Mahatma Gandhi Character Analysis in Kanthapura

The most important leader of the Indian independence movement, most famous for his belief in Satyagraha, or nonviolent resistance. He also advocated wearing only khadi (domestically produced Indian cloth) and undertook numerous marches and fasts for the cause of swaraj (Indian self-rule) that the villagers reference as they conduct their own political actions. The villagers of Kanthapura worship Gandhi as a reincarnation of Siva, and Moorthy leads them in launching their own Gandhian protest campaign after he has a vision of the Mahatma giving a discourse. However, Gandhi never actually appears in the book (except in Moorthy’s vision) and largely serves a symbolic function in the villagers’ political campaign. Moorthy’s followers identify themselves by their loyalty to Gandhi, tell stories about the Mahatma, and shout “Mahatma Gandhi ki jai!” (or “Glory to Mahatma Gandhi”) as they march against the police. By the end of the book, some of the villagers seem to recognize that Gandhi is a figurehead more than he is an effective leader and wonder why they are sacrificing their lives, homes, and land for the Mahatma’s idealistic political goals.

Mahatma Gandhi Quotes in Kanthapura

The Kanthapura quotes below are all either spoken by Mahatma Gandhi or refer to Mahatma Gandhi. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Oral Tradition, Writing, and Political Power Theme Icon

I closed my ears when I heard [Moorthy] went to the Pariah quarter. We said to ourselves, he is one of these Gandhi-men, who say there is neither caste nor clan nor family, and yet they pray like us and they live like us. Only they say, too, one should not marry early, one should allow widows to take husbands and a Brahmin might marry a pariah and a pariah a Brahmin. Well, well, let them say it, how does it affect us? We shall be dead before the world is polluted. We shall have closed our eyes.

Related Characters: Achakka (speaker), Moorthy, Mahatma Gandhi

Page Number and Citation: 10

Explanation and Analysis:

Achakka initially agrees with the conventional wisdom that castes should not mix, even though she ultimately ends up joining Moorthy’s movement much later in the book. She cannot bring herself to see how “these Gandhi-men” retain every dimension of her own Hinduism except the caste system, which she and the other brahmins believe is foundational to their religion, but which Gandhi (and Moorthy) reject because they see it as an oppressive force. Achakka’s statement that “we shall be dead before the world is polluted” demonstrates the conviction with which she initially believes in caste purity—in particular, the prevailing idea among Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut ali

Siva himself will forthwith go and incarnate on the Earth and free my beloved daughter from her enforced slavery.

Related Characters: Jayaramachar (speaker), Mahatma Gandhi, Moorthy

Page Number and Citation: 11

Explanation and Analysis:

After Moorthy hires the famous harikatha-man Jayaramachar to visit Kanthapura, Achakka paraphrases Jayaramachar’s discourse about a conversation between the creator god, Brahma, and a great sage who accuses Brahma of neglecting his daughter Bharatha (the traditional Sanskrit word for India) by allowing her to be colonized by the British. At this point in his story, Jayaramachar argues that the great transformer god Siva has been incarnated on Earth as Mahatma Gandhi at Brahma’s request. Equating Gandhi with Siva allows Moorthy’s movement to gain momentum, since it frames Gandhism’s demand for Indian independence (swaraj) within the villagers’ existing religious beliefs. Later Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. M

“Free spinning-wheels in the name of the Mahatma!”

Related Characters: Moorthy (speaker), Mahatma Gandhi

Page Number and Citation: 17

Explanation and Analysis:

Moorthy first introduces Gandhism to Kanthapura by shouting the promise of free spinning-wheels throughout the town. The spinning-wheels are available to all, regardless of caste or political affiliation, which reflects Gandhism’s tenet of social equality. In requiring that every Gandhian spin wool and weave cloth daily, Gandhi expects that all Indians will do the same work. Moorthy appeals to poor villagers’ desire for economic independence from the landowners that force them to work as peasant farmers by associating Gandhism with a self-sufficiency that it ultimately never provides for the villagers. Rather, it adds another kind of obligatory labor to the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Volu

Every fellow with Matric or Inter asks, “What dowry do you offer? How far will you finance my studies?—I want to have this degree and that degree.” Degrees. Degrees. Nothing but degrees or this Gandhi vagabondage. When there are boys like Moorthy, who should safely get married and settle down, they begin this Gandhi business.

Related Characters: Bhatta (speaker), Rangamma, Moorthy, Mahatma Gandhi, Ramakrishnayya, Satamma

Page Number and Citation: 28

Explanation and Analysis:

Bhatta is Gandhi’s most powerful opponent in Kanthapura. In this passage, he complains to Satamma, Rangamma, and Ramakrishnayya about the difficulty he has had in marrying off his daughters. He blames Gandhism’s intellectual bent for encouraging potential brides to focus too much on their studies and reject traditional caste divisions. Bhatta’s concern demonstrates how Gandhism relies substantially on the colonial education system. For many of the more traditional villagers like Bhatta, “this degree and that degree” seem like a waste of time and energy because they do not help people succeed in the economic activities on which Kanthapura runs. This Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in

“There is but one force in life and that is Truth, and there is but one love in life and that is the love of mankind, and there is but one God in life and that is the god of all.”

Related Characters: Mahatma Gandhi (speaker), Moorthy

Page Number and Citation: 35-6

Explanation and Analysis:

Moorthy has a vision in which he fans the Mahatma and hears these words; although Achakka does not outright state that the Mahatma spoke them, she certainly implies it. This ambiguity illustrates how, in this book, Gandhi operates more as an idea developed by the villagers themselves (akin to the goddess Kenchamma, for instance) than an active political force. Despite the villagers’ willingness to die for Gandhi, he never shows up in the book except for in this vision, and the “Truth” he ostensibly preaches here becomes an empty concept for Moorthy. When he is imprisoned, he initially refuses to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Liber

“Brothers, in the name of the Mahatma, let there be peace and love and order. As long as there is a God in Heaven and purity in our hearts evil cannot touch us. We hide nothing. We hurt none. And if these gentlemen want to arrest us, let them. Give yourself up to them. That is the true spirit of the Satyagrahi.”

Related Characters: Moorthy (speaker), Mahatma Gandhi

Page Number and Citation: 88

Explanation and Analysis:

As the police arrest Moorthy for the first time in Rangamma’s house, he gives this speech to his followers, encouraging them to endure the violence done to them and maintain the purity of their methods, including submitting to arrest if necessary. The core of his Gandhian campaign is resistance through refusal: the villagers reject British goods and government posts, offer exploited workers an alternative livelihood based around community rather than profit, and refuse to sacrifice their moral principles for their physical safety. Although this gets many of them arrested and killed, it also allows them to maintain the moral high Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit

We are out for action. A cock does not make a morning, nor a single man a revolution, but we’ll build a thousand-pillared temple, a temple more irm than any that hath yet been builded, and each one of you be ye pillars in it, and when the temple is built, stone by stone, and man by man, and the bell hung to the roof and the Eagle-tower shaped and planted, we shall invoke the Mother to reside with us in dream and in life. India then will live in a temple of our making.

Related Characters: Moorthy (speaker), Mahatma Gandhi

Page Number and Citation: 123

Explanation and Analysis:

When Moorthy returns from prison, this is how he first addresses the other Gandhians. He reminds them that their efforts are part of a greater, national project and they should not judge the success of each Satyagraha march by its immediate effects, but rather by its role in advancing this greater project. By comparing India to a temple, he references the structure that stands at the center of Kanthapura geographically, politically, and religiously. The imagery of a temple also suggests that the coming nation of India is at once a political and spiritual force, one that brings religious unity to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostr

“This is all Ramayana and Mahabharata; such things never happen in our times.”

Related Characters: Dorè (speaker), Kenchamma, Rangamma, Moorthy, Mahatma Gandhi

Page Number and Citation: 125

Explanation and Analysis:

Dorè, who falsely declares himself a “university graduate” and proclaims his adherence to Gandhism early in the book, laughs before uttering this line when Rangamma suggests that Gandhi’s salt march will succeed without the Mahatma needing to even reach the ocean. To protest a British salt tax, Gandhi and his followers were marching to the sea in his western home state of Gujarat to make their own salt. The Kanthapura villagers eagerly await news of the Mahatma’s arrival, telling stories and making predictions about him much as they gathered to discuss ancient Hindu epics and scriptures early in the book. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae co

“Satyanarayan Maharaj ki jai!”

Related Characters: Mahatma Gandhi

Page Number and Citation: 172

Explanation and Analysis:

In lieu of their usual cries (“Vandé Mataram!,” “Inquilab Zindabad!,” and “Mahatma Gandhi ki jai!”), the Kanthapura Gandhians open their final march against the police with a new cry of “Satyanarayan Maharaj ki jai!.” Instead of declaring victory for Gandhi, they declare victory for Satyanarayan, a manifestation of the god Vishnu that effectively translates to “truth as the highest being,” which is also their Maharaja (or great ruler). They choose this cry because it is religious rather than political in content, and they correctly believe that the police will be more reluctant to stop them during an ostensibly religious march Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Und

“Vandé Mataram! Inquilab Zindabad! Mahatma Gandhi ki jai!”

Related Characters: Mahatma Gandhi

Page Number and Citation: 175

Explanation and Analysis:

These are the Kanthapura Gandhians’ three primary battle cries: they shout them repeatedly each time they march against police and soldiers, proclaiming their loyalty to the independence movement and rejection of the colonial state. “Vandé Mataram” is the title of an important revolutionary poem that translates to “I praise thee, mother,” with the word “mother” implicitly referring to mother India. “Inquilab Zindabad” translates to “long live the revolution,” and the most common battle cry of all, “Mahatma Gandhi ki jai,” translates to “victory to Mahatma Gandhi.” All three of these cries focus not on the villagers’ immediate actions and grievances Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim

Mahatma Gandhi Character Timeline in Kanthapura

The timeline below shows where the character Mahatma Gandhi appears in Kanthapura. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Gandhism and the Erosion of Caste Theme Icon

...his second term at university but “had city-ways, read city-books, and even called himself a Gandhi-man.” When he came back to town two years ago, he started wearing a dhoti and... (full context)

...hears Moorthy even went to the Pariah quarter, wondering whether “he is one of these Gandhi-men” who disregard caste. “How does it affect us?” asks Achakka, who asserts that “we shall... (full context)

Labor, Exploitation, and Economic Independence Theme Icon

...performs, telling a story permeated with lessons about Swaraj. Then, he tells the story of Gandhi’s birth—Venkatalakshamma complains to her son Postmaster Suryanarayana that she wants to hear about Rama and... (full context)

Land, Geography, and Belonging Theme Icon

...lisp the language of wisdom.” Like the lord Krishna started fighting demons as a child, Gandhi began fighting India’s enemies, assembling villagers around the country “to slay the serpent of the... (full context)

...Kanthapura. Moorthy becomes “sorrowful and calm” thereafter, but he soon starts converting the villagers to Gandhi’s cause. After two days, Policeman Badè Khan moves into the village. (full context)

...foreign cloth come to this country, and everything foreign makes us poor and pollutes us.” Gandhi thinks wearing one’s own cloth is sacred; the spinning-wheels give work and cloth to those... (full context)

“I am no learned person,” declares Nanjamma, who then asks whether the Mahatma himself spins. Of course, replies Moorthy—“he says spinning is as purifying as praying” and does... (full context)

Bhatta, unlike the rest of Kanthapura, wants “nothing to do with these Gandhi-bhajans.” He used to sympathize with Moorthy’s cause but gave up after visiting the city to... (full context)

...money if he strikes it rich). Achakka declares that, given Bhatta’s reputation, his disdain for Gandhi was a surprise—although not really, since “after all there was no money in it.” (full context)

...is to marry off his daughters with the focus on “nothing but degrees or this Gandhi vagabondage.” (full context)

Satamma blames recent floods for the “confusion of castes” and Rangamma worries that “the Mahatma is not for all this pollution,” but Bhatta complains that Gandhi has himself “adopted a... (full context)

...a word-for-word fight with Bhatta,” but chose instead to simply say she would see what Gandhi’s book and Moorthy say about the pariahs. Seething, Bhatta threatens to have Moorthy ostracized if... (full context)

One day, Moorthy has a vision of Gandhi giving a discourse to a large crowd; he feels a “mellowed force and love” emanating... (full context)

...is nothing Badè Khan can do about it, for “what is a policeman before a Gandhi’s man?” (full context)

...tearing off Khan’s beard, even as Moorthy shouts “no beatings, in the name of the Mahatma.” Khan threatens to arrest the whole lot, and Vasudev and Moorthy head back down to... (full context)

...begins to cry and Seenu tells Moorthy that “this is all very well for the Mahatma, but not for us poor creatures,” but Moorthy still wants to try. Ramakrishnayya comes and... (full context)

...blue-spreading light had entered his limbs.” His last such experience was his vision of the Mahatma. (full context)

...asking him to become “his dog’s tail,” but Rangè Gowda admits he is on the Mahatma’s side and they argue about pollution. (full context)

When Rangè Gowda mentions his fury at Badè Khan, Moorthy explains that “the Mahatma says you must love even your enemies” but Rangè Gowda insists that this love is... (full context)

...“there is a huge Panchayat of all India called the Congress” that belongs to the Mahatma. He explains that they need to spin yarn, and the women laugh in agreement, joking... (full context)

...Congress but everyone stands when Moorthy enters, which he finds presumptuous—Rangè Gowda calls him “our Gandhi” and the crowd roars in agreement as Moorthy cries a tear in “quiet exaltation.” He... (full context)

...and accelerate production, spinning “bundles and bundles of yarn” for Moorthy, who says that “the Mahatma was very pleased.” Achakka declares that “maybe he would remember us!” (full context)

...Inspector's permission, Moorthy stands on the veranda and demands that “in the name of the Mahatma, let there be peace and love and order.” The spirit of Satyagrahi, he argues, requires... (full context)

...Ranganna, and Dasappa give speeches praising Moorthy and lampooning the government, reminding the crowd of Gandhi’s principles and affirming the Mahatma’s support for Untouchables. A man from the crowd announces that... (full context)

...proclaimed his desire to fight “pollution” by stopping “this pariah business.” The Swami said that Gandhi met with him and suggested that he misinterpreted the dharma sastras, but he insisted that... (full context)

...mind and spirit, and Rangamma suggests that the other women learn to resist like the Mahatma when the time comes. “Nay, nay, we are not men,” protest the other women, but... (full context)

...are all too afraid of going to jail since Moorthy’s arrest. The men support the Mahatma but worry that their lands will lay empty and their families become destitute. They have... (full context)

The women approach Rangè Gowda, who promises to force the pariah boys to follow Gandhi after the harvests. He worries that Badè Khan will attack the men, and Vasudev agrees,... (full context)

...the nation of India. He tells his followers that they will follow the news of Gandhi’s final pilgrimage to manufacture salt in the ocean, and he reminds them that as Congress... (full context)

...one no matter their caste, charged to do the same work and pray for the Mahatma. They sit for a moment in silent prayer to “be united in the One,” and... (full context)

...Congress Committee and frequent visitors from the city. Seenu rings the gong to call the Gandhians for bhajans, during which Moorthy tells them stories about activists across India, like the 170... (full context)

On a Monday evening, the Gandhians cannot sleep, for they know that the Mahatma is about to arrive at the sea,... (full context)

The Gandhians wash their clothes, meditate, and feel “something new within our hearts.” The next morning, they... (full context)

...with the idea. They begin to feel stronger and imagine withstanding the beatings beside the Mahatma, whom Nanjamma compares to a mountain, “high yet seeable, firm and yet blue with dusk,”... (full context)

Unfortunately, “the call of the Big Mountain never came,” as the villagers learn that Gandhi has been arrested and decide to begin marching the next week. Everyone gathers around the... (full context)

...back to Kanthapura. They try to negotiate a price, but the cart men fear the Mahatma’s ire and agree to take the women back to Kanthapura for free. (full context)

...near Kanthapura, where Rangamma’s cousin lives and his wife offers them food and milk. The Gandhians tell the Santhapura villagers about the Mahatma and their campaign, and the people in Santhapura... (full context)

...Skeffington Estate, they encounter Betel Lakshamma, who asks if Moorthy and his “soldiers of the Mahatma” will free her from the Revenue Collector. “We are against all tyrants,” declares Moorthy, who... (full context)

...on the ground and tell the coolies “do not drink, in the name of the Mahatma.” The coolies agree not to drink, and the Police Inspector orders his men to throw... (full context)

...and people from all around are converging to meet Moorthy and join the “army of Mahatma.” (full context)

...day and night they sing songs about the evil of drinking and their allegiance to Gandhi, “our king.” Some educated “city boys” express this in rational argument, and others ask lower-caste... (full context)

...women can sing no more, Ratna tells the rest stories about women who marched for Gandhi in cities around India. They turned back to chanting and “forgot the pariahs and the... (full context)

Ratna had already left, and everyone returns home in frustration as Achakka wonders whether Gandhism has helped them at all. She declares that they were “mad to follow Moorthy.” The... (full context)

...a soldier “do not fire on innocent men.” The soldiers laugh and ask if the Gandhians are loyal to the British Government, but they say they “know only one Government and... (full context)

...the officers and Achakka hears Ratna’s voice saying, “no violence, in the name of the Mahatma” but cannot find her anywhere. “Men grip men and men crush men and men bite... (full context)

In Maddur, more policemen immediately attack the Gandhians, but locals quickly rush to their rescue and tend to their wounded. The able-bodied continue... (full context)

...arranging marriages for their sons and daughters. The village’s children consider them relations of the Mahatma and listen fondly to their stories. A local student even holds readings of Hindu scripture... (full context)

But the Mahatma and the Viceroy have come to an agreement, compromising many of the pilgrims’ initial conditions:... (full context)

...from Kanthapura. In fact, he sent a letter saying that the English will cheat the Mahatma, for he has too much faith in his enemies. “It is the way of the... (full context)

...after her visit, but Achakka is hopeful about Rangamma’s upcoming release, for she still supports Gandhi and “we are all for the Mahatma.” Around India, there are people for the Mahatma,... (full context)

Mahatma Gandhi Character Analysis

Mahatma Gandhi Quotes in Kanthapura

Section 1 Quotes

Section 2 Quotes

Section 3 Quotes

Section 10 Quotes

Section 13 Quotes

Section 18 Quotes

Mahatma Gandhi Character Timeline in Kanthapura