500+ Words Essay on Mahatma Gandhi in English

Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most important freedom fighters who played a major role in India’s freedom struggle. His ideologies of ahimsa and satyagraha brought the Mighty British Empire on its keens, ultimately making India an independent country. His efforts to make India an independent and self-reliant country earned him the title of ‘The Father of Nation’. Every year, we celebrate his birthday on 2nd October as Gandhi Jayanti, where we recall his ideas of ahimsa, women empowerment, satyagraha, etc.

Essay on Mahatma Gandhi is a popular academic topic, assigned to students. To score better marks in an essay on Mahatma Gandhi, you must cover all dimensions of his life; his early life, profession, ideals, national movements, etc. On this page, we will provide you with an essay on Mahatma Gandhi in 500 words.

Essay on Mahatma Gandhi in 500 Words

‘Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2nd October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat. His real name was ‘Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. At 18, Gandhi sailed from Bombay to London, where he attended the University College, London. Gandhi also had the intention of becoming a Barrister, so he enrolled at the Inns of Court School of Law in Inner Temple. In London, Gandhi joined a public speaking group to enhance his communication and English speaking skills.

Civil Rights in South Africa

At the age of 22, Gandhi completed his law degree and left for India. The next year, a Muslim merchant in Katiawar contacted Gandhi, to solve a legal problem in their sipping business in Johannesburg, South Africa. Gandhi spent 23 years of his life in South Africa, where he initially protected the interest of the Muslim merchant and then against skin color discrimination.

Gandhi was not allowed to sit with the European passengers, and if he resisted, he was beaten, kicked into a gutter, and thrown off a running train. Gandhi found this very humiliating and could not understand how people felt honoured by such inhuman practices. In South Africa, Gandhi fought for the voting rights of the Indians and Africans. He helped establish a political organization, the Natal Indian Congress. He prepared a legal brief in 1895 to seek voting rights for Indians. To gain the support of Africans, Gandhi, along with his colleagues, helped the Africans as nurses by opposing racism.

It was in South Africa where Gandhi established his newspaper, named Indian Opinion to share his ideas with the African Indian Community. In 1910, In 1910, he established an idealistic community named Tolstoy Farm near Johannesburg. It was these developments which helped the black South Africans to gain voting rights and Mahatma Gandhi was declared a National Hero.’

Return to India

‘On 9th January 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa. Before his arrival, he already become a nationalist figure. Upon his arrival in India, Gandhi took a nationwide tour, where he witnessed chaos and disorder everywhere. He declared Gopa Krishna Gokhale as his Political Guru.

Mahatma Gandhi started his nationalist moments with the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917, the Kheda Satyagraha and the Ahmedabad Mill Strike in 1918. Then came the Khilafat Movement, where he tried to unite the Hindus and Muslims.

Gandhi, in his book ‘Hind Swaraj’, wrote that the British rule in India was the result of Indian cooperation. He said that if the Indian masses refused to co-operate, the British rule would come to an end and India would become a free and independent nation. Therefore, he launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920. After this movement, India was sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment.

Other important movements by Gandhiji were the Civil Disobedience and the Quit India Movement. Gandhi believed in religious pluralism. It was his and his fellow India’s undying efforts which led to India’s independence on 15th August 1947.’

Conclusion

‘Gandhiji’s ideas of nonviolence, peaceful satyagraha, self-reliance, simple living and religious tolerance earned him fame not only in India but from other countries also. His ideals inspired the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s. His ideals have inspired the whole world to live in peace.’

10 Lines on Mahatma Gandhi

Here are 10 lines on Mahatma Gandhi. Students can add them to their essays on Mahatma Gandhi or similar writing topics.

1. Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary is annually celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October.

2. Mahatma Gandhi was an important Indian freedom fighter.

3. He promoted the principle of nonviolence, or ‘ahimsa,’ as a powerful force for change.

4. Gandhi’s philosophy of ‘satyagraha’ emphasized the transformative power of truth and moral courage.

5. Mahatma Gandhi was a lawyer by profession.

6. Gandhi believed in economic self-reliance, encouraging the use of local products and cottage industries.

7. His life reflected a commitment to simple living and a rejection of materialism.

8. Religious tolerance was a core value for Gandhi, who championed the unity of all faiths.

9. Gandhi favoured the decentralization of political and economic power for community empowerment.

10. Gandhiji believed that education can help in character building and moral development.

10 Popular Quotes to Add in Essay on Mahatma Gandhi

Here are 10 popular quotes by Mahatma Gandhi.

1. ‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world.’

2. ‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’

3. ‘You must be the change you want to see in the world.’

4. ‘An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.’

5. ‘The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.’

6. ‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.’

7. ‘Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.’

8. ‘First, they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.’

9. ‘Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.’

10. ‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.’

Essay on Mahatma Gandhi- FAQs

What is the short essay on Mahatma Gandhi?

‘Mahatma Gandhi was born on 2nd October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat. His real name was ‘Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He was one of the most influencial figure of the 20th century and his contributions made India an independent country. Mahatma Gandhi was known for his ideals and peaceful philosophies, such as non-violence, religious tolerance, self-reliant, etc. He led various nationalised movements, like the Champaran Satyagraha, Non Cooperation Movement, Civil Disoobedience and Quit India Movements.

What are some popular quotes by Mahatma Gandhi?

Some of the popular quotes by Gandhiji are:

‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world.’

‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’

‘You must be the change you want to see in the world.’

‘An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.’

‘The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.’

‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.’

What do you know about Mahatma Gandhi’s 10 important points?

Gandhiji was a peace lover. He believed in religious tolerance. He wanted to unite all religions and castes of India. He was a lawyer by profession. His efforts led to India’s independence. Gandhi believed in economic self-reliance, encouraging the use of local products and cottage industries. His life reflected a commitment to simple living and a rejection of materialism. Religious tolerance was a core value for Gandhi, who championed the unity of all faiths.

What are the names of books written by Mahatma Gandhi?

Some of the books written by Mahatma Gandhi are: The Story of My Experiments With Truth, Hind Swaraj or Indian Home, The Words of Gandhi, India of My Dreams, etc.

When did Mahatma Gandhi arrive in India from South Africa?

Mahatma Gandhi arrived in India from South Africa on 9th January 1915. 9th January is also celebrated as Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas every year.

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