Nehru’s vision of India as a secular and modernizing state providing a secure home for all of its religious communities was not the only image of the country’s struggle for independence. Gandhi was widely viewed as a religious figure, the mahatma, or great soul, and the fight against British colonialism, which he led, was often portrayed in distinctly religious and Hindu terms, as Source 22.4, a poster from 1930–1931, illustrates. Here Gandhi is cast as the great Hindu deity Shiva and is portrayed saving a female character representing Mother India from British imperialism, depicted as Yama, the lord of death. This image appropriates the widely known Hindu mythological story of Markandeya, a young and pious sage, who is attacked by Yama, riding a buffalo and seeking to take his soul by casting a rope around the young man. But the great god Shiva rescues Markandeya, grants him eternal life, and slays Yama.

Questions to consider as you examine the source:

Gandhi and the Fight against British Colonialism