Abstract: This article presents a critical analysis of the correspondence between Lev Tolstoi and Mohandas Gandhi. Many scholars of Tolstoi's and Gandhi's legacies have traditionally regarded their teachings as closely interconnected, citing their correspondence as evidence of the harmony of their core ideas, their deep interest in one another and mutual understanding. However, this article challenges that prevailing view concerning their correspondence by revealing significant dissonance between Gandhi's requests and Tolstoi's responses, disagreements on several key issues, and numerous instances of misunderstanding between the two thinkers. The analysis of their correspondence may contribute to questioning the simplified historiography that portrays Gandhi as a follower and ideological successor of Tolstoi's teachings, instead highlighting the diversity of principles and possible approaches to the rejection of violence.
Konstantin Troitskiy Shisheeva (2025) studied this question.