Gandhi was the main power behind India gaining its independence. He is known for Satyagraha or holding to truth against/despite violence.
Gandhi has a movie portraying him and his wife. After watching this, I'd suggest reading My Experiments with Truth and maybe a biography.
He was kind of simple like Tolstoy. A little more privileged than average, he was a somewhat fearful shy man with admitted weaknesses. But his honest confessions of weakness came show his strength.
He studied law in England, supported by his family. Once back in India, he did not fit in as a lawyer. Somehow in going to South Africa in desperation, he found his purpose. He was thrown off a train for riding first class as an Indian, which he may have done thoughtlessly many times in London. Thus, Gandhi discovered racism.
He spent the rest of his life working to rid his and other governments of such senseless and racist laws. He worked to make a better fairer India. He wanted more self-reliance on the inside and less interference from the outside. They had needed British support, but now he wanted them to put aside falsehoods and grow. His life was a living example of change, self-discipline and commitment to truth. He never expected more from others than he exacted of himself. He considered himself to be pretty normal, but he saw some simple truths, and he was not willing to forsake them. I suppose he expected that with time only truth would triumph.
He understood the larger picture concerning his people. He grasped the economic and social consequences of each situation. He understood British law brilliantly and also basic principles, and more often than not he was justified by both law and conscience.
While not perfect, he came to represent pure intention and acting on truth.