Gandhiji: His Life and Work. Published on His 75th Birthday.

[GANDHI, Mohandas Karamchand] [Mahatma]. Edited by D.G. Tendulkar; M. Chalapathi Rau; et al. A Word for the Readers by Mohandas Gandhi; Introduction by Jawaharlal Nehru. [John Kenneth Galbraith].

$60,000.00

Item Number: 149272

Bombay: Keshav Bhikaji Dhawale, October 2, 1944.

First unabridged edition of this tribute to Gandhi, with introductions by Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and a biographical essay by Albert Einstein. Quarto, original publisher’s half cloth, patterned endpapers, illustrated with black and white photographs and tipped-in color plates, frontispiece. Boldly signed by Mahatma Gandhi on the half-title page. Association copy, additionally signed by John Kenneth Galbraith opposite the copyright page, “John Kenneth Galbraith 1987 — Ambassador to India, 1961-1963.” Although he remains best known as an iconoclast in the field of economics, John Kenneth Galbraith was very active in Democratic Party politics, serving in the administrations of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson. During his time as an adviser to President John F. Kennedy, Galbraith was appointed United States Ambassador to India from 1961 to 1963. Kennedy considered India to be important not just in its own right, but also because an Indian diplomat always served as the chief commissioner of the International Control Commission (ICC). Thus, Galbraith came to be involved in American policy towards Southeast Asia from his perch as an ambassador in New Delhi. During his tenure in India, Galbraith developed close ties with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and engaged deeply with the political and cultural life of the country. He expressed admiration for India’s experiment in democratic socialism and non-alignment, and he frequently drew comparisons between Nehru’s political legacy and that of Mahatma Gandhi. While Galbraith did not interact directly with Gandhi—who had been assassinated in 1948—he often invoked Gandhian ideals in his reflections on India’s development and its moral role in the post-colonial world. His writings and diplomatic efforts emphasized the importance of non-violence, civil society, and moral leadership, themes closely associated with Gandhi’s philosophy. In very good condition. A wonderful association copy, very rare and desirable signed by Gandhi and even more so with the addition of Galbraith’s signature.

Published in 1944 to both commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 75th birthday and support the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Fund, Gandhiji: His Life and Work contains essays by various contemporaries examining Gandhi’s political career, social reform efforts, and influence on Indian society as well as a curated selection of Gandhi’s own writings, including speeches and letters. Although Gandhi generally declined to participate in birthday commemorations, he wrote a preface for this volume, citing its charitable purpose. As a mid-career publication released during Gandhi’s lifetime, the book reflects the contemporary reception of his work and offers early interpretations of his role in the Indian independence movement. "Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth" (Albert Einstein, On Gandhi).