Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869–January 30, 1948) was the preeminent political leader of India’s nationalist movement against British rule, and he is respected worldwide as an apostle of, and inspiration for, peace and nonviolence in the struggle for civil and political rights. He is commonly referred to in India as the father of the nation and is widely revered as the Mahatma (or the “great soul”). He was born in India, the son of a chief minister of a small princely state. After spending his childhood in India, his family raised enough money to allow him to go to England to study law. After he was called to the bar, he returned to India, but because of the lack of job opportunities there, he ...