How did Leo Tolstoy influence Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas?

The Russian writer Leo Tolstoy exerted a profound influence on Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy, particularly regarding nonviolence and spirituality.12

Tolstoy’s analysis of Christian theology, specifically his emphasis on the Sermon on the Mount, shaped Gandhi’s own spiritual outlook. Central to this influence was Tolstoy’s doctrine of nonresistance to evil—the belief that evil should not be countered with violence. This concept resonated with Gandhi’s own development of ahimsa (noninjury) into the political framework of satyagraha.134

The two corresponded between 1909 and 1910, discussing morality and the resistance to racial discrimination in South Africa. Tolstoy’s A Letter to a Hindu (1908) further reinforced Gandhi’s conviction that love and nonviolence were the most effective tools against colonial rule. Gandhi’s commitment to these ideals was so strong that he established the Tolstoy Farm near Johannesburg, a communal settlement where followers trained in nonviolent resistance. Through these interactions, Tolstoy’s pacifist and anti-colonial ideas became foundational to Gandhi’s lifelong mission.23