Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2nd, 1869 in Porbandar, India. This great man inspired many people like Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lennon of “The Beatles”. He is considered one of the most important characters in the history of the world.
1. Gandhi Was Not An Outstanding Student.
Contrary to what one might think, he was not a great student; on the contrary, he was within the average. He even had a hard time passing the entrance test for the University of Bombay.
2. After Studying Law In London, He Went To South Africa.
After graduation, he tried to establish himself as a lawyer in Bombay but was not successful. This was due to the fact that he was not able to speak in public, and would frequently embarrass himself when making an intervention.
3. He Stayed For 21 Years In South Africa.
It was there where he started using nonviolent civil disobedience to help his fellow countrymen. There were several incidents in which Gandhi was mistreated for his skin color, but one of the most famous ones was when he was thrown off a moving train for not giving his first class seat to a white lady.
4. Gandhi Was a War Hero.
In 1900 he recruited 1100 men to be stretcher-bearers during the Boer War. Gandhi did this to prove that Hindus were as fit for manly activities as any other men, which was proven when his stretch bearers could move injured soldiers from the front lines to the clinic because the terrain didn’t allow the ambulances. He and 37 other Indians received a War Medal for his actions.
5. His Work For Non-Violent Resistant Helped Black People In South Africa.
Although he wasn’t directly involved with South Africa’s political problems, his teachings were a major step in helping black people gain the right to vote, for which he was given the title of national hero.
6. Gandhi Was a Hinduist Who Followed Christian Values.
He started a project named Tolstoy Farm in 1910, where they lived a simple, pacific, ascetic life, and followed Tolstoy’s summary of the Sermon of the Mount. These teachings have several common points with Hinduism, but the fact that he chose to follow Tolstoy’s doctrines is interesting.
7. He Was a Member Of Indian Congress.
After spending so much time in Africa and having gathered such a vast array of experiences, Gandhi, at the request of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, went back to India, where he raised from the ranks as one of the leaders of the independence movement.
8. Gandhi Led One Of The Largest Pacifist Demonstrations.
The Salt March was a demonstration led by Mahatma Gandhi and became one of the most important events that led to the independence of India from British Empire. He, along with thousands of people, walked 240 miles until they reached the coast town of Dandi, where he walked into the ocean water and took some water in his hands, signaling people to boycott the Raj’s rules on salt taxes and start producing their own salt from sea water.
9. Despite All His Achievements, Gandhi Never Won The Nobel Award For Peace.
He was nominated in five different occasions. In 1989, when the Dalai Lama received the award, the Nobel Commission mentioned that this was in part to give some sort of homage and repair the oversight.
10. After Obtaining India’s Independence From The British Empire, Gandhi Continued His Work.
Gandhi continued to work, trying to bring much needed reforms to Indian society, integrating the lower castes, developing rural areas and even defending Muslims in Hindu territories.