Mahatma Gandhi

Born in Porbandar, India, in 1869, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi studied law in London before beginning his public work in South Africa, where he developed the principles of satyagraha, or nonviolent resistance. He later became the central figure in India’s struggle against British rule and was widely known as Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi led major campaigns of civil disobedience, including movements against discriminatory laws and the Salt March of 1930. Alongside political action, he wrote extensively and argued for self-rule, religious tolerance, simple living, and moral discipline, making him not only a political leader but also an influential public thinker.

India gained independence in 1947, and Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi on January 30, 1948. His example went on to influence figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and helped shape the global language of nonviolent protest.