Mahatma Gandhi: Difference between revisions

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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (''Mahatma'' is a Sanskrit title meaning 'Great Soul', and was given to him by the famous Indian writer Rabindranath Tagore) is synonymous with non-violent resistance and the Indian struggle for independence against [[The Raj|the British Empire.]] Gandhi pioneered the idea of civil disobedience and non-cooperation with authorities without resorting to violence, principles that would later go on to inspire Dr Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (''Mahatma'' is a Sanskrit title meaning 'Great Soul', and was given to him by the famous Indian writer Rabindranath Tagore) is synonymous with non-violent resistance and the Indian struggle for independence against [[The Raj|the British Empire.]] Gandhi pioneered the idea of civil disobedience and non-cooperation with authorities without resorting to violence, principles that would later go on to inspire Dr Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.


The enduring image of Gandhi is of a little bald elderly Indian man with glasses, wrapped in a peasant's dhoti and leaning on a stick. Considering what he achieved, he may be a [[Real Life]] example of [[Discworld (Literature)/Thief of Time|Rule One: "Do not act incautiously while confronting little bald wrinkly smiling men!"]] A strict vegetarian, Gandhi went on long fasts both as a means of self-purification and achieving his political aims.
The enduring image of Gandhi is of a little bald elderly Indian man with glasses, wrapped in a peasant's dhoti and leaning on a stick. Considering what he achieved, he may be a [[Real Life]] example of [[Discworld/Thief of Time|Rule One: "Do not act incautiously while confronting little bald wrinkly smiling men!"]] A strict vegetarian, Gandhi went on long fasts both as a means of self-purification and achieving his political aims.


Gandhi was born in October 1869 in the tiny coastal town of Porbandar in the Bombay Presidency (currently in the Indian State of Gujarat), the youngest child in the family. After his father died when Gandhi was fifteen, it was decided he would go to England to study law. He went three years later and in the course of finding a decent vegetarian restaurant, he would meet a group of intellectuals which included writer Henry Salt and Madame Blavatsky. It was in England that Gandhi first read the classic Indian text the ''[[Bhagavad Gita (Literature)|Bhagavad Gita]]'', which would influence him for the rest of his life.
Gandhi was born in October 1869 in the tiny coastal town of Porbandar in the Bombay Presidency (currently in the Indian State of Gujarat), the youngest child in the family. After his father died when Gandhi was fifteen, it was decided he would go to England to study law. He went three years later and in the course of finding a decent vegetarian restaurant, he would meet a group of intellectuals which included writer Henry Salt and Madame Blavatsky. It was in England that Gandhi first read the classic Indian text the ''[[Bhagavad Gita]]'', which would influence him for the rest of his life.


He then moved to South Africa to practise law, where his ill-treatment was made famous in the 1982 Ben Kingsley film. Although he had a first class ticket for the train he was forcibly thrown out, and while arguing a case in court he was ordered to remove his turban. Gandhi decided to conduct a civil rights campaign on behalf of the Indians in South Africa, who were working as labourers for miserable pay in terrible conditions.
He then moved to South Africa to practise law, where his ill-treatment was made famous in the 1982 Ben Kingsley film. Although he had a first class ticket for the train he was forcibly thrown out, and while arguing a case in court he was ordered to remove his turban. Gandhi decided to conduct a civil rights campaign on behalf of the Indians in South Africa, who were working as labourers for miserable pay in terrible conditions.
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Gandhi is [[What the Hell, Hero?|heavily criticised]] [[Values Dissonance|by modern scholars]] for his controversial opinion of the black population of South Africa. He was fighting for Indians not to be given the same treatment as the native Africans, since they had a longer relationship and history with the British Empire. He even raised a unit of Indian stretcher-bearers and medics to help the British in the Boer War. Gandhi's views on race changed with time however, and the difficulties he faced in negotiating with the British soured his loyalty and belief in the Empire and kick-started his struggle to win independence for his native India.
Gandhi is [[What the Hell, Hero?|heavily criticised]] [[Values Dissonance|by modern scholars]] for his controversial opinion of the black population of South Africa. He was fighting for Indians not to be given the same treatment as the native Africans, since they had a longer relationship and history with the British Empire. He even raised a unit of Indian stretcher-bearers and medics to help the British in the Boer War. Gandhi's views on race changed with time however, and the difficulties he faced in negotiating with the British soured his loyalty and belief in the Empire and kick-started his struggle to win independence for his native India.


Returning to India and allying himself with the newly formed Indian National Congress, he organised a series of strikes, civil disobedience campaigns, and boycotts aimed at the British. He remained committed to his philosophy of ''ahimsa'' (non-violence) and ''satyagraha'' (soul/truth force), going so far as to ask his followers not to raise a hand to defend themselves even when being attacked by the police. His most famous campaign was the 1930 Salt March, where in protest against the British tax on salt he walked 390 kilometers to the coastal town of Dandi to make salt from the sea. Gandhi would travel to Britain several times to negotiate with British leaders, and was something of a media celebrity, even [[Go-Karting With Bowser|taking tea with King George V]].
Returning to India and allying himself with the newly formed Indian National Congress, he organised a series of strikes, civil disobedience campaigns, and boycotts aimed at the British. He remained committed to his philosophy of ''ahimsa'' (non-violence) and ''satyagraha'' (soul/truth force), going so far as to ask his followers not to raise a hand to defend themselves even when being attacked by the police. His most famous campaign was the 1930 Salt March, where in protest against the British tax on salt he walked 390 kilometers to the coastal town of Dandi to make salt from the sea. Gandhi would travel to Britain several times to negotiate with British leaders, and was something of a media celebrity, even [[Go-Karting with Bowser|taking tea with King George V]].


When [[World War II]] rolled around, Gandhi launched the Quit India movement, which demanded full independence for the country at the end of the war. The shock election of [[Clement Attlee]] instead of Empire diehard [[Winston Churchill]] paved the way for the British to grant India its independence in 1947. Gandhi wanted a united India, but his decreasing influence meant that Muhammad Ali Jinnah was allowed to partition off a bit of the country to form the new nation of Pakistan.<ref>In retrospect, some Pakistani intellectuals are willing to accept Gandhi's position that the fact that Jinnah was more than just a little bit of a jackass had to do with it, as well.</ref> Eventually Bangladesh would also break away from Pakistan and gain independence.
When [[World War II]] rolled around, Gandhi launched the Quit India movement, which demanded full independence for the country at the end of the war. The shock election of [[Clement Attlee]] instead of Empire diehard [[Winston Churchill]] paved the way for the British to grant India its independence in 1947. Gandhi wanted a united India, but his decreasing influence meant that Muhammad Ali Jinnah was allowed to partition off a bit of the country to form the new nation of Pakistan.<ref>In retrospect, some Pakistani intellectuals are willing to accept Gandhi's position that the fact that Jinnah was more than just a little bit of a jackass had to do with it, as well.</ref> Eventually Bangladesh would also break away from Pakistan and gain independence.
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* [[Church Militant]]: A rare positive version; his chief inspiration was not nationalism but religion.
* [[Church Militant]]: A rare positive version; his chief inspiration was not nationalism but religion.
* [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: The British did not take him terribly seriously early in his campaign, [[Idiot Ball|which turned out to be a big mistake]].
* [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: The British did not take him terribly seriously early in his campaign, [[Idiot Ball|which turned out to be a big mistake]].
* [[Death By Irony]]: A peaceful and devout Hindi ... violently murdered by a Hindu extremist.
* [[Death by Irony]]: A peaceful and devout Hindi ... violently murdered by a Hindu extremist.
* [[Determinator]]: His struggle for Indian independence took literally decades, during which he was beaten and imprisoned countless times.
* [[Determinator]]: His struggle for Indian independence took literally decades, during which he was beaten and imprisoned countless times.
* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Gandhi rarely had time for his four sons, even neglecting their formal education. His estranged first son Harilal became a vagrant and died an alcoholic.
* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Gandhi rarely had time for his four sons, even neglecting their formal education. His estranged first son Harilal became a vagrant and died an alcoholic.
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* ''[[Clone High]]'': An animated show that depicted a high school full of the clones of famous individuals, with the Clone Gandhi portrayed as a hyperactive, irreverent complete opposite of his namesake. It caused an uproar in India, to the point where members of the Indian parliament were criticising it.
* ''[[Clone High]]'': An animated show that depicted a high school full of the clones of famous individuals, with the Clone Gandhi portrayed as a hyperactive, irreverent complete opposite of his namesake. It caused an uproar in India, to the point where members of the Indian parliament were criticising it.
** "If there's one thing Mahatma Gandhi stands for it's revenge!"
** "If there's one thing Mahatma Gandhi stands for it's revenge!"
* ''[[UHF (Film)|UHF]]'' gave him a [[Historical Badass Upgrade]], showing him beating up people and requesting steak at a restaurant.
* ''[[UHF]]'' gave him a [[Historical Badass Upgrade]], showing him beating up people and requesting steak at a restaurant.
* ''[[Gandhi (Film)|Gandhi]]'': The 1982 film that Sir Ben Kingsley won an Oscar for.
* ''[[Gandhi]]'': The 1982 film that Sir Ben Kingsley won an Oscar for.
* "The Last Article" is a short story by [[Harry Turtledove]] depicting the interactions between Gandhi and the new German governor of India in an [[Alternate History]] in which the Nazis won [[World War II]].
* "The Last Article" is a short story by [[Harry Turtledove]] depicting the interactions between Gandhi and the new German governor of India in an [[Alternate History]] in which the Nazis won [[World War II]].
* In every installment of the ''[[Civilization]]'' series Gandhi serves as India's leader - indeed, it was only in ''Civ IV'' that Asoka was added as a less contemporary option. [[Beware the Nice Ones|For whatever reason]] the programmers give Gandhi a bit of an obsession with [[Nuke'Em|nuclear weapons]]. "[[Memetic Mutation|Gandhi is a notorious liar and cheat! Deal with him carefully!]]"
* In every installment of the ''[[Civilization]]'' series Gandhi serves as India's leader - indeed, it was only in ''Civ IV'' that Asoka was added as a less contemporary option. [[Beware the Nice Ones|For whatever reason]] the programmers give Gandhi a bit of an obsession with [[Nuke'Em|nuclear weapons]]. "[[Memetic Mutation|Gandhi is a notorious liar and cheat! Deal with him carefully!]]"
* The short subject ''[[Gandhi At the Bat (Film)|Gandhi At the Bat]]'' is a [[Mockumentary]] about Gandhi secretly visiting [[Big Applesauce|Yankee Stadium]] in 1933 and pinch hitting for the New York Yankees.
* The short subject ''[[Gandhi at the Bat]]'' is a [[Mockumentary]] about Gandhi secretly visiting [[Big Applesauce|Yankee Stadium]] in 1933 and pinch hitting for the New York Yankees.
* Was in [[Celebrity Deathmatch]] against [[Genghis Khan]].
* Was in [[Celebrity Deathmatch]] against [[Genghis Khan]].


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