1. Mohandas GANDHI
SS7H3: The student will analyze continuity and change in Southern and Eastern Asia leading to the 21st century.
a. Describe how nationalism led to independence in India
b. Describe the impact of Mohandas Gandhi’s belief in non-violent protest

2. K-W-L K = What you know. W = Want to know. L = Learned.
Write what you already know about Mohandas Gandhi in this column.
W = Want to know.
What do you want to know about him? Write that in this column.
L = Learned.
Write what you have learned about Mohandas Gandhi during the lesson here.

3. Vocabulary Change: To make different.
Conflict: A strong disagreement or difference of opinion. A fight, battle, or war.
Continuity: The quality or state of being continuous. An unbroken or uninterrupted series or whole.
Culture: The language, customs, ideas, and art of a particular group of people.
Federal Republic: A type of government where several states unite under a central government, and the people that run the central government are elected by the people.

4. Vocabulary
Nationalism: Devotion to one’s own nation. A desire for one’s own nation to be successful and independent.
Mohandas Gandhi: Known to many as Mahatma, Gandhi was the leading figure in India’s struggle to gain independence from Great Britain.
Nonviolent Protest: The doctrine, policy, or practice of rejecting violence in favor of peaceful tactics as a means of gaining political objectives.

5. Who was Mohandas Gandhi?
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Also known as Mahatma meaning “The Great Souled One.”
Went to law school in London
After opening an unsuccessful practice in Bombay, Gandhi ended up practicing law in South Africa.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

6. Who was Mohandas Gandhi?
Appalled by the discrimination he experienced.
He was thrown out of a first class railway compartment and beaten by a white stagecoach driver for refusing to give up his seat for a European passenger.
This was a turning point for Gandhi.
Began to develop his concept of satyagraha, or truth in firmness. Passive resistance as a way of non- cooperation with authorities.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

7. Who was Mohandas Gandhi?
Returned to India in 1914
Supported the British war effort in WWI but remained critical of colonial authorities for measures he felt unjust.
Rowlatt Acts gave colonial authorities powers to suppress subversive activities.
Launched a campaign of passive resistance but temporarily backed off after violence broke out.
By 1920, Gandhi was the most visible figure in India’s independence movement.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

8. Nationalism and nonviolent protest
Stressed importance of India’s economic independence.
Advocated use of khaddar or homespun textiles over ones imported from Britain.
With the authority of the Indian National Congress Party, Gandhi turned the movement into a massive organization.
Led boycotts on British manufacturers and institutions
Including schools and legislatures
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

9. Salt march and partition
Before India’s independence, Britain placed tariffs on salt and forbade Indians from producing it.
On March 12, 1930, Gandhi and a small band of supporters set out on a 241 mile march across the western part of India.
In April, they arrived in the coastal city of Dandi where Gandhi illegally collected salt from the sea as an act of defiance.
This action sparked protests across the nation including boycotts against colonial institutions as well as defiance of the salt tax.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

10. Salt march and partition
The protests resulted in some 80,000 arrests.
Gandhi himself was arrested on May 5th and would remain in jail until early 1931.
In March 1931, the Viceroy agreed to negotiaions which ended the protests.
Several concessions were made
Release of thousands of political prisoners.
Indians living on the coast could produce salt from the sea.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

11. Salt march and partition
In 1934 Gandhi announced his retirement and resigned from the Congress Party.
He was later drawn back in by the outbreak of WWII and took control of the party again.
Demanded British withdrawal from India in exchange for Indian ivolvement.
The entire party was arrested and imprisoned.
In 1947, the Labor Party took control of British Parliament.
Negotiations over Indian home rule began.
India was partitioned into two separate nations.
Pakistan for Muslims
India for Hindus

12. Death of Gandhi
In January of 1948 carried out a fast to bring about peace in the City of Delhi.
On January 30, 12 days after his fast ended, Gandhi was on his way to an evening prayer meeting.
He was shot to death by a Hindu fanatic for negotiating with Muslims.
Nearly 1,000,000 people followed the funeral procession the next day.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

13. Gandhi and the U.S. Civil Rights movement
Martin Luther King Jr. based his methods of nonviolent protests directly on his study and understanding of Gandhi’s experiences in South Africa and India.
Montgomery Bus Boycott
March on Washington
“I firmly believe that the Gandhian philosophy of nonviolent resistance is the only logical and moral approach to the solution of the race problems in the United States.” – Martin Luther King

14. Questions?

15. Discussion Questions Answer the questions on the worksheet provided.
Bonus Questions
How has nonviolent protest shaped the world as we know it today?
What events in recent history were influenced by Gandhi’s philosophy?

16. Homework
Rewrite the vocabulary definitions in your own words. Provide an example sentence using each word. Then provide an illustration for each word or write a paragraph using at least five of the vocabulary words with yourself as the subject.