This week marks a significant milestone in Indian literary history as Mahatma Gandhi's iconic autobiography completes 100 years since its first publication. 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth' continues to be a publishing phenomenon, maintaining its position as the bestselling title for Navajivan Trust with over one crore copies sold globally.
The Humble Beginnings
On November 29, 1925, the first chapter of Gandhi's autobiography appeared in his weekly journal Navajivan, beginning a literary journey that would span nearly four years. The serialized publication continued until February 3, 1929, eventually comprising 166 chapters in its original Gujarati version titled 'Satya na Prayogo Athva Atmakatha'.
Interestingly, Gandhi faced initial resistance when he decided to write his life story. A 'God-fearing friend' had argued that autobiography writing was a 'practice peculiar to the West'. Gandhi acknowledged this concern but clarified that his purpose was not to create a conventional autobiography but to document his experiments with truth.
Translation and Global Reach
The English version of the autobiography, translated primarily by Gandhi's secretary Mahadev Desai, ran simultaneously in another weekly journal, Young India, from December 3, 1925 to February 7, 1929. During Desai's absence during the Bardoli Satyagraha inquiry, chapters 29 to 43 were translated by Pyarelal Nayyar.
Over the past century, the autobiography has been translated into approximately 50 languages worldwide. Navajivan Trust currently publishes the book in 18 Indian languages including Gujarati, English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, and Sanskrit.
Enduring Popularity and Sales Figures
According to current data from Navajivan Trust, the autobiography has sold approximately 1.09 crore copies to date. The English version leads with 65.09 lakh copies, followed by Malayalam (9.12 lakh), Tamil (7.75 lakh), and Gujarati (over 14 lakh) editions.
Vivek Desai, Managing Trustee of Navajivan Trust, confirmed that Gandhi's autobiography remains their undisputed bestseller even after a century. The Trust, established by Gandhi himself, held copyrights to all his writings until 2009 and continues to publish his works.
Reflecting on the book's lasting appeal, Soham Patel, trustee of Navajivan Trust and Gandhian literature scholar, emphasized: 'It is so popular because of its honesty. The book has an echo of truth. There is no autobiography where truth has been confessed to this extent. Gandhiji made all the confessions and his churning in the autobiography, so it is being read so widely because of its honesty and truthfulness.'
The autobiography was written during Gandhi's stay at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad between 1917 and 1930. It was initially published in two volumes - Volume I in 1927 and Volume II in 1929 - before being made available as a single volume from 1940 onward.
As India commemorates this literary centenary, Gandhi's honest account of his spiritual journey continues to inspire new generations, proving that truth and transparency remain timeless virtues in personal and public life.
