Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869– 30 January 1948) was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of
satyagraha—resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non-violence—which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He is commonly known around the world as
Mahatma Gandhi "Great Soul", an honorific first applied to him by Rabindranath Tagore) and in India also as
Bapu "Father"). He is officially honored in India as the Father of the Nation; his birthday, 2 October, is commemorated there as
Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence
