Mahatma Gandhi as Germans See Him (An Old and Rare Book)

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Jawaharlal Nehru asserted in the book published on the occasion of Tagore's birth centenary, that Gandhi had appeared to his people in India as a thunderbolt that had shaken everyone, and as a blaze of lightning that had enlightened the brain and warmed the heart. He compared him with the poet Tagore, whose impact on the Indian people, he said, was not as sudden as an earthquake. On the contrary, it appeared to be like the slow advance of dawn in the mountains. Thus, Nehru considers Tagore a thinker and Gandhi a man of action: Tagore embodies the cultural heritage of India in the fullness of its life, Gandhi: the tradition of ascetism and renunciation; each one in his own way a true India. These were the words of a man who was to step into Gandhi's shoes, his companion, who, though twenty years younger, made no secret of the fact that he differed in many respects with the views held by the revered Mahatma.

The European, however, thinks of the overpowering figure of Gandhi in other dimensions. Gandhi has not affected European history by storm with a roll of thunder or with a stroke of lightning. It is rather, if we wish to continue in figure of speech, a sheet-lightning the distance of the long duration which has not been extinguished till today, a light in the East, which lures you into its spell again and again.

This book Mahatma Gandhi as Germans See Him reflects the voices of renowned contemporary German authors, who have dealt with Gandhi, his life and work. You get to know Gandhi's personality and actions from various, by no means uniform, angles. This has led to the creation of a Gandhi-image showing a number of facets, nuances and shades, a procedure which doubtless has essential advantages, for, a historical phenomenon cannot be treated exhaustively at any time or any place only from one angle. A scholar of religion, therefore, interprets Gandhi in the tradition of India's religious development. A politician, attracted by the Mahatma's statesmanship, records his analysis. The unique kind and manner of the influence of an individual on the masses of the sub-continent appeal to the sociologist. As an exponent of Indian spirituality, he is understood by other writers who attempt to determine his place and role within the universal history of spirituality of modern mankind.

A number of additional essays have been included in this second edition which broaden the spectrum. We are grateful to Inter Nations for allowing us to reproduce the articles of their Mahatma Gandhi Centenary Publication 1969 in English.

All who have written on Gandhi in this volume approach the phenomenon as sober people of the twentieth century which is fast approaching its end and which does not leave many illusions on the course of this world. They are not prejudiced by ideological ideas; on the contrary, they try to let facts speak for themselves. They balance the light and dark side; they judge successes and failures. They do not paint the Mahatma with the halo of an idealised hero or saint, but understand him as a practical idealist, in the manner in which he wanted himself to be under-stood. The picture, which is created by such unprejudiced elucidation from many sides, is transparent. It points to quite a number of realistic individual features and captivates us by its empathetical genuineness increasing the intensity of its radiating power.