Mohandas Gandhi was knows as Mahatma or the Great Souled One.

He was born on October 2

1869, and was assassinated on January 30 1948. His middle name was Karamchand. He was very thin
and short. Matahama got married at age 13 and when he left for South Africa as a legal advisor, he left
his wife and son behind. In South Africa, he found that the Indians immigrants were oppressed and
being treated differently. He was kicked out of the train even though he had a first class ticket because
he refused to give up his seat for a European passenger. This was a turning point for Gandhi. This is how
he came up with the concept of Satyagraha which means passive resistance. He stayed in South Africa
for 20 years. People called him the father of India. One of the strongest character traits of Matahama
Gandhi is compassion.
Gandhi showed compassion by going on hunger strikes to speak up against the injustice of the
poor. It went on for 5-6 days. It began on September 16 1932. He only weighed 86 pounds after his last
meal. He did this to raise awareness that having a separate electoral system based on the caste system
was wrong. This system of government would not give everyone an equal voice. This shows compassion
because he starved himself to support the cause for the poor.
Another way that Gandhi showed compassion is by using the spinning wheel to end poverty. The
spinning wheel was the symbol to get out of the British rule. Gandhi helped by spinning 200 yards of
yarn each day. He pushed the people of India to make their own homemade cloth called khaddar.
After this movement, the people in India stopped buying from the British and started to boycott their
stores. From then on, they started making their own clothes. It helped Indian people in the movement
to gain the momentum and positive influences on everyone. This is compassionate because he is using
his time for other people to make the yarn.
The last way that he showed compassion is by beginning the campaign of Civil Disobedience.
This campaign was a protest about taxes particularly the tax on salt. They had a salt march that was 24

days and 200 miles long. There were thousands of people followed him. Instead of paying the taxes,
they took salt from the seas. Although 60 thousand people were arrested by doing this, including Gandhi
himself, it was all part of Gandhis plan. He was showing compassion by saving the people in poverty a
lot of money.
To sum it up, this is why Gandhi strongest trait is compassion. Gandhi matters because he has
helped so many people in India and South Africa. He was very peaceful and did not use violence at all.
Without him, India would still be under British rule, and the Indians would not be free to do what they
please. Gandhi has inspired many other people, and you can be one of them. If you see trouble in the
world, go out and help. You do not have to use violence, just stay strong, and hold you stance.