The correct answer is (a) Mahatma Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific title Mahatmaâmeaning “high-souled”âwas bestowed on him first in 1914 in South Africa, and became widely used in India in the 1920s.
Gandhi was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat, India. He was the youngest son of Karamchand Gandhi, a chief minister in the princely state of Porbandar, and Putlibai. Gandhi was educated in Porbandar and Rajkot, and in 1887 he went to England to study law. After returning to India in 1891, he began practicing law in Bombay.
In 1893, Gandhi went to South Africa to represent a Muslim client in a court case. He remained in South Africa for 21 years, during which time he became involved in the struggle for Indian rights. He led protests against discriminatory laws and practices, and developed the philosophy of nonviolent civil disobedience that he would later use in India.
In 1915, Gandhi returned to India. He soon became involved in the independence movement, and led protests against British rule. He also organized boycotts of British goods and institutions. In 1930, he led the Salt March, a 240-mile protest against the British salt monopoly. The Salt March was a turning point in the independence movement, and it helped to galvanize support for Gandhi’s cause.
In 1942, Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement, calling for the British to leave India. The movement was met with violence and repression, and Gandhi was arrested and imprisoned for two years.
In 1947, India gained independence from Britain. However, the country was partitioned into two separate states, India and Pakistan. The partition was a violent and chaotic process, and millions of people were displaced. Gandhi worked to promote peace and reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims, but he was assassinated in 1948 by a Hindu extremist.
Gandhi is considered the father of modern India. He is also revered around the world as a pioneer of nonviolent resistance and a champion of human rights.