In this work, Martin Green relates how two dissimilar figures from "distant" traditions, Leo Tolstoy and Gandhi, gradually reached the same imperative: utter renunciation of the imperialistic, war-like modern Western world system.
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Two great men of two centuries,
This review is from: Tolstoy and Gandhi, Men of Peace: A Biography (Paperback)
Two great men of two centuries; resemblances in their life and death is the theme of this book by Martin Green. Green has done an excellent and painstaking research juxtaposing these two men who advocated for love, peace and brotherhood than anyone else in these two centuries.Though Gandhi had traits of piousness and adherence to truth in him from an early age, his unshakable belief in non-violence, selfless service and simple living had not became his sole doctrines until he came across Tolstoy's teachings through his books, most notably `Kingdom of God is within you' much later when he was in jail in South Africa. Though Tolstoy died within couple of years since Gandhi had made his first contact with him at the age of forty, it was Tolstoy more than anyone else from whom Gandhi had continued to draw inspiration throughout his life. Even while considering Tolstoy as his role model, Gandhi could never completely agree with Tolstoy on many of his views, most importantly his views on religion. The Tolstoy whom Gandhi knew had renounced religion, its superstitions, science and politics whereas for Gandhi religion and its teachings were as essential as the air he breathed. Tolstoy was against any kind of organization when Gandhi was part and parcel of Indian national congress and freedom movements. While Tolstoy was against class structure of any sort Gandhi supported the caste system in India. For Tolstoy, the nationalism and patriotism were two meaningless words used by politicians, which he considered as ideology of slavery, imposed by the institutions to justify their own existence. Gandhi never considered himself a patriot or nationalist in the sense Tolstoy defined them. Gandhi had a political problem to solve and hence had been an ardent activist unlike Tolstoy who had been advocating his principles passively and often bogged down in his domestic issues. Tolstoy forecasted that Gandhi's Hindu indoctrination to the Indian politics was going to cause great deal of troubles which Gandhi's colleagues realized decades later. `Gandhi's Hindu nationalism spoiled everything' remarked Tolstoy for Gandhi's excessive application of Hindu school of thoughts to Indian politics for achieving his political goals. Gandhi's growing repulsion for industrialization had a parallel to Tolstoy's denunciation to art and intellect. If the lack of truth, and the existence of Eros when stripped of religion from the art was what concerned Tolstoy, the machines and its mass production refusing humans its physical labor was what Gandhi despised in industrialization. According to Gandhi, western civilization, deprived of its efficacy for spiritual harmony but conducive of material advancement becomes a body of corrupted, immoral and incorrigible institute. Gandhi's insistence on bread labor has the backing of Tolstoy's teachings which Gandhi imposed on the inmates of his Phoenix and Tolstoy farms in South Africa. When Gandhi tried to sell the same principle (in the form of spinning and weaving) to Indian national congress leaders, many objected and more repudiated. Both Nehru and his father vehemently opposed this just as Romain Rolland opposed it when he was advised to do the same by Tolstoy when the former approached him for an `intellectual breakthrough' in his life. Both Rolland and Nehru considered themselves as belonging to prerogative class which Tolstoy despised. Here we see two distinct classes; one consists of Nehru and Rolland, the intellectuals and the other consists of Gandhi and Tolstoy, the reformers. In his book, Martin highlighted Gandhi's not so well known episode of his life; his `relationship' with Saraladevi Chaudhurani, grand-niece of Rabindranath Tagore, whom he considered as his `spiritual wife', a story that is published in his grandson's memoir of Gandhi - `Mohandas - A true story of a Man his People and an Empire'. Apart from Martin, other historians including Judith Brown in her book `Gandhi - a prisoner of hope' and Stanley Wolpert in `Gandhi's Passion' has attempted to analyze Gandhi's `relations' with his women disciples. These studies are of great significance especially when one consider Gandhi's claim of him as a devoted (in thought and deed) `Brahamachari'. As Martin correctly pointed out `Gandhi's acquaintance with Sarladevi and his acquisition of the national leadership was more than just accidental'. It is safe to assume that Gandhi drew immense energy from his spiritual relationships with his women disciples to sustain his political goals. Then there was Madeline Slade, the aristocratic lady who came to India to work for Gandhi's cause, too had spiritual, platonic relationship with Gandhi that is evident from numerous communications they had between them. In comparison, earlier life of Tolstoy was rife with nefarious relations with multitude of ladies including local serfs and servants of his house who even bore his children. Tolstoy's erotic relations with ladies served him with themes and inspirations for the creation of such classics as `Anna Karenna' and `War and Peace'. This book does not give you the details of political upheavals of Russia during the second half of 19th century which among many other events had had a great influence on Tolstoy resulting in his eventual transformation that we started seeing in him in his 50s; from one who wrote such classics as `Anna Karenna' and `War and Peace' to one who wrote `Death of Ivan IIyich' and from an aristocratic intellect to a divine philosopher. Though an understanding of Gandhi is not required to know Tolstoy, knowing Tolstoy could be the first step in understanding Gandhi's Byzantine yet simple psyche, whose principles were basically Tolstoyean though tailored to the Indian cause. Probably we could not see a better known man than Gandhi who with relevant teachings from scriptures and lives of great people combined voice of his conscience to formulate such powerful social/moral techniques to help the humanity achieve an understanding and harmony. This is a definitely good book for anyone looking for a comparative study of these two men but not a good one for an in-depth study of them.
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