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Mahatma Gandhi passionately courted suffering thoroughout most of his life. The intensity of Gandhi's yogic resolve to dedicate himself to the nationalist struggle for liberating India from British imperial rule inspired millions of ordinary people to follow his passionate lead on the arduous road to freedom. Gandhi taught his followers to set aside fear of prison, physical punishment, or death, while at the same time insisting that violence had no place in the Satyagraha campaign, arguing that non-violence or love was the essence of God.Early influenced by the non-violence teachings of Jainism, Jesus Christ, and Buddha, Gandhi insisted throughout the last six decades of his life on the primacy of love for one's adversary in any conflict, convinced that this mighty power would ultimatle disarm the cruelest enemy. He developed passionate techniques of non-violent struggle against the racial and political discrimination and injustice first in South Africa and then in India. In addition to his political leadership, Gandhi was also a religious reformer, who worked to try to remove the stain of untouchability from Hinduism's outcasts. Inspired by Ruskin, Tolstoy and Thoreau, he also renounced industrial violence and pollution and took up cotton-spinning, revitalizing India's handicrafts industry, which had been all but destroyed by foreign industrial competition.Paradoxically, though hailed as free India's father, Gandhi was never invited by his closest Congress disciples to join them in running India's first government. And though he was worshipped by millions of Hindus as their virtual god, a Brahman of his own faith, supported by many others, assassinated him. Gandhi's face adorns India's currency today and his birthday is still nationally celebrated, yet the long-term impact of his message of love and non-violence is unclear in modern India's nuclear-armed industrial state.

In Clothing Gandhi's Nation, Lisa Trivedi explores the making of one of modern India's most enduring political symbols, khadi: a homespun, home-woven cloth. The image of Mohandas K. Gandhi clothed simply in a loincloth and plying a spinning wheel is familiar around the world, as is the sight of Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and other political leaders dressed in "Gandhi caps" and khadi shirts. Less widely understood is how these images associate the wearers with the swadeshi movement—which advocated the exclusive consumption of indigenous goods to establish India's autonomy from Great Britain—or how khadi was used to create a visual expression of national identity after Independence. Trivedi brings together social history and the study of visual culture to account for khadi as both symbol and commodity. Written in a clear narrative style, the book provides a cultural history of important and distinctive aspects of modern Indian history.

Throughout his long career as a political thinker and activist, Mahatma Gandhi encountered the dilemma of either remaining faithful to his nonviolent principles and risking the failure of the Indian nationalist movement, or focusing on the seizure of political power at the expense of his moral message.

India, credited with the best institutionalized democracy of the Third World, changed in 1975, apparently overnight and at the decision of one individual, to a quasi-dictatorship. A transformation so remarkable prompted eight scholars of Indian politics to reexamine the sectors of the system they know well, seeking explanations. They reappraise the carry-over of colonial institutions and procedures, the distribution of power in the ruling party, business influence, the roles of the divided Communist parties, the position of the administrative corps and of the army, and unrest among the rural poor at its most volatile, in the state of Bihar. An introduction shows just what Mrs. Gandhi changed, the situation that triggered her action, and the justification she advances. A concluding chapter tests the facts of the Indian transformation against four major theories of political change in the developing world: projection into politics of personality conflicts of the leader, agrarian class conflict, social mobilization, and cultural assimilation and institutionalization.

This book reappraises the segment of Indian politics to describe how the transformation of the operating rules of an elaborate political system could come to be an option exercisable at the will of a prime minister—Indira Gandhi in the year 1975.

This volume explores the scope and limits of Mahatma Gandhi's moral politics and its implications for Indian and other freedom movements. It presents a set of enlightening essays based on lectures delivered in memory of the eminent historian B. R. Nanda along with a new introductory essay.With contributions by leading historians and Gandhi scholars, the book provides new perspectives on the limits of Gandhi’s moral reasoning, his role in the choice of destination by Indian Muslim refugees, his waning influence over political events, and his predicament amid the violence and turmoil in the years immediately preceding partition. The work brings together wide-ranging insights on Gandhi and revisits his religious views, which were the foundation of his morality in politics; his experience of civil disobedience and its nature, deployment and limits; Satyagraha and non-violence; and his struggle for civil rights. The volume also examines how Gandhi’s South African phase contributed to his later ideas on private property and self-sacrifice. This book will be of immense interest to researchers and scholars of modern Indian history, Gandhi studies, political science, peace and conflict studies, South Asian studies; to researchers and scholars of media and journalism; and to the informed general reader.

In this study of Mahatma Gandhi, psychoanalyst Erik H. Erikson explores how Gandhi succeeded in mobilizing the Indian people both spiritually and politically as he became the revolutionary innovator of militant non-violence and India became the motherland of large-scale civil disobedience.

Gandhi's economic theories were a part of his vision of self-government, which meant not just freedom from colonial rule but the achievement of self-reliance and self-respect by the villagers of India. Areas examined include:* consumption behaviour* industrialization, technology and the scale of production* trusteeship and industrial relations* work and leisure* education as human capital

Gandhi’s use of the spinning wheel was one of the most significant unifying elements of the nationalist movement in India. Spinning was seen as an economic and political activity that could bring together the diverse population of South Asia, and allow the formerly elite nationalist movement to connect to the broader Indian population. This book looks at the politics of spinning both as a visual symbol and as a symbolic practice. It traces the genealogy of spinning from its early colonial manifestations in Company painting to its appropriation by the anti-colonial movement. This complex of visual imagery and performative ritual had the potential to overcome labour, gender, and religious divisions and thereby produce an accessible and effective symbol for the Gandhian anti-colonial movement. By thoroughly examining all aspects of this symbol’s deployment, this book unpacks the politics of the spinning wheel and provides a model for the analysis of political symbols elsewhere. It also probes the successes of India’s particular anti-colonial movement, making an invaluable contribution to studies in social and cultural history, as well as South Asian Studies.

Gandhi’s use of the spinning wheel was one of the most significant unifying elements of the nationalist movement in India. Spinning was seen as an economic and political activity that could bring together the diverse population of South Asia, and allow the formerly elite nationalist movement to connect to the broader Indian population. This book looks at the politics of spinning both as a visual symbol and as a symbolic practice. It traces the genealogy of spinning from its early colonial manifestations in Company painting to its appropriation by the anti-colonial movement. This complex of visual imagery and performative ritual had the potential to overcome labour, gender, and religious divisions and thereby produce an accessible and effective symbol for the Gandhian anti-colonial movement. By thoroughly examining all aspects of this symbol’s deployment, this book unpacks the politics of the spinning wheel and provides a model for the analysis of political symbols elsewhere. It also probes the successes of India’s particular anti-colonial movement, making an invaluable contribution to studies in social and cultural history, as well as South Asian Studies.

Gandhi's Way provides a primer of Mahatma Gandhi's principles of moral action and conflict resolution and offers a straightforward, step-by-step approach that can be used in any conflict - -at home or in business; in local, national, or international arenas. This invaluable handbook, updated with a new preface and a new case study on terrorism in Northern Ireland, sets out Gandhi's basic methods and illustrates them with practical examples. Juergensmeyer shows how parties at odds can rise above a narrow view of self-interest to find resolutions that are satisfying and beneficial to all involved. He then pits Gandhi's ideas against those of other great social thinkers in a series of imaginary debates that challenge and clarify Gandhi's thinking on issues of violence, anger, and love. He also provides a Gandhian critique of Gandhi himself and offers viable solutions to some of the gaps in Gandhian theory. Gandhi's Way: A Handbook of Conflict Resolution was previously published as Fighting with Gandhi and Fighting Fair.

Anthony Parel affords a novel perspective on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. He explores how Gandhi connected the spiritual with the temporal. As Parel points out 'being more things than one' is a good description of Gandhi and, with these words in mind, he shows how Gandhi, drawing on the Indian time-honoured theory of the purusharthas or 'the aims of life', fitted his ethical, political, aesthetic and religious ideas together. In this way Gandhi challenged the notion which prevailed in Indian society that a rift existed between the secular and the spiritual, the political and the contemplative life. Parel's revealing and insightful book shows how far-reaching were the effects of Gandhi's practical philosophy on Indian thought generally and how these have survived into the present.

Dr Brown presents a political study of the first clearly defined period in Mahatma Gandhi's Indian career, from 1915 to 1922. The period began with Gandhi's return from South Africa as a stranger to Indian politics, witnessed his dramatic assertion of leadership in the Indian National Congress of 1920 and ended with his imprisonment by the British after the collapse of his all-India civil disobedience movement against the raj. Focusing on Gandhi, this book nevertheless investigates the changing nature of Indian politics. It aims to study precisely what Gandhi did, on whom he relied for support, how he interacted with other nationalist leaders and how he saw his own role in Indian public life. Unlike the usual interpretation of Gandhi's rise to power as based on a charismatic appeal to the Indian masses, this study argues that his influence depended on a capacity to generate a network of lesser leaders, or subcontractors, who would organise their constituencies for him, whether these were caste, communal or economic groups or whole areas.

Anthony Parel affords a novel perspective on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. He explores how Gandhi connected the spiritual with the temporal. As Parel points out 'being more things than one' is a good description of Gandhi and, with these words in mind, he shows how Gandhi, drawing on the Indian time-honoured theory of the purusharthas or 'the aims of life', fitted his ethical, political, aesthetic and religious ideas together. In this way Gandhi challenged the notion which prevailed in Indian society that a rift existed between the secular and the spiritual, the political and the contemplative life. Parel's revealing and insightful book shows how far-reaching were the effects of Gandhi's practical philosophy on Indian thought generally and how these have survived into the present.

This comprehensive Gandhi reader provides an essential new reference for scholars and students of his life and thought. It is the only text available that presents Gandhi's own writings, including excerpts from three of his books—An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Satyagraha in South Africa, Hind Swaraj (Indian Home Rule)-a major pamphlet, Constructive Programme: Its Meaning and Place, and many journal articles and letters along with a biographical sketch of his life in historical context and recent essays by highly regarded scholars. The writers of these essays—hailing from the United States, Canada, Great Britain and India, with academic credentials in several different disciplines—examine his nonviolent campaigns, his development of programs to unify India, and his impact on the world in the second half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first. Gandhi's Experiments with Truth provides an unparalleled range of scholarly material and perspectives on this enduring philosopher, peace activist, and spiritual guide.

Documents the lifelong journey of faith—full of challenges along the way—that made Gandhi the enlightened spiritual leader we revere.Millions around the world revere Mahatma Gandhi, yet only a few know the man Mohandas Gandhi and the internal journey of his soul. This pioneering book fills the spiritual void in Gandhian literature by focusing on the soul and the substance of the man. Uma Majmudar shows that, contrary to popular belief, Gandhi's rise to greatness was not meteoric; it was, rather, a continuous process of faith development, punctuated by conflicts, crises, and turning points. Using James W. Fowler's theory of "Stages of Faith" as a guide, Majmudar undertakes the first developmental study to analyze the fundamental role of faith in transforming Gandhi's life. She proposes that the power that nourished Gandhi's soul was his ever-growing faith in the ultimate triumph of Truth and in the innate Godliness of the human soul. Along with making an invaluable contribution to numerous cross-cultural disciplines, the book also offers something special to those wishing to embark on their own faith developmental journey, guided by Gandhi's example."Majmudar wants us to touch and feel Gandhi. He is not on a pedestal, he is not made of granite or bronze, he is warm and vulnerable." - from the Foreword by Rajmohan Gandhi

Documents the lifelong journey of faith—full of challenges along the way—that made Gandhi the enlightened spiritual leader we revere.Millions around the world revere Mahatma Gandhi, yet only a few know the man Mohandas Gandhi and the internal journey of his soul. This pioneering book fills the spiritual void in Gandhian literature by focusing on the soul and the substance of the man. Uma Majmudar shows that, contrary to popular belief, Gandhi's rise to greatness was not meteoric; it was, rather, a continuous process of faith development, punctuated by conflicts, crises, and turning points. Using James W. Fowler's theory of "Stages of Faith" as a guide, Majmudar undertakes the first developmental study to analyze the fundamental role of faith in transforming Gandhi's life. She proposes that the power that nourished Gandhi's soul was his ever-growing faith in the ultimate triumph of Truth and in the innate Godliness of the human soul. Along with making an invaluable contribution to numerous cross-cultural disciplines, the book also offers something special to those wishing to embark on their own faith developmental journey, guided by Gandhi's example."Majmudar wants us to touch and feel Gandhi. He is not on a pedestal, he is not made of granite or bronze, he is warm and vulnerable." - from the Foreword by Rajmohan Gandhi

No single person is more directly associated with India and India's struggle for independence than Mahatma Gandhi. His name has equally become synonymous with the highest principles of global equality, human dignity, and freedom.Joseph Alter argues, however, that Gandhi has not been completely understood by biographers and political scholars, and in Gandhi's Body he undertakes a reevaluation of the Mahatma's life and thought. In his revisionist and iconoclastic approach, Alter moves away from the usual focus on nonviolence, peace, and social reform and takes seriously what most scholars who have studied Gandhi tend to ignore: Gandhi's preoccupation with sex, his obsession with diet reform, and his vehement advocacy for naturopathy. Alter concludes that a distinction cannot be made between Gandhi's concern with health, faith in nonviolence, and his sociopolitical agenda.In this original and provocative study, Joseph Alter demonstrates that these seemingly idiosyncratic aspects of Gandhi's personal life are of central importance to understanding his politics-and not only Gandhi's politics but Indian nationalism in general. Using the Mahatma's own writings, Alter places Gandhi's bodily practices in the context of his philosophy; for example, he explores the relationship between Gandhi's fasting and his ideas about the metaphysics of emptiness and that between his celibacy and his beliefs about nonviolence.Alter also places Gandhi's ideas and practices in their national and transnational contexts. He discusses how and why nature cure became extremely popular in India during the early part of the twentieth century, tracing the influence of two German naturopaths on Gandhi's thinking and on the practice of yoga in India. More important, he argues that the reconstruction of yoga in terms of European naturopathy was brought about deliberately by a number of activists in India-of whom Gandhi was only the most visible-interested in creating a "scientific" health regimen, distinct from Western precedents, that would make the Indian people fit for self-rule. Gandhi's Body counters established arguments that Indian nationalism was either a completely indigenous Hindu-based movement or simply a derivative of Western ideals.

Founded by MK Gandhi early in his career, the Natal Indian Congress is one of the oldest political organizations in South Africa. This book traces its course through colonial anti-Asiatic feeling, past apartheid, and into the new democracy.