From Pericles to Mandela

From Pericles to Mandela, orators' words echo through the ages.

Gandhi was the Indian leader who preached non-violent resistance to British rule in his quest for Indian's independence. But fighting broke out in several cities, and Gandhi was put on trial.

In a speech on March 18, 1922, Gandhi accepted responsibility for the bloodshed. Here are his heartfelt words:

"Thinking over these things deeply and sleeping over them night after night, it is impossible for me to dissociate myself from the diabolical crimes of Chauri Chaura or the mad outrages of Bombay...I knew that I was playing with fire, I ran the risk and if I was set free I would still do the same...I wanted to avoid violence. Nonviolence is the first article of my faith. It is also the article of my creed. But I had to make my choice. I had either to submit to a system which I considered had done an irreparable harm to my country, or incur the risk of the mad fury of my people bursting forth when they understood the truth from my lips."

Gandhi influenced many other nonviolent freedom fighters throughout the years, such as Martin Luther King Jr.

Terry Golway said that "Ghandi had no armies at his command, and yet he mobilized tens of millions, and his words still do so today.