logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
1h 3m

Mahatma Gandhi

NOISER
About this episode

Raised in India, and trained in London as a lawyer, Mahatma Gandhi went on to lead a life that was anything but ordinary. He campaigned against unjust laws in South Africa, led the movement against British rule in India, and changed the entire nature of protest. His commitment to non-violence would inspire world leaders for generations. But how did a shy, unpromising schoolboy turn into one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century? Where did his ideals and approach to conflict come from? And why, despite his commitment to non-violence, did his own life end so suddenly?


This is a Short History Of Mahatma Gandhi. 


A Noiser production, written by Kate Harrison. With thanks to Bindu Puri, Professor of Contemporary Indian Philosophy at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and author of ‘Gandhi for the 21st Century: Religion, Morality and Politics’. 

Get every episode of Short History Of a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material, and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Jul 6
The Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin is a length of linen, believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth. Its most famous feature is the blurry imprint of a man’s face, which resembles the pictures of Jesus that have passed down to us over the centuries. Revered by millions, the Sh ... Show More
58m 7s
Jun 29
Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle, a doctor, war volunteer, campaigner for justice, politician, and believer in the spirit world, created one of literature’s most famous characters. In his lifetime, he wrote ghost stories, political pamphlets, historical novels, and fantastical adventures. But ... Show More
1h 1m
Jun 25
Introducing: Fidel Castro - Real Dictators
This is a taster episode of the Fidel Castro story. To hear episodes 2-10, head over to Real Dictators and hit follow. Fidel Castro - a revolutionary turned strongman dictator, beloved by his supporters and loathed by his enemies. The bête noire of the United States who pushed th ... Show More
1h 6m
Recommended Episodes
May 2020
Gandhi on self-rule
Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj (1909) was a defining text of the movement for Indian independence from British colonial rule. It also articulated a radical new idea of politics in a modern context – peaceful protest or non-violent resistance. David explores the wider leg ... Show More
44m 34s
Jul 2022
Kasturba Gandhi
Mohandas Gandhi helped India win independence from Britain through nonviolent resistance but little know that he credits the inspiration for his tactics to his wife, Kasturba. So, who was the wife of this renowned saint?Starring Dipika Guha as Kasturba Gandhi and Samrat Chakrabar ... Show More
50m 11s
Apr 2022
The Foundations of Modern India
The greatest anti-imperial rebellion of the nineteenth century, The Indian Rebellion of 1857, witnessed mass violence against the British. Ninety years later, Indian freedom was founded on a deadly fratricide that singularly spared the outgoing masters. As a result, India’s found ... Show More
25m 46s
Oct 2023
Great Reputations: Gandhi
In the latest in our series charting the contested reputations of key historical figures, Vikram Visana and Jad Adams debate the complex, sometimes controversial life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, and discuss his views on everything from sex and gender to class and ethnicity The ... Show More
1h 7m
Mar 2023
The Future of Nonviolence: A Conversation with Julie M. Norman
Ever since Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, non-violent resistance has held a special place in the public imagination. What can be better after all than forcing political change without the violence that so often accompanies it. But the Gandhi and King stories are so powerf ... Show More
41m 11s
Sep 2022
7. Mahatma Gandhi
In the latest episode of Empire, William and Anita are joined by Ram Guha to explore the incredible life and story of Mahatma Gandhi. LRB Empire offer: lrb.me/empire Email: empirepoduk@gmail.comInstagram: @EmpirePodUKTwitter: @EmpirePodUK goalhangerpodcasts.com Learn more about y ... Show More
1h 4m
May 2020
Martin Luther King Jr: Revolutionary Through Nonviolence
Martin Luther King Junior was an activist, minister and the most visible leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He advanced civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience, inspired by his Christian beliefs and the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi. His strategy was bot ... Show More
35m 40s
Jun 2022
Ramachandra Guha on Gandhi’s Extraordinary Life and Legacy
Ryan talks to author Ramachandra Guha about his books Gandhi Before India and India After Gandhi, the journey that led Gandhi to become one of the worlds most influential leaders, how humanity was impacted by Gandhi’s legacy, and more.Ramachandra Guha—hailed by Time as “Indian de ... Show More
1h 10m
Oct 2021
How Hindustan became India
Manan Ahmed Asif discusses his book The Loss of Hindustan, the Invention of India, which has just been shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize Historian Manan Ahmed Asif discusses his recent book The Loss of Hindustan, the Invention of India, which has just been shortlisted for ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2024
129. Ashoka: The Great Buddhist Emperor of India
Ruling in the 3rd century BC, Ashoka was one of India’s greatest ever rulers. Under his rule, the Mauryan Empire grew into the largest empire India had ever seen. Its capital, Pataliputra was a dazzling, glorious, cosmopolitan city that was eleven times larger than Athens. After ... Show More
50m 47s