Mahatma Gandhi was a man of faith and great conviction. Mohandas Gandhi, who most people know as Mahatma, meaning "Great Soul", dedicated much of his life to liberating his motherland by largely using peace and love rather than war and destruction. Gandhi founded Satyagraha, a new peaceful way of raising his voice. Gandhi was highly educated and helped the oppressed Indian community of South Africa. He invented a policy of nonviolent resistance called Satyagraha or "devotion to the truth." program known as swadeshi meaning "one's own country" to boycott British goods. Gandhi began a synchronized protest march against an unjust tax on salt, imposed on Indians by the British government. This march shook the establishment of British rule in India.Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 to a family of traders. He went to England to study law when he was 19. His fellow students avoided him because he was Indian. In London he read "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau, which had a huge influence on him (Ryan). In 1893 he took a job with an Indian law firm in Durban, South Africa. Gandhi was horrified by the treatment of Indian immigrants there and joined the fight to gain them basic rights. He used Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" or refusal to obey civil laws in an attempt to induce a change in government policy or legislation using nonviolent properties. During his 20 years in South Africa, he was sent to prison many times. In 1914, the South African government approved many of Gandhi's (Mohandas Gandhi) demands. When Gandhi returned to India, he was shocked to see the terrible conditions India faced under the British. This provoked him to publici...... middle of paper ......he never let himself be frightened by any challenge. He was a perfect example of an individual. He significantly influenced many people with his peaceful personality and even today people try to use him as a role model. Works Cited Bose, Mihir. "The Butcher of Amritsar." 55.10 (2005): 55-56. Network. November 28, 2009. .Franda, Marcus and Vonetta J. Franda. "Gandhi, Mahatma." Grolier multimedia encyclopedia. 2009. Grolier Online. November 24, 2009"Mohandas Gandhi (1869 - 1948)." BBC. BBC, Web. 29 November 2009. .Ryan, James. “Mohandas Gandhi.” (2005): 1-2. EBSCO. Network. November 22. 2009. .)