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Available From UC Press
M.K. Gandhi, Attorney at Law
The Man before the Mahatma
“...a must read for persons from all walks of life...interested in understanding the philosophical evolution of an ordinary man into the extraordinary.” -- Indian Law Journal
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.
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.
Charles R. DiSalvo is the Woodrow A. Potesta Professor of Law at West Virginia University where he teaches one of the few law school courses on civil disobedience in the United States. He has also represented civil disobedients in trial and appellate courts, written widely on civil disobedience, and lectured on the subject in the United States and abroad. He is the co-founder of the West Virginia Fund for Law in the Public Interest.
“…a remarkable book about Gandhi’s life in South Africa….and…an interesting account of…how he remained truthful in his profession…” —A. Annamalai, Director, Gandhi National Museum
“Although Gandhi himself did not write much about his professional career in South Africa . . . we are now fortunate to have a comprehensive and critical assessment of his life as a lawyer there in a remarkable book, M.K. Gandhi, Attorney at Law.” —Justice S. Muralidhar, High Court of Delhi
"DiSalvo's work is the most important addition to Gandhi literature for quite some time. He is authoritative and captivating on the subject, providing original research that will be indispensable to Gandhi scholars, the legal community, and a more general audience interested in this fascinating history." —Thomas Weber, Politics and International Relations Program, La Trobe University, Melbourne
"M.K. Gandhi is a marvelous account of Gandhi's legal practice with a particularly exciting and accurate interpretation of his political philosophy in light of his legal experience. This work fills an important gap in current Gandhi scholarship." —Anthony Parel, Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary
"Gandhi was reticent about and dismissive of his life as a lawyer. His Autobiography paints a picture of a young, shy, hesitant man unable to articulate the cases of his clients. Charles DiSalvo's erudite account, the first of its kind, of Gandhi's life in law will most certainly change that picture and enable us to understand Gandhi's life in South Africa in a more complete way and to appreciate how his understanding of both structural and procedural aspects of law and jurisprudence contributed to his dealings with the Empire." —Tridip Suhrud, Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad
“Although Gandhi himself did not write much about his professional career in South Africa . . . we are now fortunate to have a comprehensive and critical assessment of his life as a lawyer there in a remarkable book, M.K. Gandhi, Attorney at Law.” —Justice S. Muralidhar, High Court of Delhi
"DiSalvo's work is the most important addition to Gandhi literature for quite some time. He is authoritative and captivating on the subject, providing original research that will be indispensable to Gandhi scholars, the legal community, and a more general audience interested in this fascinating history." —Thomas Weber, Politics and International Relations Program, La Trobe University, Melbourne
"M.K. Gandhi is a marvelous account of Gandhi's legal practice with a particularly exciting and accurate interpretation of his political philosophy in light of his legal experience. This work fills an important gap in current Gandhi scholarship." —Anthony Parel, Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary
"Gandhi was reticent about and dismissive of his life as a lawyer. His Autobiography paints a picture of a young, shy, hesitant man unable to articulate the cases of his clients. Charles DiSalvo's erudite account, the first of its kind, of Gandhi's life in law will most certainly change that picture and enable us to understand Gandhi's life in South Africa in a more complete way and to appreciate how his understanding of both structural and procedural aspects of law and jurisprudence contributed to his dealings with the Empire." —Tridip Suhrud, Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad