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Gandhi was slight in built but had almost limitless physical and moral strength.
Gandhi was one of the gentlest of men, a devout and almost mystical Hindu, but he had an iron core of determination. Nothing could change his convictions. This combination of traits made him the leader of India's nationalist movement.

Some observers called him a master politician. Others believed him a saint. To millions of Hindus he was their beloved Mahatma, meaning "great soul." Gandhi's writings and devout life won him a mass of Indian followers. They followed him almost blindly in his campaign for swaraj, or "home rule." He worked to reconcile all classes and religious sects, especially Hindus and Muslims. Gandhi developed a method of direct social action based upon principles of courage nonviolence and truth, which he called shatyagraha (truth-force).This unique method of solving conflicts, was Gandhi's greatest legacy to mankind.