Manilal Gandhi
Manilal Mohandas Gandhi entered the world on the 28th of October 1892 in Rajkot, British India. He was the second son born to Mohandas Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi. An older brother named Harilal preceded him by several years. Two younger brothers followed later, Ramdas and Devdas. The family lived together in Rajkot during his earliest years. This quiet beginning stood in stark contrast to the turbulent life that awaited him across the ocean.
The year 1917 marked a return for Manilal to South Africa after a brief visit back to India with his parents. He arrived to assist in printing the Indian Opinion, a weekly publication written in both Gujarati and English. By 1918 he handled most of the work at the press himself. In 1920 he officially took over as editor of the newspaper. He held this position until the year 1956 when he died from a cerebral thrombosis following a stroke. The Phoenix Settlement in KwaZulu-Natal served as the base for this publication.
British colonial authorities sent Manilal to prison multiple times for protesting against laws they deemed unjust. He joined the initial group of 78 marchers who accompanied his father on the Salt March in 1930. This specific protest led directly to his incarceration under British rule. His imprisonment was not an isolated event but part of a pattern of resistance against colonial authority. The government viewed his actions as a direct challenge to their power structure.
In 1926 Manilal informed his father about Fatima Gool whom he had fallen in love with in South Africa. She was a Muslim woman of Gujrati descent. Gandhi wrote that keeping Hinduism while she followed Islam would be like putting two swords in one sheath. He argued that faith is not a garment which can be changed to suit our convenience. In 1927 Manilal married Sushila instead, a match arranged by their families in the usual Indian way. Her father Nanabhai Mashruwala lived in Akola within Bombay State. Sushila later joined her husband in South Africa after the wedding.
Manilal died from a cerebral thrombosis following a stroke on the 5th of April 1956. His children Arun and Ela became social-political activists themselves. Uma D. Mesthrie published a biography titled Gandhi's Prisoner? The Life of Gandhi's Son Manilal in 2003. This book detailed the life of the second son of Mahatma Gandhi. An interview conducted in September 1954 by George M. Houser exists within the African Activist Archive Project website. A photograph from 1947 shows him at the Community Church of New York.
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Common questions
When and where was Manilal Gandhi born?
Manilal Mohandas Gandhi entered the world on the 28th of October 1892 in Rajkot, British India. He was the second son born to Mohandas Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi.
What role did Manilal Gandhi hold at Indian Opinion newspaper?
Manilal officially took over as editor of the newspaper Indian Opinion in 1920. He held this position until the year 1956 when he died from a cerebral thrombosis following a stroke.
Why was Manilal Gandhi imprisoned by British colonial authorities?
British colonial authorities sent Manilal to prison multiple times for protesting against laws they deemed unjust. He joined the initial group of 78 marchers who accompanied his father on the Salt March in 1930 which led directly to his incarceration under British rule.
Who did Manilal Gandhi marry after falling in love with Fatima Gool?
In 1927 Manilal married Sushila instead, a match arranged by their families in the usual Indian way. Her father Nanabhai Mashruwala lived in Akola within Bombay State.
When did Manilal Gandhi die and what caused his death?
Manilal died from a cerebral thrombosis following a stroke on the 5th of April 1956. His children Arun and Ela became social-political activists themselves.