Profile Text
Birth Name: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Date of Birth: 2 October, 1869
Place of Birth: Porbandar, Kathiawar Agency, British Raj (now India)
Date of Death: 30 January, 1948
Place of Death: New Delhi, India
Ethnicity: Gujarati Indian
Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, thinker, anti-colonial activist, and political ethicist. He led nonviolent resistance for India’s independence from British rule. His struggle inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He was President of the Indian National Congress, from December 1924 to April 1925. The honorific Mahātmā, meaning “great-souled” and “venerable” in Sanskrit, was first used to refer to him in 1914 in South Africa.
Mahatma was the son of Putlibai Karamchand Gandhi and Karamchand Uttamchand Gandhi, who was a clerk, political figure, and court official, having been Diwan, chief minister, of Porbandar, from 1847 to 1874, and Diwan of Rajkot, from 1874 to 1885. Karamchand was from a Gujarati Modh Baniya family of the Vaishya varna. His father was Hindu. Mahatma’s uncle, Tulsidas Gandhi, succeeded his father as Diwan of Porbandar. Mahatma’s mother was from a Pranami Vaishnava family, from Dantrana, then Junagadh State. His family moved to Rajkot for his father’s work.
Mahatma was married to political activist Kasturba Gandhi (née Kasturba Gokuldas Kapadia), until her death; with whom he had four children, Harilal Gandhi, Manilal Gandhi, freedom activist Ramdas Gandhi, and Devdas Gandhi. Among his grandchildren were scientist Kanu Gandhi, politician Sumitra Kulkarni, author and socio-political activist Arun Manilal Gandhi, biographer, historian, and politician Rajmohan Gandhi, philosopher Ramchandra Gandhi, South African peace activist and politician Ela Gandhi, and administrator and diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi. Gopalkrishna served as Governor of West Bengal, from 14 December, 2004 to 14 December, 2009, and Governor of Bihar, from 31 January, 2006 to 21 June, 2006.
Mahatma was not related to the famous Indian political family of Indira (Nehru) Gandhi and her husband, independence activist Feroze Gandhi.
Mahatma’s patrilineal line can be traced to Lalji Gandhi, who was born, c. 1674, and was from Junagadh, Gujarat, India.
Mahatma’s paternal grandfather was named Uttamchand “Utta” Gandhi (the son of Harjivan Gandhi). Utta was possibly born in Porbandar, Gujarat, British India, and was also Diwan of Porbandar. Harjivan was the son of Rahidas Gandhi.
Mahatma’s paternal grandmother was named Laxmi/Laxmiba Gandhi.
Source: Genealogy of Mahatma Gandhi (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com