Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi eller Mahatma Gandhi (2. oktober 1869 - 30. januar 1948) var en indisk politiker og åndelig leder, der stod i spidsen for Indiens uafhængighedsbevægelse.

Født i Porbandar, et lille fyrstedømme i nuværende Gujarat.

Kæmpede fra 1893 til 1914 i Sydafrika for at forbedre indernes forhold der.

Tilbage i Indien startede han i 1919 ulydighedskampagne og boykot mod den engelske kolonimagt for at opnå selvstyre. Gandhi blev Kongrespartiets leder, men var gentagne gange fængslet af englænderne. Han organiserede mange aktioner baseret på Satyagraha el. "passiv modstand" (ofte betegnet som civil ulydighed). I 1930 ledede han en 400 km lang march til havet for at demonstrere mod regeringens saltmonopol.

Gandhi var modstander af Indiens deling i Pakistan og Indien 1947 og agiterede for en fælles muslimsk-hinduistisk stat, men blev myrdet af en fanatisk hindu, der var modstander af en forsoning med muslimerne.

Gandhis filosofi og ideer var stærkt påvirket af Bhagavad Gita, hinduisme og jainisme. Han levede et simpelt liv med bøn, faste og meditation, var vegetar og skrev flere bøger om dette emne.

Hans tilnavn, Mahatma, betyder "Den Store Sjæl".

Kilde: Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi

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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or Mahatma Gandhi (October 2, 1869 - January 30, 1948) was an Indian politician and spiritual leader who led India's independence movement.

Born in Porbandar, a small principality in present Gujarat.

Fought from 1893 to 1914 in South Africa for improving Indian conditions there.

Back in India he started in 1919 disobedience campaign and boycott against the British colonial power to achieve autonomy. Gandhi became Congress Party leader, but was repeatedly imprisoned by the British. He organized many actions based on Satyagraha electricity. "passive resistance" (often described as civil disobedience). In 1930 he led a 400 km long march to the sea to demonstrate against the government's salt monopoly.

Gandhi was opposed to India's share in Pakistan and India 1947 and campaigned for a joint Muslim-Hindu state, but was murdered by a Hindu fanatic who was opposed to a reconciliation with the Muslims.

Gandhi's philosophy and ideas were heavily influenced by the Bhagavad Gita, Hinduism and Jainism. He lived a simple life with prayer, fasting and meditation, was a vegetarian, and wrote several books on this topic. He is mainly remembered for his way of protesting - the so called "non-violente-resistence", you show your resistense without hurting anyone or anything.

His nickname, Mahatma means "The Great Soul".

Scource: Wikipedia (dansk)

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