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What were Mahatma Gandhi's beliefs?

Mahatma Gandhi was a leader in the fight for Indian independence from rule by the British crown. Gandhi favored and inspired others to employ non-violent civil disobedience. Although Gandhi was raised in a Hindu society and considered himself to be Hindu, he promoted religious pluralism and cooperation rather than considering Hinduism to be the one, absolute truth. In fact, Gandhi was at times quite critical of Hinduism. With regards to his social teachings, Gandhi considered...

Mahatma Gandhi was a leader in the fight for Indian independence from rule by the British crown. Gandhi favored and inspired others to employ non-violent civil disobedience. Although Gandhi was raised in a Hindu society and considered himself to be Hindu, he promoted religious pluralism and cooperation rather than considering Hinduism to be the one, absolute truth. In fact, Gandhi was at times quite critical of Hinduism. With regards to his social teachings, Gandhi considered religion to be important to the extent that it played a part in the context of his culture and the revolt against British rule in India. 


Many of Gandhi's rules of personal self-conduct are drawn from Hindu faith, like his vegetarianism, chastity, and lifestyle of poverty and self-sufficiency. As a social leader, he was a strong believer in self-rule by the individual person, as well as in the nation of India. Gandhi did not want to see India merely "handed over" to the Indian people to function with an English-established government intact. Gandhi believed the structures set up by British rule were exploitative and harmful to the Indian people, and he effectively promoted a social and economic boycott of English culture. 

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