Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi started a peaceful revolution — the Salt March — which led to India's independence from the foreign English government.
Mohandas K. Gandhi- called Mahatma (meaning “Great Soul”) Gandhi, lived around one hundred years ago in South Africa and later in India. He is famous for his non-violent form of protesting how people in India were oppressed by the foreign British government. Gandhi believed that a person should stand up against laws he or she feels are unfair, but should also be willing to accept the consequences for doing so. Through his protests and a peaceful march through India that was joined by tens of thousands of people called the Salt March, India became independent from the foreign English government.
Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian political and spiritual leader.
Born in India on October 2, 1869, Gandhi left the country at a young age to attend school and get his degree in London, before moving to South Africa (then under British rule) in 1893 to practice law. In South Africa, Gandhi was shocked to be confronted with racism and status as a second-class citizen, and immediately set to working on improving the Indian populations' status.
One of the most important things Gandhi was known for was his non-violent form of protesting. Calling this method "Satyagraha," Gandhi believed that a person should stand up against laws he or she felt was unfair, but should also be willing to accept the consequences for doing so.
He and his followers were made fun of, beaten, and even sent to jail when people did not like what he was trying to say. Gandhi returned to India, which was also under British rule, in 1916, and continued to preach and practice Satyagraha.
One of the most famous events to do so was the "Salt March" in 1930, during which Gandhi and his followers marched throughout India to protest a British tax on salt.In 1947, after years of talks and demonstrations, England finally agreed to grant India independence, something many believe that Gandhi's words and actions had a direct influence on. His form of passive resistance had inspired generations of leaders and thinkers, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, who both turned to his ideas and writings during their respective civil rights movements.
Big Picture
If people fight for a change of government because they feel treated unfair or oppressed, it is called a revolution. The French Revolution is one very significant example: the people in France decided to get rid of their oppressive king and allow citizen to have more say in their government. Another example is the American Revolution, which led to the independence of the United States from the British Empire.
A different type of revolution is a dramatic change in technology, science, or the economy. When factories were first built to produce large amounts of products with steam engines, it was referred to as the Industrial Revolution. When computers and the Internet became popular, it was referred to as the Digital Revolution.
A revolution is the beginning of something completely new--a fundamental change--that a group of people accomplish together in a relatively short period of time.
Revolutions are often born from the longing for freedom and are a way for the citizens of a country to change the circumstances under which they live. Even though no one knows in advance if a revolution will really change things for the better, men and women working together have the chance to stand up for a better life.
Up for Discussion
Modern Revolution
Can you think of issues in today’s world that would justify or even demand for a revolution? How about an environmental revolution?
