How Did Gandhi Influence The World

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Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian political and religious leader, influenced the world with his beliefs on peaceful resistance, his guidance of India towards independence, and his strong opposition to the discrimination of Indians from the South African government (Gardner). On October 2nd, 1869, Mahatma, also known as “Great Soul”, Gandhi was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, India into an upper caste family. This meant Gandhi had access to education and had fairly high status within Indian society (History.co.uk). Thus, he began his elementary studies in the nearby city of Rakjot (Lal “Manas”).
Growing up, Gandhi attended school and followed his family’s traditional Hindu practices of vegetarianism and ahimsa (nonviolence), but overall did not really
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Gandhi first attended a school in Bombay, but struggled at the university and moved abroad to study law at the University College London in September of 1888 (53). While studying in London, Gandhi feared he would not find people of the same belief system and recalls feeling awkward about finding meals without meat (59-60). However, at London, Gandhi formed many of his opinions about the world. In school he was noted to have interacted with “theosophists, vegetarians, and others who were disenchanted not only with industrialism, but with the legacy of Enlightenment thought” (Lal …show more content…
Gandhi’s participation led to the founding of the Natal Indian Congress, an organization devoted to helping Indians obtain basic civil rights like voter registration. Gandhi attained more influence and publicity in South Africa in 1894 by encouraging Indians and other oppressed minority groups to practice the term he coined satyagraha, or nonviolent resistance. Seeking satya (truth), achieved through ahimsa (nonviolence), Gandhi learned from his Hinduism background, which stems from the Jainism principle of not harming any living (Lal “Manas”). In response to multiple cases physical and verbal attacks from civilians and unfair government policies, Gandhi believed that “Indians should break those laws which were unreasonable or suppressive” through nonviolent means

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