Gandhi

A couple weeks ago the history Sr. class had a choice of five epic movies to watch.  They were: Lawrence of Arabia, Gone With the Wind, Zulu, Dr. Zhivago or Gandhi.  I chose Gandhi and I was very glad that I made that choice and I highly recommend that movie, but that's not what this article is about.  Part of the assignment was to research the time period that the movie took place in.  I did and this is what I learned. 

Mohandas K. Gandhi was born on October 2nd 1869.  He came from a high class Indian family.  At age thirteen, Gandhi was married to a girl of his parents choice.  They  had four children and were married until she died at a old age.  Gandhi went to London to study law.  He then went back to India for a short period of time.  In 1893, he was sent to South Africa, at that time a colony of England, to practice law for one year.  But it wasn't until 21 years later that he returned to India.  Those 21 years in South Africa he spent working for South African rights.  At that time non-white South Africans were discriminated against and did not have equal rights.  When he returned to India, he immediately saw what the British occupation of India was doing to the country and he started to take action.  Gandhi believed that non-violent non-cooperation would drive the British out of India.  He started, and many others too, to make his own clothes, by weaving his own fabric, Indians would not have to buy from the British, a form of boycotting.  Gandhi also lead hundreds of fellow Indians on a 200 mile march to the sea to make their own salt, which, making your own salt had been made illegal by the British government.  They made their salt and sold it on the streets of India until the British started arresting anybody who took part.  When riots broke out against the British, Gandhi fasted for many days.  The people became afraid that he would die so they stopped.  Finally after lots of protesting, The British let India go free. The separate Muslim country of Pakistan was created.  But there was violence between the Hindus and the Muslims.  At age 78, Gandhi did a long fast again until the leaders of the two groups promised to stop the fighting.  Twelve days later, Gandhi was shot on the way to a prayer meeting. 

Now, everybody remembers Gandhi as one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century.  He inspired many people including Martin Luther King Jr.  His beliefs are still with us today.