Abstract

The political and social evolution of modern India is inseparable from the towering intellectual and moral presence of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar two leaders whose contrasting philosophies and divergent methods collectively shaped the foundations of contemporary Indian democracy. This paper examines the influence of Gandhi’s principles of nonviolence moral politics village-centric development and spiritualized nationalism alongside Ambedkar’s constitutionalism social justice agenda critique of caste and vision of individual rights. Their ideas shaped national consciousness and determined India’s trajectory toward modernity by influencing political structures constitutional frameworks mass movements social reforms and the creation of a democratic ethos grounded in rights and duties. While Gandhi emphasized moral transformation and communal harmony Ambedkar focused on institutional safeguards and legal equality as instruments of social justice. Their dynamic interaction create