Printed and Published by - M. K. Gandhi

1 Specially Prepared for Use in Indian SchoolsTHE story OF MY LIFEBYM. K. GANDHIA bridged and Simplified with Topics for EssaysbyBharatan KumarappaNAVAJIVAN PUBLISHING HOUSEAHMEDABAD-380 014 Navajivan Trust, 1955 First Edition, July 1955 This reprint, 15,000 Copies, December 2000 Total : 2,26,000 CopiesThe price of this book issubsidised by Navajivan 81-7229-055-1 Printed and Published byJitendra T. DesaiNavajivan Mudranalaya,Ahmedabad-380 014iiiINTRODUCTIONIt is not my purpose to attempt a real autobiography or story of mylife. I simply want to tell the story of my numerous experiments withtruth, and as my life consists of nothing but those experiments, the storywill take the shape of an autobiography.

2 My experiments in the politicalfield are now known. But I should certainly like to narrate my experi-ments in the spiritual field which are known only to myself, and fromwhich I have derived such power as I possess for working in thepolitical field. The experiments I am about to relate are spiritual, orrather moral; for the essence of religion is those matters of religion that can be understood as much bychildren as by older people, will be included in this story . If I cannarrate them in a dispassionate and humble spirit many other experi-ments will .. obtain from them help in their onward Ashram, Sabarmati,M.

3 K. Gandhi26th November, 1925ivEDITOR'S NOTEG andhiji's Autobiography* and his Satyagraha in South Africa+, aspublished in English, run into almost 1000 pages. An abridgement++ ofthese two into a single volume of 283 pages was Published in 1952 bythe Navajivan Trust. A request was recently received for a still smallerversion for use in our schools. This book has been specially prepared tomeet the which are not likely to be of much interest to school childrenhave been omitted, and the language has been simplified where for essays and discussions have been suggested at the end ofmost of the chapters.

4 They have been framed to suit both higher andlower classes. Teachers may select from them the questions which arewithin the capacity of their pupils to tackle. An interesting period maybe spent by the class discussing together one or other of the moredifficult topics, and then in another period the pupils may be asked towrite an essay on the , 1955 Bharatan Kumarappa* Published by Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad-380 014, price Rs. 20,Popular Edn.+ Published by Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad-380 014, price Rs. 15++ i. e. Gandhiji's Autobiography [Abridged], price Rs. 10vPUBLISHER'S NOTEIn this reprint of the book, Grammar Exercises framed by Dr.

5 C. have been omitted as they had been framed according to sylla-buses which have been greatly changed now-a-days. Topics for essaysand discussions have been placed chapterwise at the end of the book was originally prepared for use in our schools. The pub-lisher is happy to note that, owing to recent resurgence of interest inGandhiji, this book has been prescribed as one of the text-books forcertain general knowledge examinations by some voluntary educationalorganizations. Hence it is expected that this reprint will have a widerarea of utility than the one that was originally intended for , 1984viCONTENTSC hapterPageINTRODUCTIONiiiEDITOR'S NOTEivPUBLISHER S NOTEvPART I : CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH1 BIRTH AND PARENTAGE12AT SCHOOL23 MARRIAGE74A TRAGIC FRIENDSHIP85 STEALING116MY FATHER S ILLNESS AND DEATH137 GLIMPSES OF RELIGION148 PREPARATION FOR ENGLAND159ON BOARD THE SHIP18 PART II : IN ENGLAND AS STUDENT10IN LONDON2111 PLAYING THE ENGLISH GENTLEMAN2212 CHANGES2513 SHYNESS MY SHIELD2814 ACQUAINTANCE WITH RELIGIONS28 PART III.

6 IN INDIA AS BARRISTER15 BACK IN INDIA3016 THE FIRST SHOCK32 PART IV : IN SOUTH AFRICA17 ARRIVAL IN SOUTH AFRICA3518TO PRETORIA3619 FIRST DAY IN PRETORIA4220 GETTING ACQUAINTED WITHTHE INDIAN PROBLEM4321 THE CASE4522 MAN PROPOSES, GOD DISPOSES4523 THE 3 TAX46 PART V : VISIT TO INDIA24IN INDIA48 PART VI : BACK IN SOUTH AFRICA25 STORMY ARRIVAL IN SOUTH AFRICA4926 SIMPLE LIFE53vii27A RECOLLECTION AND A PENANCE5528 THE BOER WAR5629 COSTLY GIFTS57 PART VII : BACK IN INDIA30MY FIRST CONGRESS5831IN BOMBAY60 PART VIII : IN SOUTH AFRICA AGAIN32IN SOUTH AFRICA AGAIN6033 STUDY OF THE GITA6134 THE MAGIC SPELL OF A BOOK6235 THE PHOENIX SETTLEMENT6336 THE ZULU REBELLION6337 KASTURBA S COURAGE6438 DOMESTIC SATYAGRAHA6639 THE ADVENT OF SATYAGRAHA6640 IMPRISONMENT6841 ASSAULT6842 RESUMPTION OF SATYAGRAHA7143 THE TRIUMPH OF SATYAGRAHA73 PART IX : IN INDIA AND FOUNDING OF THE ASHRAM44IN POONA7445 FOUNDING OF THE ASHRAM77 PART X : CHAMPARAN46 THE STAIN OF INDIGO7847 THE STAIN REMOVED80 PART XI : AHMEDABAD LABOUR48IN TOUCH WITH LABOUR81 PART XII : THE KHEDA SATYAGRAHA49 THE KHEDA SATYAGRAHA8250 NEAR DEATH S DOOR84 PART XIII.

7 THE ROWLATT ACT AND ENTRANCE INTO POLITICS51 THE ROWLATT ACT86 PART XIV : THE BIRTH OF KHADI52 THE BIRTH OF KHADI8953 FAREWELL90 TOPICS FOR ESSAYS92viii I have nothing new to teach the and non-violence are as old as hills. M. K. GandhiA1My father, Karamchand Gandhi ,was Prime Minister in was a lover of his clan, truth-ful, brave and generous, but never had any ambition toaccumulate riches and left us verylittle had no education. At best, hemight be said to have read up tothe fifth Gujarati standard. Of his-tory and geography he was inno-cent. But his rich experience ofpractical affairs stood him in goodstead in the solution of the mostintricate questions and in managinghundreds of men.

8 Of religioustraining he had very little, but hehad that kind of religious culturewhich frequent visits to templesand listening to religious dis-courses make available to outstanding impression mymother has left on my memory isthat of saintliness. She was deeplyreligious. She would not think oftaking her meals without her dailyprayers. Going to Haveli theVaishnava temple was one of herdaily duties. As far as my memorycan go back, I do not rememberher having ever missed theChaturmas. She would take thehardest vows and keep them what-ever happened.

9 Illness was no ex-cuse for relaxing them. I can recallher once falling ill when she wasPART I : CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH1. BIRTH AND PARENTAGEThe house at Porbandar2observing the Chandrayana vow,but the illness was not allowed tocome in the way of the obser-vance. To keep two or three fastsone after another was nothing toher. Living on one meal a day dur-ing Chaturmas was a habit withher. Not content with that shefasted every other day during oneChaturmas. During anotherChaturmas she vowed not to havefood without seeing the sun. Wechildren on those days wouldstand, staring at the sky, waiting toannounce the appearance of thesun to our mother.

10 Everyoneknows that at the height of therainy season the sun often does notshow his face. And I rememberdays when, at his sudden appear-ance, we would rush and announceit to her. She would run out to seewith her own eyes, but by thattime the sun would be gone, thusdepriving her of her meal. Thatdoes not matter, she would saycheerfully, God did not want meto eat today. And then she wouldreturn to her round of mother had strong commonsense. She was well informedabout all matters of these parents I was born atPorbandar, otherwise known asSudamapuri, on the 2nd AT SCHOOLI passed my childhood inPorbandar.