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1. The Life of Gandhi

   A Picture Timeline of the Life of the Mahatma By: Eric Ooms Spring 2009
2. October 2, 1869 Mahatma Gandhi is born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in Porbander, a town in British ruled India.
3. May 1883 A 13-year-old Gandhi is married to 14-year-old KasturbaiMakhanji in an arranged child marriage, the custom of the times. Here they are picture later in life.
4. 1885 At age 15, Gandhi’s first child is born, but only survives a couple of days. He and his wife, Kasturbai, will eventually have four children.
5. September 4, 1888 At age 18, Gandhi travels to London to study law at University College London.
6. 1893 Gandhi accepts a year-long contract at a law firm in British ruled South Africa after facing discrimination to practice law in India and being rejected for a high school teaching job.
7. South Africa Gandhi faces extreme discrimination against Indians in South Africa. He is thrown off a train for refusing to give up his seat even while holding a valid first-class ticket, beaten by a driver for not riding on a footboard to make room for a European passenger, and is barred from numerous hotels.
8. South Africa After these events, Gandhi’s life takes a new turn. He vows a life of satyagrapha, or devotion to truth or non-violent protest. Gandhi led a 7 year non-violent protest against discrimination in South Africa where many Indians were beaten and flogged. Eventually, a treaty was negotiated between South Africa and Gandhi.
9. 1906 The British declare war on the Zulu people of South Africa. Gandhi urges Indian people to fight to legitimize claims of full citizenship. Pay is not given, and Indians are only allowed to carry stretchers.
10. 1915 Gandhi returns to India, thus beginning his movement for Indian independence from the British Empire.
11. 1918 Indian farmers are being strangled by landlords. Taxes are being implemented and raised on Indians. Gaining support of villagers, Gandhi leads effort to clean villages and build schools. Gandhi is arrested for creating unrest, but thousands of Indians protest outside the jail and the British agree to release him. Gandhi leads more protests and farmers are granted more compensation. Gandhi begins to be referred to as “Mahatma” or Great Soul.
12. 1922 Gandhi is arrested after his non-cooperation movement begins to spread. A violent clash forces Gandhi to end his movement. Gandhi spends 2 years in jail but is released after 2 years due to appendicitis.
13. December 1928 After new British policies undo much of Gandhi’s previous work, Gandhi threatens a new wave of non-cooperation if India is not given some independence.
14. January 26, 1930 After the British do not respond to demands, Indian Independence Day is celebrated, but not recognized by the ruling British.
15. March, 1930 Gandhi begins new wave of non-cooperation. On March 12, Gandhi begins his famous Salt March. Gandhi walked 400 kilometers, at age 60, to the sea to make salt himself after high prices were set by British. Thousands of Indians join the march and some 60,000 are jailed by the British. The British are forced to negotiate with Gandhi.
16. Salt March
17. 1932 The negotiations were a joke and new British officials arrest Gandhi to separate him from followers. Gandhi began using fasts, one of 21 days, as inspiration to his people.
18. 1934 Three attempts are made on Gandhi’s life.
19. 1939 World War II breaks out. Gandhi initially volunteers Indians to back the British effort, but later refuses on the grounds that India cannot fight in a war for democratic freedom when it is not offered to India itself. Gandhi writes Quit India calling for the British to literally quit the Indian rule.
20. 1942 Gandhi is arrested again and is held for 2 years. While being held, his wife dies after being arrested and held for 18 months herself. Gandhi suffers a severe malaria attack. Gandhi is released in 1944 because of his bad health.
21. 1943 Britain begins giving indication that power may be transferred to India.
22. May 16, 1946 The British propose an agreement for a free India without a partition between religious sectors, an idea that Gandhi favors, but many Indians do not.
23. March 1947 British officials come to India to create an agreement for Independence and partition.
24. May 1947 Indian independence becomes official and the countries of Pakistan and India are created.
25. January 30, 1948 Gandhi is assassinated in New Delhi by a Hindu extremist. There are memorials on the exact site where Gandhi was shot and died.
26. Gandhi Gandhi led the way for Indian independence. His ways of non-violence resistance was a large influence in the ways of Martin Luther King Jr. In India, he is celebrated as a hero and founding father.