He is also called “Mahatma”, an honorific title, which means sage, high-souled, or venerable. This title was applied to him first in 1914 in South Africa. Now he is known by this name all over the world. “Bapu” is the Gujarati endearment for ‘father.’ There is no other person in the history of India who has been so highly esteemed, rather worshiped in real sense of term.
Not only India, but also several other leaders in the colonized countries, such as Nelson Mandela in South Africa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. followed Gandhi’s footsteps and continued their freedom struggle in their countries. His nonviolent civil disobedience movement very quickly spread across the world.