Thomas Weber's book comprises a series of biographical reflections about people who influenced Gandhi, and those who were, in turn, influenced by him. Whilst previous literature tended to focus on Gandhi's political legacy, Weber's book explores the spiritual, social and philosophical resonances of these relationships, and it is with these aspects of the Mahatma's life in mind, that the author selects his central protagonists. These include friends such as Henry Polak and Hermann Kallenbach, who are not as well known as those usually cited, but who left a deep impression nevertheless, and motivated some of Gandhi's major life changes. Conversely, the work of luminaries such as E. F. Schumacher and Gene Sharp reveal the Mahatma's influence in arenas which are not traditionally associated with his thinking. Weber's book offers intriguing insights into the life and thought of one of the most significant figures of the twentieth century.

The non-violent protests of civil rights activists and anti-nuclear campaigners during the 1960s helped to redefine Western politics. But where did they come from? Sean Scalmer uncovers their history in an earlier generation's intense struggles to understand and emulate the activities of Mahatma Gandhi. He shows how Gandhi's non-violent protests were the subject of widespread discussion and debate in the USA and UK for several decades. Though at first misrepresented by Western newspapers, they were patiently described and clarified by a devoted group of cosmopolitan advocates. Small groups of Westerners experimented with Gandhian techniques in virtual anonymity and then, on the cusp of the 1960s, brought these methods to a wider audience. The swelling protests of later years increasingly abandoned the spirit of non-violence, and the central significance of Gandhi and his supporters has therefore been forgotten. This book recovers this tradition, charts its transformation, and ponders its abiding significance.

‘Meeting the Mahatma’ was a special moment for most of the people who captured it later in memorable prose. Gandhi at First Sight is a collection of such heartfelt moments of people from Sarojini Naidu to Katherine Mayo and from Romain Rolland to Charlie Chaplin, of an experience that was profound and sometimes even life-changing. ‘In Gandhi at First Sight, Tom Weber has executed a simple yet brilliant concept with a masterly touch, an impressive understanding of the varied individuals whose first impressions of Gandhi he has included, and an enriching introduction.’ —Rajmohan Gandhi ‘Weber... shows with an astonishing array of first meeting accounts precisely how Gandhi forged relationships from the beginning by making indelible initial impressions. This book... brings us incomparably closer to comprehending Gandhi’s extraordinary personal power.’ —Dennis Dalton, Columbia University, New York ‘Thomas Weber brings to life the memories of meetings. These firstperson, autobiographical accounts provide glimpses of the private world of friendship, of being a disciple and a pathfinder.’ —Tridip Suhrud, Director, Sabarmati Ashram Preservation Memorial Trust ‘With Gandhi gone two-thirds of a century, we have been in danger of losing touch with a man who was the most intriguing figure of his time. Now, however, we have these unique accounts of encounters with him that allow Gandhi to reach across the decades with a message that endures through time.’ —Charles DiSalvo, West Virginia University, West Virginia

Even today, six decades after his assassination in January 1948, Mahatma Gandhi is still revered as the father of the Indian nation. His intellectual and moral legacy, and the example of his life and politics, serve as an inspiration to human rights and peace movements, political activists and students. This book, comprised of essays by renowned experts in the fields of Indian history and philosophy, traces Gandhi's extraordinary story. The first part of the book explores his transformation from a small-town lawyer during his early life in South Africa into a skilled political activist and leader of civil resistance in India. The second part is devoted to Gandhi's key writings and his thinking on a broad range of topics, including religion, conflict, politics and social relations. The final part reflects on Gandhi's image and on his legacy in India, the West, and beyond.

This book examines Gandhi's idea of swaraj as an alternative to the modern concept of political authority. It also introduces the readers to Gandhi’s ideas of moral interconnectedness and empathetic pluralism. It explores the Gandhian belief that "nonviolence" as a moral and political concept is essentially the empowerment of the Other through spiritual and political realization of the self as a non-egocentric subject. Further, it highlights swaraj as an act of conscience and therefore a transformative force, essential to the harmony between spirituality and politics. The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of philosophy, politics, and South Asian studies.

This book presents a rethinking of the world legacy of Mahatma Gandhi in this era of unspeakable global violence. Through interdisciplinary research, key Gandhian concepts are revisited by tracing their genealogies in multiple histories of world contact and by foregrounding their relevance to contemporary struggles to regain the ‘humane’ in the midst of global conflict. The relevance of Gandhian notions of ahimsa and satyagraha is assessed in the context of contemporary events, when religious fundamentalisms of various kinds are competing with the arrogance and unilateralism of imperial capital to reduce the world to a state of international lawlessness. Covering a wide and comprehensive range of topics such as Gandhi’s vegetarianism and medical practice, his successes and failures as a litigator in South Africa, his experiments with communal living and his concepts of non-violence and satyagraha. The book combines historical, philosophical, and textual readings of different aspects of the leader’s life and works. Rethinking Gandhi in a New World Order will be of interest to students and academics interested in peace and conflict studies, South Asian history, world history, postcolonial studies, and studies on Gandhi.