Mahatma Gandhi

Who was Mahatma Gandhi?

Mahatma Gandhi was a kind and wise leader from India. He was a lawyer, and he believed that people could make big changes by being peaceful. People call him Mahatma, which means "great-souled."

Growing up

Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, a town by the sea in western India. As a boy, he was playful and a little shy. He later went to London to study law at the Inner Temple. He came home to India, and then he traveled far away to South Africa to help people there.

A peaceful leader

Gandhi believed in nonviolent resistance. This means he stood up for what was fair without hurting anyone. He wanted India to be free from British rule. He joined the Indian National Congress and helped many people speak up together.

One of his most famous peaceful protests was the Dandi Salt March in 1930. Many people walked a long way to the sea to make their own salt. Gandhi wanted everyone to be treated fairly, and he hoped for a free India where people could rule themselves. He called this idea swaraj.

Gandhi's simple life

Gandhi wore a short cloth called a dhoti. It was made from thread that people spun by hand. He wanted to show that he stood with the poor farmers and workers of India. He ate simple food and loved to read and write. He wrote many letters and newspaper articles to share his ideas.

Remembered today

Gandhi passed away in 1948, but people still remember him with love. Many people in India call him the Father of the Nation. He is also called Bapu, which means "father." Every year on his birthday, India celebrates Gandhi Jayanti. Around the world, people also honor his peaceful ideas on the International Day of Nonviolence.