On the 100th anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s (1869-1948) arrest for sedition, we honor one of the greatest champions for human rights our world has ever known. Gandhi’s doctrine of Satyagraha (nonviolent protest to achieve political and social progress) has inspired positive change worldwide in the past century, including the Civil Rights movement in the United States.
Gandhi, nicknamed “Mahatma” (which means “Great Soul”) would spend two years in jail before an illness led to his release in 1924. During the years prior to his arrest, he had organized opposing factions in India, including Hindus and Muslims, to act together to achieve shared political and social rights from the British Empire. Upon his release from prison, much of Gandhi’s progress to unite these factions had been lost, and the disagreements between these competing groups stymied the progress Gandhi’s leadership had inspired.
Gandhi would return to political life in 1930 when he organized the Salt March to protest taxes and prohibitions on Indian-owned salt businesses by the British government. While this protest achieved little (the Salt Laws stayed in effect) Gandhi was once again elevated globally as the recognized leader of the Indian people.
Young Satyagraha and future Mahatma Gandhi. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi 1869-1948. Preeminent leader of Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Mahatma Gandhi sitting with four associates in front of his attorney legal practice office at Johannesburg South Africa 1905. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Gandhi during Salt March. Photo: Underwood Archives/ UIG 
Mahatma K Gandhi (1869-1948) Indian Lawyer and leader of the movement for India’s independence, visited Britain in 1931, to attend the second Round Table conference. He visited the British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, at 10 Downing Street. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Mahatma Gandhi welcomed by a large crowd, England, 23 September 1931. Photo: SSPL/UIG 
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India with two of his nieces. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Bombay, India: July 15, 1946. Jawaharlal Nehru, the newly elected President of the All India Congress, talking with Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political strong man, at a meeting of the Congress. Photo: Underwood Archives/ UIG 
India: May, 1930. A profile portrait of Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi who led a successful non-violent civil disobedience movement against British rule in India. Photo: Underwood Archives/ UIG 
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948). Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948), the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948), the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Photograph of Mahatma Gandhi 1940. Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights, and freedom across the world. Was assassinated 30 January 1948. Photo: Photo12/UIG 
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948) and Mohammed Ali Jinnah, during their talks in Mumbai (Bombay) 1944. Jinnah became the first leader of Pakistan. Gandhi was the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Mahatma Gandhi after a hunger strike is supported by his granddaughter Abha (left) and his doctor Sushila Nayyar. Pyarelal Nayyar his personal secretary stands to the far right. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948). Preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience. Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Gandhi visits Lahore 1947. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948). was the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Mahatma Gandhi addresses a rally in Mumbai using a radio microphone, 1931. Mohandas Gandhi (1869 – 1948) was the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
India: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India’s independence movement. Photo: Pictures from History/UIG 
India: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India’s independence movement, ending the Salt March at Dandi, 5 April 1930. Photo: Pictures from History/UIG 
Black and white photograph of the funeral of Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) who was assassinated on 30 January 1948. His ashes were interred in Allahabad on 12 February 1948. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG 
Funeral of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG
Following another arrest and release Gandhi would shift his focus for many years on education, poverty and improving lives in the rural areas of India. He would return to politics and the drive for Indian independence as World War 2 became the primary focus for Great Britain. Gandhi again would use Satyagraha to influence change. Although weakened by numerous hunger strikes, Gandhi influenced Britain moved towards recognizing India as independent as the second world war came to a close.
Unfortunately, Gandhi was unable to achieve peace between Muslim and Hindu groups and when India’s independence was finally agreed to, it included the partition of the country into two nations – Hindu-dominated India and Muslim-led Pakistan. India would gain its independence from Great Britain on August 15, 1947.
Sadly, a man so committed to peace would suffer a violent death. At the age of 78, on January 30, 1948 Gandhi was shot and killed by a Hindu nationalist who was outraged at Gandhi’s tolerance of Muslims. Gandhi’s funeral on February 2 would see more than 2 million people line the streets of New Delhi to honor the “Father of India”.
Sources:
Nanda, B.R.. “Mahatma Gandhi”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Jan. 2022
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mahatma-Gandhi. Accessed 28 February 2022.
https://www.biography.com/activist/mahatma-gandhi Biography.com
Editors; September 2019
National Geographic; This Day in Geographic History
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/mar10/gandhi-arrested-sedition/
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