Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is one of the most charismatic figures of the 20th century. Rabindranath Tagore gave him the name Mahatma - "Great Soul", by which he became known throughout the world. Coming from a wealthy caste of merchants and a brilliantly educated lawyer, he took the path of severe asceticism and laid the foundations of a new philosophical teaching. He led the liberation struggle against British rule, calling on his fellow citizens to show courage and non-violence. To stop the violence within the country, he walked around East Bengal and Bihar, calling on Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs to stop the unrest. His ideological and political legacy had a noticeable influence on many leaders of the anti-colonial and democratic movement and earned him popular love and veneration.