With the historic entry of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi into India’s national movement in 1915, Indian nationalism witnessed an unprecedented surge in its mass base and popularity, giving birth to genuine mass nationalism. Gandhian nationalism was never confined merely to achieving political independence for India. This unique ideology presented a revolutionary new philosophy for comprehensive economic, religious, cultural, and social transformation. .
Political freedom was only the first step. Gandhi wove the vision of this holistic revolution on the spinning wheel of non-violence (Ahimsa) with the threads of truth (Satya). In Gandhi’s revolutionary Khadi-based society, there was no place for industrial, political, or religious capitalism. The only authentic **Gandhian path** to reach such a society was Satyagraha — the force of truth and soul-power.
Although Mahatma Gandhi regarded Gopal Krishna Gokhale as his political guru, he was ideologically close to Bal Gangadhar Tilak as well. He was neither a moderate like Gokhale nor did he abandon the spirit of social reform championed by Tilak. Gandhi masterfully blended both traditions, laying the foundation of original principles and political experiments that earned him the titles Mahatma and epoch-making personality.
His principles of truth and non-violence (Ahimsa) gave India’s deeply religious masses a powerful weapon that satisfied traditional sentiments while transforming them into politically conscious citizens. Very soon, Gandhi’s ideas evolved into a full-fledged ideology — Gandhian nationalism — that, though not formally religious, was as emotionally powerful as religion itself.
Background to Mahatma Gandhi’s Emergence as National Leader
How First World War (1914–18) Created Conditions for Gandhian Nationalism
The First World War created perfect conditions for Gandhi’s rise as the undisputed leader of the Indian freedom struggle. Indian nationalism had matured and grown stronger. Nationalists expected major political rewards after the war and were ready to fight if betrayed.
Post-war economic crisis worsened everything: skyrocketing inflation, unemployment, factory closures, heavy taxation, droughts, and epidemics. The 1921 census revealed that 12 lakh to 1.3 crore Indians died in the 1918–19 famine and influenza pandemic. Every section — peasants, workers, artisans, industrialists — suffered intensely.
Shattering of British Myth of Superiority
The Great War destroyed the myth of British military and cultural superiority. Fierce wartime propaganda exposed European barbarity in colonies, eroding fear of the white man forever.
Global Rise of Anti-Colonial Nationalism
The war ignited anti-imperialist nationalism across Asia and Africa. Promises of self-determination made at the Paris Peace Conference were shamelessly broken, radicalising millions.
Impact of Russian October Revolution (1917)
Lenin’s Bolshevik Revolution electrified the colonised world. By granting freedom to Tsarist colonies and renouncing imperial rights in China, Soviet Russia proved that ordinary people could overthrow empires — a lesson that deeply influenced India’s freedom fighters.
Anti-Government Sentiment and the Rowlatt Act Protest
Strong anti-British feelings surged across India. The repressive Rowlatt Act (1919) — passed despite wartime promises of democracy — became the spark. Nationwide resentment exploded into the first major anti-Rowlatt Satyagraha, where Mahatma Gandhi formally took charge of the Indian National Movement.
Having perfected Satyagraha and non-cooperation against racism in South Africa, Gandhi now deployed these weapons against British rule in India.
Early Life of Mahatma Gandhi: Birth of a Global Icon
Born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat, in a deeply religious Vaishnava family influenced by Jainism, Hinduism, and Islam, young Mohandas showed little sign of future greatness. Yet his upbringing in an atmosphere of Ahimsa and religious harmony shaped his core values.
In London (1888–91), exposure to the Bhagavad Gita , Buddhist texts, Christian Sermon on the Mount, and Carlyle’s writings on Prophet Muhammad ignited his spiritual and moral awakening. Later in South Africa, Tolstoy, Ruskin, and Thoreau completed the making of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy.
Gandhi in South Africa (1893–1914): Birth of Satyagraha Movement
Gandhi’s 21 transformative years in South Africa laid the foundation of Gandhian nationalism.
Facing extreme racial discrimination — thrown off a train at Pietermaritzburg, ordered to remove his turban in court — Gandhi evolved from a moderate petitioner to a revolutionary.
Key Milestones in South Africa:
- 1894: Founded Natal Indian Congress
- 1904: Launched newspaper Indian Opinion
- 1906: Took vow of Satyagraha against Asiatic Registration Act
- 1907–08: First large-scale non-violent resistance
- 1913: Historic march with 2,000+ workers, women, and children
- Established Phoenix Settlement and Tolstoy Farm
South Africa gave Gandhi a laboratory to perfect Satyagraha, train disciplined volunteers, and prove that non-violence could defeat injustice.
Gandhi’s Political Philosophy and Ideology
Core Pillars of Gandhian Nationalism:
- Ahimsa (Non-violence) as the highest religion
- Satyagraha— soul-force or truth-force
- Swaraj — not just political independence, but self-rule at individual and community level
- Sarvodaya— welfare of all
- Swadeshi and Khadi — economic self-reliance
- Trusteeship — ethical capitalism
- Ram Rajya— ideal moral governance
In his seminal book Hind Swaraj (1909), Gandhi launched a powerful critique of modern industrial civilisation and presented an alternative vision rooted in India’s ancient spiritual heritage.
He declared:
“Real home rule is self-rule… India’s salvation lies in unlearning what she has learnt in the last fifty years.”
Why Did Mahatma Gandhi Become Immensely Popular?
- All-India network built through South Africa Indians
- Simple lifestyle: third-class travel, loincloth, village Hindi
- Use of religious symbols (Ram Rajya, Bhajans)
- Rumours turned him into a living saint and messiah
- Inclusive leadership uniting Hindus, Muslims, peasants, workers, women
- Controlled yet mass-based movements
By 1920, Gandhi had transformed the elite-dominated Congress into a powerful mass organisation.
How Gandhi Transformed Early Congress Politics
Before Gandhi, the Indian National Congress was limited to urban educated elites. After 1915, Gandhi united moderates and extremists,adopted Swaraj as the goal, and used Satyagraha and religious idioms to mobilise millions.
His banyan-tree-like leadership embraced every caste, class, and community, making Gandhian nationalism the defining force of India’s freedom struggle.