Mahondas Mahatma Gandhi Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection.

Background: Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on October 2, 1869 in Rajkot, India. He was the youngest of four children (Two brothers, Laxmidas and Karsandas, and one sister, Raliatbehn) born of Karamchand and Putlibali Gandhi. As a child he was known to be obedient but shy and soft-spoken. He did poorly in school and was noted to have tried smoking and petty thievery. Feats that he would claim to have regretted later on in his life. However, he had a deep understanding and respect, if not love, for all religions. This is due to his fathers status as a Diwan of Rajkot which entitled him Muslim and Parsee friends and acquaintances. A marriage with Kasturba was arranged for him when he was thirteen; she would eventually bear his four sons. At the age of 18, Gandhi lived in London to pursue his education in the field of Law. He attempted to fit int o the English society by studying to become an English gentleman. However, he would eventually conclude such lifestyle as a waste of time and instead focused more on his education. He eventually passed the bar exams and went back to India to practice Law. Shortly after, Gandhi left the Indian courtroom to pursue a job opportunity as a legal adviser in South Africa.

Rise to Leadership: During his time in South Africa, Gandhi witnessed and experienced the harsh treatment that his countrymen were subjected to. In South Africa, the Indians were refered to as Coolies. Perhaps his most recounted example of this treatment was his experience during a business trip to the capital. He was discriminated by having authorities degrade his accomodations to lower class despite his possession of a first-class ticket. When he refused to comply with the injustice we was being put through, his luggage were thrown off the train and he was denied to board. Gandhi would spend the cold night in the station with his luggage untouched.

This incident triggered a change in Gandhi. He resolved to put a stop to the discrimination and injustice that his fellow men were being put through. His reputation would later rise to such extent that he was wellknown among most Indians in South Africa in just 3 short years. He later went back to India to voice out the status and pleas of their countrymen in South Africa. News of his plights would eventually reach Brittish ears. His speeches were wrongly interpreted by the Brittish as a rebellion from their reign. When he went back to South Africa with his wife and sons, they were attacked by a mob who threw stones and eggs at them. However, he refused to file an official complaint to the authorities. In 1906, the government issued an order that all Indians submit themselves to registration of their identities implying an absurd increase in poll tax. Gandhi, displeased with the injustice, rallied his fellow Indians to protest without bloodshed. He warned them that they will be condemned by the authorities, but they must not be like them. This peaceful protest became known as Satyagraha which translates to Truth Force. Swayed by his words and charisma, many Indians refused to register themselves. Alarmed by the rising number of protestants, the Government took action. They resorted to using force but Gandhi and his followers were devoted to their peaceful protest. Gandhi was eventually imprisoned because of his rebellion. However, the government agreed to a compromise where they will voluntarily register themselves as price for their freedom. Gandhi agreed thinking that this would lead to peace between all men. A decision which many of his followers were displeased with. However, Gandhi would later see that there was no change in society. His fellows were still treated badly. Seeing this, Gandhi once again started the Satyagraha movement. He regained his lost followers and welcomed them back. He in turn was welcomed back to them as a hero and father figure. He gave up his career as a Lawyer and devoted all his time to his movement. He gave up all his western clothing in exchange for those worn by Indian labormen. He also walked barefoot and only ate one meal a day. He was eventually sent back to prison with his wife where they did hard labor for nine hours everyday. He had injuries from his labor but he never complained about them.

In 1947, India finally achieved independence from the Brittish. However, it was now separated into two nations: India and Pakistan. There were hostilities between the nations. Gandhi, however, continued his campaign for peace. He gave speeches and made ceaseless efforts to stop the meaningless violence. He also spent his time caring for the downtrodden and victims of the riots. In pursuit of equality, he became an inspiration for others to unite under any hardship and adversary. On January 30, 1948 he was shot dead by an assassin. The whole world mourned the death of a great man. He came to be known as Mahatma which meant A Great Soul. A title befitting a man who inspired good and taught others the meaning of truth and peace.

As a Leader: Gandhi redefined Leadership and war itself. He dealt with a situation where all available existing methods were futile. He knew that the Brittish cannot be fought by force. Therefore, he resorted to a resource that was unsighted by many: the power of the ordinary people. He inspired men and women to protest under a unifying goal. He used a situational style of leadership in a way that accounted for existing conditions and predicaments before settling for a course of action. His decisions depended on the circumstances. A subtle example of this is his consideration of where he was protesting. In South Africa, he wore western clothes which demanded the attention and respect of Brittish authority. Back in India however, he wore a simple khadi to further underline his similarity with his fellow Indians therefore showing that he was fighting for- and united with them. It should be noted that his style of leadership is follower-centric. He did not amass followers to achieve a goal. Rather, his goal is for the good of his followers. Everything he did was for the good those who followed him. He gave them a sense of community that they could be proud about. He was an inspiration to those who followed him and he made sure that achievement of his campaigns goals would be beneficial to his followers. He made his followers the very heart of his movement and not merely parts of a group. They were his motivation and it was for their rights and freedom that he fought.