GKE1 Task 2
Gandhi (1869-1948) was greatly admired for his important role in world history.
The two most notable changes Gandhi brought about were his gift of making people believe and practice in peace and simplicity and India's financial independence from England. Gandhi lived by his concept of "satygraha" meaning "truth and firmness". He lived a simple lifestyle based on meditation, fasting and prayer. This way of living and practicing his beliefs earned him adoration amongst the Indian people, who became his followers. These followers named him "Mahatma" meaning "the great-souled one". He believed in peaceful non-violent ways of protest such as boycotts, fasting (hunger strikes), and civil disobedience. He fought for basic human rights for the poor in South Africa and India. His thousands of followers, he called "freedom fighters", also chose to use non-violent methods of protest and to spread messages of peace. This message quickly spread across the country and with it came more support for peaceful solutions.
Through the years, other great leaders around the world were influenced by Gandhi's teachings of peaceful resolutions and fighting for human rights, such as Martin Luther, King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela, both led movements for social change using non-violent protests and well-delivered speeches. (BBC, 2013)
Gandhi was also largely responsible for the financial independence of India. He used peaceful methods like the Civil Disobedience Movement, which included boycotts of British schools and manufactures, picketing foreign imports like goods and liquors, and refusing to pay Britain's taxes. (Maps of India, 2004) For example, India's poor could not afford Britain's salt tax. This tax made it illegal to produce or sell salt. Salt was essential to their diet, thus resulted in the Indians having to buy it from the British. Gandhi and his thousands of followers marched 240 mi to the...