As a child, Mahatma Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was a shy and quiet boy and considered an average student. He didn't show any outstanding qualities, but that made the world even more intrigued when he became one of the most respected religious figures in the world. Like all of us, Gandhi was not perfect. He experimented with smoking, stealing and eating foods such as meat which were frowned upon in his religious upbringing. At the age of 13 he married his wife Kasturba and later had 4 children. He eventually moved to England to study law and had to promise his mother that he would stay away from women, meat and wine. In London, Gandhi met many theosophists, vegetarians and others who carried the legacy of Enlightenment thought. He was strongly attracted by this type of life and attitude, as well as by the texts of the major religious traditions. More specifically, this is where he was introduced to the Bhagavid Gita, a 700-word scripture that is part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Also in London, Gandhi began to express his determination to achieve his new goal of obtaining a degree from the Inner Temple. In 1891 he joined the High Court in London, but later left it to return to India. Mahatma Gandhi is the father of the Indian Independence Movement. He was born and raised in Porbander, India, and later continued his future endeavors in many countries around the world. He spent 20 years in South Africa fighting discrimination and eventually created his own concept of Satyagraha, a non-violent way of protesting injustice. Satyagraha was also his strategy to achieve political and social goals. Gandhi chose to live a simplistic lifestyle; he made his patience and virtue known and wore m...... middle of paper ...... in the years to come. Works Cited "Gandhi - Biography of Mahatma Gandhi". About.com History of the 20th century. Np, nd Web. 08 November 2013. .Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Gandhi - Biography of Mahatma Gandhi." About.com History of the 20th century. Np, nd Web. 13 July 2009. "Gandhiji shot dead - The Hindu (31 January 1948)." The Hindu. Np, nd Web. 08 November 2013. "Mahatma Gandhi: the person, the hero, the legend." DW.DE. Np, nd Web. 08 November 2013. .Easwaran, Eknath. "Gandhi's sandals." House. Np, nd Web. 08 May 1997. .