ALS signed “M. K. Gandhi,” one page, 8.25 x 10.5, personal "M. K. Gandhi, Attorney" letterhead, July 30, 1906. Handwritten letter to "Messrs. Kallenbach & Reynolds, Johannesburg," the architectural firm of his close friend Hermann Kallenbach. In full: "Pretoria ppty. I am instructed to apply for vouchers for the expenditure incurred on the building." The letterhead gives the address of Gandhi's office as "21–24 Court Chambers, Corner Rissik & Anderson Streets," in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa—an area today known as 'Gandhi Square.' In very good to fine condition, with two file holes, and old tape stains to the edges.
Gandhi had settled in South Africa in 1893, taking on a one-year contract as an attorney for an Indian merchant there. It was while living in this racially charged environment that Gandhi began to develop his political ideology. While protesting in Johannesburg in 1906, he adopted his famous methodology of 'Satyagraha,' or nonviolent protest, which would become critical to his later fight for Indian independence. The term itself, 'Satyagraha,' was coined and developed by Gandhi, who introduced it in a piece in his 'Indian Opinion' newspaper that year.
Gandhi and Kallenbach became close friends through their association in Johannesburg, for a time living together in what is now known as the 'Satyagraha House.' In 1914, Gandhi left South Africa to return to his native India, bringing with him an international reputation as a leading Indian nationalist, theorist, and community organizer. Though he would not see Kallenbach again, the two maintained a regular correspondence. A remarkable autograph letter from an early, transformative period in Gandhi's life and career.
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