This is a biography of Mohandas K. Gandhi, known as Mahatma ('great soul') Gandhi, revered worldwide for his non violent action in freeing India from British rule. It discovered his journey from family and home in the provinces to an early arranged marriage, his solo sojourn in England towards a career in law, and his transformation from a timid barrister in South Africa to India's foremost negotiator with the British power structure.
The narrative also illuminates Indian society and the caste system from the latter half of the 19th century up to World War II, covering British colonial rule, racism in South Africa and India, and Hinduism. We also glimpse the controversial aspects of Gandhi's choices. How he was largely an absentee husband and father. How, after siring four children, he took a vow of celibacy, yet formed attachments to several young, female Western devotees through the years. And how, ultimately, it was his role as a compromiser who believed in Hindus and Muslims in a free, united India that led to his assassination.