A Re-Examination of the Sources of Gandhi's Satyagraha

A Re-examination of the sources of Gandhi's Satyagraha

and its significance in the Indian Liberation movement

Perhaps one of the most eminent figures in the history of India, Mohandas K. Gandhi, also known as the Mahatma, or "The Great Soul", was the spiritual and practical founder of active non-violent resistance, a concept called Satyagraha. Also known as Ð'ÐŽÐ'osoul-forceÐ'ÐŽÐ'± or Ð'ÐŽÐ'otruth-forceÐ'ÐŽÐ'±, Gandhi developed this revolutionary technique as a method of gaining political and social reforms against the injustices experienced by Indians under British Colonial rule. For most of his life, Gandhi devoted himself to perfecting the Satyagraha technique, teaching it to his followers and applying it in every kind of conflict that he ever encountered.

In this following paper, we will be examining the underlying sources of Gandhi's Satyagraha, where he drew inspiration for his philosophies on non-violence, and finally, we will take a look at the application of Satyagraha in terms of the Indian liberation.

The Roots of Ð'ÐŽÐ'®SatyagrahaÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ї

The word Satyagraha is derived from the Sanskrit words "sat" which means "truth" and "agraha", meaning "firmnessÐ'ÐŽÐ'±, giving meaning to what Gandhi liked to call Ð'ÐŽÐ'oholding on to truthÐ'ÐŽÐ'± or Ð'ÐŽÐ'osoul-force (Easwaran, 48). As Gandhi explains in his autobiography, the principles of Satyagraha came into existence long before the actual term was conceived. Therefore it is important to note that Satyagraha was no overnight revelation but the result of an ongoing collection of philosophies and ideals taken in from various sources throughout GandhiÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs experiences.

GandhiÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs philosophy on Satyagraha primarily stems from his association with two ancient religions, Hinduism and Jainism. Growing up in a region where both these religions were widely practiced, Gandhi gained exposure to their ways and principles early on in life (Arnold, 33). Core to both these religions, is the belief for reverence for all forms of life. From this stems the concept of ahimsa - which Gandhi places at the very heart of Satyagraha.

Ahimsa, a Sanskrit word, implies the avoidance of any injury (Ð'ÐŽÐ'®himsaÐ'ÐŽÐ'Ї) which conceptually means the act of being non-violent. While it may sound like a relatively simple and straightforward idea, as Gandhi explains, its true meaning implies something far more profound.

Literally speaking, ahimsa means non-violence towards most life. But to me it has much higher, infinitely higher meaning. It means that you may not offend anybody; you may not harbor uncharitable thought, even in connection with those who consider your enemies. To one who follows this doctrine, there are no enemies (Wikepedia.org).

According to Gandhi, the concept of ahimsa is not simply the mere avoidance of violence, which is the Ð'ÐŽÐ'oleast expressionÐ'ÐŽÐ'± of the term, but it involves Ð'ÐŽÐ'othe largest loveÐ'ÐŽÐ'±-love for oneÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs enemy, which makes ahimsa such an integral part of Satyagraha (Tercheck 186).

Another thing that had a profound impact on GandhiÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs philosophies was his personal experiences with Brahmacharya, the Sanskrit word for the practice of celibacy. After completing his family, and several years before the conception of Satyagraha, Gandhi took this oath at the age of thirty-seven, to signify a total commitment to his own personal discipline and his pursuit for truth. In his autobiography, Gandhi states, Ð'ÐŽÐ'oSo long as I was the slave of lust my faithfulness was worth nothingÐ'ÐŽÐ'± (Gandhi, 172.) To Gandhi, overcoming the passions of lust was essential to all noble thought and action and he goes on to explain that Ð'ÐŽÐ'obrahamacharya lies in the protection of the body, the mind and the soul (Gandhi, 174).Ð'ÐŽÐ'± Although unknown to him at that time, Gandhi accredits brahamacharya for secretly paving the way for his views of Satyagraha. As the movement developed in South Africa, Gandhi began to see the correlation between brahamacharya and its role in the concept of non-violence. To Gandhi, brahmacharya held an important connection with a manÐ'ÐŽÐ'Їs ability to remain non-violent, for the practice required enormous amounts of strength and self-control. As Satyagraha developed, Gandhi began to argue this point increasingly, quoting:

Chastity is one of the greatest disciplines without which the mind cannot attain requisite firmness. A man who is unchaste loses stamina, becomes emasculated and cowardly. He whose mind is given over to animal passions is not capable of any effort (Brown 86).

While these religious elements may seem to lie at the core of Satyagraha, it might come as a surprise to many to hear that Gandhi drew a great deal of inspiration for his thoughts on Satyagraha through his encounters with western thought as well. Amongst European writers and thinkers who have influenced his ideals, the most significant one was the Russian author, Leo Tolstoy.

During his personal studies, Gandhi first encountered Tolstoy while reading his Christian text The Kingdom of God is Within You. In the book, (which was previously banned in Russia for a year), Tolstoy condemned the modern state in Russia as unnecessary and aggressive, and proposed that a true Kingdom could be