Mohandas Gandhi: Experiments in Civil Disobedience

Lawyer, activist, politician, political prisoner, nationalist, and advocate for nonviolent civil disobedience, Mohandas Gandhi is by far the most iconic figure of Indian nationalism. He remains an inspirational individual worldwide today, and, particularly in his role as an apostle of non-violence, even become a pop culture figure. Yet his real life was far more complex and enigmatic than his popular image might suggest—in India he was supported by businessmen and landlords as well as the poor, the British derided him as an anarchist, and socialists condemned him as a “mascot of the bourgeoisie.” Today, his ideas are championed or challenged by similarly diverse groups.
 
In this contemporary critical introduction to Gandhi’s life, Talat Ahmed situates him within his cultural and historical context, exploring the nuanced reality behind the historical icon. She engages with contemporary debates about Gandhi’s ideas on non-violence, direct action, and other strategies for social change, examining their relevance to contemporary struggles. In so doing, she challenges the deification of Gandhi even as she acknowledges his importance to South Asian—and global—politics and culture.