An essay looking at whether Mahatma Gandhi's methods for liberating India from British colonization were truly the best methods that could have been employed.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 3 sources, 2006, $ 62.95
Abstract Almost everyone has heard of M. K. Gandhi. His name is still spoken with respect in most parts of the world, and with this respect goes the understanding that he liberated India from the yoke of British colonization. In addition most people are aware that Gandhi utilized peaceful means to achieve this liberation, which of course adds to the mystique of Gandhi as one of the great men of history. This paper questions whether Gandhi's methods were the best that could have been used and whether the outcome was in fact in the best interests of India.
Abstract This paper examines how the path to combat inter-religious conflict has been the mission of Gandhi's objective mission in the world. This study explores the critical apparatus between modern scholars that often agree, but also disagree in how Gandhi actually viewed religious divisions within politics or without. The paper explains, however, that by understanding the ethical and moral basis for Gandhi's activity to bring religions into a unified world, one can understand why he sought to realize a harmonious world that could live without unnecessary violence and destruction to differing ideological doctrines in theology.
From the Paper "In this religious study, the inter-religious conflict that existed within Gandhi's time can be analyzed in realizing how religion can divide a society or culture. In this view, one can realize the various barriers that are created that are not really present in relation to how ethics and morals work within the philosophy of Gandhi's teachings. In essence, although there are certain problems of doctrine and belief systems between religions, the modern day view of Gandhi's influence in breaking down religious barriers dissolves inter-religious conflict. These are the positive ways and means in which Gandhi represents a tolerant and inter-religious unity, which can be practiced in today's modern world. The basis for inter-religious conflict has been critically evaluated from the standpoint of a separation of politics with religion."
Abstract This paper examines the Bush Administration's invasion and occupation of Iraq from the perspectives of Bill Clinton and Mohandas Gandhi indicating that neither of them would have initiated a preemptive war under such unjustified circumstances. The paper further discusses that Gandhi's advocacy of non-violence would have precluded him from even considering military action, while President Clinton's energetic advocacy of diplomacy and negotiation in the Middle East confirmed that he considered the use of military force to be a last resort, justified only by an immediate threat to American national security.
Abstract This paper analyzes the leadership style of Mahatma Gandhi, and how his life experiences helped him develop into an effective leader. The paper also describes his reliance on the principles of nonviolence and civil disobedience in his fight for the independence of India.
From the Paper "One of the most remarkable and inspirational figures of the twentieth century, Mahatma Gandhi, became an influential political and spiritual leader not only in his native India but across the globe. His reliance on the principles of nonviolence and civil disobedience inspired millions as he helped to promote the cause of Indian independence and served as an advocate for all who suffered without a voice. Certainly, the events of Gandhi's early life were crucial in the development of his leadership skills and enabled him to become a charismatic figure..."
Abstract This paper discusses the colonization of India. It discusses the effect this had on the culture, language, religion and educational system in India due to Britain's attempts to Westernize the colony. The paper discusses Gandhi's role in India at the time and specifically, his role in the liberation of women during the Indian movement for self-rule.
From the Paper "Gandhi's Role in Liberating Women during the Indian Movement for Self Rule India was colonized by the British in the early 1800s, and India was not able to repel its powerful oppressor until 1947. During that time, the British changed many things within India, as is usual with colonizers. They attempted to impose their Christian religion, their English language, the British educational system, and their Western culture on India. However, as often happens with a strong, ancient culture, India was able to retain much of its distinct Eastern culture, despite almost 150 years of colonization."
Abstract The paper explores Gandhi's youth and background. The paper documents the influence of his mother, his educational achievements and his growth in self-awareness. The paper describes his development in South Africa and his use of non-violent political strategies in achieving India's independence from foreign domination. The paper discusses how Gandhi changed the social structure in India and proved to the whole world what great things a life of love and sacrifice could accomplish. The paper portrays how his life was the embodiment of commitment and moral courage and contends that his conviction that passive resistance could be powerful, was proven. The paper concludes that there will never be another Gandhi, but there will always be people who will change the world and make it a better place.
Outline:
Introduction
Gandhi's Youth: His Growth in Self-Awareness
Gandhi's Development in South Africa
India's Independence
Conclusion
From the Paper "In 1944 Albert Einstein said, "Generations to come, it may be, will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon earth." He was talking about Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi's real name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. His followers called him Mahatma (or Great Soul) as though it were his first name. In India he is also Father of the Nation (Wikipedia, 2006). Because Gandhi was such a complex person, it is difficult to try to capture who he really was."
Abstract This paper examines the way in which Louis Fischer, in his book "Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World", points to Gandhi's imperfections, idiosyncrasies and ultimately his mighty effort in kicking out the British rule from India. The author further discusses Gandhi's very human frailties and how he overpowered those frailties. It looks at Gandhi's constant struggle to find the ideal way of living a Bramhachari life and his occasional and baffling inconsistencies. The paper concludes that Gandhi's efforts to incorporate the ideas pertinent to his reformist Hinduism from Shelley, the New Testament and the Kuran, made him deeply involved with the idea of desirelessness and non violence for which he will be remembered for decades to come.
From the Paper "In the biography Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World, Louis Fischer traces the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi from birth to death in stages. Fischer tells briefly about Gandhi's earliest youth: his insecurities as a young boy, the influence of his mother's devotion to Hinduism on him, his struggle with the religious taboos and customs when he secretly consumes the forbidden goat meat from a Muslim friend, his marriage to Kasturbai at the age of thirteen."
Tags: Bramhachari, nonviolence, Hinduism, Father, of, India, Mohandas
Abstract The first of these two essays examines why Mohandas Gandhi, despite having neither an army nor a formal title, was able to turn a small independence movement into a massive campaign that eventually forced the British to agree to India's Independence. The author discusses Gandhi's personal qualities and presents examples of why Gandhi succeeded. The second essay, discusses why Gandhi's non-violence, non-cooperation campaign was a key to India's ultimate success in gaining Independence from the British without a costly war, and explains why this type of civil disobedience tactic is still effective today.
This paper discusses the life and work of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known as Mahatma "Great Soul" Gandhi because of his many successful campaigns to gain India's independence from the British Empire.
Abstract This paper explains that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known as Mahatma Gandhi, utilized non-violence as the great "weapon of the strong", which he used to unite the Hindus and Muslim within India to gain independence from the British Empire. The author points out that, in his fight towards separation from the empire, he also fought for the rights of landless farmers and poor farm owners who were forced to grow Indigo or other cash crops, which were exported to the Empire, instead of food, causing mass hunger within these small communities. The paper states that Gandhi's influence within the Indian National Congress was almost indisputable because he was considered the father of India and the leader of the Hindu society.
From the Paper "In 1893, he was offered a one year contract to practice as an attorney in Natal, South Africa, this experience launched his humanitarian campaign. Mohandas K. Gandhi life changed drastically when he went through many hardships and oppressive experiences through the courts and see the Indian population in South Africa. When he worked on one of his cases in Durban, South Africa, he suffered a great humiliation in court when he was ordered to remove his turban he decided from that day that he would become a catalyst towards the injustice being done to the Indian population."
An examination of how Gandhi became a world leader, in light of the criteria in John Maxwell's book, "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You."
Abstract This paper provides a short biography of Mahatma Gandhi and discusses some of the major influences on his life and the events, such as his firsthand experience of social injustice, that contributed to his development into a world leader. The writer explains how his beliefs about how society should exist and how such a society could be created developed over many years. By pointing out Gandhi's adherence to each of the laws in John Maxwell's "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You," the paper shows how exemplary his leadership was.
Outline:
Introduction
Background Info
How Gandhi became a World leader
Gandhi and the Irrefutable Laws
Conclusion
From the Paper "Although the case he worked was completed in a matter of months, Gandhi observed and experienced the treatment of Indian people in South Africa and ended up living in South Africa for many years. Gandhi formed an organization in South Africa that was charged with the purpose of assisting Indian people living in South Africa. It was at this time that Gandhi really began to emerge as a leader. He organized the Indian community in South Africa as it pertained to fighting for their rights. It was also at this time that Gandhi began to develop the philosophy of non-violent civil disobedience."
Tags: respect, Civil Rights, freedom government plague Tibet caste laborer lawmaker
Abstract This paper determines whether the assassination of Indira Gandhi was a tragedy by examining her early life, her political career and aspects of her personality. Indira Gandhi had always been a controversial figure in the political history of India. Descending from the most important dynasty of India, she ruled India for a total of twelve years, a tenure that ended with her assassination in 1984 in response to her military aggression against Sikhs. It highlights the economic and political climate of India during her rule and concludes by discussing whether Indira Gandhi can be understood within the context of a tragic heroine.
Outline
Abstract
Introduction
Thesis Statement
Early Life
Economic and Political Climate
The Assassination
Conclusion
References
From the Paper "In 1973, nation-wide demonstrations took place due to high inflation, poor state of the economy, rampant corruption and the poor standards of living. In 1974-1975, the country was besieged with severe economic conditions. The negative economic situation sparked a chain of mass agitations in the west and the east of the country. These popular uprising were followed by a nationwide railway strike which was led by the former Gandhian and socialist Jayaprakash Narayan. In June, 1975, the Indian court reversed Indira Gandhi's election to parliament using a very tiny infringement of electoral procedure as the basis."
Abstract This paper explores different facets of Gandhi's leadership which include his strong religious beliefs and spirituality, his accomplishments in social theory, as well as his achievement in gaining India's independence from Britain during the Twentieth Century. In addition, Gandhi strived for peace and nonviolent means to end conflict, and many movements of the past century, including the Civil Rights Movement and the anti-apartheid campaign of South Africa, were inspired by Gandhi.
From the Paper "Mahatma Gandhi was born into a respected Hindu family on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India (Frost 33). His parents Karamehand and Putlibai were convinced that their son was a gifted child and would become a heroic figure within the course of his lifetime (Frost 33). Although he was small and timid, he was confident and determined, but it would take some time for Gandhi to come out of his shell in order to develop into the leader he later became. As a result of Indian tradition, Gandhi married at age thirteen, and he considered sex to be a dirty act; therefore, he engaged in a life of chastity, although he and his wife did bear several children (Frost 33). During his teenage years, Gandhi was determined to make a name for himself in the world. His parents shipped him to London to study law at age eighteen, and at first, he desired to become an elite member of the Victorian empire (Frost 33). However, as time passed, Gandhi became discouraged by Victorian rule and began to focus his efforts on God, becoming acquainted with three key players in his quest for truth: author John Ruskin, novelist Leo Tolstoy, and Raychandbhai, a religious instructor of the Jain religion (Frost 33). Eventually, Gandhi developed a new form of religion named Gandhism, which renounced Westernization, industrialization, and materialism (Frost 33)."
Abstract This paper details the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, born in 1869 in Porbandar, India. It looks at how Mahatma Gandhi is known as one of strongest symbols of non-violence in the 20th Century due to his activist role and religious leadership. It examines how he greatly influenced the world in many ways by practicing and teaching throughout his life. Gandhi was a thinker, a philosopher, a wise statesman and a man of action and his teachings remain relevant to a new generation that has been typically been driven to cynicism and despair by the chaos and dishonesty of the politics of our times.
From the Paper "Gandhi was inspired by his religious mother. She belonged to a branch of Hinduism that taught non-violence and tolerance between religious groups was very important. Gandhi spent his life searching for truth and harmony with nature. He believed truth could be known only through tolerance and concern for others and that finding a truthful way to solutions required constant testing. He even titled his autobiography My Experiments with Truth. Gandhi overcame fear and taught others to master fear. His belief in nonviolence guided his teachings that to be truly nonviolent required courage. He lived a simple life and thought it was wrong to kill animals for food or for clothing. "Gandhi found materialism to be the main characteristic of modern civilization, in which spirituality seemed to be undervalued" (Ishii, 2001)."
Abstract Mahatma Gandhi was a representational character, meaning he symbolizes a particular set of values to a culture, and a particular mythology is therefore associated with him. This paper looks at how Gandhi represents the nonviolent lifestyle; nonviolent action became not passive resistance, but a technique capable of taking the initiative in active struggle. It explores how the combination of these various factors resulted in his important contributions to civil rights history. Though flawed, Gandhi exploited his humanity to the fullest extent and worked to live his life as an example that would be carried throughout time as a symbol of justice and harmony.
From the Paper "Dave Dellenger said, "The major advances in nonviolence have not come from people who have approached nonviolence as an end in itself, but from persons who were passionately striving to free themselves from social injustice." In 1893, Mahatma Gandhi received an offer from Dada Abdullah & Co. to instruct their counsel in a lawsuit in South Africa; having failed to establish himself as a lawyer in Bombay, Gandhi jumped at the opportunity. Upon his arrival, one of the first things he noticed was the aura of racial segregation and portentousness. After about a week's stay in Durban, Gandhi left for Pretoria, where his presence was needed in connection with a lawsuit. A first class ticket was purchased for him by his client."
An analysis of Gandhi's influence upon the proceedings of the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., through an analysis of the film, "Boycott".
Abstract This paper examines how the movie, "Boycott", replays the events that became known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped forward to lead and actively fight for civil rights. It looks at how he chose not methods of violence, but those of active nonviolence, just as Gandhi taught. This paper outlines Gandhi's influence upon Dr. King and compares the steps taken in the Boycott with those of Gandhi's method of satyagraha.
From the Paper "The teachings of Mahatma Gandhi have influenced and touched people all over the world- no better example than Dr. Martin Luther King and the people involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott that took place in 1955. Gandhi developed and used a philosophy of nonviolence when trying to gain independence of India from Great Britain. This philosophy emphasized truth and love but furthermore it was used as an expression of love and respect towards the enemy, without regarding the person as your enemy. Dr. King adopted this philosophy as the best way to gain acceptance and freedom of Blacks from White America in the 1950?s. One of the most historically significant examples of this nonviolent philosophy can be seen in the way Dr. King handled the community of Montgomery and directed them to boycott the buses without using violence."
