Gandhi's Passion: The Life and Legacy of Mahatma GandhiOxford University Press, USA, 2001 - 308 pages More than half a century after his death, Mahatma Gandhi continues to inspire millions throughout the world. Yet modern India, most strikingly in its decision to join the nuclear arms race, seems to have abandoned much of his nonviolent vision. Inspired by recent events in India, Stanley Wolpert offers this subtle and profound biography of India's "Great Soul."Wolpert compellingly chronicles the life of Mahatma Gandhi from his early days as a child of privilege to his humble rise to power and his assassination at the hands of a man of his own faith. This trajectory, like that of Christ, was the result of Gandhi's passion: his conscious courting of suffering as the means to reach divine truth. From his early campaigns to stop discrimination in South Africa to his leadership of a people's revolution to end the British imperial domination of India, Gandhi emerges as a man of inner conflicts obscured by his political genius and moral vision. Influenced early on by nonviolent teachings in Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity, and Buddhism, he came to insist on the primacy of love for one's adversary in any conflict as the invincible power for change. His unyielding opposition to intolerance and oppression would inspire India like no leader since the Buddha--creating a legacy that would encourage Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and other global leaders to demand a better world through peaceful civil disobedience.By boldly considering Gandhi the man, rather than the living god depicted by his disciples, Wolpert provides an unprecedented representation of Gandhi's personality and the profound complexities that compelled his actions and brought freedom to India. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
1 Midnight in Calcutta | 7 |
2 Dawn in Gujarat | 13 |
3 The Impact of Victorian London | 20 |
4 Brief Interlude at Home | 28 |
5 Early Traumas and Triumphs in South Africa | 34 |
6 Between Two Worlds | 42 |
7 Satyagraha in South Africa | 50 |
16 Imprisoned Soul of India | 165 |
17 Return to Rural Uplift Work | 174 |
18 Prelude to War and Partition | 182 |
19 War and Peaceful Resistance | 191 |
20 War behind Bars | 205 |
21 No Peace | 213 |
22 Walking Alone | 224 |
23 Freedoms Wooden Loaf | 237 |
8 Victory through Suffering | 67 |
9 The Impact of World War I | 82 |
10 Postwar Carnage and Nationwide Satyagraha | 99 |
11 Cotton Spinning | 115 |
12 Rising of the Poison | 127 |
13 The Road Back to Satyagraha | 135 |
14 The Salt March and Prison Aftermath | 144 |
15 From Prison to London and Back | 152 |
24 Great Souls Death in Delhi | 243 |
25 His Indian Legacy | 257 |
26 His Global Legacy | 264 |
Notes | 269 |
299 | |
303 | |
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Common terms and phrases
agreed Ahimsa Ahmedabad Annie Besant April argued arrested ashram asked August Bapu Bapu to Dear barrister Bengal Bihar Bombay Bose boycott Britain's British brother Calcutta called Charlie Andrews Committee Congress CWMG December Delhi Devdas faith fast fear February felt freedom Gandhi replied Gandhi to Dear Gandhi told Gandhi wrote Gandhi's Speech Gokhale Gujarati Harijan Harilal Hindu hope Hulton Getty/Liaison Agency Ibid India insisted Interview Irwin January Jawaharlal Jinnah Johannesburg join July Kashmir launched leaders live London Lord M. K. Gandhi Mahadev Mahatma Gandhi Manu March Mehta millions Mira Mohandas Motilal Mountbatten Muslim League nation Nehru never non-violence November Pakistan party passionate peace political Poona Prayer Meeting president prison Punjab quote Rajkot remained resolved Sarojini Naidu Satyagraha secretary September Smuts soon South Africa Speech at Prayer spinning struggle Suhrawardy Swaraj Transvaal truth untouchability urged Vallabhbhai Patel viceroy viceroy's village Vinoba violence Wolpert young