This created many problems and was the cause of many lives. Gandhi did not support this attsion and protested in a peaceful way.

 

Gandhi was a radical change agent because he helped change something that he thought was unfair but he did so in a way that did not need violence but showed the world how wrong some organisations and actions were.  He realised India needed to be independent from Britain because the Indians were being treated poorly.   

 

Gandhi’s plan was a non-violent protest for India to become independent and to end the poverty, free the women from their restricted lives and end the ‘caste discrimination’ where classes of Indians were expected to stay all their lives (Reference.com page 1) This is an open minded view on a situation rather than a close- minded one that allowed people who had the power (education, money, upper class living, British born) to keep their privileged positions. Gandhi did not believe in achieving his goals though violence he tried to follow the ways of Jesus by peaceful methods and educating those with different ideas. He didn’t want societies that treated the poor (such as the black South Africans and the Indians ruled by the British) to remain as they were. He wanted power to be shared and better outcomes for those without power. (PDF in Crave Coneqt) By using peaceful methods such as walking 200 miles to the sea to protest against Britain’s monopoly on salt he brought attention to the unfair treatment of people. He spent time in prison for his civil disobedience but though his actions led India to its independence in 1946 and tried to bring peace between the Hindu and Muslim cultures. This transformation of India occurred under gentle methods of Gandhi. He never demanded people to follow him.

 

Gandhi offended people who were fundamental radicals (who believe in their causes and religions by using violence) and those in power. He was assassinated by 9 Hindu people in 1946.  

 

Gandhi Worldview:  Gandhi’s worldview was a way of life that was kind and a benefit to all. He didn’t believe that India should be controlled by the British who had laws that made life so hard for many Indians especially labourers and women. He called for civil disobedience  (J Black 1999) He challenged the status quo  ( the way things had been done for many years) and wanted to see power shared and a better life shared and also a better life for those people who didn’t have any power. He didn’t think it was right to treat people poorly because of their race, religion or their job Hindu religion is tolerant of all religions. Gandhi showed his tolerance with Muslims, Hindu, Christian people he came into contact with. Gandhi was a vegetarian because he believed that they should never injury anyone or anything. Meditation and self-reflection are part of Hindu teaching and Gandhi also fasted like many Hindu priests do to focus on their religion. He didn’t believe in the caste system, unlike most Hindus, and even though he was born into an upper caste of Hindu society, he gave up all his worldly possessions as he tried to bring a better way of life to people who had no power. He rejected the old worldview that saw the caste system treat some members unfairly and some world powers control other countries. He wanted change and to show the world that there was a better way for all people. He did this in a non violent way.  

 

We are often told that large, loud violent, rich countries and people control the world and can force others to follow , but a small non violent man called Gandhi tried to change the unfair way that many people had been treated. He gave up his possessions, his job as a lawyer and kept the beliefs ha had while he tried to help others. Change came due to Gandhi. He wasn’t selfish loud large or violent. He showed that individuals can bring change that help millions of others and that his beliefs and faith did affect his values and behaviour in a positive way. Gandhi is a true inspiration.

 

Bibliography 

 

1 Reference.com/history/Mahatma Gandhi-famous

2 P.D.F in CRAVE ( false radicalism vs true radical)

3 Jeremy Black 1999 p 178, World history Cracks and Collapse

4 Randomwritingessay.wordpress.com