Born October 2, 1869
Porbandar, Kathiawar, India
Died January 30, 1948
New Delhi, India

Independence activist, spiritual leader, and nonviolence proponent

Mohandas K. Gandhi was a lawyer by training who found that his true calling was seeking justice in the streets and in the countryside rather than in the courtroom. Gandhi’s first battle for equality was fought in South Africa, where he was employed by a law firm. Gandhi refused to accept the indignities of racial discrimination against Indians in South Africa and led a movement to repeal racist laws.

Upon his return to India, Gandhi received the nickname Mahatma, meaning “Great Soul.” Gandhi embraced the cause of the poorest of all Indians—the social caste called Untouchables—choosing to don their style of clothing and live among them. Gandhi organized civil disobedience campaigns, which he called “nonviolent noncooperation,” to...