'A Tiny Man with False Teeth'
It's true, Gandhi had a set of false teeth. He only used them when he ate, at all other times he kept them in a pocket in his loincloth. This is why in many of his photos, he does not have teeth. Mohandas Gandhi was also incredibly tiny. This is because of his commitment to Vegetarianism and his tendency to fast from food. He seems to be a funny little man who would spend more time playing checkers than changing the world but in fact, this 'Tiny man with False Teeth' played a major role in worldwide societal development, nonviolence, and civil disobedience in a century filled with war and tragedy. To truly understand Mohandas Gandhi and his role in the World, we must examine his life in it's entirety; beginning with his childhood.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869. His mother was Putlibai Gandhi, and his father was Karamchand Gandhi. Mohandas was the youngest of several siblings and grew up in a home surrounded by his aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and cousins. He was a shy boy, who would run all the way to school then run all the way back (to avoid speaking to other kids)... he never voluntarily played sports but was frequently asked to be a 'peacemaker' by his classmates. Gandhi lived his childhood in Porbandar, a village in West India, where his father was a prime minister to the local prince there.
At the age of 13, Gandhi's father decided to marry him off to a 13 year old girl named Kasturbai. They were married in 1882 and remained married until Gandhi's death. In 1888, after his father's death, Gandhi was sent to Britain for higher education. His mother only agreed to let him go if he took a vow to abstain from women, meat, and wine. All three of which he did. In Britain he became largely involved in the 'London Vegetarian Society' and he also learned everything he could possibly learn about British law. When Mohandas returned to India, he learned that his mother had died a year before, and he also had a hard time finding a job because he did not graduate from an Indian college.
Then in 1893, he was asked to go to South Africa to represent a group of businessmen in the Transvaal who were having a hard time and needed legal representation. It was in South Africa that he began to make a large amount of money, (15,000) pounds a year! He also had two sons by Kasturbai at this point, and was focused on providing for his family, however he found that all the money in the world could not make him truly happy. He also had a very rude awakening in South Africa that changed him forever. On a train ride, Gandhi was asked to leave his first class seat because he was Indian... Gandhi refused, was thrown off the bus, and was forced to spend the night in a freezing train station. This event impacted Gandhi and made him resolve to end social injustice through non-violent means. South Africa played a major role in Gandhi's life: he formed his beliefs about non-violence, civil disobedience, and his philosophies in South Africa. He also became very widely known as a lawyer and legal assistant, although his first case as a lawyer was a disaster: (he could not speak because of stage fright, was laughed at, and had to hand the case over to someone else) Gandhi got over his stage fright, and after 21 years, he and his family moved back to his native India and began to challenge the caste system and British colonialism there.
In India, Gandhi began fighting for a great many things. He became an advocate of satyagraha and ahisma, he led the Great Salt March, and was even thrown in prison for his commitment to the cause. Gandhi dedicated himself to uniting moslem and hindu Indians, and tried to unify Indian culture as a whole. In addition, Gandhi consistently proved himself (as well as fellow Indians) committed to a non-violent means of Independence. Once when a non-violent protest turned into a violent fight, Gandhi called off the protest and said that the Indian nation was not ready for independence. Eventually, India did gain independence from Britain in 1947, Gandhi had dedicated his life to a massive movement of non-violence and it indeed paid off. Mahatma Gandhi is regarded as the father of the Indian nation, and his struggle for India played a role in Indian, South African, and American politics.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869. His mother was Putlibai Gandhi, and his father was Karamchand Gandhi. Mohandas was the youngest of several siblings and grew up in a home surrounded by his aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and cousins. He was a shy boy, who would run all the way to school then run all the way back (to avoid speaking to other kids)... he never voluntarily played sports but was frequently asked to be a 'peacemaker' by his classmates. Gandhi lived his childhood in Porbandar, a village in West India, where his father was a prime minister to the local prince there.
At the age of 13, Gandhi's father decided to marry him off to a 13 year old girl named Kasturbai. They were married in 1882 and remained married until Gandhi's death. In 1888, after his father's death, Gandhi was sent to Britain for higher education. His mother only agreed to let him go if he took a vow to abstain from women, meat, and wine. All three of which he did. In Britain he became largely involved in the 'London Vegetarian Society' and he also learned everything he could possibly learn about British law. When Mohandas returned to India, he learned that his mother had died a year before, and he also had a hard time finding a job because he did not graduate from an Indian college.
Then in 1893, he was asked to go to South Africa to represent a group of businessmen in the Transvaal who were having a hard time and needed legal representation. It was in South Africa that he began to make a large amount of money, (15,000) pounds a year! He also had two sons by Kasturbai at this point, and was focused on providing for his family, however he found that all the money in the world could not make him truly happy. He also had a very rude awakening in South Africa that changed him forever. On a train ride, Gandhi was asked to leave his first class seat because he was Indian... Gandhi refused, was thrown off the bus, and was forced to spend the night in a freezing train station. This event impacted Gandhi and made him resolve to end social injustice through non-violent means. South Africa played a major role in Gandhi's life: he formed his beliefs about non-violence, civil disobedience, and his philosophies in South Africa. He also became very widely known as a lawyer and legal assistant, although his first case as a lawyer was a disaster: (he could not speak because of stage fright, was laughed at, and had to hand the case over to someone else) Gandhi got over his stage fright, and after 21 years, he and his family moved back to his native India and began to challenge the caste system and British colonialism there.
In India, Gandhi began fighting for a great many things. He became an advocate of satyagraha and ahisma, he led the Great Salt March, and was even thrown in prison for his commitment to the cause. Gandhi dedicated himself to uniting moslem and hindu Indians, and tried to unify Indian culture as a whole. In addition, Gandhi consistently proved himself (as well as fellow Indians) committed to a non-violent means of Independence. Once when a non-violent protest turned into a violent fight, Gandhi called off the protest and said that the Indian nation was not ready for independence. Eventually, India did gain independence from Britain in 1947, Gandhi had dedicated his life to a massive movement of non-violence and it indeed paid off. Mahatma Gandhi is regarded as the father of the Indian nation, and his struggle for India played a role in Indian, South African, and American politics.