Kasturba Gandhi

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Kasturba Gandhi in the 1940s
Mohandas and Kasturba Gandhi, in 1914 before the sea voyage to England

Kasturba Gandhi (born April 11, 1869 in Porbandar , Kathiawar Agency , British India , † February 22, 1944 in Poona , Presidency of Bombay ), née Kastur Kapadia, affectionately called "Ba" ( mother ), was the wife of Mohandas Gandhi .

Life

Kasturba Kapadia was born in Gujarat , Vaishnav . She lived there for a number of years with her family, who were held in high regard. At the age of seven she was betrothed to Mohandas Gandhi, who was also of the Bania caste . In 1882, she was married at the age of thirteen. They had their first child at the age of sixteen, but it died after a few days. Other children were Harilal (1888–1948), Manilal (1892–1956), Ramdas (1897–1969) and Devdas (1900–1957).

Political career

Kasturba Gandhi stood by her husband during political demonstrations. She had great willpower and often even defied her inexperienced commanding husband, who demanded obedience from her.

In 1897 she traveled to South Africa with her husband . From 1904 to 1914 she lived in the Phoenix settlement near Durban . During the protest movement against working conditions for Indians in South Africa in 1913, Kasturba was arrested and imprisoned for three months in a forced labor prison. When Gandhi returned to India in 1915 to support indigo planters, Kasturba went with him. In India, Kasturba Gandhi spoke on behalf of her husband at meetings when he was imprisoned. She taught hygiene and taught reading and writing to women and children.

Sickness and death

Kasturba suffered from chronic bronchitis . In January 1944 she suffered two heart attacks . She couldn't get out of bed most of the time. There, too, they were tormented by pain and shortness of breath often prevented them from sleeping. After much hesitation, the government sent a specialist in traditional Indian medicine to her, but her condition only improved for a short time. She died in the presence of her husband.

Web links

Commons : Kasturba Gandhi  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi: My life . Suhrkamp Verlag 1983, p. 30. ISBN 978-3-518-37453-5 .
personal data
SURNAME Gandhi, Kasturba
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kapadia, Kastur (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Wife of Mohandas Gandhi
DATE OF BIRTH April 11, 1869
PLACE OF BIRTH Porbandar , Kathiawar Agency , British India
DATE OF DEATH February 22, 1944
Place of death Poona , Bombay Presidency