Mohandas Gandhi, 1869–1948. Gandhi was an Indian revolutionary religious leader who used his religious power for political and social reform. Although he held no governmental office, he was the prime mover in the struggle for independence of the world's second-largest nation. (© Corbis-Bettmann.)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869–1948) was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, India, on October 2, and led India to independence from Great Britain on August 15, 1947, by preaching and practicing nonviolent resistance. After studying jurisprudence at University College, London, Gandhi began practicing law in Durban, South Africa, in 1893. It was here that he started his political career by fighting discrimination against Indians. Following World War I he returned to India and became involved with the Indian National Congress and the movement for national independence. He was repeatedly imprisoned for his use of civil disobedience, fasting, and boycotts as methods of social reform. In addition to his nonviolent opposition to Western...