An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth

The first edition of Gandhiji’s Autobiography was published in two volumes, Vol. I in 1927 and Vol. II in 1929. The original in Gujarati which was priced at Re. 1/- has run through five editions,. nearly 50,000 copies have been sold. The price of the English translation (only issued in library edition) was prohibitive for the Indian reader, and a cheap edition has long been needed. It is now being issued in one volume. The translation, as it appeared serially in Young India, had, it may be noted, the benefit of, Gandhiji’s revision. It has now undergone careful revision, and from the point of ‘View of language, it has had the benefit of careful revision by a revered friend, who, among many other things, has the reputation of being an eminent English scholar. Before undertaking the task, he made it a condition that his name should on no account be given out. I accept the condition. It is needless to say it heightens my sense of gratitude to him. Chapters XXIX — XLIII of Part V were translated by my friend and colleague Pyarelal during my absence in Bardoli at the time of the Bardoli Agrarian Inquiry by the Broomfield Committee 1940 MAHADEV DESAI iii Chapter CONTENTS TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE (Mahadev Desai) INTRODUCTION PART I BIRTH AND PARENTAGE > > CHILDHOOD . . . s CHILD MARRIAGE . . k PLAYING THE HUSBAND . . 5 AT THE HIGH SCHOOL A TRAGEDY : A TRAGEDY (Contd.) . STEALING AND ATONEMENT MY FATHER’S DEATH AND MY DOUBLE SHAME 5 PREPARATION FOR ENGLAND OUTCASTE . . ` IN LONDON AT LAST MY CHOICE CHANGES EXPERIMENTS IN DIETETICS SHYNESS MY SHIELD ACQUAINTANCE WITH RELIGIONS fass qs Ua NARAYAN HEMCHANDRA THE GREAT EXHIBITION ‘CALLED ’— BUT THEN ? MY HELPLESSNESS PART IL RAYCHANDBHAI HOW I BEGAN LIFE . THE FIRST SHOCK i PREPARING FOR SOUTH AFRICA . ARRIVAL IN NATAL . y Page iii xiii oan vi SOME EXPERIENCES . ON THE WAY TO PRETORIA MORE HARDSHIPS CHRISTIAN CONTACTS . SEEKING TOUCH WITH INDIANS .…