The Exceptional Life of Mahatma Gandhi – clip

Vinay Lal / UCLA

In TIME magazine’s list of “The 100 Most Important People of the Century,” Mohandas (“Mahatma”) Gandhi was second in line, behind Albert Einstein.  In India, he was — in his own lifetime — likened to Jesus and The Buddha.  Today, he is recognized around the world as a preeminent political figure and author of the idea of satyagraha (nonviolent resistance). To some, Gandhi was a “saint” among politicians; to others, he was too immersed in political life to be reckoned as a religious symbol.  As the principal architect of the Indian independence movement, Gandhi became a transformative figure in world politics, influencing not only the American Civil Rights Movement, but also figures such as Nelson Mandela, The Dalai Lama, Lech Walesa, and nonviolent activists around the world.