When Gandhi met Tolstoy for the first time in Jaipur

As the audience leaned in, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, historian and professor, described the exact moment when his grandfather, M K Gandhi, first encountered Leo Tolstoy’s words. “In 1909, Gandhi had arrived in London on a deputation,” he recounted. “On the very day he landed, a dramatic assassination of a British official by an Indian nationalist rocked the city. Amid the turmoil, Gandhi stumbled upon a letter—a letter that urged India to reject violence and instead embrace love as the only path to liberation. It was written by none other than Leo Tolstoy.”

“In that letter, Tolstoy quotes great texts from the Hindu faith, Krishna, the Gita, and also from the extraordinary work Thirukkural, the great Tamil classic,” Gopalkrishna Gandhi said.

Daniil Tolstoy nodded in agreement. “By the time Tolstoy wrote A Letter to a Hindu, he was 80 years old and had become deeply disillusioned with violence as a means of change,” he said. “He had witnessed the brutalities of the 1905 Russian Revolution and was convinced that non-violence was the only path forward. He immersed himself in religious and ethical philosophy, even learning ancient Greek at the age of 45, so he could better understand the original Gospel texts.”

The conversation then turned to the famous correspondence between Gandhi and Tolstoy, a series of letters exchanged between 1909 and 1910. “Every letter is remarkable,” said Subramaniam. “Tolstoy spent seven months, wrote 29 drafts, and filled 400 pages before finalising A Letter to a Hindu. That is an extraordinary amount of effort. Gandhi was deeply moved and immediately wrote back.”

Gopalkrishna Gandhi read an excerpt from his ancestor’s first letter, which began, “Count Tolstoy, I take the liberty of inviting your attention…”

“Gandhi was 40 when he wrote those words, while Tolstoy was 80. And yet, Gandhi leaned on Tolstoy’s words as if they were a pillar of strength. Much like I leaned on Daniil’s arm as I climbed the steps onto this stage today,” observed Gopalkrishna Gandhi. Laughter rippled through the audience at this candid admission before Daniil Tolstoy picked up the thread.

“In his final letter to Gandhi, my great-grandfather reflected on the moral contradictions of society. He told a story of a bishop teaching children about the Ten Commandments. When asked whether there were exceptions to the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’, the bishop hesitated, finally conceding that killing was sometimes permissible in war or in dealing with criminals. Then, a young girl in the audience responded, ‘No, there is never an occasion when you can kill another human being.’ That was the essence of Tolstoy’s belief,” Daniil Tolstoy said.

The conversation then turned to the establishment of Tolstoy Farm. Gopalkrishna Gandhi said, “He set up a farm outside Johannesburg where the families of Satyagrahis could live self-reliantly.” This farm, named in honour of Tolstoy, became a sanctuary for those affected by the struggles in South Africa.

“Daniil, your great-grandfather was gone by then,” Gopalkrishna said, “but his influence was palpable. Tolstoy was so alive in Gandhi’s life that his farm was a magnet for the South African Satyagraha campaign.”

The conversation then turned to the modern relevance of their ancestors’ ideas. When asked if love-based resistance could still be a solution in today’s world, Daniil Tolstoy responded, “We rely on science and technology to solve our problems, but these often create new ones. Tolstoy’s idea of unconditional love, or agape, is perhaps more relevant now than ever.”

Gopalkrishna Gandhi echoed this sentiment, citing contemporary examples of sportsmanship and camaraderie. “Neeraj Chopra, the Indian javelin thrower, recently spoke of his Pakistani competitor as a brother. That is the spirit of love and respect that Gandhi and Tolstoy championed,” he said.