Principles

Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.

Gandhi's Ideals and Principles

Ghandi's basic beliefs include nonviolence, pacifism and peacfull protest.

Beliefs

Gandhi believed in truth, faith, simplicity, nonvolence and vegetariansim. 

Truth: Gandhi stated that "Truth is God".  He believed that one  of his own most important battles to fight was against his fears and insecurities.

Simplicity: Gandhi believed in a simple lifestyle, after casting aside his Western ways.  He washed and made his own clothing, calling his lifestyle, "reducing himself to zero".  He also abstained from speaking for one day every week, believeing that silence brought him inner peace.

Faith: Gandhi was Hindu and practiced this faith his whole life.  He believed the basic values of every religion are truth and love.  And although he practiced and believed in Hinduism he believed all religions to be equal, once stating when asked if he was a Hindu, "Yes I am. I am also a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist and a Jew."

Nonviolence:  Gandhi did not create the idea of nonviolence; however, he was the first to practice it on a large scale.  He made the idea much more popular, after its success in India.  Nonviolenc is very common in many religions, and Gandhi studied many religions extensively.  He believed that violence shoulds never be used.

Vegetarianism:  Gandhi was a vegetarian, common among Hindus, and taught the idea of vegetarianism to others.

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall — think of it, always."