Philosophy › The 20th century
Gandhi's satyagraha (nonviolent resistance)
1906 onward· Idea or argument· Asian traditions
Well documentedSolid records, texts or physical evidence.
Mohandas Gandhi's method of resisting injustice through mass nonviolent action and willing self-suffering, aiming to convert opponents rather than defeat them.
See it on the Philosophy map →The idea
Idea: truth-force can defeat injustice without violence. Satyagraha means 'holding firmly to truth'. It began in South Africa in 1906, when Indians refused a Transvaal law forcing them to register and carry passes. In India, Gandhi led mass campaigns, notably the 1930 Salt March of about 240 miles (390 km) against the British salt tax. Ahimsa (non-harm) was central: refuse to cooperate, accept punishment, never hate. Main objection: critics say it works only against opponents with a conscience or a public to answer to.
Why it matters
It helped end British rule in India in 1947 and directly inspired Martin Luther King Jr., the US civil rights movement and later nonviolent campaigns worldwide.
Where it comes from
Gandhi's writings fill 100 volumes (The Collected Works), including his autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1927–29); British and Indian records document the campaigns.
Still debated
How much nonviolence itself, versus a Britain weakened by World War II and other movements, won Indian independence is debated by historians.
Connections (2)
▸The Bhagavad Gita guided Gandhi's satyagraha (nonviolent resistance)Well documented
The connection
Gandhi read the Gita as an allegory: Krishna's call to Arjuna to fight stands for the inner battle against selfishness. Its ideal of action without attachment to results (nishkama karma) became his model for campaigns pursued for truth, accepting whatever suffering followed. He called it his 'spiritual dictionary'.
When and how
He first read it in Edwin Arnold's English translation in London around 1889, with two Theosophist brothers; he later translated it into Gujarati (Anasakti Yoga, 1929).
How we know
Gandhi says so in his autobiography and many talks and letters; his Gujarati translation and commentary survive.
Debates and open questions
The Gita literally urges Arjuna to fight a war; whether Gandhi's nonviolent reading is faithful or a creative reinterpretation is debated.
▸Gandhi's satyagraha (nonviolent resistance) gave a nonviolent answer to What is justice?Mostly agreed
The connection
Gandhi held that justice cannot be won by unjust means, because means shape ends. Satyagraha, 'holding to truth', meant openly breaking unjust laws, accepting the punishment, and refusing to hate opponents, aiming to convert them rather than defeat them. The 1930 Salt March against Britain's salt tax is the classic case.
When and how
South Africa from 1906, against laws targeting Indians; India from 1915 to independence in 1947. Martin Luther King Jr. adapted it in the 1950s and 60s.
How sure are we?
Gandhi's own writings, especially Hind Swaraj (1909) and Satyagraha in South Africa, set out the theory; King credited Gandhi's method directly.
Debates and open questions
How much nonviolence, versus war exhaustion, economics and other movements, ended British rule is debated, as is whether it works against ruthless regimes.