ABSTRACT
Born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India to a family of the Vaisya, or merchant, caste, Gandhi’s childhood ambition was to study medicine, but because this was considered “defiling: to his caste, his father persuaded him to study law instead” (Anon. 1998). Gandhi’s religious background influenced his eating habits throughout his life. Ironically, he did not at first trust the connection between his religion and his family’s diet, but, according to his autobiographical account, it was through his experimentation with his eating habits that Gandhi found his religious and moral mission in life.
