Gandhi
The British had been strengthening and expanding their power slowly since 1803, when the East India Company took over vast areas of India. Three centuries prior to that the Mogul Empire, which was built by the Muslim invaders from Turkey and Afghanistan, had dominated most of the land. However, the mighty empire became weak due to civil wars and was finally overtaken by the British who seized the opportunity to expand their own colonies. The Indian subcontinent had been governed for twelve years by the British who had gained full political control when Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi came into this world on October 2, 1869 (Clement 21). Mohandas was born into a wealthy family of the Vaishya caste, which belonged to one of the lower Hindu castes. The Hindus believe in four class structures within society; first being the Brahmins, literate priests and teachers, the military Kshatryas, the Vaishyas or merchants, to which Gandhi belonged. The fourth, Sudra, was composed of peasants and craftsmen. Finally, millions of Hindus who were deemed the untouchables belonged to no caste at all. However, even though being in one of the lowest casts, Mohandas’ early life was a normal one, filled with events that characterized a typical Hindu fami
In conclusion, Gandhi was truly a revolutionary person in his dedication t o free India from European rule by improving social and economic conditions. Unfortunately, Gandhi was not able to enjoy a free and democratic India, he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948. Now that he was gone, people finally realized just how much Mahatma had achieved for India in his lifetime (Clement 120). Indeed, he had changed India for the better. His most important contribution to the Indian quest for liberty was Satyagraha, the technique of non-violent civil disobedience. It was his strongest weapon against the kinds of adversaries he encountered in British India, and a way to slowly break down British authority. Furthermore, another main element in obtaining India’s freedom was his strategy of class conciliation (Arnold 234). He identified himself with the poor and oppressed and was strongly opposed to the class-based struggle and the war for social and economic justice that many in India were demanding. He clearly believed in strength in numbers, which would lead the way for an independent India. Equally important is the fact that he was not afraid of putting his life on the line and, through many fasts, to use the power of his own suffering to win over the hearts and minds of others. Throughout India Gandhi achieved the eternal status as Father of the Nation, yet many believe that he was much more than that, some say that he might have even been a saint. Richards, Glyn. The Philosophy of Gandhi. London: Curzon Press, 1991
Some topics in this essay:
Dandi Severance,
Love Non-violence…”Narayan,
Kshatryas Vaishyas,
Socially British,
India Severance,
Portbandar Severance,
English Clement,
Accordingly Mohandas,
Ultimately Gandhi,
Literature Soon,
indian people,
british rule,
caste system,
economic conditions,
break british,
slowly break british,
salt tax,
slowly break,
clement 58,
clement 54,
soon afterwards,
Join now to see the rest of the essay!
Approximate Word count = 2175
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
More Essays on Gandhi
Professional Papers: |
CUSTOMER SERVICES
|
|
Saved Papers
You haven't saved any papers.
|
Example Essays Home
