LEARN ABOUT ANIMAL GIANTS IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF WORLD OF WONDER

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2013

© 2013 Triefeldt Studios, Inc.Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

At a bookstore near you: Two full-color World of Wonder compilations: “Plants & Animals” and “People & Places.”

By Laurie Triefeldt

SOURCES: World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc.; www.biography.com; http://ridasarah.tripod.com; www.spar-knotes.com; www.gandhiinstitute.org; www.history.com; www.progress.org; www.infoplease.com; www.gandhi-manibhavan.org

Famous as the father of the Indian independence movement, Gandhi spent 21 years in South Africa fi ghting discrimination against Indians. His nonviolent philosophy became a model for later civil rights leaders. Gandhi was a spiritual leader as well as a political one, and the people of India sometimes called him Mahatma (The Great Soul). He was also affectionately and respectfully known as Bapu (father).ChildhoodMohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in 1869 into a middle-class Hindu family in Porbandar, a small town on the western coast of India. His father, Karamchand Gandhi (1822–1885), was the chief minister of Porbandar and a member of the Rajasthanik Court.

MarriageIn 1883, at the age of 13, Gandhi was married (in an arranged marriage — as custom dictates in India). Gandhi’s bride, Kasturba Makhanji, was the only daughter of wealthy merchants. Kasturba and Gandhi had four sons.

Studying the lawIn 1888, at the age of 19, Gandhi moved to England to study Indian law. Three years later, after passing the bar, Gandhi returned home to India, where he set up a law practice in Bombay, now known as Mumbai. The practice failed (possibly because Gandhi was too shy to speak well in court) and in 1893, Gandhi accepted a job in South Africa with Dada Abdul-lah & Co.

South AfricaWhen Gandhi arrived in South Africa at age 24, the Indians who lived there (mostly Hindus) had no legal rights. The European colonialists did not consider Hindus to be full human beings and referred to them

as “coolies.” Gandhi became a leader of the Indian commu-

nity and spent 21 years working to end the injustices seen there.During the Boer War (1899–1902), in an effort to prove racial equality, Gandhi organized an ambulance

corps for the British. He used journal-ism as a way to communicate his ideas of nonviolent civil disobedience, which he called “satyagraha.”

India In 1915, Gandhi (age 46) returned to India perma-nently. Here he led cam-paigns to ease poverty and create friendships between religious and ethnic groups. He worked to help India increase its economic self-reliance and to achieve Swaraj—the independence of India from British domination.

Spiritual growthAs he returned to India, Gandhi gave up Western customs and for the rest of his life followed traditional Hindu ways, practicing austerity and self-denial. He dressed simply, in a loin cloth and shawl, and had no other material possessions. (Gandhi had always been a vegetarian.)

PartitionThe Indian Independence Act 1947 ended the British Indian Empire and created the states of India and Pakistan, divided according to religious demographics. Millions of people were displaced and violence erupted. Gandhi was horrifi ed as he had been hoping for a unifi ed Hindu and Muslim India. The partition cre-ated an atmosphere of hostility and unease between the two nations that

continues today.

In the endOn January 30, 1948, Gan-dhi (age 78) was assassi-nated at a prayer meeting. The killer was a Hindu fanatic who blamed Gandhi for the partition. Gandhi’s death was mourn-

ed nationwide. More than 2 million people joined the

funeral procession. His ashes traveled across India, and most were poured into rivers.When it Happened — a brief time line

1930: Gandhi publishes the Decla-ration of Independence of India. 1931: Gandhi is jailed for breaking India’s Salt Laws.1932: Gandhi fasts to protest treatment of untouchables.1934: Gandhi begins the “All Indian Village Industries Association”

1942: Gandhi begins nationwide “Quit India” movement.1944: Gandhi’s wife, Kasturba, dies at age 74.

1922: Gandhi is arrested for sedition.1922-24: Gandhi remains in prison.1924-1928: Gandhi avoids politics.

1915: Gandhi re-turns to India and receives a hero’s welcome.1919: Amritsar Massacre — Brit-ish troops kill Indian protesters.

1903: Gandhi opens a law offi ce in Johannesberg, South Africa.1906: Gandhi organizes his fi rst protest against anti-Indian laws in South Africa.1908: Gandhi is jailed (twice) in South Africa.1909: Gandhi goes to London, pushing for rights of South African Indians.

1891-1893: Gandhi re-turns to India and begins to practice law.1893: Gandhi accepts a job in South Africa.1894: Gandhi founds the Natal Indian Congress in South Africa.

1883: Gandhi marries Kasturba Makhanji.1885: Gandhi’s father dies.1888: Gandhi goes to England to study law.

1870 1880 1890 1900 19101860 1920 1930 1940

1869: Mohandas Gandhi is born on October 2, in Porbandar, India.

1947: Indian indepen-dence becomes offi cial, as does the partition into two countries, India and Pakistan. 1948: Gandhi is assassinated by a religious fanatic in Delhi.Kasturba Makhanji

1869–1944

Gandhi at age 7

Gandhi spent much of his life working to remove British rule from India and

to improve the lives of India’s poorest classes.

Gandhi at age 33

SatyagrahaGandhi explained the meaning of satyagraha this way: “Truth (satya) implies love, and fi rm-ness (agraha) engen-ders and therefore serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian movement Satyagraha, that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or nonviolence.”

Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948)

Some people believe that many of Gandhi’s views

held India back from progress and

industrialization.

CHINA

INDIA

PAKISTAN

AFGHAN-ISTAN

Kabul

NEPAL

Kathmandu BHUTAN

IslamabadSrinagar

MYANM

AR

BANGLADESH

Itanagar

Aizawi

Dhaka

Chandigarh

New DelhiJaipur

Lucknow

Porbandar

BhopalCalcutta

Bhubaneshwar

Hyderabad

Silvassa

Mumbai

Panaji

Pondicherry

TiruvanantapuramSRI LANKA

Bay of Bengal

300 miles

400 km

ArabianSea

Cawvery R.

Krishna R.

Godovari R.

Narmada R.Mahanadi R.

Ganges R.

Yarlung R.Indus R.

Tongtran R.(Yangtze R.)Borders of Kashmir

are in dispute.

Gandhi was born here.

Also known as “Ba,” Kasturba was born in the same town as Gandhi.