Why was Gandhi called Mahatma?

‘Mahatma’ is a Sanskrit word which means ‘great soul’. It is said that it was Rabindranth Tagore who
first used ‘Mahatma’ for Gandhi. It was because of the great thoughts and ideologies of Gandhi which
made people honour him by calling ‘Mahatma Gandhi’. The great feeling of sacrifice, love and help he
showed throughout his life was a matter of great respect for each citizen of India.

Mahatma Gandhi showed a lifelong compassion towards the people affected with leprosy. He used to
nurse the wounds of people with leprosy and take proper care of them. In the times when people used
to ignore and discriminate people with leprosy, the humanitarian compassion of Gandhi towards them
made him a person with great feelings and a person with great soul justifying himself as Mahatma.

Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution on various social issues could never be ignored. His campaign against
untouchability during his imprisonment in the Yerwada Jail where he went on fast against the age old
evil of untouchability in the society had highly helped the upliftment of the community in the modern
era. Apart from this, he also advocated the importance of education, cleanliness, health and equality in
the society. All these qualities made him a man with great soul and justify his journey from Gandhi to
Mahatma.

What are Gandhi’s accomplishments?

Mahatma Gandhi was a man with mission who not only fought for the country’s independence but also
gave his valuable contribution in uprooting various evils of the society. The accomplishments of
Mahatma Gandhi is summarized below:

Fought against Racial Discrimination in South Africa

The racial discrimination in South Africa shocked Mahatma Gandhi and he vowed to fight against it. He
challenged the law which denied the voting rights of the people not belonging to the European region.
He continued to fight for the civil rights of the immigrants in South Africa and became a prominent face
of a civil right activist.

Face of the Indian Freedom Struggle

Mahatma Gandhi was the liberal face of independence struggle. He challenged the British rule in India
through his peaceful and non-violent protests. The Champaran Satyagrah, Civil Disobedience
Movement, Salt March, Quit India Movement etc are just the few non-violent movements led by him
which shook the foundation of the Britishers in India and grabbed the attention of the global audience
to the Indian freedom struggle.

Uprooting the Evils of Society

Gandhi Ji also worked on uprooting various social evils in the society which prevailed at that time. He
launched many campaigns to provide equal rights to the untouchables and improve their status in the
society. He also worked on the women empowerment, education and opposed child marriage which had
a long term effect on the Indian society.

What was Gandhi famous for?

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the great personalities of India. He was a man with simplicity and great
ideologies. His non-violent way to fight a much powerful enemy without the use of a weapon or
shedding a single drop of blood surprised the whole world. His patience, courage and disciplined life
made him popular and attracted people from every corners of the world.

He was the man who majorly contributed in the independence of India from the British rule. He devoted
his whole life for the country and its people. He was the face of the Indian leadership on international
platform. He was the man with ethics, values and discipline which inspires the young generation around
the globe even in the modern era.

Gandhi Ji was also famous for his strict discipline. He always professed the importance of self discipline
in life. He believed that it helps to achieve bigger goals and the graces of ahimsa could only be achieved
through hard discipline.

These qualities of the great leader made him famous not only in India but also across the world and
inspired global personalities like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King.

Conclusion
Mahatma Gandhi helped India to fulfill her dream of achieving ‘Purna Swaraj’ or complete
independence and gave the country a global recognition. Though he left this world on 30th January,
1948, but his ideologies and thoughts still prevail in the minds of his followers and act as a guiding light
to lead their lives. He proved that everything is possible in the world if you have a strong will, courage
and determination.