M.K. Gandhi, attorney at law : the man before the Mahatma / Charles R. DiSalvo.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

DiSalvo, Charles R., 1948-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948.

Gandhi.

Lawyers--India--Biography.

Lawyers.

Travel.

India.

South Africa.

Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948--Travel--South Africa.

South Africa--Politics and government--1836-1909.

Politics and government.

Local Subjects:

Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xxvii, 350 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, [2013]

Summary:

" In 1888, at the age of eighteen, Mohandas Gandhi sets out from his modest home in India. Shy, timid, and soft-spoken, he embarks on what he believes will be a new life abroad. Twenty-seven years later, at the age of forty-five, he returns-this time fearless, impassioned, and ready to lead his country to freedom. What transformed him? The law. M. K. Gandhi, Attorney at Law is the first biography of the Mahatma's early years as a lawyer. It follows Gandhi as he embarks on a personal journey of self-discovery: from his education in Britain, through the failure of his first law practice in India, to his eventual migration to South Africa. Though he found initial success representing wealthy Indian merchants, events on the ground would come to change him. Relentless attacks by the white colonial establishment on Indian civil rights prompted Gandhi to give up his lucrative business in favor of representing the oppressed in court. Gandhi had originally hoped that the South African legal system could be relied upon for justice. But when the courts failed to respond, he had no choice but to shift tactics, developing what would ultimately become his lasting legacy-the philosophy and practice of nonviolent civil disobedience. As he took on the most powerful governmental, economic, and political forces of his day, Gandhi transformed himself from a modest civil rights lawyer into a tireless freedom fighter. Relying on never-before-seen archival materials, this book provides the reader with a front-row seat to the dramatic events that would alter Gandhi-and history-forever. "-- Provided by publisher.

"This book shows how Gandhi's early life in the law played a critical role in the subsequent evolution of his philosophy and theory of nonviolent civil disobedience. The author traces Gandhi's maturation from a tongue-tied novice to a competent professional, from civil rights lawyer to freedom fighter, finally integrating his principles of morality and spirituality into his political life"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 Dispatched to London 1

2 The Barrister Who Couldn't Speak 17

3 An Abundant and Regular Supply of Labour 31

4 Dada Abdulla's White Elephant 36

5 Not a White Barrister 49

6 Formation Lessons 67

7 Waller's Question 84

8 A Public Man 95

9 To Maritzburg 104

10 Moth and Flame 126

11 Sacrifice 138

12 Transition and the Transvaal 146

13 No Bed of Roses 159

14 Disobedience 180

15 Courthouse to Jailhouse 197

16 Malpractice 216

17 Courtroom as Laboratory 227

18 Closing Arguments 249.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780520280151

0520280156

OCLC:

838792432