Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most charismatic people of the world. He inspired a generation of world leaders through his use of a non-violent method called AHIMSA. Ahimsa simply means non-violence against anyone even those who are hell bent on killing you. 

This way, others pay attention to what you are saying and you start getting importance. This is what happened to Mahatma Gandhi. When he was abused or beaten up by the British, he did nothing to protect himself. Others saw what was going on and realised that he was beaten up for nothing and this give him a lot of attention. Here's a complete timeline in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. 

Here's a short biography of Mahatma Gandhi