Gandhi: An Autobiography - The Story of My Experiments With Truth

...Gandhi's words, carved on a wall at the Satyagraha Ashram that he founded in Ahmedabad, are at once accurate and far too modest. To be sure, there is nothing new about the ideals of truth and nonviolence to which he dedicated his life. They have long been stressed in every major moral and religious tradition. Nevertheless, he did have something utterly new to teach the world about them: how to implement them on a large scale in the practices of nonviolent but forceful resistance for which he coined the word satyagraha. What exactly did Gandhi mean by satyagraha? He continued to develop its methods and to comment on them and explain their purpose and potential to the end of his life. 1 In 1920, a British commission of inquiry asked him whether he was the author of the satyagraha movement—a movement which had already become known the world over for carrying out the first nationwide campaign of civil disobedience in history under that banner—and how he might explain it. Yes, he answered, he was indeed its author. And as for an explanation, it lay in what the movement intended to accomplish: "to replace methods of violence and [to be] a movement based entirely upon truth."This edition of Gandhi's autobiography is published by arrangement with theNavajivan Trust and is the only authorized American edition. The Navajivan Trust was founded by Gandhi, and all royalties earned on this book are paid to it by the publisher for use in carrying on Gandhi's work. Portrays The Life Of Gandhi, Describes The Development Of His Nonviolent Political Protest Movement, And Discusses His Religious Beliefs. Chapter I Birth And Parentage 3 -- Chapter Ii Childhood 6 -- Chapter Iii Child Marriage 8 -- Chapter Iv Playing The Husband 11 -- Chapter V At The High School 14 -- Chapter Vi A Tragedy 19 -- Chapter Viii Stealing And Atonement 25 -- Chapter Ix My Father's Death And My Double Shame 28 -- Chapter X Glimpses Of Religion 31 -- Chapter Xi Preparation For England 35 -- Chapter Xii Outcaste 39 -- Chapter Xiii In London At Last 42 -- Chapter Xiv My Choice 45 -- Chapter Xv Playing The English Gentleman 48 -- Chapter Xvi Changes 52 -- Chapter Xvii Experiments In Dietetics 55 -- Chapter Xviii Shyness My Shield 59 -- Chapter Xix The Canker Of Untruth 63 -- Chapter Xx Acquaintance With Religions 67 -- Chapter Xxii Narayan Hemchandra 72 -- Chapter Xxiii The Great Exhibition 76 -- Chapter Xxiv 'called'--but Then? 78 -- Chapter Xxv My Helplessness 81 -- Chapter I Raychandbhai 87 -- Chapter Ii How I Began Life 90 -- Chapter Iii The First Case 93 -- Chapter Iv The First Shock 96 -- Chapter V Preparing For South Africa 100 -- Chapter Vi Arrival In Natal 102 -- Chapter Vii Some Experiences 105 -- Chapter Viii On The Way To Pretoria 109 -- Chapter Ix More Hardships 113 -- Chapter X First Day In Pretoria 118 -- Chapter Xi Christian Contacts 122 -- Chapter Xii Seeking Touch With Indians 125 -- Chapter Xiii What It Is To Be A 'coolie' 128 -- Chapter Xiv Preparation For The Case 131 -- Chapter Xv Religious Ferment 135 -- Chapter Xvi Man Proposes, God Disposes 138 -- Chapter Xvii Settled In Natal 141 -- Chapter Xviii Colour Bar 145 -- Chapter Xix Natal Indian Congress 148 -- Chapter Xx Balasundaram 153 -- Chapter Xxi The [pound] 3 Tax 155 -- Chapter Xxii Comparative Study Of Religions 158 -- Chapter Xxiii As A Householder 162 -- Chapter Xxiv Homeward 165 -- Chapter Xxv In India 168 -- Chapter Xxvi Two Passions 172 -- Chapter Xxvii The Bombay Meeting 175 -- Chapter Xxviii Poona And Madras 178 -- Chapter Xxix 'return Soon' 180 -- Chapter I Rumblings Of The Storm 185 -- Chapter Ii The Storm 188 -- Chapter Iii The Test 191 -- Chapter Iv The Calm After The Storm 196 -- Chapter V Education Of Children 199 -- Chapter Vi Spirit Of Service 202 -- Chapter Vii Brahmacharya--i 204 -- Chapter Viii Brahmacharya--ii 208 -- Chapter Ix Simple Life 212 -- Chapter X The Boer War 214 -- Chapter Xi Sanitary Reform And Famine Relief 217 -- Chapter Xii Return To India 219 -- Chapter Xiii In India Again 222 -- Chapter Xiv Clerk And Bearer 225 -- Chapter Xv In The Congress 227 -- Chapter Xvi Lord Curzon's Darbar 229 -- Chapter Xvii A Month With Gokhale--i 231 -- Chapter Xviii A Month With Gokhale--ii 233 -- Chapter Xix A Month With Gokhale--iii 236 -- Chapter Xx In Benares 239 -- Chapter Xxi Settled In Bombay? 243 -- Chapter Xxii Faith On Its Trial 246 -- Chapter Xxiii To South Africa Again 249 -- Chapter I 'love's Labour's Lost'? 255 -- Chapter Ii Autocrats From Asia 257 -- Chapter Iii Pocketed The Insult 259 -- Chapter Iv Quickened Spirit Of Sacrifice 262 -- Chapter V Result Of Introspection 264 -- Chapter Vi A Sacrifice To Vegetarianism 267 -- Chapter Vii Experiments In Earth And Water Treatment 269 -- Chapter Viii A Warning 271 -- Chapter Ix A Tussle With Power 274 -- Chapter X A Sacred Recollection And Penance 276 -- Chapter Xi Intimate European Contacts 279 -- Chapter Xii European Contacts (contd.) 282 -- Chapter Xiii 'indian Opinion' 285 -- Chapter Xiv Coolie Locations Or Ghettoes? 287 -- Chapter Xv The Black Plague--i 290 -- Chapter Xvi The Black Plague--ii 292 -- Chapter Xvii Location In Flames 295 -- Chapter Xviii The Magic Spell Of A Book 297 -- Chapter Xix The Phoenix Settlement 300 -- Chapter Xx The First Night 302 -- Chapter Xxi Polak Takes The Plunge 304 -- Chapter Xxii Whom God Protects 306 -- Chapter Xxiii A Peep Into The Household 310 -- Chapter Xxiv The Zulu 'rebellion' 313 -- Chapter Xxv Heart Searchings 315 -- Chapter Xxvi The Birth Of Satyagraha 318 -- Chapter Xxvii More Experiments In Dietetics 320 -- Chapter Xxviii Kasturbai's Courage 322 -- Chapter Xxix Domestic Satyagraha 325 -- Chapter Xxx Towards Self-restraint 328 -- Chapter Xxxi Fasting 330 -- Chapter Xxxii As Schoolmaster 333 -- Chapter Xxxiii Literary Training 335 -- Chapter Xxxiv Training Of The Spirit 338 -- Chapter Xxxv Tares Among The Wheat 340 -- Chapter Xxxvi Fasting As Penance 342 -- Chapter Xxxvii To Meet Gokhale 344 -- Chapter Xxxviii My Part In The War 346 -- Chapter Xxxix A Spiritual Dilemma 348 -- Chapter Xl Miniature Satyagraha 351 -- Chapter Xli Gokhale's Charity 355 -- Chapter Xlii Treatment Of Pleurisy 357 -- Chapter Xliii Homeward 359 -- Chapter Xliv Some Reminiscences Of The Bar 361 -- Chapter Xlv Sharp Practice? 363 -- Chapter Xlvi Clients Turned Co-workers 365 -- Chapter Xlvii How A Client Was Saved 367 -- Chapter I The First Experience 373 -- Chapter Ii With Gokhale In Poona 375 -- Chapter Iii Was It A Threat? 377 -- Chapter Iv Shantiniketan 380 -- Chapter V Woes Of Third Class Passengers 383 -- Chapter Vi Wooing 385 -- Chapter Vii Kumbha Mela 387 -- Chapter Viii Lakshman Jhula 391 -- Chapter Ix Founding Of The Ashram 395 -- Chapter X On The Anvil 397 -- Chapter Xi Abolition Of Indentured Emigration 400 -- Chapter Xii The Stain Of Indigo 404 -- Chapter Xiii The Gentle Bihari 406 -- Chapter Xiv Face To Face With Ahimsa 409 -- Chapter Xv Case Withdrawn 413 -- Chapter Xvi Methods Of Work 416 -- Chapter Xvii Companions 419 -- Chapter Xviii Penetrating The Villages 422 -- Chapter Xix When A Governor Is Good 424 -- Chapter Xx In Touch With Labour 426 -- Chapter Xxi A Peep Into The Ashram 428 -- Chapter Xxii The Fast 430 -- Chapter Xxiii The Kheda Satyagraha 434 -- Chapter Xxiv 'the Onion Thief' 436 -- Chapter Xxv End Of Kheda Satyagraha 439 -- Chapter Xxvi Passion For Unity 441 -- Chapter Xxvii Recruiting Campaign 444 -- Chapter Xxviii Near Death's Door 450 -- Chapter Xxix The Rowlatt Bills And My Dilemma 454 -- Chapter Xxx That Wonderful Spectacle! 457 -- Chapter Xxxi That Memorable Week!--i 460 -- Chapter Xxxii That Memorable Week!--ii 466 -- Chapter Xxxiii 'a Himalayan Miscalculation' 469 -- Chapter Xxxiv 'navajivan' And 'young India' 471 -- Chapter Xxxv In The Punjab 475 -- Chapter Xxxvi The Khilafat Against Cow Protection? 478 -- Chapter Xxxvii The Amritsar Congress 482 -- Chapter Xxxviii Congress Initiation 486 -- Chapter Xxxix The Birth Of Khadi 489 -- Chapter Xl Found At Last! 491 -- Chapter Xli An Instructive Dialogue 494 -- Chapter Xlii Its Rising Tide 497 -- Chapter Xliii At Nagpur 500 -- Farewell 503. Mohandas K. Gandhi ; Translated From The Original In Gujarati By Mahadev Desai ; With A Foreword By Sissela Bok. Includes Index. Originally Published: 1957. Chapter 1 - Birth and Parentage 2 Chapter 2 - Chilhood 3 Chapter 3 - Child Marriage 4 Chapter 4 - Playing the Husband 6 Chapter 5 - At the High School 7 Chapter 6 - A Tragedy 10 Chapter 7 - A Tragedy (contd.) 11 Chapter 8 - Stealing and Atonement 13 Chapter 9 - My Father's Death and My Double Shame 15 Chapter 10 - Glimpses of Religion 16 Chapter 11 - Preparation for England 18 Chapter 12 - Outcaste 21 Chapter 13 - In London Atlast 22 Chapter 14 - My Choice 24 Chapter 15 - Playing the English Gentleman 26 Chapter 16 - Changes 27 Chapter 17 - Experiments in Dietetics 29 Chapter 18 - Shyness my Shield 31 Chapter 19 - The Canker of Untruth 33 Chapter 20 - Acquaintance with Religions 35 Chapter 21 - Nirbal Ke Bal Ram 36 Chapter 22 - Narayan Hemchandra 38 Chapter 23 - The Great Exhibition 40 Chapter 24 - 'Called' - But Then ? 41 Chapter 25 - My Helplessness 43 Chapter 26 - Raychandbhai 44 Chapter 27 - How I Began Life 45 Chapter 28 - The First Case 47 Chapter 29 - The First Shock 49 Chapter 30 - Preparing for South Africa 51 Chapter 31 - Arrival in Natal 52 Chapter 32 - Some Experiences 54 Chapter 33 - On The Way To Pretoria 56 Chapter 34 - More Hardships 58 Chapter 35 - First Day in Pretoria 61 Chapter 36 - Christian Contacts 63 Chapter 37 - Seeking Touch with Indians 65 Chapter 38 - What it is to be a 'Coolie' 67 Chapter 39 - Preparation for the Case 69 Chapter 40 - Religious Ferment 70 Chapter 41 - Man Proposes, God Disposes 72 Chapter 42 - Settled in Natal 74 Chapter 43 - Natal Indian Congress 76 Chapter 44 - Colour Bar 78 Chapter 45 - Balasundaram 80 Chapter 46 - The £ 3 Tax 81 Chapter 47 - Comparative Study of Religions 83 Chapter 48 - As A Householder 85 Chapter 49 - Homeward 87 Chapter 50 - In India 88 Chapter 51 - Two Passions 90 Chapter 52 - The Bombay Meeting 92 Chapter 53 - Poona and Madras 94 Chapter 54 - 'Return Soon' 95 Chapter 55 - Rumblings of the Storm 97 Chapter 56 - The Storm 98 Chapter 57 - The Test 100 Chapter 58 - The Calm After the Storm 102 Chapter 59 - Education of Children 103 Chapter 60 - Spirit of Service 105 Chapter 61 - Brahmacharya - I 106 Chapter 62 - Brahmacharya - II 108 Chapter 63 - Simple Life 110 Chapter 64 - The Boer War 111 Chapter 65 - Sanitary Reform and Famine Relief 113 Chapter 66 - Return to India 114 Chapter 67 - In India Again 116 Chapter 68 - Clerk and Bearer 117 Chapter 69 - In the Congress 118 Chapter 70 - Lord Curzon's Darbar 120 Chapter 71 - A Month with Gokhale - I 121 Chapter 72 - A Month with Gokhale - II 122 Chapter 73 - A Month with Gokhale - III 124 Chapter 74 - In Benares 125 Chapter 75 - Settled in Bombay 128 Chapter 76 - Faith on its Trial 129 Chapter 77 - To South Africa Again 131 Chapter 78 - " Love's Labour's Lost " 133 Chapter 79 - Autocrats From Asia 134 Chapter 80 - Pocketed the Insult 135 Chapter 81 - Quickened Spirit of Sacrifice 137 Chapter 82 - Result of Introspection 138 Chapter 83 - A Sacrifice to Vegetarianism 139 Chapter 84 - Experiments In Earth and Water Treatment 141 Chapter 85 - A Warning 142 Chapter 86 - A Tussle with Power 143 Chapter 87 - A Sacred Recollection and Penance 145 Chapter 88 - Intimate European Contacts 146 Chapter 89 - European Contacts (contd.) 148 Chapter 90 - ' Indian Opinion ' 149 Chapter 91 - Coolie Locations or Ghettos ? 151 Chapter 92 - The Black Plague - I 152 Chapter 93 - The Black Plague - II 153 Chapter 94 - Location in Flames 155 Chapter 95 - The Magic Spell of a Book 156 Chapter 96 - The Phoenix Settlement 158 Chapter 97 - The First Night 159 Chapter 98 - Polak Takes the Plunge 160 Chapter 99 - Whom God Protects 162 Chapter 100 - A Peep into the Household 163 Chapter 101 - The Zulu 'Rebellion' 165 Chapter 102 - Heart Searchings 166 Chapter 103 - The Birth of Satyagraha 168 Chapter 104 - More Experiments in Dietetics 169 Chapter 105 - Kasturbai's Courage 170 Chapter 106 - Domestic Satyagraha 172 Chapter 107 - Towards Self - Restraint 173 Chapter 108 - Fasting 174 Chapter 109 - As Schoolmaster 176 Chapter 110 - Literary Training 177 Chapter 111 - Training of the Spirit 178 Chapter 112 - Tares Among the Wheat 180 Chapter 113 - Fasting as Penance 181 Chapter 114 - To Meet Gokhale 182 Chapter 115 - My Part in the War 183 Chapter 116 - A Spiritual Dilemma 185 Chapter 117 - Miniature Satyagraha 186 Chapter 118 - Gokhale's Charity 188 Chapter 119 - Treatment of Pleurisy 189 Chapter 120 - Homeward 191 Chapter 121 - Some Reminiscences of the Bar 192 Chapter 122 -Sharp Practice ? 193 Chapter 123 - Clients Turned Co-Workers 194 Chapter 124 - How A Client was Saved 195 Chapter 125 - The First Experience 197 Chapter 126 - With Gokhale in Poona 198 Chapter 127 - Was it a Treat ? 200 Chapter 128 - Shantiniketan 202 Chapter 129 - Woes of Third Class Passengers 203 Chapter 130 - Wooing 205 Chapter 131 - Kumbha Mela 206 Chapter 132 - Lakshman Jhula 208 Chapter 133 - Founding of the Ashram 210 Chapter 134 - On the Anvil 211 Chapter 135 - Abolition of Indentured Emigration 213 Chapter 136 - The Stain of Indigo 215 Chapter 137 - The Gentle Bihari 217 Chapter 138 - Face to Face with Ahimsa 218 Chapter 139 - Case Withdrawn 220 Chapter 140 - Methods of Work 222 Chapter 141 - Companions 223 Chapter 142 - Penetrating the Villages 225 Chapter 143 - When a Governor is Good 226 Chapter 144 - In Touch with Labour 227 Chapter 145 - A Peep into the Ashram 228 Chapter 146 - The Fast 229 Chapter 147 - The Kheda Satyagraha 232 Chapter 148 - ' The Onion Thief ' 233 Chapter 149 - End of Kheda Satyagraha 234 Chapter 150 - Passion for Unity 235 Chapter 151 - Recruiting Campaign 237 Chapter 152 - Near Death's Door 240 Chapter 153 - The Rowlatt Bills and My Dilemma 242 Chapter 154 - That Powerful Spectacle ! 244 Chapter 155 - That Memorable Week 1 - I 246 Chapter 156 - That Memorable Week 1 - II 249 Chapter 157 - ' A Himalayan Miscalculation ' 250 Chapter 158 - ' Navjivan ' and ' Young India ' 252 Chapter 159 - In The Punjab 253 Chapter 160 - The Khilafat Against Cow Protection ? 255 Chapter 161 - The Amritsar Congress 257 Chapter 162 - Congress Initiation 259 Chapter 163 - The Birth of Khadi 260 Chapter 164 - Found At Last ! 262 Chapter 165 - An Instructive Dialogue 263 Chapter 166 - Its Rising Tide 264 Chapter 167 - At Nagpur 266 Chapter 168 - Farewell 267 "My purpose," Mahatma Gandhi writes of this book, "is to describe experiments in the science of Satyagraha, not to say how good I am." Satyagraha, Gandhi's nonviolent protest movement (satya = true, agraha = firmness), came to stand, like its creator, as a moral principle and a rallying cry; the principle was truth and the cry freedom. The life of Gandhi has given fire and fiber to freedom fighters and to the untouchables of the world: hagiographers and patriots have capitalized on Mahatma myths. Yet Gandhi writes: "Often the title [Mahatma, Great Soul] has deeply pained me. . . . But I should certainly like to narrate my experiments in the spiritual field which are known only to myself, and from which I have derived such power as I possess for working in the political field." Clearly, Gandhi never renounced the world; he was neither pacifist nor cult guru. Who was Gandhi? In the midst of resurging interest in the man who freed India, inspired the American Civil Rights Movement, and is revered, respected, and misunderstood all over the world, the time is proper to listen to Gandhi himself -- in his own words, his own "confessions," his autobiography. Gandhi made scrupulous truth-telling a religion and his Autobiography inevitably reminds one of other saints who have suffered and burned for their lapses. His simply narrated account of boyhood in Gujarat, marriage at age 13, legal studies in England, and growing desire for purity and reform has the force of a man extreme in all things. He details his gradual conversion to vegetarianism and ahimsa (non-violence) and the state of celibacy (brahmacharya, self-restraint) that became one of his more arduous spiritual trials. In the political realm he outlines the beginning of Satyagraha in South Africa and India, with accounts of the first Indian fasts and protests, his initial errors and misgivings, his jailings, and continued cordial dealings with the British overlords. Gandhi was a fascinating, complex man, a brilliant leader and guide, a seeker of truth who died for his beliefs but had no use for martyrdom or sainthood. His story, the path to his vision of Satyagraha and human dignity, is a critical work of the twentieth century, and timeless in its courage and inspiration This is Gandhi's autobiography covering his life from early childhood to approximately 1921. In Gandhi's own words: "I simply want to tell the story of my numerous experiments with truth, and as my life consists of nothing but those experiments, it is true that the story will take the shape of an autobiography. But I shall not mind, if every page of it speaks only of my experiments ... I should certainly like to narrate my experiments in the spiritual field which are known only to myself, and from which I have derived such power as I possess for working in the political field ... If I had only to discuss academic principles. I should clearly not attempt an autobiography. But my purpose being to give an account of various practical applications of these principles, I have given the chapters I propose to write the title of The Story of My Experiments with Truth. These will of course include experiments with non-violence, celibacy and other principles of conduct believed to be distinct from truth." Translated by Mahadev Desai and with a New Preface The only authorized American edition Mohandas K. Gandhi is one of the most inspiring figures of our time. In his classic autobiography he recounts the story of his life and how he developed his concept of active nonviolent resistance, which propelled the Indian struggle for independence and countless other nonviolent struggles of the twentieth century. In a new foreword, noted peace expert and teacher Sissela Bok urges us to adopt Gandhi's ''attitude of experimenting, of tesing what will and will not bear close scrutiny, what can and cannot be adapted to new circumstances,'' in order to bring about change in our own lives and communities. All royalties earned on this book are paid to the Navajivan Trust, founded by Gandhi, for use in carrying on his work. Gandhi's non-violent struggles against racism, violence, and colonialism in South Africa and India had brought him to such a level of notoriety, adulation that when asked to write an autobiography midway through his career, he took it as an opportunity to explain himself. He feared the enthusiasm for his ideas tended to exceed a deeper understanding of his quest for truth rooted in devotion to God. His attempts to get closer to this divine power led him to seek purity through simple living, dietary practices, celibacy, and a life without violence. This is not a straightforward narrative biography, in The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Gandhi offers his life story as a reference for those who would follow in his footsteps. Mohandas K. Gandhi is one of the most inspiring figures of our time. In his classic autobiography he recounts the story of his life and how he developed his concept of active nonviolent resistance, which propelled the Indian struggle for independence and countless other nonviolent struggles of the twentieth century. In a new foreword, noted peace expert and teacher Sissela Bok urges us to adopt Gandhi's "attitude of experimenting, of testing what will and will not bear close scrutiny, what can and cannot be adapted to new circumstances," in order to bring about change in our own lives and communities. All royalties earned on this book are paid to the Navajivan Trust, founded by Gandhi, for use in carrying on his work. "Mohandas K. Gandhi is One of the most inspiring figures of our time. In his classic autobiography he recounts the story of his life and how he developed his concept of satyagraha, or active nonviolent resistance, which propelled the Indian struggle for independence and countless other nonviolent struggles of the twentieth century." "In a new foreword, peace expert and teacher Sissela Bok urges us to adopt Gandhi's "attitude of experimenting. Of testing what will and will not bear close scrutiny, what can and cannot be adapted to new circumstances," in order to bring about change in our own lives and communities. Book jacket."--BOOK JACKET. In his classic autobiography Gandhi recounts the story of his life and how he developed his concept of active nonviolent resistance, which propelled the Indian struggle for independence and countless other nonviolent struggles of the twentieth century The Gandhis belong to the Bania caste and seem to have been originally grocers. But for three generations, from my grandfather, they have been Prime Ministers in several Kathiawad States.