Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India. Educated in law in London, he began his civil rights activism in South Africa before returning to India, where he led a nationwide movement for independence from British colonial rule.
Gandhi pioneered the philosophy of Satyagraha, or nonviolent resistance, encouraging peaceful protests like the Salt March and Quit India Movement. His approach inspired figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
He advocated for social reform, religious harmony, and the upliftment of marginalized communities, especially the untouchables (whom he called Harijans, or "Children of God"). Gandhi also emphasized simplicity, self-sufficiency, and ethical living.
He was assassinated on January 30, 1948, but his legacy lives on as a global symbol of nonviolence, justice, and moral leadership.
