• Hinduism—A Search for Liberation
    Mankind’s Search for God

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      Mahatma Gandhi and the Caste System

      “Nonviolence is the first article of my faith. It is also the last article of my creed.”​—Mahatma Gandhi, March 23, 1922.

      Mahatma Gandhi, famous for his nonviolent leadership in helping to achieve India’s independence from Britain (granted in 1947), also campaigned to improve the lot of millions of fellow Hindus. As Indian Professor M. P. Rege explains: “He proclaimed ahimsa (nonviolence) as the fundamental moral value, which he interpreted as concern for the dignity and well-being of every person. He denied the authority of the Hindu scriptures when their teaching was contrary to ahimsa, strove valiantly for the eradication of untouchability and the hierarchical caste system, and promoted the equality of women in all spheres of life.”