Gandhiji was born in 1869 in Porbandar. His father was Karamchand Gandhi and his mother was Putulibai. His father was the Dewan of the court
He lived in Porbandar until the age of seven and began his schooling. His family then moved to Rajkot. She passed the entrance examination from Rajkot High School and entered Shyamlal College, Bhav Nagar. In 1887, at the age of 19, he went to study law in England.
Gandhiji studied Latin and French in England as well as English and American literature. He studied physics along with law. He passed the Barrister’s Examination and returned to India four years later
In 1893, Gandhiji traveled to South Africa for a year, but after going for one year, Gandhiji had to stay in Africa for twenty years. Gandhiji beautifully described his time in Africa in his autobiography “The Story of My Search for Truth”.
Indians living in Africa were looked down upon by whites. The Indians there were humiliated in every way.
When Gandhiji went to a magistrate’s court in South Africa wearing a coat and a turban, the magistrate ordered him to take off his turban
did. Gandhiji immediately left the court in the humiliation.
Once, when he got on a first class ticket to Pretoria, he was thrown off the train because he was black. The British in South Africa called Gandhiji ‘Kuli’ because he was black.
After a few months, Gandhiji was ready to return to India. But on his arrival, his Indian friends stopped him because they received a newspaper report that the Natal government wanted to deprive Indians of the right to vote. Gandhiji decided to fight against this injustice. He started the struggle against the ‘Art Act’ with his friends.
Gandhiji became known to the world after hearing of his success in that struggle. He was sentenced to eight months in South African jail for this struggle. In 1915, Gandhiji returned to India from South Africa. This time his main resolve was to liberate his native India from British rule. The police caught sight of Gandhiji. Gandhiji launched the first test of Satyagraha at Champan in Bihar.
In 1919, World War II ended. Gandhiji himself helped in the recruitment of troops in this war. But as a result, the people of India received a gift. Gandhiji ordered peaceful satyagraha in India in protest against this law.
In many cities, unarmed people were beaten with police and military batons. On the first day of Bahar, April 13, Nayak General Dyer ordered the opening of fire on unarmed crowds gathered at Jallianbala Bagh in Amritsar. Thousands of people were indiscriminately shot and many were killed.
Martial law was imposed throughout the Punjab. In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement. Gandhiji assured the people of the country, “If everyone cooperates with me, we will get Swaraj within a year”. Gandhiji’s call for a mass gathering of the Congress
Under the tricolor flag. In droves, school and college students and court lawyers left their jobs to join the satyagraha at Gandhiji’s call. The British jails were filled with satyagrahis. Gandhiji was sentenced to six years in prison and sent to Sabarimala Jail.
Gandhiji inspired the freedom-seeking Indians with two words, ‘Karenge ya Morenge’ That is, I will do it or I will die. He immediately ordered the British with firm force: “Leave India”.
In May 1945, World War II ended. On 15 June 1945, the arrested Congress leaders were released.
After long negotiations, the British Government agreed to transfer power to the people of India.
August 15, 1947 was one of the brightest days in history. India gained independence at midnight that day. The tricolor flag of independent India, adorned with the Ashoka Chakra, was hoisted at midnight that day at the Red Fort in Delhi.
On the evening of 30 January 1948, Gandhiji was shot in the chest while attending a prayer meeting in Delhi. As the bad news spread throughout India, the whole world was in darkness.