Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869 in western India and went to London to study law. He faced discrimination in South Africa, which led him to develop his philosophy of non-violent civil disobedience. He returned to India in 1915 and led the Indian independence movement, organizing large non-cooperation campaigns. After independence in 1947, religious violence broke out and Gandhi went on a fast to promote peace between Hindus and Muslims. In 1948, he was assassinated by a Hindu nationalist.