Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), known as ΓÇ£MahatmaΓÇ¥ (Great Soul), was born in Porbandar and studied in London, where he passed the bar. He then settled in South Africa, where he became a leader in the Indian opposition against discrimination. In 1914, he returned to India to lead the Indian National Congress.
The 200-mile march to the sea near Dandi signaled GandhiΓÇÖs rebellion against British hegemony. The march was held in protest of the tax on salt production, but the larger objective was Indian self-sufficiency -- symbolized by the (illegal) harvest of salt from the sea. The action heralded a nationwide civil disobedience campaign, which despite GandhiΓÇÖs insistence on peaceful protest, led to the outbreak of riots. Over 60,000 Indians were jailed, including Gandhi himself.
The British did leave India in 1948, but internal strife led to a violent separation of the nation into two separate states, India and Pakistan. In a desperate attempt to force his people to reconcile, Gandhi began a hunger strike. Then on January 30, 1948, Gandhi was assassinated on his way to a prayer session by a Hindu fanatic.
