Ever felt the confusion whether Rahul Gandhi is one of the grandchildren of Mahatma Gandhi? If you are not an Indian, the surname Gandhi might confuse you with the relationships. Rahul Rajiv Gandhi is a 53-year-old famous Indian politician. He was born on June 19, 1970 in New Delhi, India. He has been a member of the Indian National Congress since 2004 and represents Wayanad Kerala in Lok Sabha.
However, he is not a grandchild of Mahatma Gandhi, only a close associate of Rahul’s grandparents. Rahul's family held an eminent position in Indian politics. His father, Rajiv Gandhi, grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, have all served as prime ministers of India. Moreover, they actively participate in social and welfare activities.
The Mahatma Gandhi family tree and Rahul Gandhi family tree have different roots. For a clearer picture, let’s give you an overview of the combined family tree of both of their families.
In this article
Part 1. Gandhi Family Tree of Indian National Congress
Mahatma Gandhi Family
Mohandas (Mahatma Gandhi) was born in 1869 to Karamchand and Putlibai Gandi. Karamchand was a court official in Porbandar, also having served as the Diwan (finance minister) of Porbandar.
Parents
Karamchand Gandhi was married four times, with Putlibai being the youngest wife. She was a very religious Hindu lady from the village of Dantrana. Mohandas was the youngest child, affectionally called Monia.
Marriage with Kasturba Gandhi
Kasturba was a political activist known for her contributions to the Indian Independence Movement. She became prominent in British rule and is regarded as an important political figure to this day.
Kasturbai belonged to a small town of Porbandar. Her parents, Gokuladas Kapadia and Vrajkunwerba Kapadia, were tradesmen. They arranged Kasturba’s arranged marriage with Mohandas Gandhi when she was only 14.
However, they didn’t allow Kasturba to live with Mahatma Gandhi yet. They let her stay with them for a few years before sending her off to her husband. At the age of 17, Kasturba became pregnant with her first child, who died prematurely.
Mohandas Gandhi has explained his marriage with Kasturba in his several writings. He explained how their relationship has evolved over the years. That’s because they were married at such a young age when they didn’t even understand the meaning of marriage. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “As we didn't know much about marriage, for us it meant only wearing new clothes, eating sweets, and playing with relatives.”
Indians celebrate National Safe Motherhood Day to commemorate Kasturbai’s contributions to India. This day is celebrated on her birthday every year on April 11.
Sons
Kasturba and Mahatma Gandhi’s family tree extends to four sons. After the birth of their first two children, Harilal and Manilal, Mohandas decided to leave for South Africa to find better job opportunities. In 1896, Kasturba also joined Mohandas with her two sons in South Africa.
Soon after their shift, Ramdas Gandhi was born in 1897. He was the third child of the Gandhi family. Devdas Gandhi was the youngest child of the family. He was born in May 1900 in the Colony of Natal. Like all of his brothers, Devdas was also politically active and spent several terms in jail.
Gandhi Family Tree of Indian National Congress
Rahul Gandhi was the eldest child with a low profile in his early days. After the assassination of his grandmother, he was homeschooled until college. He joined Harvard University, but after his father's assassination, he shifted to Rollins College, from where he did his graduation. Then, he went to Trinity College, Cambridge, to receive his master's degree, which shows his excellence in the field of academics.
Later, he joined a consulting firm in the UK. He entered politics after returning to India in 2004. He won a seat in Lok Sabha, remaining with him until 2019. He faced criticism from some political members for his supporting Shiva as a stunt to gain Hindu followers. They also degraded him for his elitist beliefs.
Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail in March 2023 for defaming and calling people with the second name Modi as thieves, which is also the surname of the Indian prime minister. Rahul was disqualified from the membership of the Indian parliament the next day of conviction.
Grand Parents
Rahul’s grandmother, Indira Gandhi, was the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru. He played an important role during the struggle for independence and became India's first prime minister. Indira was born on November 19, 1917. She attended the University of Oxford and Visva Bharati University for two years and joined the Congress party.
Indira got married to Feroze Gandhi, who was a member of the Congress party in 1938. She gave birth to two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay. However, they didn’t have a good relationship as a couple.
Parents
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the father of Rahul, born on August 20, 1944, in the Indian state of Mumbai. He received his education from Dun school in Dehradun, now called Uttarakhand, along with his younger brother, Sanjay.
He then left for Imperial College, London, and got his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Cambridge in 1965, where he met his wife. Sonia was born in Lusiana, Italy, on December 9, 1946. She studied the English language in Cambridge, England.
The two tied the knot in 1968 and shifted to the prime minister’s residence. After returning to India, Rajiv got a commercial pilot's license and started working with the Indian airlines. He kept out of politics until his brother, Sanjay, was alive. However, after Sanjay died in a plane crash in 1980, his mother, who was the prime minister of India, brought him into politics. He joined Lok Sabha in 1981 through by-election.
After the assassination of his mother, he was sworn in as the prime minister the same day and became the leader of the Congress party in 1984. He served as the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989, where he made efforts to stabilize the national economy and improve bureaucracy.
Later, his party was accused of financial scandals and was defeated in the elections. He resigned from his position as prime minister but remained the leader of his party.
He was assassinated on May 21, 1991, in Chennai with a bomb hidden in a flower basket.
After his death, his wife, Sonia Gandhi, initially refused to join the leadership of the Congress Party. However, looking at the terrible state of the party, she agreed to join the Congress as a president in 1998. Despite her efforts, the party lost in elections that year.
Sonia won the Lok Sabha elections in 2004. However, her foreign birth raised political controversies. Therefore, she invited Manmohan Singh to become the prime minister.
Siblings
Rahul has one sister, Priyanka, who was born on January 12, 1972. She became the president of the Indian National Congress. She got married to Robert Vadra in 1997 at Gandhi's home. The couple has two kids, Miraya Vadra and Raihan Vadra. Priyanka has been a prominent figure in the Indian politics.
Part 2. How To Make Such a Family Tree?
Creating a family tree like that of Mahatma Gandhi is a breeze with EdrawMax. It brings top-notch features, a convenient interface, and advanced options to draw different types of diagrams, including extensive family trees.
The best thing about EdrawMax is its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop feature that help create complex figures, visuals, and presentations quickly. Let’s quickly go through the steps for creating the Mahatma Gandhi family tree from scratch with EdrawMax:
Method 1: Creating the Mahatma Gandhi Family Tree from Scratch
EdrawMax has a wide range of figures that can be handled with a simple drag-and-drop feature. You can create various diagrams and visual illustrations with different shapes in the tool.
Here are the steps you can follow to create the Mahatma Gandhi family tree yourself from scratch:
1. Dowload, install, and open EdrawMax or try it online for free.
2. Click Blank Drawing under the New tab on the main dashboard.
3. Pick any shape you want from the basic drawing shapes from the panel on the left. If you don’t find a specific shape, search for it in the search bar appearing above the drawing shapes on the left.
4. Select the shape from the drawing area, press the Insert tab, and click picture to add the photo of your choice from device storage or the internet.
5. Link the family members using the connector tools from the Home tab.
6. From the Design tab, personalize your drawing to change the background color, fonts, and layout.
7. Finally, go to the Home tab and click the disk icon to save your Mahatma Gandhi family tree. Choose the location where you want to save your tree.
That’s a wrap! With this software, you can seamlessly create and design different trees of your choice.
Method 2: Creating Mahatma Gandhi Family Tree with Templates
Creating any drawing with a template is super simple. Simply browse the templates, choose one design, customize it, and save.
If you want to create a Mahatma Gandhi family tree with a built-in template in EdrawMax, here is how to do it:
1. Click Templates on the left bar on the main dashboard.
2. Search for family tree templates by using the search bar. Next, choose the template from the results by clicking the Use Immediately button.
3. Add images, change the background, and customize the tree template according to your desire.
4. Finally, click the disk icon in the menu bar to save your tree.
Isn’t it simple? EdrawMax templates allow everyone to create family trees and other diagrams without designing skills.
Part 3. Wrapping Up
Mahatma Gandhi played a pivotal role in India’s independence. However, his children and grandchildren did not continue his legacy. On the other hand, the Gandhi family of the Indian National Congress was active in politics back in independence to the very current date. Rahul Gandhi is now the president of the 2nd largest political party in India. If you are one of Gandhi’s influenced people, it’s worth knowing Gandhi family tree.
Impressed by the family trees? You can make a famiIy tree of your favorite influencer in a snap. Just download EdrawMax and search its template community for references. If you find a relevant template, edit all the names and pictures, and VOILA! You have your own family tree.
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