Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha)

Satyagraha, which can be loosely translated as "insistence on truth", is a philosophy of non-violent resistance that was originated by Mahatma Gandhi and which heavily influenced many civil rights movements of the 20th century. Notably Martin Luther King Jr. drew upon these ideas in his efforts to end segregation and discrimination in the United States. Nelson Mandela and his supporters were also greatly inspired by these ideas in their struggle to end apartheid in South Africa. "Non-Violent Resistance (Satyagraha)" is a collection of essays by Gandhi which describes this philosophy in detail and how it might be practically implemented to bring about needed political change. The idea of non-violent resistance, which may have been first popularized by the writings of Henry David Thoreau, has been shown to be a powerful agent of political change and presents an attractive alternative to the violent overthrows of existing political institutions which have dominated the history of civilization.