An Autobiography or the Story of My Experiments with Truth

by M K Gandhi

  M.K. GANDHI

  CRITICAL EDITION

  AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OR THE STORY OF MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH

  Translated from the original in Gujarati by Mahadev Desai

  Introduced with Notes by Tridip Suhrud

  Foreword by Ashis Nandy

  PENGUIN BOOKS

  CONTENTS

  Foreword

  A Note on the Annotations

  Editor’s Introduction

  An Autobiography

  Translator’s Preface (first edition)

  Translator’s Preface (second edition)

  Introduction

  PART I

  I. Birth and Parentage

  II. Childhood

  III. Child Marriage

  IV. Playing the Husband

  V. At the High School

  VI. A Tragedy

  VII. A Tragedy (Contd.)

  VIII. Stealing and Atonement

  IX. My Father’s Death and My Double Shame

  X. Glimpses of Religion

  XI. Preparation for England

  XII. Outcaste

  XIII. In London at Last

  XIV. My Choice

  XV. Playing the English Gentleman

  XVI. Changes

  XVII. Experiments in Dietetics

  XVIII. Shyness My Shield

  XIX. The Canker of Untruth

  XX. Acquaintance with Religions

  XXI. निर्बल के बल राम

  XXII. Narayan Hemchandra

  XXIII. The Great Exhibition

  XXIV. ‘Called’—but Then?

  XXV. My Helplessness

  PART II

  I. Raychandbhai

  II. How I Began Life

  III. The First Case

  IV. The First Shock

  V. Preparing for South Africa

  VI. Arrival in Natal

  VII. Some Experiences

  VIII. On the Way to Pretoria

  IX. More Hardships

  X. First Day in Pretoria

  XI. Christian Contacts

  XII. Seeking Touch with Indians

  XIII. What It Is to be a ‘Coolie’

  XIV. Preparation for the Case

  XV. Religious Ferment

  XVI. Man Proposes, God Disposes

  XVII. Settled in Natal

  XVIII. Colour Bar

  XIX. Natal Indian Congress

  XX. Balasundaram

  XXI. The £3 Tax

  XXII. Comparative Study of Religions

  XXIII. As a Householder

  XXIV. Homeward

  XXV. In India

  XXVI. Two Passions

  XXVII. The Bombay Meeting

  XXVIII. Poona and Madras

  XXIX. ‘Return Soon’

  PART III

  I. Rumblings of the Storm

  II. The Storm

  III. The Test

  IV. The Calm after the Storm

  V. Education of Children

  VI. Spirit of Service

  VII. Brahmacharya–I

  VIII. Brahmacharya–II

  IX. Simple Life

  X. The Boer War

  XI. Sanitary Reform and Famine Relief

  XII. Return to India

  XIII. In India Again

  XIV. Clerk and Bearer

  XV. In the Congress

  XVI. Lord Curzon’s Durbar

  XVII. A Month with Gokhale–I

  XVIII. A Month with Gokhale–II

  XIX. A Month with Gokhale–III

  XX. In Benares

  XXI. Settled in Bombay

  XXII. Faith on its Trial

  XXIII. To South Africa Again

  PART IV

  I. ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’?

  II. Autocrats from Asia

  III. Pocketed the Insult

  IV. Quickened Spirit of Sacrifice

  V. Result of Introspection

  VI. A Sacrifice to Vegetarianism

  VII. Experiments in Earth and Water Treatment

  VIII. A Warning

  IX. A Tussle with Power

  X. A Sacred Recollection and Penance

  XI. Intimate European Contacts

  XII. European Contacts (Contd.)

  XIII. ‘Indian Opinion’

  XIV. Coolie Locations or Ghettoes?

  XV. The Black Plague–I

  XVI. The Black Plague–II

  XVII. Location in Flames

  XVIII. The Magic Spell of a Book

  XIX. The Phoenix Settlement

  XX. The First Night

  XXI. Polak Takes the Plunge

  XXII. Whom God Protects

  XXIII. A Peep into the Household

  XXIV. The Zulu ‘Rebellion’

  XXV. Heart Searchings

  XXVI. The Birth of Satyagraha

  XXVII. More Experiments in Dietetics

  XXVIII. Kasturbai’s Courage

  XXIX. Domestic Satyagraha

  XXX. Towards Self-restraint

  XXXI. Fasting

  XXXII. As Schoolmaster

  XXXIII. Literary Training

  XXXIV. Training of the Spirit

  XXXV. Tares among the Wheat

  XXXVI. Fasting as Penance

  XXXVII. To Meet Gokhale

  XXXVIII. My Part in the War

  XXXIX. A Spiritual Dilemma

  XL. Miniature Satyagraha

  XLI. Gokhale’s Charity

  XLII. Treatment of Pleurisy

  XLIII. Homeward

  XLIV. Some Reminiscences of the Bar

  XLV. Sharp Practice?

  XLVI. Clients Turned Co-Workers

  XLVII. How a Client Was Saved

  PART V

  I. The First Experience

  II. With Gokhale in Poona

  III. Was It a Threat?

  IV. Shantiniketan

  V. Woes of Third-Class Passengers

  VI. Wooing

  VII. Kumbha Mela

  VIII. Lakshman Jhula

  IX. Founding of the Ashram

  X. On the Anvil

  XI. Abolition of Indentured Emigration

  XII. The Stain of Indigo

  XIII. The Gentle Bihari

  XIV. Face to Face with Ahimsa

  XV. Case Withdrawn

  XVI. Methods of Work

  XVII. Companions

  XVIII. Penetrating the Villages

  XIX. When a Governor Is Good

  XX. In Touch with Labour

  XXI. A Peep into the Ashram

  XXII. The Fast

  XXIII. The Kheda Satyagraha

  XXIV. ‘The Onion Thief’

  XXV. End of Kheda Satyagraha

  XXVI. Passion for Unity

  XXVII. Recruiting Campaign

  XXVIII. Near Death’s Door

  XXIX. The Rowlatt Bills and My Dilemma

  XXX. That Wonderful Spectacle!

  XXXI. That Memorable Week!–I

  XXXII. That Memorable Week!–II

  XXXIII. ‘A Himalayan Miscalculation’

  XXXIV. ‘Navajivan’ and ‘Young India’

  XXXV. In the Punjab

  XXXVI. The Khilafat Against Cow-Protection?

  XXXVII. The Amritsar Congress

  XXXVIII. Congress Initiation

  XXXIX. The Birth of Khadi

  XL. Found at Last!

  XLI. An Instructive Dialogue

  XLII. Its Rising Tide

  XLIII. At Nagpur

  FAREWELL

  Illustrations

  Notes

  Introduction

  I. Birth and Parentage

  II. Childhoo
d

  III. Child Marriage

  IV. Playing the Husband

  V. At the High School

  VI. A Tragedy

  VII. A Tragedy (Contd.)

  VIII. Stealing and Atonement

  IX. My Father’s Death and My Double Shame

  X. Glimpses of Religion

  XI. Preparation for England

  XII. Outcaste

  XIII. In London at Last

  XIV. My Choice

  XV. Playing the English Gentleman

  XVI. Changes

  XVII. Experiments in Dietetics

  XVIII. Shyness My Shield

  XIX. The Canker of Untruth

  XX. Acquaintance with Religions

  XXI. निर्बल के बल राम

  XXII. Narayan Hemchandra

  XXIII. The Great Exhibition

  XXIV. ‘Called’—but Then?

  XXV. My Helplessness

  I. Raychandbhai

  II. How I Began Life

  III. The First Case

  IV. The First Shock

  V. Preparing for South Africa

  VI. Arrival in Natal

  VII. Some Experiences

  VIII. On the Way to Pretoria

  IX. More Hardships

  X. First Day in Pretoria

  XI. Christian Contacts

  XII. Seeking Touch with Indians

  XIII. What It Is to be a ‘Coolie’

  XIV. Preparation for the Case

  XV. Religious Ferment

  XVI. Man Proposes, God Disposes

  XVII. Settled in Natal

  XVIII. Colour Bar

  XIX. Natal Indian Congress

  XX. Balasundaram

  XXI. The £3 Tax

  XXII. Comparative Study of Religions

  XXIII. As a Householder

  XXIV. Homeward

  XXV. In India

  XXVI. Two Passions

  XXVII. The Bombay Meeting

  XXVIII. Poona and Madras

  XXIX. ‘Return Soon’

  I. Rumblings of the Storm

  II. The Storm

  III. The Test

  IV. The Calm after the Storm

  V. Education of Children

  VI. Spirit of Service

  VII. Brahmacharya–I

  VIII. Brahmacharya–II

  IX. Simple Life

  X. The Boer War

  XI. Sanitary Reform and Famine Relief

  XII. Return to India

  XIII. In India Again

  XIV. Clerk and Bearer

  XV. In the Congress

  XVI. Lord Curzon’s Durbar

  XVII. A Month with Gokhale–I

  XVIII. A Month with Gokhale–II

  XIX. A Month with Gokhale–III

  XX. In Benares

  XXI. Settled in Bombay

  XXII. Faith on its Trial

  XXIII. To South Africa Again

  I. ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’?

  II. Autocrats from Asia

  III. Pocketed the Insult

  IV. Quickened Spirit of Sacrifice

  V. Result of Introspection

  VI. A Sacrifice to Vegetarianism

  VII. Experiments in Earth and Water Treatment

  VIII. A Warning

  IX. A Tussle with Power

  X. A Sacred Recollection and Penance

  XI. Intimate European Contacts

  XII. European Contacts (Contd.)

  XIII. ‘Indian Opinion’

  XIV. Coolie Locations or Ghettoes?

  XV. The Black Plague–I

  XVI. The Black Plague–II

  XVII. Location in Flames

  XVIII. The Magic Spell of a Book

  XIX. The Phoenix Settlement

  XX. The First Night

  XXI. Polak Takes the Plunge

  XXII. Whom God Protects

  XXIII. A Peep into the Household

  XXIV. The Zulu ‘Rebellion’

  XXV. Heart Searchings

  XXVI. The Birth of Satyagraha

  XXVII. More Experiments in Dietetics

  XXVIII. Kasturbai’s Courage

  XXIX. Domestic Satyagraha

  XXX. Towards Self-restraint

  XXXI. Fasting

  XXXII. As Schoolmaster

  XXXIII. Literary Training

  XXXIV. Training of the Spirit

  XXXV. Tares among the Wheat

  XXXVI. Fasting as Penance

  XXXVII. To Meet Gokhale

  XXXVIII. My Part in the War

  XXXIX. A Spiritual Dilemma

  XL. Miniature Satyagraha

  XLI. Gokhale’s Charity

  XLII. Treatment of Pleurisy

  XLIII. Homeward

  XLIV. Some Reminiscences of the Bar

  XLV. Sharp Practice?

  XLVI. Clients Turned Co-Workers

  XLVII. How a Client Was Saved

  I. The First Experience

  II. With Gokhale in Poona

  III. Was It a Threat?

  IV. Shantiniketan

  V. Woes of Third-Class Passengers

  VI. Wooing

  VII. Kumbha Mela

  VIII. Lakshman Jhula

  IX. Founding of the Ashram

  X. On the Anvil

  XI. Abolition of Indentured Emigration

  XII. The Stain of Indigo

  XIII. The Gentle Bihari

  XIV. Face to Face with Ahimsa

  XV. Case Withdrawn

  XVI. Methods of Work

  XVII. Companions

  XVIII. Penetrating the Villages

  XIX. When a Governor Is Good

  XX. In Touch with Labour

  XXI. A Peep into the Ashram

  XXII. The Fast

  XXIII. The Kheda Satyagraha

  XXIV. ‘The Onion Thief’

  XXV. End of Kheda Satyagraha

  XXVI. Passion for Unity

  XXVII. Recruiting Campaign

  XXVIII. Near Death’s Door

  XXIX. The Rowlatt Bills and My Dilemma

  XXX. That Wonderful Spectacle!

  XXXI. That Memorable Week!–I

  XXXII. That Memorable Week!–II

  XXXIII. ‘A Himalayan Miscalculation’

  XXXIV. ‘Navajivan’ and ‘Young India’

  XXXV. In the Punjab

  XXXVI. The Khilafat Against Cow-Protection?

  XXXVII. The Amritsar Congress

  XXXVIII. Congress Initiation

  XXXIX. The Birth of Khadi

  XL. Found at Last!

  XLI. An Instructive Dialogue

  XLII. Its Rising Tide

  XLIII. At Nagpur

  Farewell

  Footnotes

  Editor’s Introduction

  An Autobiography

  Translator’s Preface (first edition)

  Translator’s Preface (second edition)

  Introduction

  I. Birth and Parentage

  II. Childhood

  III. Child Marriage

  IV. Playing the Husband

  V. At the High School

  VI. A Tragedy

  VII. A Tragedy (Contd.)

  VIII. Stealing and Atonement

  IX. My Father’s Death and My Double Shame

  X. Glimpses of Religion

  XI. Preparation for England

  XII. Outcaste

  XIII. In London at Last

  XIV. My Choice

  XV. Playing the English Gentleman

  XVI. Changes

  XVII. Experiments in Dietetics

  XVIII. Shyness My Shield

  XIX. The Canker of Untruth

  XX. Acquaintance with Religions

  XXI. निर्बल के बल राम

  XXII. Narayan Hemchandra

  XXIII. The Great Exhibition

  XXIV. ‘Called’—but Then?

  XXV. My Helplessness

  I. Raychandbhai

  II. How I Began Life

  III. The First Case

  IV. The First Shock

  V. Preparing for
South Africa

  VI. Arrival in Natal

  VII. Some Experiences

  VIII. On the Way to Pretoria

  IX. More Hardships

  X. First Day in Pretoria

  XI. Christian Contacts

  XII. Seeking Touch with Indians

  XIII. What It Is to be a ‘Coolie’

  XIV. Preparation for the Case

  XV. Religious Ferment

  XVI. Man Proposes, God Disposes

  XVII. Settled in Natal

  XVIII. Colour Bar

  XIX. Natal Indian Congress

  XX. Balasundaram

  XXI. The £3 Tax

  XXII. Comparative Study of Religions

  XXIII. As a Householder

  XXIV. Homeward

  XXV. In India

  XXVI. Two Passions

  XXVII. The Bombay Meeting

  XXVIII. Poona and Madras

  XXIX. ‘Return Soon’

  I. Rumblings of the Storm

  II. The Storm

  III. The Test

  IV. The Calm after the Storm

  V. Education of Children

  VI. Spirit of Service

  VII. Brahmacharya–I

  VIII. Brahmacharya–II

  IX. Simple Life

  X. The Boer War

  XI. Sanitary Reform and Famine Relief

  XII. Return to India

  XIII. In India Again

  XIV. Clerk and Bearer

  XV. In the Congress

  XVI. Lord Curzon’s Durbar

  XVII. A Month with Gokhale–I

  XVIII. A Month with Gokhale–II

  XIX. A Month with Gokhale–III

  XX. In Benares

  XXI. Settled in Bombay

  XXII. Faith on its Trial

  XXIII. To South Africa Again

  I. ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’?

  II. Autocrats from Asia

  III. Pocketed the Insult

  IV. Quickened Spirit of Sacrifice

  V. Result of Introspection

  VI. A Sacrifice to Vegetarianism

  VII. Experiments in Earth and Water Treatment

  VIII. A Warning

  IX. A Tussle with Power

  X. A Sacred Recollection and Penance

  XI. Intimate European Contacts

  XII. European Contacts (Contd.)

  XIII. ‘Indian Opinion’

  XIV. Coolie Locations or Ghettoes?

  XV. The Black Plague–I

  XVI. The Black Plague–II

  XVII. Location in Flames

  XVIII. The Magic Spell of a Book

  XIX. The Phoenix Settlement

  XX. The First Night

  XXI. Polak Takes the Plunge

  XXII. Whom God Protects

  XXIII. A Peep into the Household

  XXIV. The Zulu ‘Rebellion’

  XXV. Heart Searchings

  XXVI. The Birth of Satyagraha

  XXVII. More Experiments in Dietetics

  XXVIII. Kasturbai’s Courage

  XXIX. Domestic Satyagraha

  XXX. Towards Self-restraint

  XXXI. Fasting

  XXXII. As Schoolmaster

  XXXIII. Literary Training

  XXXIV. Training of the Spirit

  XXXV. Tares among the Wheat

  XXXVI. Fasting as Penance

  XXXVII. To Meet Gokhale

  XXXVIII. My Part in the War