Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Small man who led a big nation Essay examples -- essays research paper
The Small Man Who Led a Big Nation      Mahatma Gandhi was a national icon for the people of India between the years 1869 and 1948. He is still remembered all over the world today. To follow the path of Gandhi one must traverse all regions of India, from the houses of the highest officials to the poorest villages where the word poverty does injustice. Gandhi led a fearless resistance against the British government, that oppressed his people, and an endless pilgrimage to lift the spirits of his people(the people of India) to maturity. Gandhi was very unique in his approach as he preached non-violence and led a life similar to that of the most downtrodden people of India.      Gandhi was born into a family of high standing. His family had been advisors of some of the rulers of India.(Spodek 663) Gandhi’s mother, Putlibai, was a traditional Indian woman; she was of high morals and deeply religious. In Gandhi’s later years his mothers impact is apparent as he fasts many times and becomes a vegetarian. She also had a moral influence on her son. One of Gandhi’s early teachers encouraged him to cheat on a spelling test in order to impress a school inspector, but he refused. Despite all his good traits Gandhi was a below average student and did not show much promise in academics.(Wolf 171) Nevertheless he traveled to England to attend law school in 1888 in accordance with the desires of his family. He studied for three years in London where he â€Å"began to come alive, intellectually and spiritually†(Wolf 171).      Upon his return to India, Gandhi was hired by an Indian firm to take a case in South Africa. While there Gandhi witnessed several cases of injustice against himself and the Indian population in South Africa. Gandhi himself was thrown out of a first-class train car because he was not white. The demeaning approach the government of Africa took against the Indian population ignited Gandhi’s fire to fight human injustice. This began Gandhi’s communal living and his methods of resistance.      Gandhi established a new form of nonviolent resistance against government he called satyagraha or â€Å"truth force†. Satyagraha â€Å"manifested in self-sacrificing, non-violent mass demonstrations, demanding that the persecutors recognize the immorality of their own position and ... ...nd traveled with the poor he helped them feel connected with the other leaders of the movement. One of Gandhi’s greatest marches towards independence was the Salt March. The British had a monopoly on salt production and sale. Gandhi marched 241 miles to the beach and gathered his own salt and this led to hundreds of peasants doing the same. That is just another example of Gandhi going to jail for his cause.(Wolf 173)      During his time, Gandhi shined as a spiritual reformer and political activist to try and change the hearts of his opponents. His characteristic non-violent movements have been copied by many great men that have come after him. He held himself no higher than the poorest man of his country and that is why his country loved him.                Works Cited Sherman, Dennis. World Civilizations . Massachusetts:      Mcgraw-Hill; 1998. Spodek, Howard. The World’s History. New Jersey: Prentice      Hall; 1998. Wolf, Ken. Personalities and Problems. Massachusetts:      McGraw-Hill; 1999.
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