Mahatma Gandhi Facts

Nobody needs an introduction to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - one of the most prominent figures of the Indian Independence Movement. One of the world's greatest leaders, Mahatma Gandhi was best known for philosophies such as civil disobedience and total non-violence. He had a key role to play in India's Independence, and the historians believe that if it were not for his efforts, independence would have eluded the nation for some more time. In India, he was fondly referred to as 'Bapu', meaning the Father of the Nation. The fact that several Mahatma Gandhi facts continue to elude the lay man's mind comes as a surprise considering that he was one of the most influential people in history of India.

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 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.)

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.

Those were some interesting Mahatma Gandhi facts which gave a glimpse of his life. Other than these facts, there also exist some Mahatma Gandhi quotes which speak in volumes about him. His famous quotes such as "I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps." or "Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living? play an important role in defining the personality that Mahatma Gandhi was.