Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World, 1914-1948

A detailed and thoroughly researched account of Gandhi when he created the most impact and during the formative years of India before independence.

everything ok with my ship and the book. Will enjoy the reading

It was fine.

I can't compare this book to the multitude of other biographies written on Gandhi, as this is my first. At almost 900 pages of text and over 200 pages of ancillary material this is a monument for the ages. Ramachandra Guha is arguably one of the more important Indian historians of his generation in the estimation of many. He has combed through the massive volumes of Gandhi's writings, endless archives and newly available papers. His aim was nothing less than to document all of Gandhi's public and private life from his return to India in 1914 to his death in 1948. Gandhi's four objectives were to gain Indian independence, promote Hindu-Muslim unity, end untouchability, and achieve economic self reliance. To reach these goals Gandhi staged highly effective forms of political protest such as his march to the sea (in defiance of the British salt tax) and famed fasts (to stop interfaith violence). In the end foreign rule was overcome, but he was unable to prevent mass killings and partition of the subcontinent. His assassination by Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse would foretell of future troubles. Guha is an unabashed admirer of Gandhi, if not entirely uncritical of all he did. He sees Gandhi as the foremost figure in modern Indian history, and a highly influential figure across the world stage. This is not a difficult argument to make, and Guha does it with great conviction. The writing is fluid and unhindered by an overly academic style. The most obvious critique of his analysis is the representation of Gandhi as a liberal or even a radical. Gandhi was a reformer in many areas, but in most cases he was guided by conservative values and religious beliefs. Gandhi's rejection of western industrialism and embrace of agrarian decentralization now seem quaint and rooted in the 19th century. He was greatly influenced by Tolstoy's faith based pacifism, anti-colonialism and opposition to private land ownership. Homespun cloth and village councils were a challenge to British economic and political repression, but would not be the way of the future. In the debate with Ambedkar over the untouchables, Guha makes a different case than Arundhati Roy, who sees Gandhi as a reactionary on caste issues. Guha covers Gandhi's private life also, although somewhat superficially. In terms of an interesting psychological subject Gandhi ranks near the top. Oddly, he appears two dimensional and conventional in this portrait. Guha doesn't shy away from controversial aspects of Gandhi's celibacy experiments, such as sleeping naked with teenage relatives to test his purity. As with an extramarital dalliance with feminist Saraladevi Chaudhurani, Guha concludes nothing untoward occurred. Gandhi, both man and milieu, seem distant and difficult to fathom. Ultimately this book could have benefited from a shorter format and a more incisive look at Gandhi the politician. Guha proposes Gandhi as an antidote to the fundamentalism and intolerance that has challenged India since the birth of the republic. In doing so he sacrifices a level of insight into the traditionalist worldview Gandhi used to mobilize the rural masses. Although Guha notes the urban and middle class makeup of other nationalist and revolutionary groups, he doesn't see this as a significant lens to examine the social context of Gandhi's movement.

In this much-anticipated second part of the biography, Guha provides a balanced, well-researched and thorough narrative of one of modern worlds greatest leaders. The sheer clarity with which Guha pens this narrative makes this 1000+ page (including almost 100 pages of index and another 90 pages on notes) tome read like a fast-paced novel. The book, however, is not a glorification - in fact, the balanced approach (clearly detailing the evolution of moral, religious and what now seems as completely strange beliefs) amplifies a reader's admiration of Gandhi's pursuit of self-improvement while simultaneously engaged in leading millions to self-rule. Perhaps the biggest contribution of this biography is 2 chapters in the first third of the book that provides a more detailed look at the personal evolution of Gandhi - particularly his views on religion and what one can glean from his own reactions to his serialized autobiography. The sections that discuss the environment leading to the independence, particularly the deepening sense of separatism and selfishness of leaders arguing for Pakistan will sadden anyone aware of the millions of lives lost and displaced in the partition. On a macro level, this is a book that is an excellent case study on political strategy - revolution v/s reactionary v/s incremental pragmatism. The factual narrative of each of the key events in each year, every key meeting, correspondence, fast, march, arrest, etc is in itself a fascinating and informative read. However, one also gets to appreciate the political genius of Gandhi (opportunism, perhaps in some cases and maybe even luck - such as Tilak's early death), organizational (Congress) machinations, and various tactics leaders adopt jostling for better positions in the party's platform. The genesis and crystallization of the Hindu-Muslim relation (or lack of it) that has defined much of the subcontinent's modern history is also clearly captured in this biography - albeit from the vantage point from Gandhi. Gandhi's attempts in forging (or forcing his view of amity) a Hindu-Muslim unity while challenging some of the then-systemic biases within Hinduism is also an informative read and provides a much richer context to appreciate and judge the current day politics. The range of reactions from various key leaders to Gandhi's efforts can still be seen in almost any discussion of the politics in the sub-continent. Just as in the first part of the biography, one gets to learn more about the personal side of Gandhi - particularly his relationship with his sons and wife, a bizarre experiment involving his grand-niece , and views on sexuality (none of which are candidates to deify Gandhi as a role model in family life). It is this astounding dichotomy of fighting for freedom for the masses but keeping the ones devoted to him in strict "Law Giver" mode that will puzzle readers. A reader also learns about the key roles of some of Gandhi's assistants and a host of influential leaders from various backgrounds that unfortunately never made it through popular recounting of India's independence struggle). For the casual reader of Indian history, the wide cast of characters and their import, will be difficult to follow along - However, as a remarkable study of an individuals evolution (moral, philosophical, political) and as a narrative on the most formative years of India, this biography is a must-read.

At least 4.5 stars, Ramachandra Guha's extensively researched biography (part 2) of Gandhi has to be termed a definitive work and is just as good as volume 1. For western readers' perspective, I would equate Guha's work here to William Manchester's three volumes on Winston Churchill ("Last Lion"). The detail, at times, is astonishing. He has managed to find numerous overlooked primary resources. He also provides a broader ('30,000 Ft.') perspective to Gandhi's circumstances and possible motivations which is very helpful. And his writing is perceptive and interesting. I listened to the audiobook as read by Derek Perkins. It is excellently done. Volume two takes the reader from Gandhi's return to India from South Africa in 1914 to his death at the hands of an assassin in 1948, right after India's independence. Although both volumes stand very well on their own, I strongly encourage anyone interested in Mahatma (Mohandus K.) Gandhi to read both volumes in order. Gandhi has to be one of a very small (5-10) group of the most important people of the twentieth century. Not without controversy, he is the father of non-violent protest/resistance and has profoundly influenced freedom movements not only in India, but worldwide in the 70 years since his death. His influence will continue to be felt for a very long time. If for no other reason than that, you should read this or any of a number of other very fine biographies

I'm finding this book a bit dry. And if you buy the paper back, don't' read past page 499 because the book splits literally in half. You can always share it with with your wife if you one. A wife that is. And if you don't you're better off. Book or wife. With this piece of peut-etre you'll have a double volume set for the price of one.

I read the first biography in the sequence, Gandhi before India or something like that. It was very good. I decided to read up on his life in India, but was very disappointed that this book is nowhere as good as the one that covers his early life and years in South Africa. I struggled through about 200 pages before giving up. There were too many terms and concepts that related to India and needed some context or definition for someone in Arizona. Too bad. I may try another more mainstream Gandhi biography in the future...