Mohandas Gandhi
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Mohandas Gandhi
The British had India under their control for hundred of years. India without a leader is helpless in dealing with discrimination and the slave laws. British in other hand is advance in technology and it allowed them to torment the Indians. IndiaÐÐŽÐЇs rich natural resource and defenseless territory make British eager to own this land. But it is only matter of time before someone stands up and finds a way to stop these afflictions.
Nationalism starts growing in India in the 1800s, many Indians students got European education, they learn about the democracy and read about the ideas inspired by Plato and Aristotle, and they wanted a democracy for their own country.
Meanwhile in India, Muslim and Hindus are having a huge duel. They had tensions for many years. In 1885, Congress party form from the Hindus; and the Muslim league form in 1906. These are two major groups form to rid the India foreign rules. India is already having a huge problem within their own country, the tension between the Hindus and Muslim was in the edge of a civil war.
It was during the WWI that the nationalism in India really grows, BritishÐÐŽÐЇs advance technology and weapon allowed their troops to thrashes over India and took control of it. British took India under slave laws and treat them atrociously. British wanted an India troop to serve for the British army in WWI; in return the British shall grand India their independent.
The WWI broke out in 1914. In the Indians and the Asia area, they look at the WWI as a civil war for Europeans. These countries in Asia didnÐÐŽÐЇt really care about that war until they themselves are drag into it. WWI ended with the Treaty of Versailles. German and Italy return in defeat and were force to face humiliation and reparation. British return in victory and so does the India troops. But the British failed to keep their promise of giving India their Independent. Not only that, British is looking to take over India. Many educated Indians are outrageously angered by these European persecutors. As a result many Indians violently rebels and attack the British officers in India.
In 1919, British pass a Rowlatt Act; it allowed British soldiers to jail protesters without trailing for as long as two years. This adds fuel to the fire, Indians all over notices that British are trying to deny the Indians like they did before the WWI. Indians waste no time, at that same year, they rebel against the British. Ten thousand Hindus and Muslim gather to Amritsar the capital city of Punjab, to warn the British. But there isnÐÐŽÐЇt anything the Indians can do except gathering a huge crowd and shouting out justice. The streets are in total chaos. General Reginald Dyer, a British general at Amritsar ordered his soldiers to shoot at the protesters. It killed 400 Indians and wound about 1000. This news spread overnight all over India. The whole India now is angered and ready for a revolution. Only in the matter of days, the whole India is in protests against the Britain. This incident is referred to be the Amritar Massacre.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), known to be the Mahatma or the ÐÐŽÐoGreat SoulÐЎб. He is an African that studies law and receives European education at a young age. He went to London for university to study law and eventually become a lawyer. He himself is also a Hindu. When he returns from London to South Africa, he was put to work. He and his fellow Indian workers were being pushed around by the white people right before his eyes. The most devastating incident was that he got push out of a train when he refuses to leave his seat for a white person. He emerged as a revolutionary leader right after the Amritar Massacre. Gandhi also became leader of Indian National Congress in 1920. He developed and sticks with a principle called ÐÐŽÐosatyagrahaÐЎб, meaning civil disobedience. Its main idea is to refuse unjust laws. GandhiÐÐŽÐЇs idea is start the revolution without violence. In 1920, he urged the Congress Party to follow his principle in order to win independence. He also prompt to refuse buying British goods, refuse British schools, refuse paying British taxes, and refuse to vote. GandhiÐÐŽÐЇs plan was to sharply drop the British economic power and their priority controls in India.
And so it works, GandhiÐÐŽÐЇs British cloth boycott strongly decreases the sale on British clothes in India. BritishÐÐŽÐЇs economic power in India starts to drop. At the meantime, British also arrested thousands of protesters. Another huge movement was the Salt March. British pass a Salt Act in 1930, it force India to buy only British salt. Gandhi reacts by the Salt March. During Salt March, Gandhi and his followers march 140 miles over to the sea and collect salt from sea waters by themselves. The march first started with couple hundred of his follower. Later on, the people from villages start doing the same and March lead to couple of thousand of people.
Gandhi also spends two hours a day in spinning wheel. This not only makes his own cloth but also he use this time for prayer. He also encourages Indians to do the same. By making their own cloth, the British cloth sale starts to drop. This is another way of nonviolence revolutionary movement. Gandhi also fasts to pray and hope for an end to the duel between the Hindus and Muslim. One time he almost fast until death. His strong spirit and commitment is a fuel for Indians not only in this independent movement, but for all aspect of their life.
Finally in 1935, the British sought the India strength. They pass the India Act, which gives India self governing. Now India is marching towards full independents. Now that India got their freedom, the Hindus and the Muslims are going at each other again. In 1940, there are about 350 million Hindus and about 100 million