Gandhi, Mohandas--The great soul...

When the vast and heavily populated nation of India gained independence from Britain in August 1947, one man more than any other was responsible for that achievement. Mohandas Gandhi united the different communities of India and led them to independence. He believed in non-violent protest and despised the racial violence of his home land. He became known as Mahatma, or “great soul”. Although he did not live long enough to see the results of his work, Gandhi is remembered today as the instigator of three movements crucial in the 20th century: the campaigns against racism, colonialism and violence.