Mahatma Gandhi For Kids | Bedtime History

Welcome to Bedtime History. Have you ever heard about a country called India? India is on the other side of the world between China and the Middle East and much of it is surrounded by the Indian Ocean. India is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations and was one of the richest countries in the world for many years. In fact, it is what Christopher Columbus was looking for when he sailed around the world, but instead he ran into America and called the people there Indians, thinking he was in India. Over 1 billion people live in India. It is more people than any other country in the world, second only to China. If you remember from American history, a long time ago the British Empire ruled many countries of the world, including America. During the American Revolution, the patriots fought off the British king and his soldiers and became their own free country. At the time of our story today, England, or the British Empire, was still in control of India. This is the story of how India came to be free and the story of the man who helped make it happen. In 1869, in the city of poor-bounder India, a boy named Mohandas Gandhi was born in a small home to a simple family. The Gandhis were good people. The father was a leader in the city and his mother was a very religious woman. She taught her children to pray and read scriptures such as the Vegas and some texts from the Bible and Koran. The Gandhis were Hindu, so they believed in not drinking wine or eating meat. Gandhi's mother also taught him to fast, which means going without food. She believed it gave them strength and self-control. When Mohandas was little, he was very playful and sometimes liked to cause trouble. Often he would chase down dogs and twist their ears. He also loved to listen to classic Indian stories such as the stories of Shravan and Harishandra, which were epic tales about virtue and adventure. These stories taught good principles and made Mohandas want to be a good person. At age nine, Mohandas started school and there learned math, history, language, and geography. He was just an okay student and was pretty shy and had trouble speaking. This made him very nervous when he had to speak in front of his class, but he did like books and learning. In India, at that time people got married very young. Mohandas was 13 when he married a girl named Kasturba. Also in India, the parents pick out who they should marry. When Kasturba was 17, they had their first baby, but sadly she didn't live very long. The same year, Mohandas also lost his father, so it was a very hard time for him. But later, Mohandas and Kasturba had four more children, so it made them very happy to be parents. Next, Gandhi decided to travel to London, the capital of the British empire, to go to college to become a lawyer. A lawyer is someone who helps others work with the law, the rules that keep a country in order. Gandhi's parents were worried while he was there he wouldn't live his religion, that he would eat meat and drink alcohol and not live a good life. But when he left, he promised them he would stay faithful no matter what. And Gandhi did live up to his word. He stayed strong in his Hindu religion while he was away from home. This is called commitment and dedication to something you believe in. Gandhi learned a lot about the English people while he was in London. He had always been shy, and at first it was hard at school. But instead of giving up, he joined a group that taught him how to speak louder and more clearly. And with lots of practice, he became a very good speaker. After finishing college, Gandhi got a job working for a shipping company in South Africa. At this time, the British empire also ruled South Africa. In South Africa, Gandhi was treated badly because he was from India. Once, when he was on a train, they didn't let him sit with other people. They picked him up and threw him off the train. Gandhi was so upset by this, he refused to leave the train station until they let him on the next train. This is called a protest, where you wait somewhere and won't move until you get your way. Finally, they let Gandhi back on the train. Many times he was treated badly because he was from India. He started to think England shouldn't be in control of his country anymore. When Gandhi moved back to India, he was determined to do everything to make India a free country. He began speaking and writing about what the Indian people would need to do to become free. But Gandhi was a peaceful person and didn't believe in hurting others to become free. Instead, they would peacefully protest and use civil disobedience, which means finding other ways to become free besides fighting and violence. One thing England did to control India was tax the things they bought. This meant charging extra for food and clothes and keeping the money. So instead of buying clothes and salt from England, Gandhi decided to make his own clothes and his own salt. He learned how to make his own clothes and started wearing them. Thousands of other Indian people started to do the same. This made the British upset because they were losing money. To make his own salt, Gandhi began a journey to the ocean. He walked over 200 miles to make salt. People all over India followed him and did the same. All across the world, people saw what Gandhi and the Indian people were doing and sympathized with them. For what he was doing, Gandhi was put in jail many times. He would go without eating until they would let him out. What Gandhi was doing was very difficult, but he was sacrificing for the country and people he loved. Sometimes the Indian people wanted to use guns and weapons to fight the British leaders, but Gandhi taught them that this was the wrong way. He used scriptures of many different religions to show that peace was a and because the people loved him and didn't want him to hurt, they would stop. Eventually, England let India become free. The amazing part of this story is that it came about without a big war and lots of people dying. This was truly a miracle and Gandhi showed the world that freedom can come about through peaceful ways. The Indian people and Gandhi celebrated. They were so happy to be in control of their own country. The time after this was very challenging as they had to figure out how to be on their own, but it gave them a chance to make their own choices. Not long after India became free, Gandhi passed away, but his mission was complete and the Indian people and people all across the world will remember him as someone who loved his people and gave his life for them. In life, it's easy to just focus on yourself and what makes you happy. It's natural for us to want to take care of ourselves, which is important to some degree, but giving of ourselves to help others is also very important. It's important to share and to think about what makes others happy. Tonight, spend some more time thinking about what makes people around you happy and then do something about it. Next time you have a treat, think about how happy it would make others if they could taste it too. If you're playing with a toy or a game, think about how your brother or sister or friend might enjoy playing with it. Gandhi believed in being peaceful. Next time someone wants to fight with you or argue, think about a more peaceful way you can deal with the problem. You never know, in the end, someone who you think is an enemy may become your friend. If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe so you can be notified of future episodes. We also have lots of videos on YouTube, so be sure to search for Bedtime History on YouTube. 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