1869 – 1948
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869–1948) was an Indian political philosopher and leader whose doctrine of nonviolent civil resistance (Satyagraha) became one of the most influential political philosophies of the twentieth century. Drawing on Hindu ethics, Jainism's principle of ahimsa, and Tolstoyan Christianity, he developed a systematic moral framework linking personal self-discipline to collective political transformation. He led India's independence movement against British colonial rule and shaped the theory and practice of nonviolent protest worldwide.
Developed Satyagraha — a systematic philosophy and method of nonviolent civil resistance
Led the Indian National Congress and the movement for Indian independence (achieved 1947)
Pioneered the concept of Swaraj (self-rule) as both political independence and moral self-governance
Demonstrated the large-scale political efficacy of nonviolent mass mobilization (Salt March, 1930)
Influenced subsequent civil rights and liberation movements globally, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela