Gandhi and the Foundations of a Bloodless Revolution Essay...

The world knows him as Mahatma Gandhi, a thin, wrinkled, elderly Indian wrapped in white traditional garb and leaning on a cane. Wire-rimmed spectacles frame the broad, aging face that has come to be associated with peace, wisdom, and the independence of India. Because of his untiring efforts to reform the cultural and political systems in India, Gandhi is well-known for his views on vegetarianism, birth control and the caste system. Most know about the peace-loving liberator of India, but what made Gandhi such a powerful force in the destiny of such a great nation? Many factors early in Gandhi’s life, such as his child-marriage, education, and experiences abroad, strongly influenced his philosophies and eventually compelled him to†¦show more content†¦The pressures of taking on the responsibilities of a husband at such a young age deeply impacted young Gandhi. Commenting on his marriage in his autobiography, he says, â€Å"little did I dream then that one day I should severely criticize my father for having married me as a child† (21). He developed a warped perception of sexuality because of his young age at the time of his marriage and it took him many years to form a complete idea of his authority as a husband. These misperceptions and a burdening sense of guilt from the death of his father (he was occupied in what he called â€Å"carnal lust† with his wife when his father died) haunted him for years until he eventually took a vow of celibacy later in life (Gandhi 55-56). Although he pondered it for years, Gandhi didn’t actually decide to take the vow of celibacy until 1906, after he had fathered four surviving children. The vow provided him with a way to control his struggle with lust as well as a method of birth control. He entered into it as a part of the brahmacharya vow, which involves abstaining from certain foods, activities, and even thoughts in addition to celibacy. Hindu tradition considered it a way to brahman – a realization of the god within each person. Gandhi claims in his memoir that â€Å"the existence of God within makes even control of the mind possible. Let no one think that it is impossible because it is difficult.Show MoreRelatedSocial Reformers of India2306 Words   |  10 PagesMahatma Gandhi: (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) (Father of the Nation, Rashtrapita, à ¤ °Ã  ¤ ¾Ã  ¤ ·Ã  ¥ Ã  ¤Å¸Ã  ¥ Ã  ¤ °Ã  ¤ ªÃ  ¤ ¿Ã  ¤ ¤Ã  ¤ ¾) was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India durin g the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of satyagraha—resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non violence—which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi led nationwide campaigns to ease poverty, expand women