WHO WAS TOLSTOY?

I am sure you know that Leo Tolstoy was one of the world’s greatest Novelists. His masterpiece, War and Peace, gave a vivid depiction of 19^th-century Russian life and attitudes. It was extraordinary realist fiction. But did you know that his ideas on nonviolent resistance had a profound impact on Mahatma Gandhi? Gandhi acknowledged in his autobiography that he considered Tolstoy “the greatest apostle of non-violence that the present age has produced”.

Tolstoy started out in life as a wealthy member of the Russian nobility who dropped out of university after his teachers described him as “both unable and unwilling to learn.” After leaving his studies, he ran up heavy gambling debts and joined the army. His conversion from a dissolute, privileged society boy was brought about by his experience in the army. He served as a second lieutenant in an artillery regiment during the Crimean war. His experiences in battle helped stir his later pacifism and gave him material for realistic depiction of the horrors of war.

Tolstoy’s Christian beliefs, particularly the injunction to turn the other cheek, moved him to pacifism, nonviolence, and nonresistance. Eventually, he became a wandering ascetic who abandoned his family and wealth. He also became an anarchist who described the state as, “the wicked ones, supported by brutal force. Robbers are far less dangerous than a well-organized government.” My favorite quote from Tolstoy’s work is: “Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly.”