I have long considered myself someone who is deeply passionate about the concept of peaceful resistance and am deeply fond of people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Steve Biko and many others who aren't as high profile.

It was only today that i discovered a little known Maori spiritual leader who was executing the strategy in the 18th century. I thought i would share this here because his life story is a very interesting one. What makes it all the more interesting is that Gandhi drew influence from him and given that MLK drew influence from Gandhi, i think its fair to say that this civil rights activist has a spot in the pantheon.

Only posting here in case anyone was unaware of who he was, his significance and his perseverance in the face of tyranny.

Cite

The claim about him influencing Gandhi seems dubious.

It is usually said that Gandhi got his ahimsa (non-violence) ideal from Jainism which has many adherents in his native Gujarat.

Please note the 'citation needed' legend beside the claim in the article.

Gandhi himself said what he preached was as old as the hills.

I think we are going to discover that non-violence like the wheel was invented everywhere by everyone.

Dubiousness aside, my OP was poorly written as it seems that i stress that this man was only relevant because of the possibility of his influencing Gandhi. He is worth being familiar with on the basis of his actions, writings, influence and how he lived his life.

I very much agree