Gandhi's childhood and his travels all over the land

Mohandas Gandhi

Mohandas Gandhi, Whom most people know as Mahatma, meaning "Great

Soul,'; is one of the most prevalent images in the minds of those who think about great

leaders, in the movement for human rights and non-violence. However, not much is

known about his life as a child and his achievements in the early twentieth century. All

the staging grounds in Gandhi's stance towards non violence, human rights, and peace

took place in the years leading up to the twentieth century and the first decade after.

Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India on October 2, 1869. His family, which

consisted of two brothers and one sister lived a rather good life. Gandhi's' father,

Karamanchand Gandhi, was a government official for the state of Porbandar. His mother

could neither read nor write, but was very religious and was known to go on extended

fasts. Gandhi's mother affected her young son at a very young age. In the state that

Gandhi lived there were over two dozen religions. Gandhi learned to accept all of the

different religions at a very young age. Gandhi's child hood was not very different from

that of a normal child, the only exemption is that Gandhi always felt a sense of

responsibility and duty. When Gandhi was seven years old his father got a new job as

prime minister of Rajkot. Gandhi continued his education and his life as if nothing had

ever changed, until he was married at the age of thirteen in 1882.

Kastura Makinji was Gandhi's first wife. They were both the same age, and just

like Gandhi's' mother Kastura could not read or write. She was the daughter of a

merchant and like Gandhi lived a rather comfortable life. The two lived apart more than

they did together, spending more time with parents rather than with each other. Later in

his life Gandhi joked that he was a stupidly jealous husband, he said "I must say I was

passionately fond of her. Even at school I used to think of her, and the thought of night

fall and our subsequent meeting was ever haunting me. I have already said that Kasturba

was illiterate. I was very anxious to teach her, but lustful love left me no time (Gold 24).';

Aside from the problems of marriage, Gandhi faced another huge turning point in

his life when his father died. Gandhi respected his father Karamchand Gandhi deeply.

Although Karamchand was hot tempered at times, he had ...

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... in protest. Satyagrahis

were put to hard labor and some died in prison, including women.

On December 18, 1913 Gandhi was released from prison. In January of 1913 he

decided that Indians would not take advantage of the governments difficulties to make

them even worse. He called of the satyagraha campaign. The impact was amazing, even

whites were impressed. Praise began to flow in from England and India. Gandhi's moral perfection was complete. Finally, after extreme pressure from the British Consulate in

India and from the British Cabinet, the three pound tax on Indians was eradicated and

restrictions against Indian marriages were also abolished.

Gandhi's work in South Africa was finally complete. His moral character was

unquestionable. A clear blue print for the future had been drawn. A future of equal

rights and peace, among all religions and nationalities. Gandhi declared: "I have traveled

all over the land as perhaps nobody in the present age has. The voiceless millions of the

land saw in me their friend and representative, and Identified myself with them to an

extent it was possible for a human being to do. I saw trust in their eyes...(Ikeda 8).';