18 Mind-Blowing Facts About Mahatma Gandhi

By Chris Waugh /

10. Gandhi Married As A 13-Year-Old

In May 1883, at the age of just 13, Gandhi wedded the 14-year-old Kasturbai Makhanji Kapadia in an arranged child marriage. Later recalling his marriage, Gandhi said: "As we didn't know much about marriage, for us it meant only wearing new clothes, eating sweets and playing with relatives." The pair had five children in all: one who died when only a few days old when Kasturbai was just 15, then Harilal (born 1888), Manilal (born 1892), Ramdas (born 1897), and Devdas (born 1900). Gandhi and his wife, who was often known as "Kasturba" or affectionately as "Ba", remained married until the latter's death in 1944.