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Jackson James
Professor Mark Williams
Political Studies 100
9 March 2015
Gandhi:ACenturyofInfluentialChange
Thereisonlyoneinfluentialnon-violenceleaderthatstandsoutinhistory,
buthereisaquestiontothinkabout:whatdefinesasuccessfulpoliticalleader?Isit
theprogresstheymadefortheircountry’seconomywhileincommand?Thethings
theyaccomplished?Thesecanbeinfluentialfactsinthematter,however,whattruly
definesthelegacyofasuccessfulleader,isthereasonwhytheyaccomplishedtheir
goals.ForMahatmaGandhi,themotivationtoleadwasverysimpleyetpowerful:
thestandupforwhathebelievedinthroughthematterofnon-violence.Gandhi’s
influencethroughoutIndianotonlygainedthecountrytheirindependencefromthe
British,butalsochangedthewaypeoplebelieveinhopeandrevolutionthroughout
theworld.Gandhiwasn’tafraidtostandupforwhatwasrightandwhathebelieved
induringatimewhennoonewould.Gandhi’smostinfluentialaccomplishments
thatmadehimoneofthemostwell-knowleadersishiscontributionstothecivil
rightsmovementinSouthAfrica,achievingindependenceforIndiafromtheBritish
rule,andhisDandiSaltMarchtostanduptothehighsalttax.
BeforeGandhilefttofighttheBritishruleinIndiain1915,hespentalotof
hisearlyyearsinSouthAfricaasalegalrepresentativeforMuslimIndianTraders.
Throughouthistwenty-oneyearsinSouthAfrica(1893-1914),Gandhifacedalotof
discriminationbecauseofthecolorofhisskin.Anexampleofthisisatrainridehe
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tooktoPietermaritzburg.DuringGandhi’strainride,theconductorwentuptohim
andorderedhimtomovefromfirst-classbecausehewasIndia.Gandhirefusedto
move,sotheconductorandpoliceonthetrainproceededtothrowhimoffthetrain
becausehedefiedtheconductor.
“IwaspushedoutofthetrainbyapoliceconstableatMaritzburg,andthetrain
havingleft,wassittinginthewaitingroom,shiveringinthebittercold.Idid
notknowwheremyluggagewas,nordidIdaretoinquireofanybody,lestI
mightbeinsultedandassaultedonceagain.Sleepwasoutofthequestion.
Doubttookpossessionofmymind.Lateatnight,Icametotheconclusionthat
torunbacktoIndiawouldbecowardly.ImustaccomplishwhatIhad
undertaken.ImustreachPretoria,withoutmindinginsultsandevenassaults.
Pretoriawasmygoal.Thecasewasbeingfoughtthere.Imadeupmymindto
takesomesteps,ifthatwaspossible,side-by-sidewithmywork.This
resolutionsomewhatpacifiedandstrengthenedmebutIdidnotgetany
sleep."(M.K.GandhiinSouthAfrica)
Gandhiwasshockedbythebehavioroftheconductor,andfromthatincidentonhe
dedicatedhislifetosocialjusticeandactiveprotestingforwhathebelievedin
throughnon-violence(SouthAfricaJourney).Gandhi’sfirstattemptat
demonstratingthistypeofprotesttowardsthepeopleandgovernmentofSouth
AfricawashisoppositiontothebillthatmadeIndiansunabletovote.Through
Gandhi’sprotestsandpressuretowardsthegovernment,thegovernmentdrafteda
lawthatrequires“allIndiansinTransvaal,ofbothsexesandaboveeightyearsof
age,toreporttotheRegistrarofAsiatics,providedalltheirpersonaldetails,havea
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fullsetoffingerprintstaken,andthencarryandidentificationpassatall
times”(Gandhi).ThroughGandhicurrentleadershipatthetimeoftheNatalIndian
Congressatthetime,GandhiencouragedallIndiansandprotestorsofthenewbillto
opposeitandtonotdowhatthegovernmentasked,regardlessoftheconsequences.
AtacrowedrallyheldattheEmpireTheaterinJohannesburgonSeptember11
1906organizedbytheassociatesofMahatma,GandhicriedtotherallyofIndian
protestors“wisdomliesinpledgingourselvesontheunderstandingthatweshall
havetosufferthingslikeallthatandworse.Providedtheentirecommunitystands
thetest,theendwillbenear”(Gandhi)Althoughhisattemptatcivildisobedienceto
thegovernmentbeganverystrongandfearsome,itwasn’tlongbeforethousandsof
Indianprotestorswereeitherimprisoned,floggedorshotdownforstrikingfor
refusingtoregisterorburningtheirregistrationcards.EvenGandhihimselfwas
imprisonedforthisorganizationofthisprotest.AlthoughMahatmaendedup
becomingimprisonedbecauseofdisobeyingthelaw,hestoodupforthesocial
justiceofhispeopleandhisculture,whichcausedaninfluentialuproarofallIndian
peopleinSouthAfricaandaroundtheworldaswell.TheSouthAfricangovernment
inafrenzytodealwiththesituationandcontinuationofprotestingfromIndiansof
thenewlawevenafterGandhiimprisonment,JanChristiaanSmutstheSouthAfrica
governmentleaderwasforcedtonegotiateacompromisetothenewlawwith
Gandhi.Afterthenegotiationswerefinished,thelawwasrevokedandGandhiand
hispeoplewerereleasedfromprisonaslongastheprotestingwouldend.Gandhi’s
civildisobediencestrategyhadsucceeded,andnowhisideasandotherstrategies
wereabouttotakeshape.(Gandhi)
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AfterhissuccessinSouthAfrica,GandhimovedbacktohishomelandofIndia
in1915.WithhisnewfoundreputationfromhissuccessinSouthAfrica,heplanned
tobringhisnewstyleofprotesttoachieveswarajinIndiafromtheBritishrule.
Swarajistheconceptofaself-rulinggovernment,orhowGandhidefinesitis
“wanting[systemsof]EnglishrulewithouttheEnglishman;thetiger'snaturebut
notthetiger”(WhatIsSwaraj?)AchievingthiswouldbedifficultforGandhi,since
theBritishgovernmenthaveruledIndiaforalmostsixtyyearsuptothatpoint
(Gandhi).Gandhi’sthreenon-violentdisobedienceactionshetooktogainIndiatheir
independencearethenon-cooperationmovement,theDandisaltmarch,andthe
quitIndiamovementwhichleadtothepartitionofIndia.Thenon-cooperation
movementwasamonumentalmoveofIndiaculturetowardstheBritish.Thetwo
primaryreasonsforthismovementwastoattempttoforcetheBritishoutofthe
country,butalsotoprotesttheRowlattAct,whichessentiallyallowedthe
governmenttoimprisonpeoplewithouttrailiftheyfeltthatthecrimeswereserious
enough.(RowlattActs)Themovement,leadbyGandhi,persuadedIndiansacross
thecountrytoonlybuyanduseIndianmadeproducts,insteadofBritishmade
products.ThemovementalsoencouragedmanyIndiansworkerstoleavetheirjobs
ifitimpactedtheBritishgovernment,suchaslawyersincourt,officesandfactories,
andpublictransportationwereallboycotted.Allofthisnon-cooperativebehavior
caughttheattentionofthegovernmentveryquickly,andthegovernmentbeganto
taketheirownactionstostopthismovement.Atpublicprotestsheldbynoncooperationmovementsupporters,Britishpolicebegantothreatenandbeatup
thesesupporters.AtalargeprotestgatheringinChauriChaura,asmalltownnear
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Gorakphur,violentfightsbegantoescalatebetweenprotestorsandpolice,whichled
tothreeprotestorsbeingkilledbygunshots.Theretaliationoftheprotestorswas
thattheyburneddownthelocalpolicestation,whichkilled22policeofficers.From
thissituation,Gandhiquicklyrealizedthathisnon-violentdisobedientactwas
quicklyescalatingintoaviolentriot,andterminatedthemovementinfearthat
morepeoplewouldendupkilled.Immediatelyafteradmittinghisfaultstothe
governmentandcallingoffthemasscivildisobedienceact,Gandhiwasarrestedand
imprisonedagainforanothersixyears(TheGovernmentofIndiaandtheFirstNonCooperationMovement-1920-1922).
Afterhisrelease,hisnextattemptofcivildisobediencewashisfamousDandi
saltmarchin1930toprotesthighsalttaxesforIndianfarmers.Itwasdescribedasa
“theatricalactofdefiance—inprotestoftheheavytaxonsaltimposedbytheBritish
inIndia—catapultedGandhitonewheightsinhispoliticalcareer,astheimageof
thisfrailindividualchallengingamightyempirecapturedtheheartsand
imaginationsofmillionsofpeoplearoundtheworld.”(Gandhi’sInvisibleHands)
GandhiplansforthisdisobedientprotestwastotraveltothecostalvillageofDandi
andcollectsaltwaterfromtheArabianseatomakesalt,whichisillegalinIndia
becausethegovernmentwantsitscitizenstobuythesaltratherthancollectit.
StartinginMarchof1930,thesaltmarchbeganinSabarmatiAshramnear
Ahmedabad,tothecoastalvillageofDandi,locatedatasmalltowncalledNavsari,in
thestateofGujarat.Throughouthis240kilometerjourneytothecostalvillage,he
gatheredalargecrowdofIndiasupporterswhofollowedhimthewholeway.
Gandhiwouldalwaysexplainwhyhewasdoingthis,andencouragesupportersto
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continuetofollowhimandsupporthimwhilehedefiestheBritishgovernmentto
obtainindependence.WhenhearrivedinDandi,themomenthereacheddownto
thewatertoharvestthesaltsfromthewater,hismarchsucceeded.Although
directlyafterthemarchGandhiandhissupporterswerearrested,thenoncooperationofIndianshadreacheditspeaktowardstheBritishgovernment
becauseofGandhi,andafterhisreleasefromprisonayearlater,hisnextmovewas
toterminatetheBritishgovernmentfromIndiacompletely(Saltmarch).
GandhilastandfinalacttoobtaincompleteindependencewashisQuitIndia
movement.ThemovementstatedthatunlesstheBritishgovernmentgrantedIndia
completeindependence,thenallIndianswouldbreakoutintoamassivecivil
disobedientprotest.BecauseofGandhi’ssuccesstowardsthegovernmentsofar,
manyIndianpeoplesupportedthemovementrightawayandwerereadytobegin
thedisobedienceifnecessary.GandhiwantedcompleteIndianindependence
becauseofthedemandforIndiansbeingsentouttowarduringWorldWarII,sothe
IndianNationalCongresslaunchedthemovementinresponsetoGandhiconcerns.
Themovementdidnotgetmuchsupportfrommanypoliticalleaders,becausemost
weresupportingthewarforfinancialreasonsorbecausetheysupportedtheBritish
rule.Aftercongressannouncedthemovement,theBritishgovernmentdidnotwant
todealwiththissituationaswellasmanagethewargoingon,sotheydeclaredthe
IndiaNationalCongressasillegalorganizational,andimprisonedthemall.Although
thismovementdidnotsucceedtobanishBritishrulefromIndiaandgainIndiatheir
independence,itgotpeopletostartbelievingintheideaoftotalindependence.
FrancisHuthinsarguesthatthiswas“India’sRevolution”,thesouthAsian
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equivalentoftheAmericanWarofIndependence,themomentatwhich
Indiansunitedtothrowoffthecolonialyoke,andthoughindependencedid
notactuallycomeuntilfiveyearslater,inAugustof1947,not1942,it
nonethelesssetintraintheinevitableprocessofIndia’sdecolonization.
(Gandhi)
Thoughthismovementdidnotgaintheindependence,itputthepressureonthe
Britishgovernment,whichinevitablyleadtotheBritishfinallygrantingIndiatheir
independenceinAugust1947.Theindependencealwaysleadtothepartitionof
India,andthedivisionofcultures.AlthoughGandhibiggestgoalwastheHinduMuslimcooperationandtrust,theybothwantedindividualnations.Thepartition
splitIndiaintotwoseparatenations:EastPakistanandWestBengal(commonly
referredasIndia).ThepartitionshockedGandhiandmadehimfeeldefeated,
althoughheprevailedingainingIndiatheirindependence,andwasanationwide
hero.(Gandhi)
Gandhiwasnotalwayssuccessfulduringhisendeavorsandprotestsinboth
SouthAfricaandIndia,frombeingarrestedovertentimesinbothcountries,to
beingassassinatedbyaHinduextremistin1948afterthenewindependence
(Gandhi).HoweverGandhiwasnotrememberedbyhismistakes,hewas
rememberedforwhathestoodfor.Hestoodforhispeopleandtheirfreedomfrom
theBritishrule,throughtheindependencemovement,Dandisaltmarchandthe
QuitIndiamovementthatleadtotheirindependenceandthepartition.Gandhiwill
alwaysberememberedasthemostinfluentialnon-violentleaderofthetwentieth
century.
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Works Cited
Dear, John. "South Africa Journey." National Catholic Reporter. The National Catholic
Reporter Publishing Company, 28 Jan. 2014. Web.
Dejong, Constance, and Philip Glass. : M.K. Gandhi in South Africa." Satyagraha.
Tanam Press, 1 Jan. 1983. Web.
Arnold, David. Gandhi. Harlow, England: Taylor and Francis, 2014. Print.
"What Is Swaraj?" The Swaraj Foundation. Web.
<http://www.swaraj.org/whatisswaraj.htm>.
Lyon, Peter. "Rowlatt Acts." Conflict Between India and Pakistan. 2008. 140. Print.
Low, D.A. "The Government of India and the First Non-Cooperation Movement-1920-1922." The Journal of Asian Studies 25.2 (1966): 241-59. Print.
Desai, Ian. "Gandhi's Invisible Hands." The Wilson Quarterly 34.4 (1976): 30-37. Print.
"Salt March." History. Web. <http://www.history.com/topics/salt-march>.