A Less Acknowledged Source of Gandhi's Ideas of Trusteeship

Mahatma Gandhi's views on trusteeship deserve special attention as part of the discipline of political economy. He repeatedly opposed the idea of expropriating wealth or property from the rich, yet, for him, wealth did not "belong" to the rich owner. The owner was merely the "trustee," one who was duty-bound to take care of the wealth and use it not just for his personal welfare but for the welfare of many. Similarly, the firm too was in his opinion held "in trust" by the person in control in a tripartite partnership along with its employees and customers. The different nuances of Gandhian trusteeship are examined by tracing the influences on Gandhi that led him to his conclusions.