- In full:
- Kasturba Mohandas Gandhi
- NĂ©e:
- Kasturba Kapadia
- Kasturba also spelled:
- Kasturbai
- Born:
- April 11, 1869, Porbandar, India
- Died:
- February 22, 1944, Pune (aged 74)
- Notable Family Members:
- spouse Mahatma Gandhi
Kasturba Gandhi
-
Who was Kasturba Gandhi?
Kasturba Gandhi (1869â1944) was an Indian political activist prominent in the struggle for civil rights and Indian independence from British rule, and wife to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
Born Kasturba Kapadia to a wealthy merchant family in Porbandar, India, she married Mohandas Gandhi at age 13 in 1882. Kasturba received no schooling before her marriage, so Mohandas taught her elementary education. The couple had five children, with their firstborn passing away shortly after birth.
Kasturba became involved in politics and social activism in South Africa, helping establish the Phoenix Settlement in 1904. In 1913, she was imprisoned for protesting the treatment of Indian immigrants. After returning to India in 1915, she participated in civil disobedience movements and often took her husbandâs place when he was in prison. Imprisoned in 1942 during the Quit India Movement, her health deteriorated, and she died in 1944.
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What was Kasturba Gandhi known for?
Kasturba Gandhi (1869-1944) was an Indian political activist prominent in the struggle for civil rights and Indian independence from British rule, and wife to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
Kasturba became involved in politics and social activism in South Africa, where she helped establish the Phoenix Settlement in 1904. In 1913, she was imprisoned for protesting the treatment of Indian immigrants in South Africa. Upon returning to India in 1915, she continued to participate in civil actions and protests, often taking her husbandâs place when he was imprisoned. She was jailed several times during the civil disobedience campaigns of the early 1930s and was arrested again in 1942 during the Quit India Movement.
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What role did she play in India's fight for independence?
Kasturba Gandhi was an Indian political activist and leader in the struggle for civil rights and Indian independence from British rule.
She became involved in politics in South Africa, assisting her husband, Mahatma Gandhi, in his activism. In 1904, she helped establish the Phoenix Settlement, a cooperative village near Durban. In 1913, she was imprisoned for protesting the treatment of Indian immigrants in South Africa.
After returning to India, Kasturba continued to participate in civil actions and protests, often taking her husbandâs place when he was in prison. In 1917, she worked to improve the lives of women in Champaran, Bihar. She participated in the nonviolent civil disobedience movement in Borsad, Gujarat, in 1922 and was jailed several times for joining civil disobedience campaigns in the early 1930s. In 1939, she was arrested for protesting British rule in Rajkot. In 1942, she was imprisoned during the Quit India Movement, where her health deteriorated, and she died in 1944.
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How did Kasturba Gandhi support Mahatma Gandhi's work?
Kasturba Gandhi supported Mahatma Gandhi's work through political and social activism. In 1904, she helped establish the Phoenix Settlement near Durban, South Africa, a cooperative village. In 1913, she was imprisoned for protesting the treatment of Indian immigrants in South Africa.
After returning to India in 1915, Kasturba managed multiple ashrams and worked to improve the lives of women. In 1922, she participated in a nonviolent civil disobedience movement in Gujarat. Although her health was poor, she joined civil disobedience campaigns in the early 1930s and was arrested several times.
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What kinds of social issues did she focus on?
Kasturba Gandhi, an Indian political activist, concentrated on issues of civil rights and independence from British rule in India.
She became involved in politics and social activism in South Africa, where she helped establish the Phoenix Settlement, a cooperative village where residents shared chores and grew their own food. In 1913, she was imprisoned for protesting the treatment of Indian immigrants in South Africa.
In India, Kasturba worked to improve the lives of women in Champaran, Bihar, and participated in civil disobedience movements. She was arrested and jailed several times for her involvement in these activities.
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How is Kasturba Gandhi remembered today in India?
Kasturba Gandhi, born in 1869, was an Indian political activist prominent in the fight for civil rights and Indian independence from British rule. Married to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi at age 13, she became involved in politics in South Africa, protesting the treatment of Indian immigrants.
Kasturba continued to participate in civil actions and protests in India, often taking her husbandâs place when he was imprisoned. She managed various ashrams and worked to improve the welfare of women. Imprisoned multiple times, her health deteriorated, and she died in 1944 while imprisoned during the Quit India Movement. Today, she is remembered as a human rights advocate in India.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Kasturba Gandhi (born April 11, 1869, Porbandar, Indiaâdied February 22, 1944, Pune) was an Indian political activist who was a leader in the struggle for civil rights and for independence from British rule in India. She was the wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
Kasturba Kapadia was born to Gokuladas Kapadia, a wealthy merchant, and his wife, Vrajkunwerba, in the city of Porbandar (now in Gujarat state) along the Arabian Sea coast. Her family and that of Mohandas Gandhi (who was several months younger than she) were friends, and in 1882, when she was age 13, the two were married. She went to live in the Gandhi home in Rajkot. Kasturba had received no schooling prior to her marriage, and Mohandas took it upon himself to give her an elementary education.
(Read Indira Gandhiâs 1975 Britannica essay on global underprivilege.)
A child was born to the couple in 1885 but died shortly after birth. Their first child to surviveâa son, Harilalâwas born in 1888, six years into their marriage. Mohandas left shortly after Harilalâs birth to study law in London (returning in 1891), while Kasturba stayed behind with the new baby. She bore three more sons: Manilal (1892), Ramdas (1897), and Devdas (1900).
Kasturba again remained in India when Mohandas went to South Africa in 1893 to practice law, but he returned for them in 1896, and the family arrived in South Africa early the next year; their last two children were born there. The Gandhi family returned to India in 1901 before deciding to move back to South Africa in 1903.
Kasturba first became involved in politics and social activism in South Africa. In 1904 she helped Mohandas and others establish the Phoenix Settlement near Durban, a cooperative village where residents shared chores and grew their own food; later the family lived there for several years. In 1913 she was arrested and sentenced to three months in prison for participating in a protest against the treatment of Indian immigrants in South Africa. The family left South Africa for the final time in July 1914, traveling to England before arriving in India in early 1915.
Kasturba began experiencing serious medical problems while in South Africa, and thereafter she often was in poor health. She was nevertheless also strong-willed and continued to participate in the increasing number of civil actions and protests across India that Mohandas and others organized. She often took her husbandâs place when he was in prison. Sometimes she undertook activities against his wishes, as he was concerned for her health. Much of her time, however, was devoted to helping to manage the various ashrams (religious retreats; see ashrama) that she helped Mohandas found.
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In mid-1917, while Mohandas was working to improve the lot of indigo farmers in Champaran, Bihar, Kasturba concerned herself with the welfare of the women there. In 1922 she participated in a nonviolent civil disobedience (satyagraha) movement in Borsad, Gujarat. Although she did not take part in Mohandasâs famous Salt March in 1930, she did join in a number of civil disobedience campaigns in the early 1930s and was arrested and jailed several times.
In early 1939 she participated in nonviolent protests against the British in Rajkot, after the women in the city appealed directly to her. She was arrested and kept in solitary confinement for a month near the city, during which time her health further deteriorated. In 1942 she was arrested again prior to the Quit India Movement and was imprisoned (along with Mohandas and many other pro-independence leaders) in the Aga Khan Palace at Pune. While in prison her chronic bronchitis worsened, and she contracted pneumonia and suffered a series of heart attacks before dying in early 1944.