Mahatma Gandhi played a very important role in the Indian freedom struggle. 

It may be described point wise in the following way: 

1. Father of the Nation: 

Mahatma Gandhi is recognized as the Father of the Nation because he was the most respectable and the most influential of all the national leaders in the freedom struggle.

2. Wholly dedicated to the cause of the country: 

Mahatma Gandhi dedicated his entire life to the country. He undertook fast unto death for liberating the country from the slavery of the English rule. The Britishers offered him many persuasions, but to him, the cause of the country was superior to any temptation, and he faced the mighty British.

3. Leadership only of the non – violent movements:

 Mahatma Gandhi carried out many non – violent movements against the British government. The chief movements were the Non – Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, Swadeshi Movement and Quit India Movement. Through his movements, he awakened Indian public that they should not co-operate with the English rulers.

4. He gave his countrymen the weapons of Satyagraha and Non – violence: 

Gandhiji had two weapons: 

• Satyagraha 
• Non – violence. 

To get his demand fulfilled, he sat an dhamas or kept fast for long periods. Many times, he undertook fast until death. Even the British government trembled before his weapon of Satyagraha.

5. To unite different social groups through nationalism: 

Gandhiji transformed the national movement for freedom into a public mass movement. He united the advocates, the doctors, the zamindars, the traders, the peasants, the labourers, the women, the Hindus, the Muslims, the Sikhs into one unit and established mutual love and sense of nationalism.

6. A Social Reformer : 

Mahatma did many things to uplift the standard of living of the people. To remove their poverty, he persuaded Indians to wear khadi. He tried his best to abolish untouchability and gave the lower caste people the name ‘Harijan’. To prevent communal riots, Gandhiji went from village to village to establish brotherhood among various groups of the society.