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Translator's Preface
The first edition of Gandhiji's Autobiography was published in two volumes, Vol. I in 1927 and Vol. II in 1929. The original in Gujarati which was priced at Re. 1/- has run through five editions, nearly 50,000 copies having been sold. The price of the English translation (only issued in library edition) was prohibitive for the Indian reader, and a cheap edition has long been needed.
It is now being issued in one volume. The translation, as it appeared serially in Young India, had, it may be noted, the benefit of Gandhiji's revision. It has now undergone careful revision, and from the point of view of language, it has had the benefit of careful revision by a revered friend, who, among many other things, has the reputation of being an eminent English scholar. Before undertaking the task, he made it a condition that his name should on no account be given out. I accept the condition. It is needless to say it heightens my sense of gratitude to him.
Chapters XXIX-XLIII of Part V were translated by my friend and colleague Pyarelal during my absence in Bardoli at the time of the Bardoli Agrarian Inquiry by the Broomfield Committee in 1928-29.
Mahadev Desai, 1940.
Introduction
Introduction
Part I
I. Birth and Parentage
II. Childhood
III. Child Marriage
IV. Playing the Husband
V. At the High School
VI. A Tragedy
VII. A Tragedy (Continued)
VIII. Stealing and Atonement
IX. My Father's Death and My Double Shame
X. Glimpses of Religion
XI. Preparation for England
XII. Outcaste
XIII. In London at Last
XIV. My Choice
XV. Playing the English Gentleman
XVI. Changes
XVII. Experiments in Dietetics
XVIII. Shyness My Shield
XIX. The Canker of Untruth
XX. Acquaintance with Religions
XXI. 'Nirbal Ke Bala Rama'
XXII. Narayan Hemchandra
XXIII. The Great Exhibition
XXIV. 'Called', but then ?
XXV. My Helplessness
Part II
I. Raychandbhai
II. How I Began Life
III. The First Case
IV. The First Shock
V. Preparing for South Africa
VI. Arrival in Natal
VII. Some Experiences
VIII. On the Way to Pretoria
IX. More Hardships
X. First Day in Pretoria
XI. Christian Contacts
XII. Seeking Touch with Indians
XIII. What it is to be a 'Coolie'
XIV. Preparation for the Case
XV. Religious Ferment
XVI. Man Proposes, God Disposes
XVII. Settled in Natal
XVIII. Colour Bar
XIX. Natal Indian Congress
XX. Balasundaram
XXI. The £3 Tax
XXII. Comparative Study of Religions
XXIII. As a Householder
XXIV. Homeward
XXV. In India
XXVI. Two Passions
XXVII. The Bombay Meeting
XXVIII. Poona and Madras
XXIX. 'Return Soon'
Part III
I. Rumblings of the Storm
II. The Storm
III. The Test
IV. The Calm After The Storm
V. Education of Children
VI. Spirit of Service
VII. Brahmacharya I
VIII. Brahmacharya II
IX. Simple Life
X. The Boer War
XI. Sanitary Reform and Famine Relief
XII. Return to India
XIII. In India Again
XIV. Clear and Bearer
XV. In the Congress
XVI. Lord Curzon's Darbar
XVII. A Month with Gokhale I
XVIII. A Month with Gokhale II
XIX. A Month with Gokhale III
XX. In Benares
XXI. Settled in Bombay ?
XXII. Faith on Its Trial
XXIII. To South Africa Again
Part IV
I. 'Love's Labour's Lost' ?
II. Autocrats from Asia
III. Pocketed the Insult
IV. Quickened Spirit of Sacrifice
V. Result of Introspection
VI. A Sacrifice to Vegetarianism
VII. Experiments in Earth and Water Treatment
VIII. A Warning
IX. A Tussle with Power
X. A Sacred Recollection and Penance
XI. Intimate European Contacts
XII. European Contacts (Continued)
XIII. Indian Opinion
XIV. Coolie Locations or Ghettoes ?
XV. The Black Plague I
XVI. The Black Plague II
XVII. Location in Flames
XVIII. The Magic Spell of a Book
XIX. The Phoenix Settlement
XX. The First Night
XXI. Polak Takes the Plunge
XXII. Whom God Protects
XXIII. A Peep into the Household
XXIV. The Zulu 'Rebellion'
XXV. Heart Searchings
XXVI. The Birth of Satyagraha
XXVII. More Experiments in Dietetics
XXVIII. Kasturbai's Courage
XXIX. Domestic Satyagraha
XXX. Towards Self-Restraint
XXXI. Fasting
XXXII. As Schoolmaster
XXXIII. Literary Training
XXXIV. Training of the Spirit
XXXV. Tares Among the Wheat
XXXVI. Fasting as Penance
XXXVII. To Meet Gokhale
XXXVIII. My Part in the War
XXXIX. A Spiritual Dilemma
XL. Miniature Satyagraha
XLI. Gokhale's Charity
XLII. Treatment of Pleurisy
XLIII. Homeward
XLIV. Some Reminiscences of the Bar
XLV. Sharp Practice ?
XLVI. Clients Turned Co-Workers
XLVII. How a Client was Saved
Part V
I. The First Experience
II. With Gokhale in Poona
III. Was it a Threat ?
IV. Shantiniketan
V. Woes of Third Class Passengers
VI. Wooing
VII. Kumbha Mela
VIII. Lakshman Jhula
IX. Founding of the Ashram
X. On the Anvil
XI. Abolition of Indentured Emigration
XII. The Stain of Indigo
XIII. The Gentle Bihari
XIV. Face to Face with Ahimsa
XV. Case Withdrawn
XVI. Methods of Work
XVII. Companions
XVIII. Penetrating the Villages
XIX. When a Governor is Good
XX. In Touch with Labour
XXI. A Peep into the Ashram
XXII. The Fast
XXIII. The Kheda Satyagraha
XXIV. 'The Onion Thief'
XXV. End of Kheda Satyagraha
XXVI. Passion for Unity
XXVII. Recruiting Campaign
XXVIII. Near Death's Door
XXIX. The Rowlatt Bills and my Dilemma
XXX. That Wonderful Spectacle !
XXXI. That Memorable Week ! I
XXXII. That Memorable Week ! II
XXXIII. 'A Himalayan Miscalculation'
XXXIV. Navajivan and Young India
XXXV. In the Punjab
XXXVI. The Khilafat Against Cow Protection ?
XXXVII. The Amritsar Congress
XXXVIII. Congress Initiation
XXXIX. The Birth of Khadi
XL. Found at Last !
XLI. An Instructive Dialogue
XLII. Its Rising Tide
XLIII. At Nagpur
Farewell
Farewell
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