Ghandi - Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #037

by Bhikhu C. Parekh

Ghandi - Very Short Introduction (97) by Parekh, Bhikhu [Paperback (2001)]

Genres: Biography, History, India, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Religion, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Bhikhu Chotalal Parekh is an eminent political theorist in Britain and an active member in the House of Lords. During his tenure, he has contributed immensely towards societal changes that were once a major cause of concern to Britain's culture in the early 70's.

He was born in a small hamlet known as Amalsad in the state of Gujarat to a middle class family. He enrolled into Mumbai University to earn his degree and masters before Bhiku went on to pursue his studies from London School of Economics. He completed his Ph.D. in the year 1966.

He has pioneered many concepts on multiculturalism, collective rights and responsibility and other socio-cultural issues that have influenced the governance in UK. Commonly addressed as Lord Bhiku, he has worked to bring about a noninterventionist and tolerant political view where people of different ethnicities could live in harmony. It was through his ideologies and his unrelenting dedication towards his work that he managed to bring a significant understanding of Indian culture on a global platform. During his lifetime, he has been conferred with a number of awards such as the Sir Isaiah Berlin Prize, Distinguished Global Thinker Award, Padma Bhushan, etc. by many international forums.

Reviews

[Christopher Belnap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gandhi: A Very Short Introduction reflects on the life of one who was as revolutionary and spiritual as he was provocative and abrasive to the status quo. The book is split up into mainly three categories: Gandhi’s view on religion, his view on human nature, and his view on politics. The book dives mostly into his view on politics and how he became the first politically significant figure who achieved the freedom of his people through non-violent means. His detractors say that he, “hindered the development of radical political movements…burdened the Indian psyche with a sense of guilt about economic development…and perpetuated unrealistic ideas about human sexuality” (p. 111). His admirers vehemently oppose such claims and say that he, “was a man of both thought and action….he discovered a uniquely moral method of political change…and offered a rare example of morally responsible leadership” (p. 111). I was personally moved by much of what I learned about Gandhi even though there were most certainly aspects of his ideas that I disagree with. I was most moved by what he said regarding law and how it should be neither partisan in nature, nor discriminatory to any race, gender, or religious persuasion. It made me think about how a man of such integrity is needed in our current political climate here in America. I also want to strive to be that true to my personal views and ideas. Gandhi was a man who despite shortcomings that plague all creatures, was without guile and strove to act in the morally best interests of all those involved. Gandhi while not known for his rhetoric, was a master at communication and eliciting responses from people through non-violent, non-coercive means of persuasion. He did this through fasting and through one-on-one interactions. He did this in court by telling the judge what sentence he deserves due to the law and the actions he took that were not supported by the law, which received an emotive response from the judge who said that he cannot wait until the law no longer requires that such a man be put in jail. Mahatma Gandhi sealed his legacy through his martyrdom, the cruel juxtaposition of a man who preached non-violence all his life being murdered at gunpoint was enough to ascend this man into the upper echelon of world-renowned spiritual and political figures.

[Manvendra Shekhawat · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the "Gandhi" volumes by Mr Guha, i thought I had a pretty good understanding about the "Mahatma" & hence thought it would have been pointless to read a very short introduction about him. I couldn't have been more wrong. This book is different from the biographical accounts written on Gandhi. The life of Gandhi is discussed in just one chapter. The rest of the book deals with his Philosophy/ideas/thoughts. 'Introduction to Gandhi's philosophy' would have been a much suited title according to me. It would be advisable to have some prior knowledge about Gandhi before reading this book.

For me the importance of Gandhi's ideas will continue to rise. His thoughts on protests/satyagraha are eye opening. A must read for those who love Gandhi and even for those who hate Gandhi, this book has deep insights and will make you question your beliefs about the man and also about our nation & religion.

[Daniel Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're anything like me, your knowledge of Gandhi is probably a disorganised mess. This book provides an excellent remedy.

Chapter 1: Life and work
Chapter 2: Religious thought
Chapter 3: Human nature
Chapter 4: Satyāgraha
Chapter 5: Critique of modernity
Chapter 6: The vision of a non-violent society
Chapter 7: Critical appreciation

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the best Very Short Introductions I've read. The author did an excellent job distilling Gandhis life and philosophy to around 140 pages. I discovered that I need to read more books about or by Gandhi. I agree with approximately 75% of his political and "spiritual" views. His views on human dignity, non-violence, non-compulsion, and the importance of agency all strike a chord with me.

[Mohit Dhanjani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and simple short introduction of a very influential person whose thoughts and ideas have been distorted today. It is worth reading just so get a high level overview of what really satyāgraha, ekprajā and other major terms associated with Gandhi really means.
It also present a powerful perspective of Gandhi regarding the State. It should give clarity to those who get confused as to why Gandhi was so "romantic" towards villages as unit for development.

[Tim Jurgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit - I am rather ignorant when it comes to the life and philosophy of Gandhi - so I started this book not even knowing what I didn’t know about him.

That said - this book provided a wonderfully accessible, organized, and informative introduction to one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. I’m sure, due to its brevity, it fails to do complete justice to the man himself - nevertheless, it does a good job of presenting a balanced view, both highlighting Gandhi’s strengths and contributions yet also some of the enduring critiques and criticisms of him and his praxis.

In any case, I’m walking away inspired by the remarkable man and his passionate non-violent vision of life and humanity and our collective future. This book beckons me to research him more and it challenges me to consider my own social and political responsibility to be an agent for a more just, peaceful, and equitable world where all people can belong without the threat of violence.

Two big things (among many) that I was struck with:

The first is something I’ve been wrestling a lot with lately, and it is the notion that insight is meaningless without integration. We can read all we want about any subject or idea, we can amass lots of knowledge about spiritual ideas, philosophical theories, and psychological constructs - but this does us absolutely no good unless we can translate such insight into embodied and integrated praxis in our day to day lives. If we don’t bother with integration then why do we bother with gaining insight? Reading about Gandhi, Im inspired because to me he exemplifies a life of such intentional integration. He allowed the ideas he built his life upon, the notions he spent years contemplating to actually take root in the manner in which he showed up in the world and the manner in which he engaged himself, others and the world he found himself in. In short: his insight informed his action. To me this is a sign of true integrity. He reminds me that our contemplation means nothing without action.

Second: is his notion of satyagraha. Lately I’ve felt deeply concerned with the state of our world. Socially and politically the violence and polarity and dissension is alarming and overwhelming. I’ve struggled to know how to practically soften people’s dogmatism, fanaticism, and fear that drives such polarization. I’ve struggled to fathom how to actually bring people together, to see each others shared humanity, and how to cocreate a world where all people get to be human. Gandhis integration of theory and praxis in his well known notion of satyagrah to me serves as one profound example of catalyzing social and political change in manner that protects human dignity first and foremost and that actually accomplishes change in the name of love, peace, justice, and equality. It is something I want to study and learn more about.

————

Quote:

“Thanks to his passionate commitment to a non-violent vision of human life, Gandhi challenged conventional wisdom, broke through traditional categories of thought, stretched the boundaries of imagination in all areas of life, and opened up new philosophical and practical possibilities. Gandhi’s questions demand answers. And if we reject his answers, as we are bound to do in several cases, we need to provide alternative answers. He requires us to think afresh about things we have long taken for granted, and therein lies his greatest contribution and true originality.”

[Barksdale Penick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short introduction to the life of Gandhi, about whom I know very little. It was fascinating to read of his fusion of various religious traditions into his own synthesis which underlay his nonviolence. He believed that violence and evil could be overcome by goodness and purity. The author does a great job of explaining this aspect of Gandhi, but also points out the shortcomings--sometimes evil is purely evil and will not be touched by goodness. Later in life Gandhi recognized that violence is sometimes necessary, such as when he supported sending troops to Kashmir during Muslim-Hindu violence.

Gandhi wrote and expressed views on an astonishing variety of topics. I was interested in his critique of capitalism which he felt degraded the human soul by pitting all in competition with each other, but he thought communism was worse because of its constricting of individuality. He felt that no person should be allowed to fully control great wealth or assets, in large because he recognized that any individual's achievements are based in significant part upon the existence of society and thus in some sense the actions of all, which reminded of the analysis on Ta-Nehisi Coates in Between the World and Me in discussing the case for reparations to African Americans because much of today's family wealth was built on the backs of slavery . This was all lucid and persuasive, but his proposals for a better way are hardly convincing and the author does an excellent job of explaining this.

This book also briefly sets forth the course of Gandhi's life--how he lived a fairly conventional life until he was about 30 and living in South Africa and began working against the treatment of blacks. He was of course instrumental in India's path to independence, although he was unable to put a stop to the Muslim-Hindu violence which led to the partition of India and Pakistan.

Gandhi believed that each individual must be allowed and motivated to seek self fulfillment, through their own unique path. He believed that one must rise about worldly passions, including sex. To test himself, he arranged to have a series of young maidens to sleep naked with him, without allowing any contact (it probably wasn't a large bed), and this was it seems well publicized. He had a great eye for the press and used publicity in most of his campaigns.

Gandhi had remarkable insight into human nature and societies, but never lost sight of trying to live the most spiritual and thoughtful life possible, apparently without ever becoming pompous or self righteous. The book ends with a quote from Einstein, who said something like this: One day the world will hardly believe that a man such as Gandhi ever walked upon it.

I am sure there are longer and deeper books about Gandhi, but this one is terrific.

[Sandra Ardnas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb introduction to the life, work and thought of Mahatma Gandhi, covering a lot in 140 pages with considerable depth. Parekh starts with a brief overview of Gandhi's life, devotes most of the book to a variety of his ideas (human nature, our position in and relation to nature, cosmic spirit, views on modern society, industrialization, various forms of political government, social justice, to name a few) and how they shaped his activism and the practice of satyāgraha, and concludes with Gandhi's legacy and main strengths and weaknesses of his thought.

"Thanks to his passionate commitment to a non-violent vision of human life, Gandhi challenged conventional wisdom, broke through traditional categories of thought, stretched the boundaries of imagination in all areas of life, and opened up new philosophical and practical possibilities. Gandhi’s questions demand answers. And if we reject his answers, as we are bound to do in several cases, we need to provide alternative answers. He requires us to think afresh about things we have long taken for granted, and therein lies his greatest contribution and true originality."

I couldn't agree more.

[Tõnu Vahtra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gandhi was the Jesus Christ of 20th Century to change the world through non-violence. He was a generally very rational man with comprehensive worldview (tackling moral, religious, political, social, economic and cultural fronts in parallel). Majority of his wisdom is ageless and relevant also today except his hostility towards modern civilizations and technologies and implementing his traditional economic views would lead t conflict with his other principles. He believed very strongly that violence is never a solution to anything.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

“God has no religion.”

“Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.”

[Tuangchok Jalikula · Rating 4 out of 5]

คานธี หนึ่งในบุคคลสำคัญทางประวัติศาสตร์ของอินเดีย ชายผู้สร้างชาติอินเดีย ชายผู้ได้รับเสนอชื่อเข้ารับรางวัลโนเบลสาขาสันติภาพ และบุคคลสำคัญที่โลกต้องจดจำ การต่อสู้ด้วยวิธีสันติ บทบาทและการกระทำที่ขัดขืนอย่างสันติ หรือที่เรียกว่าอหิงสา หนังสือเล่มนี้ได้ถ่ายทอดมูลเหตุและอัตชีวประวัติที่นำมาสู้การต่อสู้อย่างหัวเด็ดตีนขาด ซึ่งด้วยวิธีการของคานธีแล้วเขาพยายามที่จะปกป้องแม้เลือดหยดเดียวมิให้หยดไหล แต่การต่อสู้ย่อมเป็นการต่อสู้ เมื่อเรานึกถึงคานธี เรามักจะนึกถึงการต่อสู้ของเขา แต่ที่หนังสือเล่มนี้ถ่ายทอดการต่อผู้อ่านคือคานธีประสบอะไรมาบ้างในชีวิต และเขาค้นพบเป้าประสงค์แห่งการปลดแอกอินเดียได้อย่างไร ที่ไหน และด้วยวิธีการอะไร

มาวันนี้สำหรับผู้สนใจศึกษาอัตชีวประวัติบุคคลสำคัญอย่างคานธีอยู่แล้วเราอาจจะไม่สงสัยนักว่าคานธีทำไมจึงเป็นดาวเด่นแห่งการต่อสู้เรียกร้องสิทธิเสรีภาพ แต่สำหรับผู้ที่สนใจประวัติของท่านไม่ว่าจะศึกษามาก่อนแล้ว หรือสนใจอยู่บ้างแต่ไม่ได้รู้เรื่องท่านเท่าใดนัก หนังสือ คานธี: ความรู้ฉบับพกพาเล่มนี้ จะไม่ทำให้ท่านผิดหวังอย่างแน่นอน

[Liz Kendall]

Dense for quite some time but more organized and detailed in the latter half. I enjoyed learning more about Gandhi's visions and ideals and particularly appreciated these two selections:

"Modern man, Gandhi went on, spent most of his energy trying to steady himself in a hostile and unstable environment. He had neither the inclination nor the ability to slow down the tempo of his life, be alone with himself, look inwards, reflect on his pattern of life, and nurture the inner springs of energy."

"Gandhi's advantages were also his disadvantages. Since he largely concentrated on the darker side of modern civilization, he overlooked some of its great achievements and strengths. And since he saw it from the outside, he oversimplified it and failed to appreciate its complex structure and the full range and depth of its moral vision."

[Karl Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Ghandi: A Very Short Introduction was a well thought out book. Although a short introduction to his life, it was very descriptive of Gandhi himself. I enjoyed reading about his personal development and the development of his inquisitive religion and ideals. The book was also very subjective of individual good in each person. This was a belief of Gandhi's but the Author also considered contrasting his beliefs against that of Evil, the existence of which refuted Gandhi's claims. I agreed somewhat between both views so this has started a welcome internal discussion in me. It worth the read but four stars for being a little dry after the first chapter.

[Santosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short Introudction - Series. (VSI)
This is my 2nd book of this Oxford university presss - VSI.;

It's scholarly writing.

I am looking for some small in size and accessible biography of Gandhi. I intend to develop a course on "personal effectiveness and Leadership" - Focusing on Gandhi life. Hence I am reading about Gandhi. I read Ram Guha's monumental Gandhi Biography (1650 Pages). It is indepth, however will be difficult to assign as a reading as Gandhi Biography. So I am looking for smaller in size, accessible for anyone to read about Gandhi life.

If you are aware do share .

[Chatgemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being an Indian, and a fan over the years, I always felt that I had a very good understanding of what Mahatma Gandhi was all about. However, I must confess - this book laid bare my gaps of knowledge about Gandhi in a very big way. The author has indeed done a good job of selecting some important issues that mattered to Gandhiji and analyzed them very well. And that too, in a big of just 120 odd pages. Great job.

[As3 Na70 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was about to rate this book three stars, had I not remembered that it did promise a “short” introduction and not the complete one on Gandhi. Still I wish the author put two main points on how Gandhi was not at all celebrated in South Africa and on his unethical experiments on celibacy. I do appreciate the succinct summaries of Gandhi’s philosophy which I might struggle with had I picked a more thorough book on it.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A balanced short study of Gandhi's life and thought. Parekh provides a quick biography of Gandhi that covers the major events and actions of his life, followed by a series of analytical chapters analyzing aspects of his thinking and teaching. Parekh is unafraid to criticize the areas in which Gandhi showed naiveté while acknowledging his breakthroughs and innovations, as well as his indispensability to Indian independence.

[Aimee Peeling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tough read, it was like a school book... actually it was a school book from Wyatt's class. Felt like Gandhi's ideas went in circles sometimes. Some ideas I agree with, some I do not care for. I do like this quote: "I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my houses as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any."

[Ujval Nanavati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well thought through and structured introduction to a very complex personality. Described as a man of thought AND action, Gandhi is difficult to define in such a short portrait and Parekh does a commendable job. There's not that much in here but a great way to whet your appetite for Gandhi or to grab a quick summary.

[Hindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book thoroughly examines Gandhi's life and impact, ranging from his personal life to his public image. Having not known much about the historical events in advance, this book adequately oriented me so I could get the fullest understanding of his legacy. Despite being a scholarly text, it is incredibly emotional and moving.

[M. Ashraf · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a good book.
The life of Ganhdi and his views on Religion, Human Nature, Modernity and his vision of a non-violent society.
But I think it is a one sided book, it showed a saint not a man.
It was interesting though.

[Charles Duke]

Good perspective on Ghandi's theories, provides some critique and counter arguments to Ghandi's anarcho-socialism and naive view of peaceful resistance which only works if the opponent cares enough not to dehumanize you and mostly works if you are virtuous and have a following.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dry but comprehensive introduction to Gandhi, examining his life and different areas of his beliefs. I found it very interesting, with Gandhi's critiques of the modern state and his support for non violence the most notable aspects.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best feature of this book is the structure, which spends only one chapter on biography before shifting to clear explanations of Gandhi’s worldview and ideas.

[Kiarashkp · Rating 4 out of 5]

من ترجمه حجت‌الله جوانی رو خوندم از نشر طرح نو.
برای شروع آشنایی با گاندی کتاب خوبیه البته در نهایت ن��یسنده ایرادات وارد بر نگرش گاندی رو هم نوشته.

[Kendall Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has a particular focus on Gandhi's thought and political/spiritual program. Models good critical engagement with Gandhian thought and its reception in modern India.

[Mahender Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about life and ideas of Mahatma Gandhi.
It discusses various facets of his life and philosophy and it's practical utility in various fields.
Quite good for beginners.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though not as "very short" as I expected, about 130 pages in tiny font, this book packed a punch.

The book aims to provide an introduction and critical discussion of Gandhi's beliefs and philosophies on spirituality, religion, morality, justice and good governance, and how his beliefs and actions centring around non-violence and suffering love impacted society. It places a lower priority on the details of his personal life.

Bhikhu Parekh is a very effective writer, able to communicate complex ideas with a mix of high level vocabulary yet understandable sentences. His outline of Gandhi's various beliefs were clear yet concise. And his analysis of Gandhi was well balanced and thorough.

Through reading this, I gained a higher level of admiration and respect for Gandhi's wisdom and vision, which formed the basis for his actions for which he was best known. I personally really like good theoretical discussions about ideas such as philosophy and beliefs, but for those more curious about Gandhi himself, I would not recommend this book for you.

[Drew Elmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good start. Better are: The Penguin Gandhi Reader & An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth

[Jaiveer Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, I realized why MK Gandhi is above all great politicians of his time and our time as well and how this he learnt and analysed fundamental principles of human societies which acts as foundation for any state or country. He leveraged this knwoeldge to turnaround British Rule in india.

[Jonathan]

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