Why was Mohandas Gandhi called “Mahatma”?
Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948) was called Mahatma (meaning “great-souled”) by the common people who viewed him as India’s national and spiritual leader. He is considered the father of his country. Born in India on October 2, 1869, Gandhi studied law in Britain as a young man. After practicing briefly in India, he traveled to British-controlled South Africa on business. When he observed oppressive treatment of Indian immigrants (people who move from one country and settle in another) there, he held his first campaign of passive resistance (protest through peaceful noncooperation). Gandhi would later become very well known for this method of protest, called satyagraha (meaning “firmness in truth”). Returning to India in 1915, Gandhi organized a movement against the British government. Britain had taken control of India during the 1700s and had remained in…
