Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, a coastal town which was then part of the Bombay Presidency, British India. He was born in his ancestral home, now known as Kirti Mandir. His father, Karamchand Gandhi was Hindu Modh Baniya (1822–1885), served as the divan minister) of Porbander state, a small princely salute state in the Kathiawar Agency of British India.His grandfather was Uttamchand Gandhi, also called Utta Gandhi. His mother, Putlibai, who was from a Pranami Vaishnava family,was Karamchand's fourth wife, the first three wives having apparently died in childbirth.
The Indian classics, especially the stories of Shravana and king Harishchandra, had a great impact on Gandhi in his childhood. In his autobiography, he admits that they left an indelible impression on his mind. He writes: "It haunted me and I must have acted Harishchandra to myself times without number." Gandhi's early self-identification with truth and love as supreme values is traceable to these epic characters.
In May 1883, the 13-year-old Mohandas was married to Kasturbai Makhanji in an arranged child marriage, according to the custom of the region. In the process, he lost a year at school. However, as was prevailing tradition, the adolescent bride was to spend much time at her parents' house, and away from her husband. In 1885, when Gandhi was 15, the couple's first child was born, but survived only a few days. Gandhi's father, Karamchand Gandhi, had also died earlier that year.
Mohandas and Kasturba Gandhi had four more children, all sons Harilal, Manilal,Ramdas,and Devdas. At his middle school in Porbandar and high school in Rajkot, Gandhi remained a mediocre student. He shone neither in the classroom nor on the playing field. One of the terminal reports rated him as "good at English, fair in Arithmetic and weak in Geography; conduct very good, bad handwriting." He passed the matriculation at Samaldas College in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, with some difficulty.
The Indian classics, especially the stories of Shravana and king Harishchandra, had a great impact on Gandhi in his childhood. In his autobiography, he admits that they left an indelible impression on his mind. He writes: "It haunted me and I must have acted Harishchandra to myself times without number." Gandhi's early self-identification with truth and love as supreme values is traceable to these epic characters.
In May 1883, the 13-year-old Mohandas was married to Kasturbai Makhanji in an arranged child marriage, according to the custom of the region. In the process, he lost a year at school. However, as was prevailing tradition, the adolescent bride was to spend much time at her parents' house, and away from her husband. In 1885, when Gandhi was 15, the couple's first child was born, but survived only a few days. Gandhi's father, Karamchand Gandhi, had also died earlier that year.
Mohandas and Kasturba Gandhi had four more children, all sons Harilal, Manilal,Ramdas,and Devdas. At his middle school in Porbandar and high school in Rajkot, Gandhi remained a mediocre student. He shone neither in the classroom nor on the playing field. One of the terminal reports rated him as "good at English, fair in Arithmetic and weak in Geography; conduct very good, bad handwriting." He passed the matriculation at Samaldas College in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, with some difficulty.