Thread by @thedaxpatel

Mahatma Gandhi's 152nd Birth Anniversary: Remembering Bapu's early life. #GandhiJayanti
[Thread: 1/30]

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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 at Porbandar in western India (Gujarat).

He was the youngest of four siblings also, fourth son from his father's fourth wife. Gandhi’s father married four times, after his successive wives died early.

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HONESTY PREVAILS IN CLASS

At the examination during his first year at the highschool, Mr. Giles, an Educational Inspector, had come on a visit of inspection.

He had set the class five words to write as a spelling exercise. One of the words was “kettle”.

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Gandhi had misspelt it. The teacher tried to prompt him with the point of his boot, but he wouldn't be prompted.

Gandhi writes “It was beyond me to see that he wanted me to copy the spelling from my neighbour’s slate,

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..“for I had thought that the teacher was there to supervise us against copying. The result was that all the boys except myself were found to have spelt every word correctly. I never could learn the art of copying”.

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EDUCATION

An average student in school, Gandhi graduated from a high school in Rajkot, Gujarat. Shown are a high-school marksheet(left).

An application to his headmaster (right) signed by Gandhi, conferring his scholarship to another student. (1888)

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FIRST TRIP TO LONDON

At the age of 18, Gandhi set sail for London on 4th September 1888, having received scholarship (5,000 rupees) to study law.

He arrived in the third week of October after a long journey and proceeded to the Victoria Hotel, along with two other Indians.

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It was in London that Gandhi started to adopt some of the characteristics that would later define him as an ascetic who had given up the luxuries of life to attain self-discipline.

He joined the Vegetarian Society of England.

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He discontinued the practice of getting sweets and masala or spices, sent from India.

In 1890, he became a member of the executive committee of the society and attended its first annual conference in Portsmouth.

Pic- 1891, Gandhi with fellow members.

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Towards the end of June 1891, having completed his term at London’s Inner Temple, Gandhi returned to India.

He wrote an application to the Bombay High Court to being admitted as an advocate of the High Court, on 16 November 1891..

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..Gandhi also had attached a letter of recommendation written by W. D. Edwards, a well-known author and practising barrister in the Supreme Court of England.

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GANDHI IN SOUTH AFRICA

After spending less than two years in India and failing to establish a successful legal practice in Bombay, Gandhi went to South Africa at the end of May 1893.

He went to SA, to assist Abdullah Hajee Adam of Dada Abdulla & Co. (a legal firm)

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Gandhi made his first official debut into India-related politics by spearheading the birth of “Natal Indian Congress”.

It came into being on 22 May 1894, with Gandhi as its first Honorary Secretary. The president was Abdullah Hajee Adam.

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The objective of NIC was to fight discrimination against Indians.

During its formative years, NIC introduced many petitions asking for changes to the proposed discriminatory legislation. Later allied itself with the African National Congress.

Pic-Gandhi with NIC members

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Not many know of Gandhi’s fondness for the game of cricket.
One of his classmate describe

This rare picture is of the Greyville Cricket Club, Durban. Gandhi (seated in the second row, fifth from left).

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One of Gandhi’s schoolmates remembered him as a ‘dashing cricketer’ and an all-rounder, with an uncanny understanding of the game’s uncertainties.

During a match between Rajkot city and Rajkot cantonment, Gandhi had won man of the match title.

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Gandhi’s involvement in the Boer War in 1899 was a rare departure from his pacifist image. He set up a 1,100-strong Ambulance Corps, mostly comprising Indian volunteers.

Pic- Gandhi with Indian ambulance corps during Boer war.

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Medals awarded to Gandhi for his services during the two campaigns in South Africa – the Boer War and Zulu rebellion, 1899.

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Gandhi got his office to practice law, in 1903.

Of his quest to find office space Gandhi said, ‘It was difficult for an Indian to secure rooms for an office in a suitable locality.’

Gandhi (third from left) with colleagues outside his law office in Johannesburg.

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In 1903 Gandhi launched the newspaper ‘Indian Opinion’, in which he published some of his earliest writings.

It was initially published in Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil and English, and highlighted the difficult conditions faced by Indians in South Africa.

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Gandhi as a barrister in Johannesburg, 1904.

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The Phoenix settlement was officially started in December 1904 and, despite various issues, Indian Opinion continued to be published from there. Gandhi had included Indians in Phoenix.

1904, Gandhi with other settlers of the Phoenix settlement near Durban, South Africa.

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Gandhi had abandon the political arena and join the British Army during the Zulu rebellion in 1906 with a group of 24 Indian volunteers to serve as stretcher-bearers and sanitation aides.

After a month, Gandhi came with the rank of Sergeant Major and awarded a medal.

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THE TERM ‘SATYAGRAHA’

Gandhi struggled to find the right phrase to describe his version of civil disobedience.

In Indian Opinion he announced a prize for the reader who came up with the best suggestion..

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..It was Maganlal Gandhi, his nephew, who suggested the word ‘sadagraha’(meaning- firmness in a good cause). Gandhi changed the word to ‘satyagraha’.

The word would later become synonymous with Gandhi in South Africa and in India.

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FIRST TIME IN JAIL

10 January 1908, Gandhi was arrested with many others because, he and other Indians were denied to register themselves under ‘Asiatic Registration Act’.

He was handed down a sentence of two months’ imprisonment but, he being released within a week.