Assess the importance of Ghandi to Indian nationalism Essay

Assess the importance of Ghandi to Indian nationalism - Essay Example Ghandi was born in October 1869 in a Hindu Modh family in Porbandar, Gujarat in India, and was given the name Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi by his parents. The father named Karamchand Gandhi was a chief minister at the city of Porbandar; meaning mahatma Ghandi had a strong upbringing background around leadership, politics, and guided by the Hindu principles (Shelokhonov, 2013). The principles he learned early in life made him a mature and determined man early in age, considering that he had the chance to experience and observe the discrimination the colonialist and their associates conducted on the native people. He became motivated in his law study and understanding of varying principles of different religions he encountered with in different lands. According to Barua, â€Å"his combined brilliance, humanism, and courage with indomitable will brought a revolutionary change in the East Indian Community in South Africa and India† (n.d, p. 2). Borrowing from numerous teaching of th e different religions, and inspirations from wise political ideologies such as those of Gopal Krishna, David Thoreau, and Leo Tolstoy, he was able to organize non-violent movements, which would paralyze the then imperial governments to have their demands heeded. As a key reformist, he was named Bapu Ghandi and is today known to be the father of the Indian nation, after his successful organization and support for the non violent movements of struggle for freedom in India. Characters of Mahatma Ghandi: The persona of Ghandi is still held debatable by many, depending on religion and way of life. However, it must be admitted that he had acquired certain substantial and enabling virtues from his way of life in different environments across the world. Even though being a faithful Hindu, he drew some of his principles from the Bible, the Islamic religion, among others to shape his characters and belief for the common good of existence in the general society. His persona brought him close t o the society, especially the women whom characters and sufferings he understood in broad point of view. Effectively, he was very attracted to the virtues of different societies (Western, African, and Indian), cultures, and different genders, and hoped to unite the people together for their common good. He was a man described to be courageous and stubborn in confronting the British governments, yet humble, patient, and compassionate to others, regardless of their religion, race, and gender. The virtues of non-violence (Ahimsa) and compassion he believed in, was an acceptance of the women qualities, who had been kept out of power and dominion in political and social aspects because of their simple virtues of patience, compassion, and tenderness that was viewed as a contradiction to the roles (Anand, 2006). With such a trusted persona, Ghandi was able to pull people closer, the strong and the weak and from it, women had the opportunity to come out of their locked areas and confidently support him in Indian liberation. Anand further mentions that the very nature of his virtues (ahimsa and truth among others) made the people liberation movement open to all; his plans and politics also comprised most trusted feminine virtues, allowing men and women to take part in the non-violent wars (2006). Ghandi’