Although Gandhi’s thought are origional but it has numbers of influences. One of the earliest influence that provided to Gandhi’s thought was that of ancient Hindu tradition. He had grown up in a family and in a tradition that has always respected orthodox Hindu ways of religion and worship.
While in England he got an opportunity of being aquainted with some of the intellectual of that time and also with Christianity. Tolstoy left his mark on the mind of Gandhi in various ways, specially his emphasis on the power and dignity of suffering gave to Gandhi an inspiration of developing his own notion of Satyagraha.
Likewise, the great Amarican thinker, Thoreau also influenced Gandhi in a great deal. Besides ha has also first hand knowledge of Zoroastrians and Islam. Above all John Ruskin’s “Unto This Last” was one of the transforming influence that shaped Gandhi’s view. He translated it later into Gujrati, entitling it “Sarvodya”(the welfare of all)
