An Autobiography summary

Many people go through a rebellious phase during their teenage years, and though it might surprise you, Gandhi was no different.

Indeed, while Gandhi was already a morally minded young man, he still experimented with a range of bad behavior during high school.

Gandhi’s experiences during his high school years were already beginning to shape his future beliefs about things like vegetarianism, celibacy and nonviolence. Following his graduation from high school in 1887, his education continued after a friend suggested he study law at London’s University College. After all, becoming a lawyer would help ensure that he could maintain his family’s esteemed status.

The decision to go to school in England wasn’t made lightly, however. His mother wasn’t sure it was a good idea, since the culture there would certainly provide him with many temptations in the form of women, food and alcohol. To strengthen his resolve, Gandhi made a sacred vow, with the help of a monk, to abstain from women, meat and wine.

Alas, Gandhi's return home was not a happy one, as he soon found out that his mother had died while he’d been at university. Naturally, he was devastated by this news.

There was, however, one small piece of good news awaiting his return. There’d been a major division among his caste, causing it to split in two, with one side willing to welcome him back into the fold.

In Pretoria, Gandhi’s experiences of racism and segregation were already informing his study of the conditions of oppression. These were the early days of what would become a lifelong fight for justice; at the same time, Gandhi was also finding his feet as a lawyer, an activist and a leader.

In his first big case, he represented a Muslim merchant who was suing another merchant over a fraudulent transaction.

Gandhi had assumed that he’d be heading back home once his case in Pretoria wrapped up. But another case in southern Africa caught his attention, this time in the Republic of Natal.

In 1893, legislation was enacted that stripped Indians living in Natal of their right to elect members to the country’s legislative assembly.

In 1897, Gandhi returned to Natal, and this time he brought his family with him. Unlike the novice lawyer who’d left India years before, he was now an established leader of the Indian community throughout southern Africa.

This newfound role didn’t come without its dangers, however. Enraged by press reports of Gandhi’s efforts for change, a group of young white men tried to lynch him in the streets of Natal, though he managed to escape unharmed.

Thanks to his time with Gokhale, his tour of India and his years of study, Gandhi’s experiences and observations were coalescing into a philosophy that would come to define his life and legacy.

At the core of this philosophy was his unwavering belief in nonviolence, or ahimsa.

In his mid-thirties, Gandhi settled in Bombay, with the images and experiences of his recent tour still fresh in his mind. But it wasn’t long before his friends in South Africa were calling him back to help with the ongoing fight for equality.

Indeed, thanks to his legal efforts and leadership in uniting South African Indians of all religions and classes, Gandhi was by this time an established leader with devout followers.

Amid his continued progress in South Africa, a series of events began to unfold that had Gandhi seeking the solace of his home in India.

In 1914, Gandhi sought to reunite with his mentor, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who was staying in England. But two days before he was to reach London, WWI broke out and, along with it, much chaos.

They say that it’s always darkest before the dawn, and that was certainly true in the case of India and its path to independence.

Following his return to India, Gandhi was given a position of exclusive executive authority on behalf of the Indian National Congress, and he used this platform to further promote the ongoing Indian Independence Movement.